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Van Dean

Theatre and Film Producer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Van Dean (born August 1974) is a Tony Award[1] and Grammy Award[2] winning producer and the Founder and President of Van Dean Productions, LLC. His work as a producer spans Broadway, Off-Broadway, national tours, concerts, films, and benefit projects.[3] He is the Founder and President of Center Stage Records.[4]

Education and Early Career

Van grew up in Trumbull, CT and attended Trumbull High School. He earned his B.S. in Producing for Electronic Media from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.[5] Following graduation, he worked as a programmer for a decade before entering the entertainment industry in 2005. He produced his first two shows, The Mistress Cycle and Saint Heaven, under the banner of his first production company, Van Hill Entertainment, with then producing partner, Hillary Cutter.[6] Van produced his first Off-Broadway show, ROOMS: A Rock Romance,[7] in 2009 and his first Broadway show, Catch Me if You Can, in 2010.[8]

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Productions

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Filmography

  • Midsummer in Newtown (Producer)
  • From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Sandy Hook (Producer)
  • Broadway Kids Against Bullying: I Have a Voice (Executive Producer)
  • Artists for the Arts: With a Little Help from My Friends (Co-Producer)

Awards and Nominations

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Center Stage Records

Van founded Center Stage Records in 2024. The label, operating out of New York City and London,[10] releases cast albums from Broadway to the West End, solo albums by major musical theatre artists, and concept albums.[11] Center Stage Records launched with the release of the Original Broadway Cast Recording of How to Dance in Ohio.[12] This release joins the nearly 200 titles brought over from the Broadway Records catalog.[13]

Prior to founding Center Stage Records, Van co-founded Broadway Records in 2012.[14] He was President of the label for 12 years. Among the hundreds of albums released by Broadway Records, Van produced albums including The Color Purple (Grammy Award-winner).[15]

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Benefit Work

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Van produced From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Sandy Hook in 2013. The Newtown, CT concert included students from the community and Broadway performers. Funds from the event benefited United Way of Western Connecticut's Sandy Hook School Support Fund.[16] Van was integral in the formation of NewArts (previously the 12.14 Foundation), an organization created in 2013 to provide an artistic community for healing in Newtown, CT.[17] With NewArts, he co-produced local productions of Seussical The Musical,[18] A ROCKIN' Midsummer Night's Dream, and 101 Dalmatians: The Musical.[19] He also collaborated on Liberty Smith, The Lion King Jr, School of Rock (Youth Production), The Wizard of Oz, Newsies, and Matilda. Van co-produced the 2016 feature documentary film, Midsummer in Newtown, in conjunction with A ROCKIN' Midsummer Night's Dream.[20]

In 2018, Van produced From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Parkland, USA[21] and in 2016, From Broadway with Love: A Benefit Concert for Orlando.[22]

Van was a Producer of "What the World Needs Now is Love," a single to benefit the Orlando community in the wake of the Pulse nightclub tragedy.[23] Broadway Records released the single. Funds were directed to the GLBT Community Center of Central Florida and the Trevor Project.[24]

With Broadway Records, Van released "I Have a Voice," a single to raise awareness about the anti-bullying efforts of www.NoBully.org.[25][26]

Van also produced the new Broadway United music video of "We are The World" to spread a message of community.[27]

Van is on the board of The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center.[28]

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References

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