WELCOME BACK, OUR NEXT GUEST IS A TONY, EMMY AND GRAMEDY
AWARD-WINNING PERFORMER YOU KNOW FROM THE POLITICIAN, AND ITS
STUNNING RUN ON BROADWAY IN DEAR EVAN HANSON HANSEN, WE WELCOME
THE MIGHTY BEN PLATT TO THE SHOW, THERE HE IS, HOW ARE YOU.
>> I'M GOOD, IT IS NICE TO SEE YOUR PACE.
>> James: IT IS ALWAYS NICE TO SEE YOUR FACE.
YOU HAVE A KIND AND WELCOMING FACE WHICH I THINK LIFTS THE
DAYS OF MANY, DO YOU HEAR THAT A LOT.
>> YOU KNOW, NOT FROM MY HOUSE ANY MORE BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN IN
THE SAME MONTH FOR TWO MONTHS BUT FROM OTHERS, SURE.
>> James: I THINK EVEN A LOCKDOWN PLATT CAN LIFT THE
SPIRIT.
>> HEY, I TRY, I DO I WHAT I CAN, A LOT OF PIANO PLAYING.
>> James: AN YOU HAVE BEEN PUTTING OUT LOTS OF MUSIC.
I LOVE ALL OF YOUR VIDEOS.
I THINK THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.
>> THANK YOU, IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO STAY SANE I THINK IS TO FIND
SOMETHING TO CREATIVE TO DO.
AND LUCKILY MUSIC CAN BE SOLITARY.
SO IT HAS BEEN OKAY.
>> James: YOU HAVE BEEN BEING CREATIVE IN ALL MANNER OF WAYS.
TALK TO ME ABOUT THESE TRIVIA GAME NIGHTS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN
HAVING.
I FEEL LIKE LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING QUIZ NIGHTS AND THINGS
BUT YOU HAVE GONE AN EXTRA MILE WHERE IT INVOLVES COSTUMES.
WE HAVE A PHOTO OF YOU HERE AT HARRY POTTER.
A PHOTO OF YOU AS EL FA BA.
TALK ME THREUS THESE QUIZ NIGHTS WHAT HAPPENS.
>> OF COURSE, THESE ARE BECOMING A THING OF LEGEND.
MY FRIEND GROUP ARE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE PLACE.
WE ARE ALL THEATER NERDS, WE ARE LIKE LET'S DO BROADWAY TRIVIA
NIGHT ON ZOOM.
WE DRESSED UP AS OUR FAVORITE BROADWAY CHARACTERS, NATURALLY A
I WAS ELPHABA AND MY BOYFRIEND NOAH AND I WERE-- YOU GO AND WE
LOVED IT SO MUCH WE DID IT A WEEKLY THING.
WE DID A FRIENDS TRIVIA WEEK, WE DID HARRY POTTER WEEK.
AND IT IS JUST A NICE WAY TO REMEMBER THAT PEOPLE EXIST AND
THAT WE'RE ALL STILL TOGETHER AND IT IS FUN.
IT FEELS LIKE WE ARE ACTUALLY HANGING OUT.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND A TRIVIA HANGOUT IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE THAT
YET.
>> I HAVEN'T TAKEN IT, WHAT I THINK YOU ARE DOING IS TAKING IT
TO A LEVEL, OR EVEN A BREAKOUT ROOM.
WHAT IS THE BREAKOUT ROOM.
>> SO YOU ARE IN THE MAIN ZOOM AND THERE ARE TEAM SEEMS.
I LIKE THIS.
>> IT ASK REALLY FUN.
>> THIS IS MY SORT OF TRIF WHY QUIZ.
>> SHOULD I GIVE YOU SOME.
>> A QUESTION?
>> I MEAN GIVE ME I WILL TAKE A FRIENDS TRIVIA, GO ON.
>> OKAY.
HOW ABOUT THIS.
>> WHAT IS CHANDLER'S FATHER'S DRAG NAME, IS IT A MIMI I'M
FIRST, IS IT B, BLAIR ST. CLAIRE.
IS IT C, HELL IN A HAND BASKET.
OR D RUBY RED.
>> James: OKAY, THESE ARE DEEP CUTS.
>> I TOLD YOU I'M NOT MESSING.
>> James: I WILL GO WITH C.
>> THAT IS CORRECT.
>> James: LOOK AT THIS.
>> VERY IMPRESSIVE.
>> James: THIS IS GREAT.
SEE T IS FUN, THAT REALLY CHEERED ME UP.
NOW I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS NEW SINGLE YOU HAVE THAT
YOU ARE PERFORMING ON THE SHOW TONIGHT, AND YOU ARE PERFORMING
IT WITH FINNEAS WHO WE LOVE HERE AT THE "LATE, LATE SHOW."
THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME WORKING TOGETHER.
TELL ME ABOUT HOW THE SONG HAPPENED AND HOW IT CAME ABOUT.
>> CERTAINLY, SO I WROTE THE SONG IN THE FIRST COUPLE WEEKS
OF QUARANTINE OVER ZOOM WITH MY COLLABORATOR MICHAEL POLLACK.
