Broadway Records Founder to Launch New Label

Broadway Records Founder Van Dean to Launch New Label, Center Stage Records

10-01-24

Grammy® Award and Tony® Award-winning producer Van Dean announced the launch of his new record label, Center Stage Records. The new label already has over two dozen albums scheduled for the coming year, including exciting titles from Broadway, Off-Broadway, London’s West End, concept recordings and major Broadway solo artist recordings.

In addition to its New York headquarters, Center Stage Records is deeply committed to the West End/London theatre and is establishing a London office which will be led by Executive Director, London producer/GM, Jamie Chapman Dixon.

Van Dean
Pic: Skollar PR

Van Dean (President and Founder) is a Tony® Award and Grammy® Award winning producer. He co-founded Broadway Records which released nearly 300 albums during his leadership. Van earned his Grammy Award for helping to produce the Broadway Records’ release of the 2015 Broadway revival of The Color Purple. His Grammy nominations were earned for his work on Matilda the Musical, My Fair Lady and Caroline, or Change. Van also executive produced well over 200 other albums including 9 that were Grammy Award nominated.

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His theatrical production credits include The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (Tony® Award), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Tony® Award nomination), Anastasia, Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette and Diablo Cody (Tony® Award nomination), How to Dance In Ohio, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, Matilda (Tony® Award nomination), Evita (Tony® Award nomination), Gore Vidal’s The Best Man (Tony® Award nomination), Catch Me If You Can (Tony® Award nomination), The Velocity of Autumn, Big Fish, Bonnie & Clyde, Chinglish, the Off-Broadway production of You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (2016) and ROOMS a rock romance and the national tours of Anastasia, Matilda, Cinderella, The Lightning Thief and more. He was also a producer of Master Class with Tyne Daly and the 2022 and 2023 productions of Bonnie & Clyde in London’s West End. Upcoming: Death Note, Wild, Goodbye New York, SMASH, Figaro, Little Dancer, Song of Bernadette.

Jamie Chapman Dixon (Executive Director, London office) is the co-founder of Olivier nominated Carter Dixon McGill Productions and has previously held the roles of CEO at the prestigious Oxford Playhouse and was the founding Executive Director at the Barn Theatre, Cirencester which he co-led to the 2019 Stage Fringe Theatre of the Year Award. His work within venues and operations has seen him general manage productions in house for a wide range of organizations including Royal & Derngate, Smart Entertainment, Hartshorn Hook and Immersive Everywhere. His commercial work has led him to produce the recent West End productions of Death Note, Blippi the Musical (Olivier Nominated), Treason, Chess, Kinky Boots and Wonderville whilst general managing the immersive productions of Peaky Blinders: The Rise and Doctor Who: Time Fracture for HHE.

Broadway Records’ (and Matinee favourite) Robbie Rozelle will also be joining Center Stage Records as its A&R Director and will design the artwork/packaging for its new releases. He will also continue to conceive and produce albums with key artists.

Most recently, Van Dean has been running Broadway Records under the ownership of Cutting Edge Group, which acquired the premier label from Dean in early 2020. The intention is for Center Stage to collaborate with Broadway Records on selected releases in the future and for Dean to consult for Broadway Records/Cutting Edge to aid in the transition. As part of Dean’s new venture, Center Stage will take over the management and distribution of nearly two thirds of the Broadway Records back-catalogue with the remaining one third of titles staying with Broadway Records.

Under Cutting Edge, Broadway Records will continue as a leader in the musical theatre album space, supporting its valuable retained catalogue of titles, and releasing select new frontline cast albums including with its existing production partners such as The National Theatre in London.

For more info on Center Stage Records please visit the official site HERE