Aaron Carter Departs THE FANTASTICKS, 2/17

Triple platinum recording artist Aaron Carter has announced that he will be going on a concert tour and taking an extended leave of absence from his role as Matt in The Fantasticks.

His last performance will be Feb. 17, 2013.

Carter's tour is scheduled to begin at the end of February and is currently open-ended. Carter plans to return to The Fantasticks when his tour is finished.

When asked about leaving The Fantasticks, Carter said, "I'm looking forward to going on tour and working on my music, but The Fantasticks is my home - I will be back. Now you all have five weeks to come see me as Matt before I go!" Carter has extended his run in The Fantasticks four times since joining the cast on Nov. 7, 2011. Carter burst onto the pop music scene in the late nineties and quickly achieved worldwide superstardom and the adoration of millions of loyal fans, selling more than 30 million records.

In The Fantasticks, he plays the role of Matt, a rebellious young romantic who becomes restless, goes out into the world and discovers that with love comes responsibility, with independence comes danger, and with maturity comes happiness.