114-400: Reverie is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Ben Platt , released August 13, 2021, through Atlantic Records . Two singles preceded the album: " Imagine " on April 23, and "Happy to Be Sad" on July 16. Notes On August 14, 2021, Platt announced his second concert tour to promote Reverie , scheduled to begin on February 23, 2022. The tour was later postponed due to
228-686: A Grammy and a Tony, Platt is just the Oscar away from achieving the EGOT . La La Land (film) La La Land is a 2016 American musical romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Damien Chazelle . It stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone as a struggling jazz pianist and an aspiring actress who meet and fall in love while pursuing their dreams in Los Angeles . The supporting cast includes John Legend , Rosemarie DeWitt , Finn Wittrock , and J. K. Simmons . Having been fond of musicals during his time as
342-526: A Musical for Dear Evan Hansen's Off-Broadway run in 2016. On May 19, 2017, at the 83rd annual Drama League Awards , it was announced that Platt had won the organization's Distinguished Performance Award. This award, which recognizes a performance on the New York stage in the past year, can only be won once in a performer's career. In winning at the age of 23, for his work in Dear Evan Hansen , Platt became
456-541: A Window " at the Nashville stop of the tour. Ben Platt Benjamin Schiff Platt (born September 24, 1993) is an American actor and singer. The son of film and theater producer Marc Platt and philanthropist Julie Platt , he began his acting career in musical theater as a child and appeared in productions of The Sound of Music (2006) and The Book of Mormon (2012–2015), rising to prominence for originating
570-412: A budget of $ 30 million, and received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for Chazelle's direction and screenplay, the performances of Gosling and Stone, the score, musical numbers, cinematography, visual style, costumes and production design. It went on to receive numerous accolades , including winning a record seven awards at the 74th Golden Globe Awards and received eleven nominations at
684-437: A character who is interrogated over calling the film "overrated" because of its Oscar nominations, and a television commercial for the prescription Jardiance . The 2018 single " Love Scenario " by IKon drew heavy inspiration from the film's epilogue sequence. The 2021 Disney animated short film, Us Again , was also said to have been influenced by the film. In the closing of The Simpsons episode " Haw-Haw Land " it
798-416: A coffee. During the audition, Mia is asked to tell a story. In response, she talks about how her aunt, a one-time stage actress who eventually died from alcoholism, inspired her to chase her dreams. Confident the audition was a success, Seb encourages Mia to devote herself to acting. The two then recognize that they will always love each other despite what may come for their relationship. Five years later, Mia
912-684: A drummer, Chazelle first conceptualized the film alongside Justin Hurwitz while attending Harvard University together. After moving to Los Angeles in 2010, Chazelle penned the script but did not find a studio willing to finance the production without changes to his design. After the success of his film Whiplash (2014), the project was picked up by Summit Entertainment . Miles Teller and Emma Watson were originally in talks to star, but after both dropped out, Gosling and Stone were cast. Filming took place in Los Angeles between August and September 2015, with
1026-505: A filmmaker working his way up the Hollywood ladder. La La Land in particular is inspired by his experience of moving from the East Coast with preconceived notions of what L.A. would be like, "that it was all just strip malls and freeways". Chazelle was unable to produce the film for years as no studio was willing to finance an original contemporary musical with no familiar songs. It is also
1140-513: A genuinely romantic comedy, and as well, a rhapsody in blue, red, yellow and green." Writing for The Boston Globe , Ty Burr summarized the effectiveness of the film to relate to audiences stating: "...the movie traffics in the bittersweet happiness of treasuring things that are vanishing, like the unrealized future imagined in the climactic dance number, or those inky, star-filled dance floors that go on forever in old movies, or Hollywood musicals themselves. Or jazz: Sebastian has an early moment at
1254-418: A jazz musical, which The Hollywood Reporter called an "extinct genre". He believed that since he and Hurwitz were unknown at that time, it might have made financiers dubious about the project's potential. Gosling's character Sebastian holds a view of the jazz of the past being superior. According to an article by Anthony Carew, Chazelle wrote this character trait as a reflection of "[his] own relationship with
