Welcoming fellow stars to stage

(Platt, from E1]

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JOSH GROBAN, left, was Ben Platt's surprise guest at the Ahmanson on Friday.

(MAKELA YEPEZ)

LGBTQ+. Stigma and alienation are unavoidable even in the most progressive quarters. But it wasn’t always easy to sympathize with his trials and tribulations in the most elite enclaves of Los Angeles.

Many young queer people suffer a good deal worse, without a Tony, Grammy and Emmy to console them. But a new maturity is in evidence in his latest hometown concert, “Ben Platt: Live at the Ahmanson.” In this exquisitely staged show, directed by Tony winner Michael Arden, Platt recaps the story of his life with an ironic touch while singing songs that mark his fretful, meteoric journey.

Many of the anecdotes are the same, including some lighthearted mention of his round-robin dating with the few other out students at the prestigious Harvard-Westlake School. But Platt seems to have realized just how lucky he has been. Acknowledging the “horrible year” everyone has just lived through, he promises — and delivers — an evening of musical escape.

Judy Garland, the inspiration for his 2024 Broadway concert, “Ben Platt: Live at the Palace,” continues to serve as muse. Her rendition of “That's Entertainment!” warms up the audience before Platt makes his kid-in-a-candy-store entrance.

The show begins with “Corner of the Sky” from “Pippin,” a piano bar staple that hardcore musical theater buffs could sing at any level of inebriation. But Garland quickly returns when Platt pairs two songs that grapple in different ways with the situation of unrequited love.