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In the halcyon days when Judy Garland performed at New York’s famed Palace Theater, it was, , “bedlam.” Her outsize influence echoes to the present in Ben Platt’s new residency at the same theater, which he helped to reopen on Tuesday following a seven-year, $80 million dollar renovation. Platt took inspiration from Garland—as well as her daughter Liza Minnelli—in constructing a one-man show that explores his life and career so far, from grappling with his queer identity in childhood to his explosive breakout with , and the many songs that have shaped him along the way.

Once his residency at the Palace wraps in mid-June, Platt will head off on a , including a two-night stop at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. That particular engagement isn’t random: Platt’s third album, the folk-tinged (out on Friday), was recorded in Nashville, its 13 songs doubling as a diary of his life over the last two years. It’s no wonder, given he’s set to marry his longtime partner, the actor Noah Galvin, this fall, that most of the album’s tracks are about being in love.



From his dressing room shortly before his second performance at the Palace (for the first, he trotted out Kacey Musgraves as a surprise guest; last night, it was Kristen Chenoweth), Platt mused about the historic venue he’s currently calling home, his unabashedly autobiographical lyrics, and the unlikely song he’s including in his set. Yes, I have a warm-up with my voice teacher, Liz Caplan, for like 45 minu.

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