I REALLY WANTED TO WRITE A SONG THAT COULD BRING COMFORT FOR
THIS TIME AND APPLY IT TO WHAT WAS GOING ON BUT THAT COULD LIVE
BEYOND THIS.
BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW GOD WILLING THIS IS VERY TEMPORARY.
AND SO IT WAS MY FIRST TIME SORT OF TRYING THE ZOOM WRITING THING
AND THANKFULLY IT WENT WELL AND WE LOVE WHAT WE GOT.
I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF WHO COULD I SEND THE SONG TO,
PRODUCE IT ALONE IN THEIR HOME.
AND FINNEAS NOT ONLY CAN PLAY EVERY INSTRUMENT UNDER THE SUN
AND CREATE BEAUTIFUL SOUND AS LOAN IN HIS STUDIO BUT ALSO HAS
SUCH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, HE REALLY KNOWS HOW TO NOT
OVERCROWD THE STORY OR SONG.
HE WAS MY DREAM CHOICE.
WE HAVE ALWAYS SKIRTED AROUND THE IDEA WORKING TOGETHER.
WE WERE GOING TO MAYBE TRY TO WRITE A MUSICAL TOGETHER, LOTS
OF IDEAS WE HAVE HAD.
I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A GREAT FIRST TRY.
I SENT THE SONG AND HE WRITE AWAY CALLED ME, HE SAID I LOVE T
TOTALLY HEAR IT AND THREE DAYS LATER HE HAD A BEAUTIFUL
PRODUCED VERSION.
>> James: ST INCREDIBLE.
PEOPLE ARE IN FOR A REAL TREAT COMING UP JUST AFTER THIS BREAK.
YOU ABOUT I ALSO, I REALLY WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR
NETFLIX SPECIAL BEN PLATT LIVE AT RADIO CITY IN NEW YORK.
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THAT NIGHT?
>> IT WAS REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL.
I MEAN I THINK IT WAS A CROSS OF EVERYBODY IN MY LIFE, MY FAMILY
WAS THERE, THE EVAN HANSEN PEEPS, THE POLITICIAN PEEP, MY
HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS, EVERYBODY CAME TOGETHER FOR IT I THINK MY
GOAL WITH THE SPECIAL EVEN BEFORE COVID WAS TO MAKE IT FEEL
LIKE YOU WERE REALLY THERE IN THE ROOM IN THE THEATER WITH
USMENT, AND CREATE THAT LIVE FEELING.
SO NOW MORE THAN EVER I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE ARE REALLY MISSING
THAT.
I KNOW I AM MISSING THAT.
I THINK IT IS A REALLY NICE 90 MINUTE ESCAPE WHERE YOU CAN FEEL
LIKE YOU ARE AT A SHOW AND FORGET WHAT IS GOING ON FOR A
LITTLE BIT.
>> NOW YOU ARE SO USED TO PERFORMING IN CHARACTER BECAUSE
YOU DID A LONG RUN ON EVAN HANSEN, YOU PLAYED A CHARACTER,
YOU ARE A WONDERFUL ACTOR.
DID YOU HAVE TO SORT OF REWIRE YOURSELF TO BE LIKE WELL, THIS
IS WHO I AM WHEN I'M MYSELF SINGING SONGS.
>> ABSOLUTELY YES.
I THINK IT WAS REALLY NICE THAT I GOT TO DO A BIT OF A TOUR
BEFORE WE GOT TO RADIO CITY BECAUSE I HAD A CHANCE TO GET
USED TO LIKE, DANCING LIKE I DANCE, YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M OUT
WITH MY FRIENDS AND LETTING MYSELF DO THAT ON STAGE.
OR TELLING THE STORIES I WANT TO TELL.
OR HOW MUCH DO I WANT TO DIVULGE, AND HOW MUCH, DO I HAVE
TO MATCH THE RECORD.
IT WAS A KNEW KIND OF FREEDOM I THINK WAS SUPERSCAREY, MI SO
SEUSS USED TO FITTING IN A COG OF A GREATER MACHINE.
IN THIS CASE IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, I WAS KIND OF THE CREATIVE
HEAD.
SO IT WAS REALLY SCARY BUT BY THE TIME I GOT TO RADIO CITY I
FELT LIKE I HAD A HANDLE ON WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN IT IS ME
PREPARING, MI GLAD THERE IS A HOME VIDEO OF THAT NOW.
>> James: THE SPECIAL IS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.
LET'S LOOK AT A CLIP OF BEN PLATT LIVE FROM RADIO CITY MUSIC
HALL PREMIERING TODAY ON NETFLIX ♪ WHEN ARE YOU YOUNGER.
♪ THEN WHEN YOU'RE OALDER.
♪ YOU WISH FOR TIME TO TURN AROUND.
♪ DON'T LET YOUR ONE.
♪ TURN INTO.
♪ WHEN.
♪ ♪
>> James: WHAT A SUPERSTAR AND WE'VE GOT A PERFORMANCE FROM BEN
PLATT RIGHT AFTER THIS BREAK.
COME ON BACK, EVERYBODY.
♪♪♪