VIDEO: Darren Criss Unveils Stripped Down 'I Dreamed A Dream', Saves Date for 3rd Annual Elsie Fest!

By: Jul. 26, 2017
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In honor of the return of Elsie Fest - NYC's first outdoor music festival celebrating stars and songs from the stage and screen - Emmy-nominated composer, musician and actor Darren Criss released his stripped-down rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the multi-award winning Broadway musical and film, Les Misérables. Check it out below!

This marks Criss' first solo track since the release of his indie-EP titled Human in 2010, which landed on Billboard's "Top Heatseekers" chart. "I Dreamed a Dream" is available now to download and stream. Visit darrencriss.me/Dreamed.

The 3rd Annual Elsie Fest will take place on October 8 at the SummerStage in Central Park in New York City. Full lineup to be announced at a later date. Fans can sign up for the Elsie Fest pre-sale here. Past performers include Evan Rachel Wood, Tituss Burgess, Aaron Tveit, Leslie Odom Jr., Pasek and Paul, Lea Salonga, Cynthia Erivo, Megan Hilty, Jason Robert Brown, and Stranger Things' Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin.

Earlier this year, Criss debuted his indie-pop band Computer Games along with his brother Chuck Criss. Their first album, Lost Boys Life EP, which features 4 songs written by the duo, quickly became a fan favorite and debuted to rave reviews. The lead single "Every Single Night" debuted at #2 on Billboard's "Hot Singles" chart and landed on their various lists including "50 Best Songs of 2017 So Far," "20 Awesome Pop Songs From 2017's First Half You Might Have Missed," "10 Great Pop Songs From March You Might've Missed" and deemed one of the best moments at the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Teen Vogue labeled the album as "an indie-filled gem filled with plenty of 80s pop inspiration and a dash of true DIY sensibility," while Entertainment Weekly described their sound as "a funky blast to the past in the spirit of some of the grooviest '80s superstar."

In addition to his music endeavors, Criss is currently in production for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, the second installment of Ryan Murphy's award-winning franchise American Crime Story. He alongside his co-stars Penélope Cruz, Édgar Ramírez and Ricky Martin were recently featured on the cover of Entertainment Weekly.



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