Broadway Legend Joined: 12/29/13
I like him and thought he was fantastic in Dear Evan Hanson.
Can he really sell 3 weeks at the Palace? WOW. Good for him.
Curious if they’ll host some sort of gala night reopening the theatre…
Like... why not J Lo? She can't sing so it'd be all lip synched, but she could dance it out into an entertaining show for 3 weeks!
His younger self in the videos looks more like Emma Stone to me.
Melissa25 said: "His younger self in the videos looks more like Emma Stone to me."
I thought it was Noah Galvin.
Broadway Star Joined: 5/26/07
It's a shame, because I know another diva there were at least some feelers out to and would have been a get if they managed to make it happen. She is not Gaga/Adele/Streisand big, but would have been a great last hurrah. She was supposed to make a return to Broadway a decade ago, but it didn't pan out then.
No clue if this would have even been feasible, but was a lot more exciting than Ben Platt to me. Oh well...
Well, may as well say the name since it didn’t end up happening…. ;)
I find it interesting that both Platt and Arden are insinuating this is the reopening when the announcement leaves room for something else.
I’m sure the show will be great and successful. It won’t break records but will do very well. Any album with ticket tie-ins?
ucjrdude902 said: "the most iconic house. Yowza."
Do not rewrite history to fit into your flimsy narrative :)
The Palace only became a traditional Broadway house in 1966 when SWEET CHARITY opened. Sure it's had other limited-run concert engagements, but LA CAGE, BEAUTY, AIDA, WILL ROGERS, and a pair of Bacall musicals are probably its most notable theater tenants of the past sixty years. Better than the Marquis or Minskoff, but far from the storied history of the St. James or the Shubert or Winter Garden.
Reopening a renovated or re-named theater is close to meaningless, as we saw from the lackluster sales for OHIO STATE MURDERS at the James Earl Jones, ON THE TOWN at the Lyric and, currently, DOUBT at the Haimes.
As others have said, a concert is also, practically speaking, a way to work out the front-of-house issues and figure out traffic flow and merch locations and everything prior to a proper musical opening the Palace.
I'm very curious about the interior. No doubt easier than getting up and down from The Shed (The Palace is only 30 feet above street level), and hopefully a lot easier than at the Marquis. Also, thankfully, it looks like they have NOT added any seats (which was rumored)...it's still too big for most shows, but at least they didn't go bigger. I like the new entrance on 47th –– much more practical than entering on crowded 7th Ave.
"From Judy Garland and Harry Belafonte to Liza Minnelli and Elvis Presley, Broadway’s past and present will come together as Platt graces the stage, adding a new unforgettable chapter to the Palace’s storied legacy."
I can only hope that he sings mostly songs from those artists, because I think I've only heard one of his songs and it's not enough for me to buy a ticket.
Understudy Joined: 3/22/22
Man, so many miserable cranks here. Don’t like Ben, don’t go. Did he steal your boyfriends? So much venom. SMH
everythingtaboo said: ""From Judy Garland and Harry Belafonte to Liza Minnelli and Elvis Presley, Broadway’s past and present will come together as Platt graces the stage, adding a new unforgettable chapter to the Palace’s storied legacy."
I can only hope that he sings mostly songs from those artists, because I think I've only heard one of his songs and it's not enough for me to buy a ticket."
He's not. Read the rest of the press release. This is a concert of mostly original music.
You seem to be trying to wind yourself and others up to be disappointed –– to which I say, take a page from my book and stay home :)
tacotheatrelover said: "Am I the only one who wants SpongeBob back at the palace"
Nope!
It’s a hard pass for me.
Ben Platt annoys me on a multitude of levels. And his voice sounds like when you are trying to start a car that broke down. He’s doing 18 shows so not 8 shows a week. I wish they would’ve got someone better.
MasterThespian 2 said: "Man, so many miserable cranks here. Don’t like Ben, don’t go. Did he steal your boyfriends? So much venom. SMH"
No, I have better taste than someone who looks just like me. Maybe you come back with some information that can't be astroturfed like his Chart Placements? Oh? You're mean they're virtually non-existent? Shame. Maybe his Top songs on Spotify? Oh? They're all songs from DEH? Again, a shame.
By all means, he can continue his attempts at a nepotism fueled attempt at pop career but it's not one that people are actually showing up for.
Stand-by Joined: 5/11/22
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "ucjrdude902 said: "the most iconic house. Yowza."
