One of Ben Platt’s first major gigs was starring as young Winthrop Paroo in “The Music Man” alongside Eric McCormack and Kristin Chenoweth at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
The actor, singer-songwriter and Broadway star was just eight years old and completely in awe of being on such a legendary stage. He returned to the venue after being cast in several other productions including “The Sound of Music” and “Camelot.” Growing up not far from the L.A. landmark, he’s attended plenty of musicals there throughout the years, such as “Annie,” “Rent” and “Into the Woods,” as well as concerts by singers like Cynthia Erivo and Sara Bareilles. And he enjoys the annual “Harry Potter” live-to-film orchestral experiences, too.
Now, the 28-year-old entertainer will headline the Hollywood Bowl for the first time ever on Sept. 12 as he’s out on tour in support of his latest album, “Reverie.”
“It’s the thing I’m most looking forward to in my whole life so far, not to overplay it,” Platt said during a phone interview earlier this year. His tour was originally scheduled to kick off in February and wrap up at the Hollywood Bowl in April but was postponed due to the lingering pandemic concerns at the time.
“It just feels like a very special full circle moment for me,” he continued. “I’ve been looking forward to it, but it’s also this very surreal moment for me to think that it’s my own music I’ll get to play while I’m there. Part of me still believes it will be show tunes with the Philharmonic or something. I really can’t believe I get to play my own stuff.”
Platt grew up in the entertainment business, the son of film, television and theater producer Marc Platt, who worked on movies like “Bridge of Spies,” “Legally Blonde,” “La La Land” and the Broadway musical, “Wicked.” He rose to fame after landing the title role in the musical “Dear Evan Hansen” in 2015, which earned him Tony, Emmy and Grammy awards; he reprised the role in the less-successful 2021 film version. Aside from musicals, Platt has also starred in several movies and TV shows including the “Pitch Perfect” films and the Netflix comedy-drama series, “The Politician.”
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But it’s being able to express himself through his own music on stage that’s the most thrilling, he said.
“Live performance, in general, is my greatest love and as many people have felt recently, I feel like I’ve been missing it so deeply,” he said. “It’s the only thing that’s really pure in that way and untouchable. When you’re in a room live with someone, there’s just no safety net and live performance is my favorite thing because of that. Being able to do my own music, too, there’s a freedom that comes with knowing that the only one who knows how to do this right is me, and whatever I choose to do or whatever feels the most organic or natural to me is the right way. So there’s no expectation there for myself other than to perform authentically and showcase what I can do.”
Though he had a few songs down before the pandemic lockdowns in 2020, Platt said the lion’s share of the record was written as he suddenly found himself living back at home with his parents and sharing his childhood bedroom with his partner, actor Noah Galvin.
“It all felt backwards, like we were reverting a little bit,” Platt said of the unusual circumstances that forced him into a pandemic bubble with his new partner and immediate family. “But we got comfortable, and that was really the first time Noah was spending quality time with the family and really getting to know them. It was a little like throwing him to the wolves, but it ended up being very special because I got to watch everyone fall in love with him, too.”
That inspired Platt to write even more music, including the songs “Childhood Bedroom” and “Happy to Be Sad.” The latter track, he said, stemmed from Galvin having to leave the pandemic bubble to go work on the TV series, “The Good Doctor.”
“I wrote that the day after Noah left the house,” he said. “We weren’t going to be able to see each other for five months, so I was pretty bereft and sad in the morning and by sometime in the afternoon, there was a switch that flipped in my mind like, ‘How lucky am I to feel this way?’ I’ve never had someone affect me as deeply by being here or not being here, so I was determined to embrace being grateful for that and sat down and started writing that song.”
Platt’s songwriting partner, Michael Pollack, who has collaborated with artists like Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran and Miley Cyrus, helped him break out of his songwriting funk. Pollack also co-produced the record and was a sounding board for Platt.
“He helped me find the world of it sonically and having such a brilliant, pop mind sort of translate my more emotional, detail-centric style of writing and turn it into something a bit more streamlined and pop-friendly was so unbelievably helpful,” he said. “The record wouldn’t be what it is without him. My favorite part of the writing process is how collaborative it is.”
At the time of our interview, Platt said he was hoping that a short film he and Galvin, along with Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman, had uploaded to YouTube titled “Theater Camp,” would get picked up to become a feature film. In June, it was announced that the project was given the greenlight and that Platt will star in the movie.
At that time, he also declared that he’d return to the theater: “I’m on the hot search for something on stage,” he said. “I’ve really, really missed theater and I’m between options, but I’m looking for something. A priority for this year is to get back on the theater stage.”
In May, it was revealed that he would play Leo Frank in New York City Center’s production of “Parade” in November.
When asked whether he ever thinks about joining the prestigious hall of fame of entertainers who have achieved EGOT status (winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony awards), Platt sounded humble.
“Someday, but I’m in no rush,” he said. “I don’t want to overstay my welcome and I feel very lucky to have been working for almost 20 years now.”
The Reverie Tour
With: Ben Platt and Aly & AJ
When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 12
Where: Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles
Tickets: $25-$199.50 at Ticketmaster.com
Also: 7 p.m. Sept. 9 at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, San Diego. $24.50-$94.50 at Ticketmaster.com.