It was a dream come true for Ben Platt to be part of the 71st Tony Awards held Sunday at the Radio City Music Hall in New York. The 23-year-old actor, who is known for his contribution on Broadway, attended the annual awarding ceremony for his ongoing musical project, entitled "Dear Evan Hansen," where he played the titular role.
Ben Platt as Evan Hansen
Ben Platt was awarded Best Actor in Musical for his "Dear Evan Hansen" performance. For the said category, the actor-singer defeated Andy Karl of "Groundhog Day the Musical," David Hyde Pierce of "Hello, Dolly," Christian Borle of "Falsettos," and Josh Groban of "Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet on 1812."
The awardee did not forget to give credit to the Broadway community where "[he] found everything [he] ever loved." Ben Platt turned emotional when he recalled his longing to be invited for the Tony Awards.
“And I’ve dreamed every day since of being on this stage and being a part of this community of artists," the actor said in his acceptance speech.
The "Pitch Perfect" actor also addressed the younger generation and encouraged them to pursue what they truly love. He even advised them to embrace their uniqueness in order to stand out from the rest. "To all young people watching at home, don’t waste any time trying to be like anybody else," he added.
Ben Platt has been playing the titular role since 2015. The first leg of the musical show took place at the Arena Stage in Washington from July 10 until August 23, 2015. It was followed by a series of performances at the Second Stage Theatre from March 26 to May 29, 2016.
"Dear Evan Hansen" is currently playing at the Music Box Theatre.
'Dear Evan Hansen' wins big at the 2017 Tony Awards
The Broadway musical written by Pasek & Paul nabbed the Best Musical award against "Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet 1812," "Groundhog Day the Musical," and "Come From Away" at 71st Tony Awards. Steven Lensen, on the other hand, won the Best Book of a Musical, while Rachel Bay Jones earned the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for playing as Heidi Hansen.
On top of these, Ben Platt's musical was also awarded Best Original Score Written for the Theatre and Best Orchestrations during the annual ceremony that aims to recognize individuals and works from the Broadway community. This year's Tony Awards was hosted by "House of Cards" star Kevin Spacey. Congratulations to all winners!
