Ben Platt TONIGHT at the Hollywood Bowl

[Popular]

Posted: 9/12/22 at 7:10pm

Tickets that were available are now spoken for so turning this into a review thread instead.

Updated On: 9/12/22 at 07:10 PM

[Bette's Turban]

Posted: 9/12/22 at 10:14pm

The Bowl is super empty tonight.  If you go to the white tent after you go thru the main entrance they will upgrade you to a box .

[Strange Lupone]

Posted: 9/12/22 at 10:41pm

I literally couldn’t give my tickets away. :-/

[Popular]

Posted: 9/12/22 at 11:35pm

That is a huge venue or try and fill in general, let alone on an Emmy night weekday in Hollywood, in a city coming off of a major prolonged heatwave that hates driving anywhere more than 20 minutes away (hint: everything is more than 20 min away). 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 1:45am

I'm sure they thought the DEH movie would be a major success... 

 

It's not like he's had any major hits singer wise, right? This venue is WAY too big for him. 

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 2:40am

RippedMan said: "I'm sure they thought the DEH movie would be a major success...



It's not like he's had any major hits singer wise, right? This venue is WAY too big for him."

This!! He's even booked for Madison Square Garden, when honestly Radio City Music Hall was the perfect vibe and size for him. It's dad because his new music is breathtaking and underrated but they needed to book smaller venues, he doesn't have any radio hits (unless you want to call grow as we go as one) or much reason to be at MSG and the Hollywood bowl

[The Other One]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 7:12am

He and Beanie Feldstein should do a show together.  Their parents can finance it.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 9:21am

I don't think radio hits are necessary to be a big seller. There are plenty of musical acts I've never heard of that garnered support and sales over social media. I couldn't tell you one song they sing, but they sell out huge venues. I always assumed that was the case with Ben. 

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 10:21am

The tour was delayed 2, maybe 3 times. They had more than enough opportunities to see these shows weren’t selling and rebook them into smaller venues. Hell, if he wanted to say “I played MSG” (which is the only reason I can assume this is going forward) he could have booked the Hulu Theater.  He’s talented for sure, but playing to half empty houses has to be a blow to the ego. 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 10:22am

His MSG show is practically empty (even with them blocking off the sections behind the stage).  He (and/or his booking agent) is REALLY overestimating his mass appeal.  he should have been playing in a venue like The Beacon, or even City Winery.  Even Radio City would have been too large.

[SmokeyLady]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 11:56am

I was there last night.  It really was an empty house.  But they did a nice job of upgrading people and making it feel full. The place was definitely comped ( Or papered) .   He should have definitely played a smaller venue.  Maybe The Greek theater.  Or maybe pay his dues a little more and do a place like Troubadour or something like that.  He is very talented and put on a good show.  But the show felt inauthentic because it is crafted for a huge star.  They even brought out fireworks at the end.. which I am sure did not come cheap.  The Bowl usually only does it for their LAPhil events.  The highlight of the evening was his covers of a song from Waitress and Wizard and I from Wicked.  His original songs seemed fun and catchy.  But no one knew them the way he presented them to be known.  The ladies who opened for him were ok.  

Updated On: 9/13/22 at 11:56 AM

[SmokeyLady]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 11:59am

Two more things.. He sweats in a real ugly way.  Someone could have gotten him a towel.  I also do not like the way he dresses with all that Jewelry, Nails and oversized Lane Bryant sparkling shirt.  None of it felt true to him.  I don't know how else to describe it.

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 5:32pm

JSquared2 said: "His MSG show is practically empty (even with them blocking off the sections behind the stage). He (and/or his booking agent) is REALLY overestimating his mass appeal. he should have been playing in a venue like The Beacon, or even City Winery. Even Radio City would have been too large."

After looking at the maps for both venues, you are so correct... I assumed it was the correct size because the first tour  for "sing to me instead" used radio city but I didn't know that one also didn't have  a large audience. Also can I point out how atrociously overpriced everything is? Tickets for the floor are $125, and then if you want any gift package ($300 tickets) or meet and greet ($600) it's literally priced far too high in comparison to how in 2017 I literally just walked up to the Dear Evan Hansen stagedoor to meet him and he still looked like a regular human? I'm really unsure what numbers Ben Platt thinks he's doing on this tour but he's throwing money into the void. Just use the hulu theatre at MSG or Terminal 5, this album would work awesome in an intimate venue. No need to feed his ego by playing to empty Bowls and MSG

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 6:34pm

I mean I know major bands that aren't playing these venues. I'm going to assume he's surrounded himself with Yes People who don't care because they're getting paid. 

I don't know how this works with the venues. Do they need to guarantee a minimum? 

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 6:36pm

Somebody should develop the Johnnie Ray story for him.

Updated On: 9/13/22 at 06:36 PM

[perfectliar]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 6:44pm

I always forget how wildly out of pocket this board gets.

The fact that so many of you are thinking that Ben Platt is throwing temper tantrums or something, demanding to play large venues, is insane. His first tour sold out, so his record label booked him into larger venues for his second tour, which has now been delayed at least twice (maybe three times?), supporting an album released over a year ago during the pandemic. Yeah, he should probably be playing smaller venues. But he's not in empty, huge houses because he wants to be; it's where his label and managers put him, thinking he'd earn more money than he likely is.

