Ben Platt at the Grammys- Page 2
Ben Platt at the Grammys
#25Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 3:31pm
He has a great voice don’t get me wrong, but I hated his phrasing, it felt like he was still playing Evan. Its”there’s a place for us...breath...somewhere.....” and not “There’s a place....breath...forus SOMEWHERE”
You just felt his nervous energy for a song that should be and was likely chosen for its optimism in the face of adversity. If they were adamant about having Platt perform he should of done Something’s Coming or Maria.
If they wanted Somewhere to be sung they should of gone with other CBS family broadway stars like Jeremy Jordan, Patina Miller, or Christopher Jackson (another Grammy winner).
If anything they should of chosen New York, New York, as it would if been on the nose, and should of opened the show with a taped piece bringing in the Nominees at the various locations in the song, and then mixing it with Jay-Z’a Empire state and Billy Joel’sNew York state of mind. They were at Billy Joel’s home venue and didn’t even have him perform. thats an argument dor a different day though.
#26Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 3:40pm
Cfried said: "It seems I'm one of the few that didn't care for his performance. The clipped "...for us" was almost irritating and I felt I was watching Evan Hansen singWest Side. I also did not understand the contemporary arrangement when this was supposed to be a celebration of Leonard Bernstein. Benis a very talented artist, but this was not the right song for him. He's not theleading man-Tony type, so the performance didn't work for me."
Now that you mention that, I CANT NOT NOTICE! Omg. It’s irritating!
bdn, yes yes yes, to everything you said.
Cape Twirl of Doom
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/2/05
#27Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 3:46pm
Cfried said: "It seems I'm one of the few that didn't care for his performance. The clipped "...for us" was almost irritating and I felt I was watching Evan Hansen singWest Side. I also did not understand the contemporary arrangement when this was supposed to be a celebration of Leonard Bernstein. Benis a very talented artist, but this was not the right song for him. He's not theleading man-Tony type, so the performance didn't work for me."
Agreed. I enjoyed the rest of the song but HATED how he kept singing "for us." That sounded exactly like he was still playing Evan Hansen.
#28Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 4:27pm
Between this and some other concert performance recently (was it 54 below?) I am genuinely worried that Ben has peaked and will not have much of a career of leading musical theatre roles in the future. I hope I am wrong. His performance in Evan was remarkable. Was.
Jarethan
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/10/11
#29Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 4:38pm
Mark my words...he will be Tony if the WSS film gets made. I think he would be a very good casting.
Nycat63
Broadway Star Joined: 10/31/16
#30Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 5:16pm
Call_me_jorge said: "Cfried said: "It seems I'm one of the few that didn't care for his performance. The clipped "...for us" was almost irritating and I felt I was watching Evan Hansen singWest Side. I also did not understand the contemporary arrangement when this was supposed to be a celebration of Leonard Bernstein. Benis a very talented artist, but this was not the right song for him. He's not theleading man-Tony type, so the performance didn't work for me."
Now that you mention that, I CANT NOT NOTICE! Omg. It’s irritating!
bdn, yes yes yes, to everything you said."
The clipped phrasing literally drove me insane. And I like Ben but that was god-awful. I couldn't help but compare that to what Aaron Tveit just did with Maria on NYE during the Bernstein tribute concert - that was so beautiful and gorgeously phrased, and there was no struggle for the notes.
#31Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 6:33pm
Tf why didn’t they ask CYNTHIA to do this??? https://youtu.be/HQ32cIGqgdE
edit:
Beyonce: https://youtu.be/QlCiR4I1vnE
Babs and Josh Groban: https://youtu.be/aPgqeVROE_4
#32Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 6:35pmBen: I just rocked the Grammys. Patti: Hold my Beer...
#33Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 6:43pm
Didnt care for it. Most reviewers said the performance was out of place and I agree. Not his fault, but no idea what they were going for. Hated the arrangement.
OuttaTowner
Broadway Star Joined: 5/30/05
#34Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 6:47pm
Nycat63 said: "Call_me_jorge said: "Cfried said: "It seems I'm one of the few that didn't care for his performance. The clipped "...for us" was almost irritating and I felt I was watching Evan Hansen singWest Side. I also did not understand the contemporary arrangement when this was supposed to be a celebration of Leonard Bernstein. Benis a very talented artist, but this was not the right song for him. He's not theleading man-Tony type, so the performance didn't work for me."
Now that you mention that, I CANT NOT NOTICE! Omg. It’s irritating!
bdn, yes yes yes, to everything you said."
The clipped phrasing literally drove me insane. And I like Ben but that was god-awful. I couldn't help but compare thatto what Aaron Tveit just did with Maria on NYE during the Bernstein tribute concert - that was so beautiful and gorgeously phrased, and there was no struggle for the notes. "
I thought the very same thing when watching - couldn’t help but compare Platt’s performance to Tveit’s WSS offerings on NYE - I found Ben’s breathy and mannered. Aaron was crystal clear and simply sublime, IMO.
#35Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 6:54pm
qolbinau said: "Between this and some other concert performance recently (was it 54 below?) I am genuinely worried that Ben has peaked and will not have much of a career of leading musical theatre roles in the future. I hope I am wrong. His performance in Evan was remarkable. Was."