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#17328761603661368-433: A jazz pianist. Like Stone, Gosling drew from his own experiences as an aspiring artist. One incident was used for Mia. Gosling was performing a crying scene in an audition and the casting director took a phone call during it, talking about her lunch plans while he was emoting. Chazelle met with Gosling when he was about to begin filming for The Big Short . Chazelle cast Gosling and Stone immediately after Summit bought
1482-570: A musical". For his performance, Platt won numerous awards including the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical . At age 23, Platt was the youngest solo recipient of the Tony Award in the category until Myles Frost won the award in 2022 . Platt played his final performance on November 19, 2017. In 2017, Platt signed a record deal with Atlantic Records . On January 28, 2018, he performed Leonard Bernstein 's " Somewhere " live at
1596-476: A new single, "So Will I", on May 8, 2020. On May 20, 2020, Platt released Sing to Me Instead (Deluxe) , which includes "So Will I", "Rain", and six songs recorded live at Radio City Music Hall, including cover versions of Brandi Carlile 's " The Joke " and Elton John 's " Take Me to the Pilot ". On June 8, 2020, Platt released " Everything I Did to Get to You ", a new single written by David Davis, which he picked as
1710-461: A nightclub where he passionately sticks up for the music he loves. 'It's dying on the vine,' he says. 'And the world says 'Let it die. It had its time.' Well, not on my watch.' In that scene, he speaks for the director. By the end of La La Land , he's speaking for all of us." La La Land' s competition for awards and critical attention with the African-American film Moonlight shortly after
1824-528: A nomination for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor of the year. Platt received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in the Netflix series The Politician in 2020. Platt received his second Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical nomination at the 76th Tony Awards for his performance as Leo Frank in the 2023 musical revival of Parade . Having received an Emmy,
1938-425: A one-woman play. Seb begins to perform regularly at a jazz club, and the two of them eventually move in together. A former bandmate of Seb invites him to be the keyboardist in a new jazz fusion band, which will give him a steady income. Although dismayed by the band's pop style, Seb signs on after hearing Mia trying to convince her mother that he is working on his career. The band finds success, but Mia knows their music
2052-414: A pair of great performances from Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Any movie like La La Land that gets toes tapping and tears flowing with such grace is worth remembering." Many elements of the film, including the visual style, use of colors, staging of the musical numbers and costume designs have been referenced numerous times in popular culture since its release. These include the entire opening segment of
2166-528: A party where he plays in a 1980s pop cover band. Mia makes Seb play "I Ran" for her. After the gig, they walk to their cars and lament wasting a lovely night together despite their clear chemistry. Seb arrives at Mia's workplace, and she shows him around the Warner Bros. backlot , where she works as a barista , while expressing her passion for acting. He takes her to a jazz club, describing his passion for jazz and his desire to open his own club. Seb invites Mia to
2280-462: A phone call from a prominent casting director who attended Mia's play, inviting her to audition for an upcoming film. Knowing that this could be her big break, he drives in a hurry to Boulder City. He finds her house since he remembered that she lived across the street from the library, the library where she fell in love with acting. Seb persuades her to attend, and she reluctantly agrees to go. The next morning, Seb picks her up, and Mia greets him with
2394-541: A production office in Atwater Village, Los Angeles over the span of three to four months, beginning in May 2015. Gosling practiced piano in one room, Stone worked with Moore in another, and costume designer Mary Zophres had her own corner of the complex. Gosling, with no previous experience, had to learn how to play the piano; no hand models were used. Moore emphasized working on emotion rather than technique, which Stone said
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#17328761603662508-490: A screening of Rebel Without a Cause and she accepts, forgetting a date with her boyfriend. Bored with the latter date, she rushes to the theater and finds Seb as the film begins. When the screening is interrupted by a projector malfunction, Seb and Mia spend the rest of the evening together with a romantic visit to the Griffith Observatory . After more failed auditions, Mia decides, with Seb's encouragement, to write
