Posted: 8/21/17 at 12:30am
I think he should take like a month off. The role seems to be harming more than helping him. Poor guy. Maybe he can do a schedule like Javier does for Hamilton?
Posted: 8/21/17 at 3:14pm
Looks like Ben is on a week of doctor recommended vocal rest! Hope he gets better soon.
Posted: 8/21/17 at 3:16pm
Yikes, poor guy. Per Telecharge:
"Ben Platt will be out of Dear Evan Hansen the week of August 22 - 27 on doctor-imposed vocal rest. Michael Lee Brown and Colton Ryan will play the role of Evan Hansen in his absence."
Posted: 8/21/17 at 4:34pm
BroadwayConcierge said: "Yikes, poor guy. Per Telecharge:
"Ben Platt will be out of Dear Evan Hansen the week of August 22 - 27 on doctor-imposed vocal rest. Michael Lee Brown and Colton Ryan will play the role of Evan Hansen in his absence."
"
I've seen the show once with Ben Platt. My folks are in town for the week, and have been dying to see DEH. They were just going to get tickets late tonight/tomorrow on StubHub when prices drop...should I tell them to not? Personally, I think Platt made the show, but I know nothing about his understudy.
Posted: 8/21/17 at 4:47pm
Andrew Heying said: "BroadwayConcierge said: "Yikes, poor guy. Per Telecharge:
"Ben Platt will be out of Dear Evan Hansen the week of August 22 - 27 on doctor-imposed vocal rest. Michael Lee Brown and Colton Ryan will play the role of Evan Hansen in his absence."
"
I've seen the show once with Ben Platt. My folks are in town for the week, and have been dying to see DEH. They were just going to get tickets late tonight/tomorrow on StubHub when prices drop...should I tell them to not? Personally, I think Platt made the show, but I know nothing about his understudy.
"
I've only heard good things about the understudies, and the tickets should drop pretty low since Ben will be out so I'd still say they should go for it!
Meanwhile, I am going through the stages of grief over my 8/24 tickets lol I hope Ben is feeling better, though, and he should really be given regular shows off to rest! Especially since this is his second time on vocal rest. Clearly this is taking a toll on him. For now though, I hope he is resting well.
Posted: 8/21/17 at 4:52pm
Out of curiosity, how was Ben's attendance in BOM? Not saying DEH isn't an extremely demanding role, just wondering if there's an element of personal vocal stamina involved too.
Regardless, as has been said, they clearly need to have an alternate for whomever takes over the role.
Posted: 8/21/17 at 5:04pm
10086Sundays said: "Out of curiosity, how was Ben's attendance in BOM? Not saying DEH isn't an extremely demanding role, just wondering if there's an element of personal vocal stamina involved too.
Regardless, as has been said, they clearly need to have an alternate for whomever takes over the role.
"
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1098136&dt=32
Discussed here- his attendance in TBoM was apparently stellar. Which makes it even more apparent that Evan Hansen should be a role with a built in alternate, if someone like Ben who rarely misses has had to miss as much as he has and the reports of his off nights.
Posted: 8/21/17 at 5:17pm
As another poster mentioned, we were also at Friday night's show and he was unbelievable. Granted it was our first time seeing the show but he was incredible; his voice was strong and clear, no problem hitting any notes, and my husband and I remarked several times how rested and fresh he sounded having just returned from vacation. Like listening to the cast recording (only better, of course)! Poor guy. I hope they give him a regular day off through the end of his contract.
Posted: 8/21/17 at 7:51pm
I think a lot of people are forgetting he performed almost 5 months straight without missing a show. It's just all coming back to bite, sadly. Hope this rest does him good and he doesn't have to miss many performances in his last few months. An amazing guy who is probably feeling awful to miss more shows.
Posted: 8/21/17 at 8:01pm
For goodness sake, he clearly needs an alternate. His attendance since the Tonys has been outright bad and I'm not blaming him for this.
Posted: 8/21/17 at 11:54pm
While it certainly is a challenging vocal performance, I don't think this one is a matter of his voice giving out. I saw him on Saturday matinee. He was spectacular as always, but compared to when I saw him in March, he was not in full voice, in my opinion. Hit the big notes and drastic octave changes, but some sounded grainy. During the bows at the end, he definitely looked spent and blotchy, and he did not stage door. I think the poor guy is sick. It seemed to me that another cast member might be coming down with the same thing.
