I wandered around the Wyndham this morning, checking out the rooftop owner's lounge. As I waited for the elevator to take me back to my floor, I received a text saying I had won tickets to see Groundhog's Day. Since I hadn't entered to win tickets for this show, I wasn't as enthusiastic at winning as the rest of my crew when I arrived back at our room, but Darcy had entered me, and so we purchased the two discount tickets, and Tom purchased two more, and we were signed up for another show for the following day.
Tonight's show was Dear Evan Hansen, the reason we were really in New York, and so Darcy had our entire day planned out. I insisted on eating something besides hamburgers since we were in NYC, for heaven's sake, and Darcy found a delicious Mediterranean place around the corner from my Wyndham. We only seemed to eat twice a day on this vacation because a two o'clock show and a seven o'clock show didn't allow time for much eating in between rushing hither and yon.
We sat at bar stools facing the street and watched the people come and go as we dove into our lunch. It was SO good. Darcy has been on a health kick this summer, and so she has been trying foods she would never have allowed touch her lips previously, so eating in New York was a joy when we did eat.
From our restaurant, we took an Uber to Central Park. I'm not sure that Darcy understood how big Central Park really is, but we were dropped off somewhere in the park's less urban area. Our Uber driver was a talker this time, something rare in our experience thus far, and it was an interesting ride. He dumped us off on the side of the road with wooded areas on both sides. Darcy led us into the park, and from then on, it was HIKING, HIKING, HIKING with no real destination in sight.
On my last visit to NYC, we went into Central Park near the University, where there was much more activity and scenery. Darcy wanted to hike to the lake and sit a spell, but by the time we got anywhere near enough to water, I had hit the wall. I'm not good with just wandering without a plan. Darcy and Tom went one way, and Madison and I hiked to find a bathroom and eventually sat and relaxed by some water we found.
The other two caught up with us after some time, and off we went back out to hail another Uber to return us to the Wyndham to get pretty for Dear Evan Hansen. We had plenty of time to shower and relax before we took another Uber to our show.
The theater was very cramped. Our tickets had us spread out across the room on the main floor and sitting solo. My legs were practically up under my chin, and I was literally touching the people on either side of me. It was a good thing we had gotten to shower. When the show began, I didn't even care.
People. Listen to me now. Seriously. Dear Evan Hansen is incredible, but Ben Platt...BEN PLATT is beyond that. Ben Platt IS Evan Hansen, and his performance is gut-wrenching. If you truly want to see the BEST performance by an actor, spend the money. I would pay $500 to see this man perform in this show again.--hands down. No questions. I'd open my wallet and fork it over.
From the moment he walks on stage, you believe. You are this kid. You know this kid. You parent this kid. No matter which side you relate to, and I related from every side--myself, friend, and parent--having experience from all sides, you will feel for this character, root for this character, and hurt for this actor. In all my social media, I said, "The best performance I have ever seen and will ever see from an actor." And I mean that. There is no way that I will see what I saw this night on that stage from this man. No one is that good, night after night, eight shows a week, pulling off what I saw.
Yes, yes, Hollywood has great actors. Yes, yes, my nephew is planning on being a great actor. Yes, yes, Darcy's friends want to be great actors. But people, this man, Ben Platt, doesn't get a chance to take a break. There is no cut. There is no take two. There is no, please come back and try again. He comes out night after night after night, eight times!! a week and does this same thing over and over. It is extraordinary.
By the end of the show, he is wrecked. He stands at his ovation with red-rimmed eyes from sobbing as part of his character (and he sings while he cries and has so much snot in his throat OMG), and his face is emotionally exhausted. I just wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him everything would be alright.
My main concern after the play ended was for this man. How does one do this again and again? How can he put himself through this emotional roller coaster? The things he does to his body to play this part...how? How can he go about a normal life when he goes home? I cried and cried for the character, for the mother, for the play, and for Ben Platt. I know that I truly witnessed greatness in all its form.
At the end of the show, Madison told me when I was crying and worrying about Platt that he sees a therapist to deal with this role. In searching for information while writing this entry, I found THIS. The best article I have found says everything I wanted to say and tells everything you need to know about this performance and what Platt goes through. Please read it.
The second picture in this article is what I saw on that stage. That is what I'm saying. Night, after night, after night. Incredible. Spectacular. There is no adjective to aptly describe that performance. When he sings a solo on the couch while his castmates sit and listen, I thought these people must get chills every night and then too must worry like crazy about him, and in this article, I found out they do. How can you not?
Maddy and I stood outside and waited for Tom and Darcy, and then the four of us stood there. We were incapable of moving. It was such an emotional show and performance; you just needed some time before you went on with life. At some point, I realized I had lost my phone, and so I went against the crowd and back inside to find it on the floor beneath my seat. There was a vendor selling items, and since Madison wanted something, I motioned for her to come inside. By that time, a hulking security guard had appeared, but he let Maddy in to purchase a cup. He looked at me, tears still leaking out of my eyes, and I said to him, "My god, how does he do this every night?" He grimly shook his head in disbelief and replied, "He is unbelievable."
Darcy stood with the crowd by the stage door. Ben Platt doesn't do the stage door except for once a month, so we knew he wouldn't be there, but Darcy just wanted that experience. The rest of us stood aside by the front door, still just taking our moment. At some point, I turned around and noticed that the black SUV that I had seen pull up to the front door as I exited the first time was still there, and as realization entered my head that this was most likely Platt's ride, the entrance to the theater opened, and security men stood side by side to build a wall away from where I stood. The security guard I had spoken was one of them, and he turned and looked at the crowd at the stage door, oblivious to what was happening at the front door, and grinned. Before I could blink, a guy I am sure was Ben Platt was out the door, a ball cap pulled over his head, and into the blacked-out windowed SUV. As it pulled away from the curb, I put my hands together and bowed to where I believe he was sitting.
Thank you, Ben Platt, for that experience. Thank you for believing you must give 100% to everyone who comes to Dear Evan Hansen. I wish all good things to come your way. Namaste.
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