2622-511: A signature all of its own, stopping traffic in the first glorious sequence." MovieWeb ranked the film number 2 on its list of the "Best Movie Musicals of the 21st Century So Far," in 2022 as well. In 2023, it ranked it number 3 on its list of the "15 Greatest Movies About Jazz" and number 1 on its list of the "Best Modern Movies Shot on Film." It also ranked number 2 on Teen Vogue ' s list of "The 45 Best Dance Movies of All Time." The film ranked number 15 on Collider ' s list of
2736-429: A silent exchange of smiles and going their separate ways. As a drummer, Chazelle has a predilection for musical films . He wrote the screenplay for La La Land in 2010, when the film industry seemed out of reach for him. His idea was "to take the old musical but ground it in real life where things don't always exactly work out," and to salute creative people who move to Los Angeles to chase their dreams. He conceived
2850-439: A supporting role in the musical comedy Pitch Perfect , loosely based on the non-fiction book Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory . Platt played the magic-loving Benji Applebaum, alongside an ensemble cast including Anna Kendrick , Skylar Astin , Rebel Wilson , Adam DeVine , Anna Camp , and Brittany Snow . The film emerged as a major commercial success and received mostly positive reviews from critics. He
2964-472: A total of 20 stops. On June 25, 2021, Platt released a cover version of the song " Yoü and I " by Lady Gaga , as part of the tenth anniversary of the Born This Way album. On November 29, 2018, it was announced that Universal Pictures and Platt's father, Marc Platt , secured the film rights to Dear Evan Hansen . On June 18, 2020, Platt confirmed that he was set to reprise his role as Evan Hansen in
3078-492: A week of previews. The production was well received and closed on October 6, 2013. Critics lauded Platt's performance, calling him a "true revelation in this brand new Chicago production... He really leans into this part, throwing himself out there with the abandonment of youth". Platt later reprised his role as Elder Cunningham on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre from January 7, 2014, to January 6, 2015. In 2012, Platt had
3192-462: Is a famous actress and married to a different man, with whom she has a daughter. She is living a happy life. That night, the couple stumble upon a jazz bar. Recognizing the logo she had once designed, Mia realizes that Seb has opened his own jazz club. Seb notices Mia in the crowd and begins to play their love theme on the piano. The two imagine what might have been had their relationship thrived along with their careers before acknowledging each other with
3306-566: Is let the work speak for itself." On March 2, 2021, it was announced that Platt was in talks to star in the film adaptation of Grant Ginder 's novel The People We Hate at the Wedding . His casting was announced on July 8, 2021, along with Amazon Studios being confirmed to produce the film. The film began production in September 2021 and was released worldwide on streaming platform Amazon Prime Video on November 18, 2022 . On May 17, 2022, it
3420-472: Is no longer available. Chazelle wanted Los Angeles to be the primary setting for his film, commenting that "there is something very poetic about the city I think, about a city that is built by people with these unrealistic dreams and people who kind of just put it all on the line for that." Principal photography on the film officially began in the city on August 10, 2015, and filming took place in more than 60 locations both in and near Los Angeles, including
3534-581: Is not the type of music Seb wants to perform. During the band's first tour, Seb and Mia argue: she accuses him of abandoning his dreams, while he claims that she liked him more when he was unsuccessful because it made her feel better about herself. Two weeks later, Seb misses Mia's play because of a photoshoot he had forgotten about. The play fails, very few people attend, and Mia overhears dismissive comments about her performance. Unable to forgive him for missing her play and their previous argument, Mia returns to her hometown of Boulder City, Nevada . Seb receives
Reverie (Ben Platt album) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3648-549: Is stated that the episode was supposed to be a parody of Moonlight rather than La La Land (itself parodying the mistake at the 89th Academy Awards . ) Emma Stone won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival. La La Land received 11 nominations at the 70th British Academy Film Awards , more than any other film of 2016. The film won in the categories of Best Film , Best Director , Best Actress in
3762-512: The New York Observer also took aim at the film's intention to emulate the MGM musical classics, writing that "the old-fashioned screenplay, by the ambitious writer-director Damien Chazelle, reeks of mothballs", and that "the movie sags badly in the middle, like a worn-out mattress that needs new springs". The South China Morning Post remarked that aside from its racial treatment of jazz, much of