Qolbinau, I have the same wonder. Everyone expected Idina to be the next big thing after the Wicked zeitgeist. It never materialized and a pop career eluded her. The RENT kids never got much traction either and today are pretty much relegated to be worshipped by the groupies. Ben may be dealt the same fate. We'll see. Leslie Odom seems to be the most successful by creating a high profile in the standards market.
Cat Guy
Leading Actor Joined: 3/17/17
#36Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 7:14pm
Bettyboy72 said: "Didnt care for it. Most reviewers said the performance was out of place and I agree. Not his fault, but no idea what they were going for. Hated the arrangement."
Really? Can you point us to those reviews? I've searched, and can find nothing stating that his performance was "out of place".
#37Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 7:16pm
I think Ben will have a fine post Evan Hansen career. I think he’s really going to try and follow the Leslie Odom Jt gameplan in trying his hand at a bunch of different things—music, movies, tv, back to theater eventually. I mean there are plenty of people who did enjoy the performance I guess that’s why art is so cool it all really is subjective I suppose.
#38Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 7:30pm
Cfried said: "It seems I'm one of the few that didn't care for his performance. The clipped "...for us" was almost irritating and I felt I was watching Evan Hansen singWest Side. I also did not understand the contemporary arrangement when this was supposed to be a celebration of Leonard Bernstein. Benis a very talented artist, but this was not the right song for him. He's not theleading man-Tony type, so the performance didn't work for me."
The clipped phrasing bugged me, but the last half of the performance was great! He did a good job, but the segment truly belonged to Patti.
ohhiccup 2
Chorus Member Joined: 6/5/17
#39Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 7:31pmI think Ben will have a great career. Although I don’t think he is that versatile an actor, he is a really incredible singer and I hope his album does well.
#40Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 7:48pm
ohhiccup 2 said: "I think Ben will have a great career. Although I don’t think he is that versatile an actor, he is a really incredible singer and I hope his album does well
I think he’s got a reasonable voice (I don’t love it), but I suspect he’s going mainstream with albums that can liberally auto-tune vocals.
smidge
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/16/06
#41Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 8:10pm
Bettyboy72 said: "qolbinau said: "Between this and some other concert performance recently (was it 54 below?) I am genuinely worried that Ben has peaked and will not have much of a career of leading musical theatre roles in the future. I hope I am wrong. His performance in Evan was remarkable. Was."
Qolbinau, I have the same wonder. Everyone expected Idina to be the next big thing after the Wicked zeitgeist. It never materialized and a pop career eluded her. The RENT kids never got much traction either and today are pretty much relegated to be worshipped by the groupies. Ben may be dealt the same fate. We'll see. Leslie Odom seems to be the most successful by creating a high profile in the standards market.
??????Still, Idina hasn't done too shabby. A lot of performers would love to have 3 iconic roles like she has had.
#42Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 8:15pm
Jarethan said: "Mark my words...he will be Tony if the WSS film gets made. I think he would be avery good casting."
I mean he was decent singing the song, but he’s totally wrong for Tony... lmao.
wouldnt be shocked if he ends up being cast as Boq in the Wicked Film.
#43Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 8:26pm
I think the "secret" we all are
ignoring is that Platt does
NOT have a great voice.
Hell, his vibrato is wider than
that of the 70-year-old diva
who sang after him!
BUT. He used what voice he
does have brilliantly in DEH,
at least judging by the re-
cording. So good for him!
The clipped words may have
been his way of avoiding the
heavy vibrato. But as for
insisting he "sing the song
the way it was originally
intended," he could hardly
do that; it was intended to
be sung by a light, ethereal
soprano.
#44Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 10:47pm
Ben Platt is a one hit wonder. I’d loved to be proved wrong, but I don’t think that will happen.
He was phenomenal in one hit show...and the first “Pitch Perfect” movie.
His performance on last night’s Grammy Awards was American Idol-ish. Vocal gymnastics with nothing underneath. No soul or subtext.
Patti, on the otherhand, blew it out of the park.
#45Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 10:53pm
I love Ben, but riffing like that is saying F*CK YOU to the melody. It's saying, "I can write music better than the composer."
Ugh.
ohhiccup 2
Chorus Member Joined: 6/5/17
#46Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 11:13pmI would like to see him prove me wrong acting wise, but everything I’ve seen him in he plays the same awkward/outsider kind of guy. I want to see him play someone totally different and unexpected just not sure if he has it in him
#47Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 11:15pm
Not impressed with the first half, but I can imagine Tony singing it with some effort. The second half is just atrocious, destroying everything that this song is about.
#48Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 11:19pm
MichelleCraig said: "Ben Platt is a one hit wonder. I’d loved to be proved wrong, but I don’t think that will happen.
He wasphenomenal in one hit show...and the first “Pitch Perfect” movie.
His performance on last night’s Grammy Awards was American Idol-ish. Vocal gymnastics with nothing underneath. No soul or subtext.
Patti, on the otherhand, blew it out of the park."
Two if you count his performance in Book of Mormon, which I thought he was great in.
#49Ben Platt at the Grammys
Posted: 1/29/18 at 11:21pm
Cat Guy said: "Really? Can you point us to those reviews? I've searched, and can find nothing stating that his performance was "out of place".
Not sure if this counts as a "review" but Vulture listed it as a low point in the broadcast:
"LOW: Ben Platt performing “Somewhere” from West Side Story.
Sorry, was Babs unavailable?"
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