star might be no stranger to Broadway, but we imagine it must still be heartwarming to see your friends supporting you in the audience.
Last night, the actor best-known for playing in the sci-fi series made his debut as Jared Kleinman in acclaimed musical , which was adapted into a movie starring Ben Platt last year.
The 19-year-old’s experience of performing on Broadway dates back a decade, having first appeared in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in 2011 and going on to star as Gavroche in Les Misérables a couple of years later.
For Gaten’s first turn in Dear Evan Hansen, Stranger Things stars and – who play Robin Buckley and Max Mayfield respectively – showed up to support their friend.
In photos taken backstage, Maya beamed while wearing a colourful T-shirt featuring an array of wild animals, while Sadie donned a red cap and a black face mask.
Gaten looked casual behind-the-scenes in a pair of jeans and an olive green hoodie, while several fans expressed how happy they were to see the co-stars reunite in real life.
‘This makes me happy,’ one person commented on a picture shared by the Dear Evan Hansen production on Instagram, as another wrote: ‘My two worlds colliding.’
‘This might be my favourite post ever,’ someone else stated, while another shared a heartening reaction by writing: ‘This is what we call FAMILY.’
After Gaten was cast in Dear Evan Hansen, he released a statement to share how excited he was to be returning to the New York stage.
‘Words could never express how truly honoured I am to be a part of this company,’ he said.
‘This show has taught me so much about myself and to be able to participate in any capacity, let alone on Broadway, makes me want to melt. I am ecstatic to be back on stage and eternally grateful for the opportunity.’
As well as Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Les Misérables, Gaten also starred as Jesus in the production Godspell in 2012.
He performed in Into the Woods in Los Angeles in 2019, while he also took part in Cinderella for his school Pinelands Regional High School in New Jersey.
Stranger Things is available to watch on Netflix.
