Review Roundup: Ben Platt's SING TO ME INSTEAD in Concert

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, Netflix will debut a feature-length concert special from Ben Platt, which was filmed at Platt's final stop on tour, his sold-out show at Radio City Music Hall last night, September 29. Platt's tour features songs from his debut album Sing to Me Instead and his recent single "Rain." An airdate has not yet been announced.

Platt, best known for his Tony winning role as the titular character in the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen, appears in Netflix's just-released Ryan Murphy series, The Politician.

While we await the special, let's see what have the critics been saying about his concert tour:

Caroline Cronin, BroadwayWorld: Interspersing each performance with personal anecdotes, Platt appears quietly confident owning a stage as a solo artist. His joyful performances of each track were complemented by a series of very honest, heartfelt stories about his life, ranging from relationships and his coming out journey to his struggles with anxiety. Earnest without being saccharine, Platt is a naturally endearing presence, and it's clear why he's become the breakout star that he has.

Em Skow, DC Metro: Undampened by the rain outside, the DC stop on the Ben Platt's Sing to Me Instead tour brought three serious talents to the Anthem stage with thunderous applause. Passionate, creative, and delightfully awkward, the voices of Wrabel, Ben Abraham, and Ben Platt built on top of one another to create an incredible night of music and authentic connection.

Gary Graff, Oakland Press: Following sets by Raybo and Ben Abraham (who co-wrote four songs on "Sing To Me Instead") Platt also infused the show with a chatty, lightly scripted getting-to-know you vibe. He spoke freely about the romantic travails that inspired many of his songs and offered up a few little-known facts about himself -- not a peanut butter fan, stole a summer bunkmate's Harry Potter book, thinks cats are "the devil's children." "Save Your Address" and "Take Me to the Pilot" were bolstered with some light, stagey choreography, while "Older" became a singalong anthem to close the main set. Some of Platt's personal details, meanwhile, provided the show with its most striking moments. He prefaced "In Case You Don't Live Forever" with a warm remembrance of his Grandma Sue, who passed away the week before. And he dedicated the encore "Run Away" to his father and mother Julie, who was at the Fisher on Saturday night, performing it on piano, accompanied by his two string players. We'll certainly be seeing Platt onstage again in character mode in the future. But on Saturday he established that seeing him sing his own songs could be a real treat, too.

Bobby Oliver, NJ.com: Platt was quick with a joke this night, drawing fans in with cracks about how he came out to his parents at age 12 - over the phone while on a Jewish birthright trip to Israel in middle school - and how he loathes peanut butter and believes "cats are the devil's children." But for all his quirks, Platt is taking a serious swing at this singer-songwriter thing, exploring the conundrums of aging in "Older" and the importance of keeping loved ones close in "Grow As We Go." It appears he can flip the switch into wistful adult contemporary crooner whenever he pleases.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski

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