Do not rewrite history to fit intoyour flimsy narrative :)
The Palace only became a traditional Broadway house in 1966 when SWEET CHARITY opened. Sure it's had other limited-run concert engagements, but LA CAGE, BEAUTY, AIDA, WILL ROGERS, and a pair of Bacall musicalsare probably its most notable theater tenants of the past sixty years. Better than the Marquis or Minskoff, but far from the storied history of the St. James or the Shubert or Winter Garden.
Reopening a renovated or re-named theater is close to meaningless, as we saw from the lackluster sales for OHIO STATE MURDERS at the James Earl Jones, ON THE TOWN at the Lyricand, currently, DOUBT at the Haimes.
As others have said, a concert is also, practically speaking, a way to work out the front-of-house issues and figure out traffic flow and merch locations and everything prior to a proper musical opening the Palace.
I'm very curious about the interior. No doubt easier than getting up and down from The Shed (The Palace is only 30 feet above street level), and hopefully a lot easier than at the Marquis. Also, thankfully, it looks like they have NOT added any seats (which was rumored)...it's still too big for most shows, but at least they didn't go bigger. I like the new entrance on 47th –– much more practical than entering on crowded 7th Ave."
You ARE kidding, are you not? It’s the most storied house in New York — indeed, possibly the country. It was THE place to play for any Vaudeville act.
Loooong before the mid-60s refurb and Sweet Charity re-opening of the Palace. Bob Hope, Ed Wynn, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, Ethel Barrymore, Will Rivera, the Marc Brothers, Lillian Russell, Dressler, Ethel Waters, Harry Langdon, Cliff “Ukele Ike” Edwards”, even Sarah Bernhardt all played the Palace.
Come on! Flimsy? The house is legendary! Judy brought Vaudeville back to the Palace in the 50s.
To have a house that hosted those incredible performers BEFORE it went “legit” reopen with Ben Platt is like opening a bottle of Dom Perignon and getting a Diet Pepsi. Just a big fat wet fart of an announcement.
If only Streisand had agreed.
So, all of you wannabe, know-it-alll, haters are wrong again. Haha!! When are you going to realize that all the hate and venom you spew is just going to come back and bite you in your talentless asses.
Already have my VIP tickets! Can’t wait for the opportunity to see this incredibly talented man perform and to meet with him again!! 💜🥰
Luscious said: "So, all of you wannabe, know-it-alll, haters are wrong again. Haha!! When are you going to realize that all the hate and venom you spew is just going to come back and bite you in your talentless asses.
Already have my VIP tickets! Can’t wait for the opportunity to see this incredibly talented man perform and to meet with him again!! 💜🥰"
If you'd waited a few weeks you could have gotten it much cheaper, I'm sure.
Strange Lupone, maybe they should screen a movie there instead, since it was also a movie palace prior to it being a Broadway house. Show a 35 mm print of Dirty Grandpa or The Room.
Luscious said: "So, all of you wannabe, know-it-alll, haters are wrong again. Haha!! When are you going to realize that all the hate and venom you spew is just going to come back and bite you in your talentless asses."
There's more "hate" in this one post than in all the other posts in this thread combined.
Just my thought but why not him? He has a big theatre connection. And this might be something they want to do to possibly work out any kinks or logistical things before they put a big show in there.
I am not a fan of his, however I do like his new single "Andrew". He was totally channeling Elton John as the song and the video immediately brought to mind "Elton's Song" from "The Fox" album.
I'm confused about musings of this being an act to "Iron Out the kinks" of re-opening the theatre? I mean, it's not like they'd put up a concert show to iron out the kinks of the Henry Miller/Sondheim theatre when it re-opened and that was dormant as a theatre far longer than the Palace had been out of commission...
TheatreFan4 said: "I'm confused about musings of this being an act to "Iron Out the kinks" of re-opening the theatre? I mean, it's not like they'd put up a concert show to iron out the kinks of the Henry Miller/Sondheim theatre when it re-opened and that was dormant as a theatre far longer than the Palace had been out of commission..."
My thought is because this theater was raised from the ground to 30 feet above it. It has a new entrance and maybe the flow of things inside and maybe even loading things in and out may be different. So do something like this for a test run.
Stand-by Joined: 5/11/22
$375 is his top ticket price.
$375. For Ben PLATT?!?!?
I'd probably pay about $50 max for this concert, but I would pay $375 to see him in Dear Evan Hansen or Parade. I hope to see him in a Broadway musical again soon, such as in my dream Michael Arden revival of Sunday with Platt/Diamond. There is no real point of me saying this, just trying to get SOME positivity in this thread hehe. HE AINT ALL BAD!!
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