Posted: 8/22/17 at 12:00am
Bibliot said: "While it certainly is a challenging vocal performance, I don't think this one is a matter of his voice giving out. I saw him on Saturday matinee. He was spectacular as always, but compared to when I saw him in March, he was not in full voice, in my opinion. Hit the big notes and drastic octave changes, but some sounded grainy. During the bows at the end, he definitely looked spent and blotchy, and he did not stage door. I think the poor guy is sick. It seemed to me that another cast member might be coming down with the same thing."
Who?
Posted: 8/22/17 at 12:04am
He was just on a plane returning from filming in LA. I know, no matter how hard I try, I was manage to come down with something after flying. And it can take a couple days to show up. Same thing happened after his vacation didn't it?
Posted: 8/22/17 at 4:04am
For goodness sake, he clearly needs an alternate. His attendance since the Tonys has been outright bad and I'm not blaming him for this.
Sadly, I agree. In the last 2.5 months, he has been out for 3 full weeks (including this coming week). Plus many random performances. Maybe he will leave early but damnit, get him an alternate so he is only performing 6 times a week max.
Posted: 8/22/17 at 7:37am
Margo319 said: "In the last 2.5 months, he has been out for 3 full weeks (including this coming week)."
So, his scheduled week-long vacation, his week off to shoot Will & Grace, and his doctor-ordered vocal rest? Not sure how the first two count...
Posted: 8/22/17 at 11:37am
I saw the show Saturday night (8/19) and his voice sounded great, it was the first time I saw the show though so I don't have anything to compare it to.
Posted: 8/22/17 at 12:00pm
ashleyjena said: "I saw the show Saturday night (8/19) and his voice sounded great, it was the first time I saw the show though so I don't have anything to compare it to. "
I was at that show, too, and even commented to friends how good his voice sounded...
Posted: 8/22/17 at 1:19pm
I do agree that he could be sick. As I mentioned earlier, we saw the show on Friday night and when we were leaving my husband went back inside to ask for a plastic bag to put our Playbills in (it was raining) and Ben happened to walk right by him through the lobby out to his car instead of stage dooring. My husband said he looked absolutely wrecked and was staring down at the ground (probably to avoid being recognized), but he looked rough. At the time I said he is probably like that every night after the performance he puts on, because again we thought he sounded great in that night's performance, but after hearing he had to leave at intermission 2 days later we wondered if he might have been coming down with something.
Posted: 8/22/17 at 1:44pm
He is obviously sick. He tweeted just a couple of days ago about coughing up mucus on the first row. "Real talk- sometimes you gotta leave out a quick lyric if the choices are take a pause to swallow mucus or cough it up onto the front row." That was 8/18, and he sounded rattly on some of the long notes when I saw him 8/19. Then left after Act I on 8/20 and is out for the week.
All in all though, 2 weeks vacation in a year + some sick days is on the low side for typical jobs. Not that Broadway contracts are typical. Hope he gets better soon.
Posted: 8/22/17 at 11:27pm
Rachel Bay Jones called out tonight, and she was the one who seemed to me like she was looking a little peaked. She also did not stage door. She had a car waiting outside and hurried away between shows, but she was very gracious to the crowd there. Seems like there's just a bug going around.
Posted: 8/22/17 at 11:39pm
completely agree this role should have an alternate.
Posted: 8/23/17 at 10:54am
Bibliot said: "Rachel Bay Jones called out tonight, and she was the one who seemed to me like she was looking a little peaked. She also did not stage door. She had a car waiting outside and hurried away between shows, but she was very gracious to the crowd there. Seems like there's just a bug going around.
"
She didn't stage door Saturday night either -- the only ones who did were Jennifer Laura Thompson and Michael Park. She had a car waiting and hurried away and apologized she couldn't stay.
Posted: 8/23/17 at 11:11am
I guess Rachel is out of the matinee show today at the very least.
Posted: 8/23/17 at 6:19pm
This is Alice Ripley in n2n all over again.
Posted: 8/24/17 at 12:59am
Out the 24th too on vacation or just a day off. This was reported by someone who messaged her on FB and she responded saying she was sorry she wouldn't be in today.
