Ben Platt is one award away from ing the exclusive EGOT club, the of whom have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award. He lacks only the Oscar, and who knows? At only 30, his time may come one day.
We’re fortunate in San Diego this summer to welcome yet another big Broadway star in concert. Not long ago it was six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. Now Platt, who won his only Tony so far in 2017 for “Dear Evan Hansen,” will perform in concert Sunday night at the Civic Theatre downtown.
Platt is touring in of his new album “Honeymind,” which was released at the end of May.
As for his film career, Platt is among the cast committed to a 20-year Richard Linklater film project to adapt the Broadway musical “Merrily We Roll Along” for the big screen (the musical is about a 20-year friendship between three New York creative artists). Filming began in 2019 and will wrap up around 2039. Platt is portraying playwright/lyricist Charley Kringas, the part that recently won a Tony Award for Daniel Radcliffe in the hit revival of the 1981 show written by the late, great Stephen Sondheim.
“Merrily” is an underappreciated Sondheim creation that is finally getting its due — it recently took home the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical. If you’ve never seen it and wondered whether it was special, just Google Bernadette Peters singing “Not A Day Goes By.” That should convince you.
Ben Platt spoke last week with Union-Tribune arts editor Pam Kragen about his album and his tour for this story linked below:
READ MORE: Broadway and film star Ben Platt now singing the songs he wish he’d heard growing up
Music festival
San Diego-born Jakob Nowell and Sublime top the bill at the outdoor San Diego Bayfest happening on Saturday at Waterfront Park downtown. He’s the son of Bradley Nowell, Sublime’s founding guitarist and vocalist, who ed away in 1996. Jakob ed the other two original of Long Beach-formed Sublime, Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh, last December.
Also on the festival bill are Atmosphere, Goldfinger, Kyle Smith, Barrington Levy and Makua Rothman. Bayfest is an all-day show that gets under way at 1 p.m. Bring your sunscreen and your dancing shoes.
READ MORE: The three San Diego concerts you shouldn’t miss this week
Pop music
Singer-songwriter KT Tunstall defies being categorized. There’s rock, folk and world music in her sound and in her songs, which makes for an exciting in-concert experience.
Tunstall brings that eclectic performance energy to the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, on Friday night. The trio TOMI opens the show.
I’ll be headed to Scotland on vacation this summer and, as Tunstall hails from its capital city of Edinburgh, I’ll to thank the Scots for sending us to her when I’m strolling the Royal Mile.
Movies
Incredibly, this year marks 30 since Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” hit — that’s a play on words — movie theaters. Supremely self-confident as Tarantino was even then, he couldn’t have known that this amalgam of violence, mayhem and music would become a pop culture touchstone.
If you haven’t re-watched it lately and especially if you’ve only streamed it or watched it on the tube, “Pulp Fiction” is being screened outdoors tonight and Friday night at Tops’ Cinema Under the Stars in Mission Hills. Visit topspresents.com.
I can already hear Kool & the Gang singing “Jungle Boogie.”
Museums
Since we’re talking about being under the stars, Saturday also marks the 55th anniversary of the day that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin of Apollo 11 walked on the moon. It frustrates me when I mention this to college students of mine sometimes and they respond with “so what?” shrugs. But this was an achievement that should never be forgotten or shrugged at, regardless of how technologically advanced we become or how far into space we explore.
Aldrin himself will be in San Diego on Saturday for an event titled “Fly Me to the Moon: An Evening with Legends” at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park. He’ll be ed by another man who walked on the moon, in his case on the Apollo 16 mission, Charles Duke, and Legacy Apollo flight director Gerry Griffin.
This is a black-tie $750-a-ticket fundraiser, so it may be out of your price range. Now that you know how I feel about our landing on the moon, you’ll understand why I had to include it this week anyway. If I’m not there, I’ll be thinking about these heroes. For tickets, visit sandiegoairandspace.org.
U-T arts and entertainment stories you may have missed this past week
On its 50th anniversary, San Diego Pride is looking back and ahead
La Jolla’s Ambrogio by Acquerello restaurant s Michelin Guide
La Jolla Playhouse-born Idina Menzel musical ‘Redwood’ announces Broadway dates
Is 1974 the third-best year ever for albums? Our readers weigh in with their favorites
Here’s who’s playing at Southern California casinos this summer
Director of North Coast Rep farce ‘Don’t Dress for Dinner’ is back for seconds
Theater review: Onstage shocks with toxic workplace drama ‘Gloria’
Diversionary Theatre takes transformative step with new artistic director
Theater review: ‘Duel Reality’ athleticism dazzles at the Globe, but story is muddled
Theater review: Young talent lights up the stage in Moonlight’s ‘School of Rock’
Theater review: Cygnet’s ‘tick, tick’ digs deep into emotional territory
San Diego Comic-Con arrives next week
This year’s San Diego Comic-Con arrives next week, with preview night on Wednesday and closing day on July 28. Each year, the event draws 135,000 badge-holders from around the world, as well as the top names in comics, genre books, movies, video games, streaming TV, collectible toys and more.
Here’s a quick guide on getting there and navigating your way each day: Our best Comic-Con tips for transportation, parking, food and more
UCTV
University of California Television invites you to enjoy this special selection of programs from throughout the University of California. Descriptions courtesy of and text written by UCTV staff:
“Healing a Divided America with E.J. Dionne”
In his ninth appearance on UCTV during the Burke Lectureship at UC San Diego, journalist E.J. Dionne addressed America’s pressing issues of social isolation and loneliness through the lens of community and faith. Known for his insightful political columns, Dionne explored the crucial role of communities in fostering connections and strengthening democratic values, despite societal divides. He emphasized the importance of embracing democracy’s capacity to resolve issues more effectively than authoritarian regimes, advocating for an engaged, ecumenical approach to politics in the spirit of Father Burke. Through his dialogue, Dionne underscored the continuous work needed to uphold democracy, highlighting the importance of each individual’s contribution to the common good.
“Living Otherwise: Perspectives on Time, Space and Sense-Making from Okinawa”
In a compelling presentation by UC San Diego Library and the History Department, artists and scholars from Okinawa and Tokyo come together to address profound themes of nationhood, indigeneity, gender, and militarism. Through their artistic and scholarly lenses, they advocate for transformative ways of “living otherwise,” showing how art serves as a powerful catalyst for societal change and unity. The discussion, enriched with personal and collective insights, highlights the power of cultural expressions to bridge diverse identities and narratives. Featured speakers include Mayumo Inoue of Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo-based photographer Kaori Nakasone, and Satoko Nema, an adjunct instructor at the Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts.
“Katalin Kariko and the COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthrough”
Nobel Laureate Katalin Karikó, renowned for her revolutionary work on mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, explores the evolution of mRNA technology from its inception to its critical role in modern medicine. Awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine alongside Drew Weissman, and recipient of the Nierenberg Prize by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Karikó traces the development of mRNA from its discovery in 1961 to its breakthrough in the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines—the first FDA-approved mRNA products. As an adjunct professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania, she emphasizes the extensive research that has transformed mRNA from a basic genetic component into a powerful tool that has significantly influenced public health.
And finally, top weekend events
The best things to do this weekend in San Diego: June 19-21
David L. Coddon is a freelance writer.
