Ben Platt joins James Cordon to discuss DEAR EVAN HANSEN adaptation

Dear Evan Hansen star Ben Platt recently stopped by on The Late, Late Show to talk about the unique challenges that came with making the feature adaptation of the Broadway show during a pandemic.

Platt told Corden that the entire production was “bizarre…the whole process was weird because I never saw my director’s face from the nose down. I never saw anyone on the crew from the nose down. I could only touch my four closest cast members.”

That being said, he went on to talk about those socially-distanced conditions informed his performance as titular star Evan Hansen. “As you know Evan Hansen is quite a lonely, isolated guy,” he said. “I’m in every minute of it.”

He also divulged the lengths he had to go to in his own home during the Atlanta shoot. Talking about living with his father and having to isolate from each other, he said, “I could never see him, or talk to him, or be in the same room as him. I’d use the front door of the house and he’d use the back door. I’d order him dinner, bring it to his door, knock and then run away.”

Platt is joined on the cast list by notable actors such as Julianne Moore as Heidi, Kaitlyn Dever as Zoe, Amy Adams as Cynthia, Amandla Stenberg as Alana, Nik Dodani as Jared, Colton Ryan as Connor, and Danny Pino as Larry. DeMarius Copes, Gerald Caesar, Tommy Kane, Avery Bederman, Liz Kate, and Isaac Powell all also appear in minor roles.

Original writer Steven Levenson took charge of script duties, adapting his vision from stage to screen, while The Perks of Being a Wallflower filmmaker Stephen Chbosky is overseeing the project as director. Music and lyrics is being provided by the Tony-winning dream team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

Ben Platt went to reveal his intention to return to the Broadway stage sooner rather than later. “My current dream is to do something that isn’t a musical…the idea is a straight piece of theatre without having to worry about my voice,” he said. “I’d love to do a classic, maybe Amadeus, or Shakespeare.”

Dear Evan Hansen is scheduled for a late September release date in the US and Australia.