Interview: Ben Platt Comes Home for a Two-Week Ahmanson Residency

Ben Platt is returning to the city that launched his theatrical career with a two-week residency at the Ahmanson Theatre, running December 12–21.

Though Platt may be best known as the Tony-winning star of the smash hit Dear Evan Hansen - a performance that also earned him an Emmy and a Grammy, the singer-songwriter has long since proven he’s more than a Broadway icon. Last year he released Honeymind, his third solo album, which led to a three-week residency at Broadway’s Palace Theatre and a 21-city North American tour this past summer.

And while fans can expect to be fully satiated by Platt’s signature powerhouse vocals, his Los Angeles run promises an extra layer of excitement. During his New York residency, for instance, he surprised audiences nightly with special guests including Cynthia Erivo, Nicole Scherzinger, Jennifer Hudson, Kacey Musgraves, Sam Smith, Micaela Diamond, and Shoshana Bean. For LA, he’s reportedly “upping the ante,” with Center Theatre Group teasing “even more incredible surprise guests joining the fun each night.”

So who might show up? What’s on his set list? And what kind of stage does he love most? Ahead of his Ahmanson engagement, Platt took some time to answer BroadwayWorld’s questions.

Tell us what we can expect from your show at the Ahmanson? Will it be mostly your original music—or do you split the set evenly with your Broadway hits?

My Ahmanson show will be very much based on the show I created at The Palace on Broadway, the main differences being that it's LA-based and that I'm not promoting a newly released record like I was last Spring. So there will definitely be some of my favorite originals in the set, but this time alongside even more pop and Broadway covers and favorites than before! And of course, the guest duets. 

Is there a song you always have to sing at every show? What song always gets the biggest reaction from the crowd?

Crowd reactions vary, but for me, whenever I'm doing a show as myself, I always have to sing “Ease My Mind,” a song I wrote on my first album about the power of love to soothe anxiety. It's probably my favorite song I've written. I've never done a show or tour without it. I find it incredibly calming to sing, both for myself and for the audience.  

There’s a lot of buzz about the special guests who may join you during your LA run. (In New York, you brought some big guests onstage—including Kristin Chenoweth, Leslie Odom Jr., Kacey Musgraves, Laura Dreyfuss and Cynthia Erivo!) Can you give us any hints as to who might show up in LA? Will they be Broadway friends? Fellow movie stars? Music biz colleagues? Give us something! :)  

You can expect some great pop singers and icons, some actors who love to sing that I have worked with on past projects that people will certainly know, a couple of up-and-coming vocalists whom I'm obsessed with, and perhaps my husband [Noah Galvin].

Your career has run the gamut from Broadway to film & TV to solo music. Do you prefer the closeness of being a part of a “show family”—or the independence of doing your own thing?  

I will always prefer a show family. While I love the freedom and directness of performing my own show, nothing is more special than creating a bond with a cast, whether on stage or on camera. It's what makes all the heartbreak and rejection along the way worth it. So, while I'll never stop finding opportunities to perform my own concerts, I will always be an actor and team member first. 

For people who primarily know you for your work on Broadway… Tell us about your solo albums. What’s your musical style, and what is your biggest inspiration for your songwriting?

My albums vary a bit, as my second one, “Reverie,” exists more in the Phil Collins/Peter Gabriel pop space, but generally my style is very confessional, earnest and warm, focusing on live instruments and vocals. My greatest inspirations are people like James Taylor, Paul Simon, Carole King and Joni Mitchell, and more recently Sam Smith and Adele. I tend to write most frequently about love, both the optimism and the heartbreak, and my songs are always pulled directly from my own experience.

You grew up in LA, right? What are your favorite places around here to see a show (other than the Ahmanson, of course)?  

Yes, I did! I love the Hollywood Bowl the most, it's where I did my first job at 9 years old when I played Winthrop in The Music Man, and then I came full circle a few years ago when I headlined with my own music. I also love the Pantages because it's where I saw all the touring shows growing up. And of course, the Greek Theater, which, as an East LA person, is the prettiest and most convenient spot to see my favorite artists (I loved playing there as well last year). 

If you weren’t an actor/singer/ songwriter—Is there some other life you sometimes wish you had? Some hidden talent that you’d love to pursue?

I don't think I'd ever be able to stay away from theatre, so if I weren't a performer, I'd probably either direct or teach. In fact, I very much hope to do both in my lifetime!   

Do you still hear from fans whose lives were impacted by Dear Evan Hansen? Can you share a moment that reminded you the show made a real difference?

All the time, yes. Recently, I was walking in my neighborhood, and a woman told me that going to see the show with her teenage son was a huge turning point for their relationship at the time, and that it has improved their communication to this day. You can't ask for anything more than that! 

You’re set to appear in the film adaptation of Merrily We Roll Along (directed by Richard Linklater), which will be shot over the course of 20 years. That’s quite a commitment!  What made you say yes to such a long-haul project, and how do you think it’ll change you over time?

It was the fastest and easiest yes I've ever said. Rick is one of our greatest directors, Sondheim is my idol and greatest influence and teacher, Beanie Feldstein is one of my closest friends, Paul Mescal is one of our best actors and now also a dear friend, the list goes on. It has become an amazing life check-in, where every couple of years we recalibrate with the same family and see how we've grown as people, and then bring that evolution to the characters. 

Lastly — quick-fire! Just give us the first thing that pops into your head:

• First Broadway show you ever saw: Thoroughly Modern Millie starring the late Gavin Creel, who I will love forever. 

• Biggest “pinch-me” moment: Walking up to the stage at Radio City to accept my Tony at 24 years old. 

• Go-to karaoke song: Anything from Josie and the Pussycats. 

• Favorite musical cast album of all time: Sunday in the Park with George and Spring Awakening. 

• Dream duet partner: Still Micaela Diamond.