For Ben Platt, the spotlight soothes

The Broadway superstar experiences a full-circle moment as he returns to his native L.A. for a 10-day Ahmanson Theatre residency

- BY JESSICA GELT

CHRISTINA HOUSE Los Angeles Times TONY WINNER Ben Platt has prepared "a little jewel box" of material from his three studio albums and musical theater roles.

Ben Platt describes himself as a highly anxious person, but there is one place that keeps his nerves at bay: the stage.

That might sound counterintuitive to most people, but Platt grew up in the spotlight, and finds the immersive immediacy of live performance soothing. His mind can’t spin a web of worry when he’s belting out “Maybe This Time” by Kander and Ebb, or “Ease My Mind” from his debut studio album, “Sing to Me Instead.”

“I love having a directive, and also the suspension of time when you're performing and you're forced to be present,” Platt says during a recent interview. “It’s like my favorite thing. It’s kind of a drug.”

Platt will be in his sweet spot, beginning Friday, for a 10-day engagement at the Ahmanson Theatre. The concert series, directed by Tony winner Michael Arden, is a West Coast extension of Platt’s 2024 residency at Broadway’s Palace Theatre, which featured an impressive array of guest stars, including Cynthia Erivo, Kacey Musgraves, Kristin Chenoweth and Leslie Odom Jr.