Fresh off a stint at the Palace Theatre in New York, Ben Platt has launched a tour celebrating his latest album, Honeymind. On Friday night, he performed at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park alongside special guest Brandy Clark, songwriter for the musical Shucked.
Clark opened the evening with a selection of her original country songs, which offer a blend of humor and seriousness in turn. “Follow Your Arrow,” a queer anthem she co-wrote, was a particular favorite of mine; despite its very on-the-nose message, it’s the sort of uplifting song that provides a much-needed antidote to the virulent anti-LGBTQ sentiment on the rise in this country. Also enjoyable was a medley Clark performed featuring some of the highlights of Shucked. For a humorous musical about corn, it has some surprisingly beautiful music.
After a brief intermission, the main event began. Platt opened with “Right Kind of Reckless,” the first song off of Honeymind, shortly followed by “All American Queen.” It’s in this second song that the overall vibes of the concert are made clear: this is an exploration of queerness within the context of classic Americana. The music has a wholesome, all-American pop sound, and the lyrics examine themes like identity and love, both requited and unrequited, from a queer perspective. Platt performs songs from all three of his albums, offering exciting moments for dedicated fans and a solid introduction to his music for new listeners.
Platt’s performance is passionate, with undeniable emotion present in every note. It’s clear these songs are deeply meaningful to him, particularly those about his fiancé, Noah Galvin. Platt has a unique physicality as he performs, dancing and gesturing like he simply cannot contain himself, and it’s a joy to watch. His vocal chops are on full display here, the show rife with high notes and dramatic riffs. His banter between songs is charming as well, a good mix of sincerity and snark that easily endears him to the audience.
For a singer with such a strong musical theatre background (Platt rose to fame as the title character in Dear Evan Hansen and had a notable run in the recent revival of Parade), Platt offers his audience remarkably little Broadway, opting for covers of James Taylor’s “Your Smiling Face” and Joni Mitchell’s “River” (a gorgeous performance that gave me goosebumps) as non-original works. He did perform a lone showtune, “Maybe This Time,” which he offered as a tribute to the great Liza Minnelli. Unfortunately, for what seemed to be an attempt to pivot to pop, this was his best performance of the night, earning him a standing ovation for his heartfelt, vocally impressive rendition.
While Broadway lovers may find themselves disappointed by the musical selections here, the overall concert experience is delightful. Platt is a compelling performer with some really enjoyable songs under his belt, and while another showtune or two might do the concert some good, it’s still a dazzling show with an essential message of love and support for the queer community.
For a full list of tour dates, visit Ben Platt’s website.
Photos by Vince Aung.
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