“Stranger Things” actor Gaten Matarazzo traded the spooky environs of Hawkins, Indiana, for the footlights of Broadway this week, and two of his co-stars from the smash Netflix series were there to cheer him on.
The actor made his debut performance in the smash musical “Dear Evan Hansen” Tuesday as the title character’s best friend, Jared Kleinman. His opening night audience included Maya Hawke and Sadie Sink, who star alongside him on “Stranger Things.”
While backstage visits at Broadway theaters are still prohibited as part of ongoing COVID-19 protocols, Hawke and Sink congratulated their pal from the front row of New York’s Music Box Theatre after the show.
The trio happily posed together for pictures, too.
According to People, Tuesday night’s audience included many “Stranger Things” fans, who greeted Matarazzo with “huge entrance applause” when he stepped on stage.
As for Hawke and Sink, the two women “loved the show.”
“Dear Evan Hansen” opened on Broadway in 2016, winning six Tony Awards and catapulting Ben Platt, who originated the title role, to stardom. The musical follows a shy, socially anxious teen who achieves viral fame in the wake of a classmate’s death.
Prior to “Stranger Things,” Matarazzo was an established young actor in New York theater circles. At age 9, he made his Broadway debut in “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.” He also appeared as Gavroche in a 2014 production of “Les Misérables.”
“I’m so stoked to be back, especially in a show I love so much,” he told Playbill in a video interview this week. “It’s quite the challenge, but I hope getting back on reminds me of how much I need this experience and love it so much.”
“I’m sure there are going to be people who don’t necessarily like this character, but I think that’s kind of the point, in a weird way,” he continued. “It’s funny to have a character that you’re laughing at so much that is quite clearly and presently not making good decisions, and is particularly aware of that.”