So you'll all get your wish soon enough ,and either he won't get another album out with his label and will have to go indie, or they will barely support his next tour and he'll be in Irving Plaza.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 7:17pm

I would think a good producer/manager would look at the optics, and say, hey, this big arena tour approach isn't quite working and may in fact be hurting your image. Let's scale down and do more intimate shows. 

I don't think Kelly Clarkson has event played MSG. 

Who ever booked him into the same arena in Nashville as Harry Styles is... not smart. 

Updated On: 9/13/22 at 07:17 PM

[jo]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 7:30pm

RippedMan said: "I would think a good producer/manager would look at the optics, and say, hey, this big arena tour approach isn't quite working and may in fact be hurting your image. Let's scale down and do more intimate shows.

I don't think Kelly Clarkson has event played MSG.

Who ever booked him into the same arena in Nashville as Harry Styles is... not smart."

When Hugh Jackman wanted to do his one man show in big arenas, his longtime agent WME Chairman Patrick Whitesell advised him "Not Yet!". After The Greatest Showman became a worldwide hit ( movie and album), Mr. Whitesell advised him to go for it. Thus his show "The Man, The Music, The Show" went on a 90-show tour across Europe/USA/Australia/NZ/Canada/Mexico. He sold out 6 shows at the London O2, 3 shows at MSG ( I sat in front of Martha Stewart)  and 2 or was it 3 shows at HollywoodBowl. His repertoire included many of his own musicals hits and some personal favorites. So, it is important to assess if the market is ready before simply going for it. Btw, Hugh even sang one of his personal favorites :"You Will Be Found" from Evan Hansen.

[WestEndGal]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 7:30pm

Like @perfectliar was saying, these venues were no doubt booked pre pandemic and a lot has changed since then! I guess it’s understandable that after the big success of Ben’s first tour they’d book bigger venues, although for sure their size does seem a bit optimistic!

But the delay from album release to tour definitely hasn’t helped, and let’s be real, Ben Platt is very much a product of this fleeting and fickle sort of stan culture we have right now, when one minute you’re being idolised and the next you’re being torn down! - when he did his first tour Ben was still fairly fresh off the success of his Broadway DEH run and his first album, but now he’s in a post DEH movie world where it became almost a sport to ridicule him and the movie and all of stands for. I’m sure that had some effect on sales! 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 7:36pm

Yea his run on Drag Race did not go over well with fans, which I would imagine have some cross over. 

[DAME]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 7:47pm

WestEndGal said: "Like @perfectliar was saying, these venues were no doubt booked pre pandemic and a lot has changed since then! I guess it’s understandable that after the big success of Ben’s first tour they’d book bigger venues, although for sure their size does seem a bit optimistic!

But the delay from album release to tour definitely hasn’t helped, and let’s be real, Ben Platt is very much a product of this fleeting and fickle sort of stan culture we have right now, when one minute you’re being idolised and the next you’re being torn down! - when he did his first tour Ben was still fairly fresh off the success of his Broadway DEH run and his first album, but now he’s in a post DEH movie world where it became almost a sport to ridicule him and the movie and all of stands for. I’m sure that had some effect on sales!"

You all just coming out with facts that are not so.  His first tour was not the huge success you are making it out to be.  But it was not a flop.   I know for a fact that the stint at Radio City was heavily comped. A bunch of us went for free.   And a wide variety of offers and discounts were available for that tour.  Sure.. Netflix filmed it.. but I don't think that had to do with the tours popularity.  

 

And this latest tour was not selling well before the pandemic.  The cancelations and rescheduling did not help.  But I remember when the original pre sales and on sale dates were happening.. and it was not good. 

Updated On: 9/13/22 at 07:47 PM

[DAME]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 7:51pm

SmokeyLady said: "Two more things.. He sweats in a real ugly way. Someone could have gotten him a towel. I also do not like the way he dresses with all that Jewelry, Nails and oversized Lane Bryant sparkling shirt. None of it felt true to him. I don't know how else to describe it."

And THIS!!!!!!!

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 7:55pm

DAME said: "SmokeyLady said: "Two more things.. He sweats in a real ugly way. Someone could have gotten him a towel. I also do not like the way he dresses with all that Jewelry, Nails and oversized Lane Bryant sparkling shirt. None of it felt true to him. I don't know how else to describe it."

And THIS!!!!!!!"

He's trying to be Sam Smith and it's not working. 

Did the concert film ever get released? Never saw anything about it.

[multimattvids]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 8:05pm

Trying to sellout the Hollywood Bowl and MSG with an album that peaked at 84 on the music charts is pure delusion.

[multimattvids]

Posted: 9/13/22 at 8:06pm

RippedMan said: "DAME said: "SmokeyLady said: "Two more things.. He sweats in a real ugly way. Someone could have gotten him a towel. I also do not like the way he dresses with all that Jewelry, Nails and oversized Lane Bryant sparkling shirt. None of it felt true to him. I don't know how else to describe it."

And THIS!!!!!!!"

He's trying to be Sam Smith and it's not working.

Did the concert film ever get released? Never saw anything about it."

It was released on Netflix! I actually really enjoyed it cause I loved his first album. His new album is just not for me though.

Updated On: 9/13/22 at 08:06 PM