'Ben Platt Live From Radio City Music Hall': An incredible, eye-opening look at Ben Platt, up close and personal
The 26-year-old entertainer Ben Platt is considered one of the finest and most talented performers of our generation. The Broadway star has already won Grammy, Emmy & Tony Awards, had a sold-out nationwide tour in support of his 2019 debut album, 'Sing To Me Instead', and also stars on the Netflix show 'The Politician'. But this is not his only Netflix vehicle, as the streaming giant will soon be airing a special Ben Platt concert film, called 'Ben Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall', set to drop on Netflix on May 20.
You can check out the trailer below for this exhilarating show, which was filmed in New York on September 29 last year.
The Ben Platt concert kicks off with an enthralling performance of 'Bad Habit', the song that gave his debut album its name - "Everybody needs a friend, it's true / Someone to quiet the voices in my head / Make 'em sing to me instead, it's you," he sings. As you watch Ben Platt perform, live and in the flesh, you can't help but marvel at his incredible voice, with a superhuman vibrato that goes on for days.
"I feel the gravity between us, and you can too," he sings at one point, effortlessly moving into a higher register. He's capable of hitting big, soaring power notes and delicate falsettos with equal ease, even moving into a lower, chest-based baritone in other songs. At one point you can even see his fellow 'Pitch Perfect' co-star, Anna Kendrick, herself a phenomenal singer, applaud his vocal talents from her seat in the audience and mouth "Wow."
For the last leg of his nationwide tour at Radio City Music Hall, the theatrical Ben Platt is suitably dressed in a flowery shirt, sky blue pants, and white sneakers. Throughout the course of the concert, he is ably supported by his backing band, who seem to be having the time of their life. As he dances, glides and bounds about the stage, he frequently interacts with his backup singers, feeding off their energy, and is happy to let them shine in the spotlight on several occasions.
He seems at ease and extremely comfortable on stage, frequently engaging with the crowd, sometimes waving at someone, or repeatedly putting on an excited face, almost as if to say, "Yeah, I can't believe you guys are here either!"
As with all great actors, you often get the feeling you know everything about the various personas they portray onscreen, and yet, very little about the actual person playing those characters. Yet on this night, at Radio City Music Hall, we get to see the actual Ben Platt, stripped-down, pared-back, up close and personal. In between renditions of his incredible songs, Platt further endears himself to us.
He reveals that he's been disguising himself on stage for most of his performing life, whether as a magician or a kid with a broken arm (referring to his breakout titular role in 'Dear Evan Hansen', for which he won a Tony award). But tonight, he admits - he is appearing as himself, and thus is finally able to be himself in front of an audience. It's an opportunity he describes as "wonderful," and truth be told, over the course of the next hour, he really is in his element.
Whether its charming us with Brandi Carlile and Elton John covers, regaling us with stories from his childhood (Platt came out as gay to his understanding parents at 12), his pet peeves, and the doomed relationships that gave birth to several of his songs, Ben Platt never ceases to entertain his audience. Even if you're a first-time listener, you're bound to be charmed and amazed by this veritable force of nature. 'Ben Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall' will be available for streaming on Netflix by May 20.