BEN PLATT Profiled in the NY Times

[Skimbleshanks2]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 8:42am

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/theater/how-a-23-year-old-with-mild-anxiety-and-a-charmed-life-became-the-lying-sobbing-lovesick-toast-of-broadway.html

Wowww. A huge, detailed profile. I guess he officially is a lock to win, huh? LOL.

[MyLife]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 8:49am

"There were four perfectly round bruises on his back from his regular cupping sessions, among the therapies he employs to keep himself healthy enough to go onstage seven times a week (eight, until recently) and perform a role that ranks with Hedwig and Jean Valjean in its physical and emotional demands."

Does this imply that he now has an alternate one performance a week?

[Anshel2]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 8:51am

MyLife said: ""There were four perfectly round bruises on his back from his regular cupping sessions, among the therapies he employs to keep himself healthy enough to go onstage seven times a week (eight, until recently) and perform a role that ranks with Hedwig and Jean Valjean in its physical and emotional demands."

Does this imply that he now has an alternate one performance a week?

 

"

Curious about this as well - anyone have info on which performance he is missing?

[froote]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 8:57am

He didn't do Wednesday night last week so let's see if he's out tonight again.

[Esther]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 9:17am

MyLife said: ""There were four perfectly round bruises on his back from his regular cupping sessions, among the therapies he employs to keep himself healthy enough to go onstage seven times a week (eight, until recently) and perform a role that ranks with Hedwig and Jean Valjean in its physical and emotional demands."

Does this imply that he now has an alternate one performance a week?

 

"

That's been edited: 

 

There were four perfectly round bruises on his back from his regular cupping sessions, among the therapies he employs to keep himself healthy enough to go onstage eight times a week and perform a role that ranks with Hedwig and Jean Valjean in its physical and emotional demands.


At bottom of article:

Correction: May 10, 2017

An earlier version of this article misstated the number of shows that Ben Platt does per week. It is eight, not seven.

 

 

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 9:40am

Time Out New York plastered with Evan Hansen ads this morning, too. They're not messing around.

[kdogg36]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 9:48am

I'm more disturbed by the suggestion that cupping, which is pure pseudoscience, might have some benefit to him. 

[Kad]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:06am

I think Platt is tremendously talented and giving a Tony-worthy performance, but there's something about him that strikes me as oddly coached or packaged in interviews/profiles. It could be just me, but I feel like I'm always reading him through the heavy filter of press people handling him.

Updated On: 5/10/17 at 10:06 AM

[DeNada]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:07am

This is kind of sad.

Not pathetic, but... sad.

His family clearly worry about him (alternating weeks spent with him???) and there seems to be an undercurrent of concern at the very least from pretty much everyone interviewed here.  His performance, as good as it may be, involves huge amounts of preparation to avoid it damaging him - preparation that doesn't necessarily work.  While I hope it makes him happy, there seems to be little beyond "the work" in his life at the moment - is 23 a bit young for that?

I don't think that kind of life - that kind of performance - is sustainable in any healthy way.  It will be interesting to see how replacement performers (if there are any - will the show outlast Platt?) handle playing Evan.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:11am

Well, the link implies he suffers from mild anxiety himself....so perhaps it has reared its ugly head in bigger ways than previously...but yes, it seems odd to be so "worried".

 

I don't think anyone was worried about someone playing Sweeney or even with someone playing Christopher in Curious Incident.

[MoveOnGypsy]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:24am

The article oozes unwarranted sympathy. I mean, it is his job right? To act? I understand that he's young but I can't imagine that this is the first time that there is a major musical role for a young adult actor to play on stage. And if he really does suffer from anxiety than maybe he should skip the stage door. 

Granted, I have never seen the show so I can't speak to his performance.

 

Updated On: 5/10/17 at 10:24 AM

[Skimbleshanks2]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:29am

Is he a lock to win? Or could voters think he's too young and give it to a hardworking and actually physically injured star like KARL? Or ... sigh. Am I grasping at straws here?

[AC126748]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:31am

Kad said: "I think Platt is tremendously talented and giving a Tony-worthy performance, but there's something about him that strikes me as oddly coached or packaged in interviews/profiles. It could be just me, but I feel like I'm always reading him through the heavy filter of press people handling him.

 

"

"Packaged" is a good word. Every time I see a profile like this of him (and there have been many since DEH hit), I finish reading it feeling I know LESS about him than when I started.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:32am

MoveOnGypsy said: "The article oozes unwarranted sympathy. I mean, it is his job right? To act?"

Exactly. This article was honestly a little concerning to read. His performance is incredible, but it seems to be literally ripping him to shreds. I know I have no place to say something like this, but it's a bit worrisome to me.

