Ben Platt, star of Dear Evan Hansen, plays a 1960s Greenwich Village crooner in the hit queer musical Midnight at the Never Get at the Menier Chocolate Factory, London, until 12 September. In performance, Platt is a mellifluous singer and loose-limbed dancer, but in person he is sweet, earnest, and nervy, speaking frankly about anxiety as his constant companion.
Managing anxiety with family and creativity
Platt attributes his ability to manage anxiety to his relationship with his husband, actor Noah Galvin, and having a creative project to focus on. “My relationship with my husband is a huge factor in being able to manage anxiety. There’s still highs and lows, but everything’s more in my sights, because I thankfully have him,” he said. Galvin is also in London, starring in Hit Machine at Soho Theatre.
The musical: queer songs and liberation
Midnight at the Never Get, directed by David Cromer, features songs by Mark Sonnenblick. Platt plays Trevor, a cabaret crooner who is “effervescent” and wears his heart on his sleeve. The piece, Platt hints, “unfolds into something deeper and stranger.” Singing love lyrics to another man is liberating for Platt: “One hundred per cent. I grew up doing musicals – years and years, so many shows – but never did I get to play a queer character on stage. To play a three-dimensional character who is singing expressly queer songs with details of queer romance, it does feel so liberating.”
Political context and American anxiety
Although not explicitly political, the musical arrives when gay rights progress in the US seems halted or reversed. “Being American feels quite helpless and scary,” Platt admitted. However, he finds New York optimistic, praising new mayor Zohran Mamdani for representing “a different class of politics, as opposed to abusive painful noise for the sake of abusive painful noise.”
Early career and Dear Evan Hansen
Platt, now 32, has been on stage since age six, when he played the prince in Cinderella. Professional gigs followed quickly; he was focused and self-directed. “I wanted to grow up quickly,” he reflected. “I was so hungry to be like the adults I was working with, and be counted among them.”
The show that made Platt was Dear Evan Hansen, where he played the problematic high-school hero from early read-throughs to Broadway. “I had never been asked to go to those emotional lengths before. The material was so strong, it forced me to rise to the occasion.” Committing to the show meant “putting my entire life on mute. I put my own development on the back burner, and just lived in the space of this character for many years.”
Movie backlash and moving forward
Platt won a Tony for the stage role and was cast in the 2021 film, but faced criticism for being too old (27) and being the producer’s son. “It was tough, but it’s a lesson you have to learn in this business, which is sometimes it doesn’t go well and you have to let the rollercoaster dip so that it can go back up. The fact that it was that character made it a little more painful – but we move forward.” He added, “I’m happy that the movie exists, and hope history will be kind to it.”
Future ambitions: Sondheim and Angels in America
Platt’s dream role is George in Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park With George, calling the composer “my rabbi, my imam, I live my life by his words.” He is currently filming Merrily We Roll Along with director Richard Linklater, shooting over 19 years in real time. Platt, Paul Mescal, and Beanie Feldstein are about a third of the way through; filming is expected to finish in 2038 when Platt will be 45. “It’s completely insane, and also like a family reunion that happens every couple of years,” he said.
“Like every gay person in the world, I hope to do Angels [in America] at some point. But the ideal scenario is always for something new to come crashing through.”
