Broadway star Ben Platt takes his turn at pop, pretty much nails it on new tour: review

When Ben Platt takes a New York stage, he is rarely himself.

The Tony Award-winning actor best known as the titular star of “Dear Evan Hansen” (2015 to 2017) and Elder Cunningham in “The Book of Mormon” (2012 to 2015) has spent half a decade in the Broadway spotlight, portraying a habitually lying (and hilarious) missionary before his run as a hopelessly anxious and lovelorn teenager — the latter of which earning Platt his Best Actor Tony in 2017.

But Tuesday night at the Beacon Theatre, Platt played no role other than that of a vibrant young star, who like many transcendent theater leads before him — Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth and Lea Michele to name a few — is now taking his turn at pop stardom.

The 25-year-old entertainer, who belted masterfully in his Broadway parts and was a fan favorite as a magic-obsessed a cappella geek in the “Pitch Perfect” films, released his debut solo album, “Sing To Me Instead,” in March. It’s a sharp entré loaded with soulful pop ballads detailing Platt’s trials as an openly gay man searching for love — think Sam Smith’s “The Thrill of it All,” but with a bit less finesse.

Now touring on the new record, Platt has sold out theaters across the U.S. on the strength of his Great-White notoriety, and as the Los Angeles native now lives in New York, he seemed genuinely thrilled to be back home, performing his own music for a new cross-section of fans.

He thanked the crowd again and again for coming to see his “first opportunity to come out here and be myself” and rewarded the audience of about 2,800 with and 80-minute clinic in vocal performance brimming with rangy runs and show-stopping wails that fell right in step with the blazing ability he showcased on the “Hansen” stage.

While Platt is an exceedingly gifted vocalist, nailing the towering belts in new tracks “Honest Man” and the impassioned lead single “Bad Habit” that span the baritone and tenor scales, he’s far from suave — his goofy dance moves fit the “adorkable” mold which he, to his credit, singularly owns.

Platt was quick with a joke this night, drawing fans in with cracks about how he came out to his parents at age 12 — over the phone while on a Jewish birthright trip to Israel in middle school — and how he loathes peanut butter and believes “cats are the devil’s children.”

But for all his quirks, Platt is taking a serious swing at this singer-songwriter thing, exploring the conundrums of aging in “Older” and the importance of keeping loved ones close in “Grow As We Go.” It appears he can flip the switch into wistful adult contemporary crooner whenever he pleases.

Platt took turns singing solo at the front of the stage and hanging back with his 10-piece band — yes, the guy who has released just 12 original songs is already leading a group the size of Springsteen’s sprawling E Street outfit — which was encased on circular stage made to look something like a living room: a throw rug, houseplants, pillows strewn about.

Platt filled out the set with a handful of covers, the best of which being a rousing tribute to Elton John via “Take Me To The Pilot,” complete with a bit of planned choreography with Platt’s trio of background singers. He also covered Brandi Carlile’s “The Joke” and Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed,” both fine but could have easily been subbed out for a bit of fan service — the crowd would’ve went wild for either of Platt’s “Hansen” showstoppers “Waving Through A Window” or “Words Fail,” which have accrued tens of millions of listens online.

Tuesday’s performance was a successful and endearing return for an artist who has made himself plenty comfortable in the city and on its stages, but even if this pop experiment crashes and burns, Platt still has so many other projects cushioning him. Beyond recorded music, he’s starring in an upcoming Ryan Murphy-created musical comedy series called “The Politician” that premieres on Netflix in September, and he’s starring in a new film drama called “Run This Town,” which premiered at South By Southwest in March and has received positive reviews.

To boot, Platt is already three-fourths of the way to an EGOT; in addition to his Tony, he’s won a Daytime Emmy for performing songs on the “Today” show, a Grammy for the “Hansen” soundtrack.

Time will tell if bonafide pop stardom sticks for Platt — nothing from “Sing to me Instead” has yet to crack the Billboard Hot 100 — but either way, he’s on his way to becoming a format-busting household name.

Ben Platt’s setlist

May 14, 2019 — The Beacon Theatre, New York

• “Bad Habit”
• “Temporary Love”
• “Honest Man”
• “Hurt Me Once”
• “New”
• “The Joke” (Brandi Carlile cover)
• “Better”
• “Share Your Address”
• “Ease My Mind”
• “Overjoyed” (Stevie Wonder cover)
• “In Case You Don’t Live Forever”
• “Take Me to the Pilot” (Elton John cover)
• “Grow as We Go”
• “Older”
• Encore:
• “Run Away”

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us.nj.com/tips