‘Tennessee Whiskey: The Musical’ Recruits Jonah Platt for Lead Role of Dean Dillon
Tennessee Whiskey: The Musical has found its lead performer in Jonah Platt (Wicked, I'll Be Watching).
The actor will play singer-songwriter Dean Dillon in the new musical, which follows Dillon's life, struggle with addiction and his career-charting hits for George Strait, Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney, Chris Stapleton and Pam Tillis, among others. Dillon and playwright, director, and producer Dewey Moss (The Crusade of Connor Stephens) are working on the musical together.
"I’m so excited with this opportunity to bring the legendary Dean Dillon’s life to the stage,” Platt told Deadline late last month. "His songs (which you definitely know, even if you didn’t realize he wrote them!) are so full of heart, intelligence and depth. And his story of struggle and success will definitely resonate with audiences around the world. I’m eager and honored to take on the challenge of doing justice to his story and his incredible songs.”
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Deadline first broke the news of the musical in May, reporting that Moss was on the hunt for an actor to portray George Strait. No word on whether they've found their King of Country yet.
According to the musical's website, Tennessee Whiskey: The Musical is a show "about the rise of a songwriting icon, his personal struggles with alcoholism and drugs that almost ended his life, and his ultimate redemption and success." It will feature much of Dillon's catalog, including “The Chair,” “Unwound,” “Marina Del Rey,” “Ocean Front Property,” “She Calls It Love,” “How Long Does It Take,” “I’m Lying in Love With You,” “I'm Into the Bottle,” “We Got ‘Em Smokin’ in the Rockies,” “Easy Come, Easy Go,” “The Road Less Traveled,” “Here for a Good Time” and “Tennessee Whiskey."
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