Is Ben Platt Reopening The Palace theatre with a concert for his new Album?

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 5:49pm

Just a hunch from a cryptic Instagram post with the caption “there’s no place like home…”

[JSquared2]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 6:32pm

No.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 6:38pm

I think his ship has sailed 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 6:39pm

Wait, who?! 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 6:49pm

rosscoe(au) said: "I think his ship has sailed"

You don't have to like him but don't pretend that he's obsolete or that he isn't famous.

• he won a Tony Award for one of the most acclaimed musical theatre performances in years
• he has had a somewhat successful recording career
• he returned to Broadway and singlehandedly made an esoteric musical revival gross more than a million dollars per week
• he co-wrote & co-starred in a well-reviewed independent film last summer

and, it should go without saying, but his father had no involvement in any of the above projects.

If Nederlander is trying to indicate a new era for the Palace while opening it with someone Broadway-related, it makes complete sense to present a 30-year-old instead of people close to 80 (such as some of the dames mentioned in this thread).

Updated On: 3/17/24 at 06:49 PM

[Theatrefanboy1]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 6:49pm

That would be so lack lustre

Streisand, Minnelli, Midler. Is what is required if there’s going to be any excitement of a reopening 

OR

a Broadway divas reopening night:

Bernadette Peters, Patti Lupone, Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, Audra MacDonald, Lea Salonga, Sutton Foster type show.

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 6:51pm

Ben Platt?  Seriously?

 

[BETTY22]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 7:29pm

I think they are trying to get someone bigger - no disrespect to Ben.

They want someone who is going to make headlines.......

[HogansHero]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 8:08pm

Neither Ben (nor in this century at least, Marc) Platt has a relationship with the Nederlanders. I don't know what's going to open the Palace, but it would make more sense for it to be a collection of "divas" [of which perhaps Ben might be one] that can span generations and be a helluva lot more inclusive than what has been bandied about here. If they build a gala around a man, I'd think it would be the one who is their biggest star of this century. The implication that daddy is gonna buy his way into the most important Nederlander event in recent memory is awfully far fetched (though I cannot go along with the coda to Ermengarde's bullet points above).

Proving once again that bad gossip is worse than no gossip.

[Kad]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 8:21pm

It seems to me it would make the most sense for them to get someone like Adele, Lady Gaga (in her more stripped down, Tony Bennett form), or the like. That would be huge- and frankly a bigger event than a collection of Broadway names. 

Updated On: 3/17/24 at 08:21 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 8:34pm

Kad said: "It seems to me it would make the most sense for them to get someone like Adele, Lady Gaga (in her more stripped down, Tony Bennett form), or the like. That would be huge- and frankly a bigger event than a collection of Broadway names."

I'd drop an obscene amount of money to see Gaga's "Jazz and Piano" in a Broadway house instead of schlepping to Vegas (where she seems to exclusively perform it).

[HogansHero]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 8:44pm

Kad said: "It seems to me it would make the most sense for them to get someone like Adele, Lady Gaga (in her more stripped down, Tony Bennett form), or the like. That would be huge- and frankly a bigger event than a collection of Broadway names."

It makes the most sense in terms of overall effect but I see 2 big negatives in it. 1. It would be quite attenuated from Broadway (and would produce the same sort of howls that dimming lights for Joan Rivers did) and 2. It isn't the least bit inclusive, which would paint an unfavorable image going forward. As it is, there is a sentiment within the industry that even these fill-in-the-holes residencies with non-theatre people are bad. 

Who knows but I don't see it. 

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 8:51pm

Platt has a new album coming out and he did a song with Liza. It’s not about The Palace.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 8:55pm

No. Nope. Not a chance. Platt is not a household name. Maybe for a week run, but nothing longer. He'd get 50% capacity levels at the Palace. They need a big name if that is what they're looking for. Adele is touring Europe this summer, so she's out. Streisand doesn't want to do it. Gaga seems the most logical.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 9:09pm

DramaTeach said: "Platt has a new album coming out and he did a song with Liza. It’s not about The Palace."

w h a t 

[Broadway Flash]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 9:37pm

Why on earth would they put a non broadway person to open the Palace??  They should reopen it with a big flashy revival of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES as it’s the 40th anniversary and stand up for queer rights !

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 9:52pm

Broadway Flash said: "Why on earth would they put a non broadway person to open the Palace?? They should reopen it with a big flashy revival of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES as it’s the 40th anniversary and stand up for queer rights !"


They approached La Cage but she refused to do it without a pregnancy clause.

[inception]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 10:10pm

I don't know about the Palace, but Platt is definitely doing some sort of concert tour as he had a date this summer at the Ravinia Festival announced this week.

[djjd007]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 10:11pm

Updated On: 3/17/24 at 10:11 PM

[tacotheatrelover]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 10:57pm

Am I the only one who wants SpongeBob back at the palace

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 3/17/24 at 11:01pm

While The Palace is iconic, I can assure you nobody cares besides us who re-opens it. 

[kirby1058]

Posted: 3/18/24 at 9:48am

A page is up now on BroadwayDirect.

 

https://broadwaydirect.com/show/ben-platt-live-at-the-palace/#overview

[theatergoer3]

Posted: 3/18/24 at 9:50am

May 28 - June 15

Updated On: 3/18/24 at 09:50 AM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/18/24 at 9:52am

kirby1058 said: "A page is up now on BroadwayDirect.



https://broadwaydirect.com/show/ben-platt-live-at-the-palace/#overview"

3 weeks seems like overkill. Hopefully he can sell it.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 3/18/24 at 10:00am

Kudos to Call_me_jorge for being correct, despite the skeptics.