[Skimbleshanks2]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:37am

My takeaway was, there ain't no way he's renewing his contract LOL, especially considering the TIMES mentions it... 

And he seems to imply as much when he talks about not wanting to miss a performance during his run.

[AC126748]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:38am

Millions of people suffer from differing levels of anxiety. I think it was mentioned to show that it influenced his understanding of the character, and not as a comment on his ability to handle the pressures of the job.

And honestly, what's described in the article--the strict diet, abstaining from alcohol, vocal rest, etc--is not uncommon among people doing 8 shows a week. In many ways, your life is not entirely your own when you're on that schedule.

[bloomerific]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:39am

I have yet to see the show, but the cast recording rarely leaves me tear-free. Reading this article was tearjerking as well. I understand that acting is acting and I'm not a professional actor...but when someone gets so far into a role, it's hard to see how they come out of it. It shows a serious commitment to the craft. I don't know if I could handle something so intense...kudos to him. 

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:40am

Am I the only one who didn't know his father is Marc Platt? I'm not sure why the article is trying so hard to get us to feel sympathy for him. He's a 23 year-old man, who presumably grew up wealthy, and is now starring in a huge hit musical. Of course, the role is obviously grueling, but I don't need to feel forced sympathy for a healthy young man living his dream.

I can't help but think that this profile will push some voters in Andy Karl's direction.

Updated On: 5/10/17 at 10:40 AM

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:42am

I'm not surprised that it's taking such a toll on him.  It's an incredibly difficult acting part on top of being a ridiculously difficult singing part.  Singing like that 8 times a week while having to dig into the emotional core of that show is no small thing for anyone under 30.

[MoveOnGypsy]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:48am

AC126748 said: "Millions of people suffer from differing levels of anxiety. I think it was mentioned to show that it influenced his understanding of the character, and not as a comment on his ability to handle the pressures of the job.

And honestly, what's described in the article--the strict diet, abstaining from alcohol, vocal rest, etc--is not uncommon among people doing 8 shows a week. In many ways, your life is not entirely your own when you're on that schedule."

Yup. Exactly. He's not the first actor to do so nor will he be the last. This does not negate his performance.

[Kad]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:49am

AC126748 said: ""Packaged" is a good word. Every time I see a profile like this of him (and there have been many since DEH hit), I finish reading it feeling I know LESS about him than when I started."

It really clicked for me in his published reaction to his Tony nomination- a very canned, generic statement, clearly issued by a press person, as opposed to the idiosyncratic reactions of the other nominees talking about who they were with, what they were doing, how they were feeling, etc.

Even his acceptance speech at the Lortels felt very... composed. Again, in contrast with the other speeches, which were often genuine, weird, and off-the-cuff, and gave insight to the person giving them.

This is not to diminish his work in DEH or him as a person, mind you. I just find it very unusual, especially for a young performer, for an high-profile performer to cloak their personality.

 

My main takeaway from the Times profile was that Beanie Feldstein is Jonah Hill's sister.

 

Updated On: 5/10/17 at 10:49 AM

[Skimbleshanks2]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:56am

LOL mock me all you want.. but this profile makes it sound like BEN PLATT just survived the Sahara Desert on 1 bottle of water... Why would he ever renew??

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:59am

I see two sides to this.

On one hand the writer is looking to create some drama in spite of Ben Platt's very safe answers. Noah Galvin gave a snarky, off-the-cuff interview in 2016 and got raked over the coals for it. Plenty of folks then said he should have been coached by a publicist.  Ben clearly was.


On the other hand many musical leading roles are unsustainable for commercial runs. Patti LuPone has mentioned this when discussing Evita and Nathan Lane had a similar sympathy-profile from the NYT when starring in The Producers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/02/magazine/this-is-it-as-happy-as-i-get-baby-nathan-lane.html

''I don't think anyone understands how hard he's working,'' says Rocco Landesman, the head producer of ''The Producers,'' ''how physically demanding the role is in terms of movement, vocal power and projection. Seeing him after a performance, it's like he's gone 10 rounds with Joe Louis. Nathan's attitude is that he's killing himself and the producers are counting their money.''

Updated On: 5/10/17 at 10:59 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 11:03am

I mean, it makes sense that the classic "male actor throws themselves into a role and risks their very well being!" narrative is being pushed here: it works. Awards bodies love that whole gain weight, lose weight, live in the wilderness, torture yourself for your art, method thing.

[schubox]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 11:28am

Skimbleshanks2 said: "My takeaway was, there ain't no way he's renewing his contract LOL, especially considering the TIMES mentions it... 

And he seems to imply as much when he talks about not wanting to miss a performance during his run.

 

"

When is his contract up? They started previews in what, October or November? I have tickets in July and really hope he's still around