We all know Broadway as an industry that people obsess over, whether it’s “Hairspray,” “Wicked,” “Rent,” “Hamilton” or “Dear Evan Hansen.” Originally starring composer, lyricist and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, the musical “Hamilton” about the life of Alexander Hamilton was a recent fad. The musical, done completely through rap music, was a prodigy of a show and changed Broadway completely.

Broadway has become more than just a play you see for one night. People are obsessing over the actors, actresses and songwriters, but mostly the music. Actors from Broadway are using their success as a stepping stone in the music industry to become solo artists.

One newer show that everyone’s dying to see is “Dear Evan Hansen,” originally starring Ben Platt. The show tells the story of a high school senior suffering from a social anxiety disorder that prevents him from connecting with others. “Dear Evan Hansen” was nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning six in total, including Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical.

With the increasing popularity of streaming services, the theater industry’s success is rising. People all over the world can listen to the music from any show as many times as they want. This means people who are seeing musicals for the first time can go in already knowing every single word to the show. It’s more than just a Broadway show; it’s now an interactive experience.

Streaming services have also allowed musical soundtracks to rise up to the top 10 on the Billboard charts, something that has only been done by four cast recordings in history.

Owl City’s cover of “Waving Through A Window” from “Dear Evan Hansen” has racked up almost 15 million streams. If you look up Lin-Manuel Miranda on Spotify, you will find that his most listened to tracks also have tens of millions of streams. Actors like Miranda are becoming famous beyond the stage, as they share similar success with some of the biggest artists in the world.

Similarly, Michael Lee Brown of “Dear Evan Hansen” used his theater platform to gain notoriety for his music. Brown took over the role of Evan Hansen, the most talked about character in Broadway today, after Ben Platt finished his last show. He’s working on his debut EP called, “Way It Used To Be,” which he worked on whenever he had a moment off stage. He teamed up with Matthew James Thomas, the star of the Broadway play “Pippin,” to put it together and already has three songs ready to share with the world.

Brown has kept his music within the same ideology of the messages and themes from “Dear Evan Hansen,” and in a similar melody-driven style, too. His role in “Dear Evan Hansen” has shed light on his solo work.

The “Dear Evan Hansen” songwriters, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, are also the masterminds behind the new and extremely popular movie “The Greatest Showman.” They won Best Original Song at the Golden Globes for their emotionally-driven “This is Me,” which has also been covered by Kesha.

The line between theater and music continues to blur as musicals, Broadway actors, actresses and songwriters are making names for themselves in the modern music industry. The theater industry is rising to the same level of competition as some of the biggest artists in the music business.

Phoebe Smith is a senior public relations major. Her column appears biweekly in Pulp. You can email her at phsmith@syr.edu and follow her on Twitter @phoebesmithh5.

Published on February 5, 2018 at 10:07 pm