3876-439: The 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2023, and was acquired shortly after by Searchlight Pictures for a theatrical release beginning July 14, 2023. The movie soundtrack featuring original songs written by Platt, Galvin, Gordon, and Lieberman was released on the same day by Interscope Records . The film was released on streaming service Hulu and VOD on September 14, 2023. On August 31, 2022, before kicking off
3990-630: The 60th Annual Grammy Awards accompanied by Justin Goldner and Adele Stein and arranged by Alex Lacamoire . On March 19, 2018, Platt and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda released " Found/Tonight ", a mashup of the Hamilton song " The Story of Tonight " and the Dear Evan Hansen song " You Will Be Found ". Platt donated a portion of the proceeds to support the March for Our Lives anti-gun-violence initiative, and also performed on stage with Miranda at
4104-421: The 70th British Academy Film Awards , winning five, including Best Film . The film also received a record-tying fourteen nominations at the 89th Academy Awards , winning in six categories including Best Director and Best Actress (Stone). In the former category, Chazelle became the youngest winner at age 32. It has since been regarded as one of the best films of the 2010s and the 21st century, and as one of
4218-527: The 74th Golden Globe Awards , featuring parodies of "Another Day of Sun," "City of Stars" and the planetarium sequence with host Jimmy Fallon , Nicole Kidman , Amy Adams , Sarah Paulson , Courtney B. Vance , Sterling K. Brown , Evan Rachel Wood , Rami Malek , and Kit Harington participating, an independently produced short film parody set in New York City titled NY NY Land , a skit on season 42 of Saturday Night Live where host Aziz Ansari plays
4332-456: The 87th Academy Awards , including Best Picture , and grossed nearly $ 50 million worldwide off a $ 3.3 million production budget, Chazelle and his project began to attract attention from studios. Five years after Chazelle wrote the script, Summit Entertainment and Black Label Media, along with producer Marc Platt , agreed to invest in La La Land and distribute it. They had been impressed by
4446-887: The Angels Flight trolley in downtown, houses in the Hollywood Hills, the Colorado Street Bridge , the Rialto Theatre in South Pasadena , the Warner Bros. studio lot , the Grand Central Market , Hermosa Beach 's Lighthouse Café , Griffith Observatory , Griffith Park , Chateau Marmont , the Watts Towers , and Long Beach , with many scenes shot in one take. It took 40 days to complete shooting, finishing in mid-September 2015. The opening pre-credits sequence
4560-523: The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre . The limited run concluded on August 6, 2023. High demand for tickets on the first day of sale resulted in temporarily crashing the Telecharge ticket site, resulting in error messages and queues of an hour long. On the night of the show's first preview, members of the neo-Nazi group National Socialist Movement protested against the production outside the theater. The cast album for
4674-570: The Hollywood Hills , promising her that someone in the crowd could jump-start her career. After her car is towed, she walks home in disappointment. During a gig at a restaurant, Seb slips into jazz improvisation despite the owner's warning to only play traditional Christmas pieces. Mia hears him playing as she passes by. Moved, she enters the restaurant and observes Seb being fired for disobedience. Mia attempts to compliment him as he storms out, but he brushes by her. Months later, she runs into Seb at
Reverie (Ben Platt album) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4788-536: The Netflix comedy-drama series The Politician , which tells the story of a very driven teen convinced that he's destined to become President of the United States. Platt's casting was announced in March 2018, and the series premiered on September 27, 2019. He received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy for his performance in the series' first season. Platt released
4902-454: The Reverie Tour , Platt confirmed that he was working on new solo music and was a third of the way through completing his next album. On May 11, 2023, Platt signed with Interscope Records for his future music releases and to operate an imprint for which he will sign and develop talent. On March 12, 2024, Platt announced that his third album Honeymind would be released on May 31, 2024, with
5016-697: The Santa Barbara International Film Festival on April 1, 2021, and was released in the United States on July 23, 2021. In January 2019, Platt announced that his debut studio album Sing to Me Instead was scheduled for release on March 29, 2019. It was made available for pre-order, along with the songs "Bad Habit" and "Ease My Mind" a few days later. Following the release of his debut album, Platt embarked on his first North American tour in May 2019. The tour ended on September 29, 2019, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, in which
5130-932: The Venice Film Festival 's opening night film on August 31, 2016. The film also screened at the Telluride Film Festival , the Toronto International Film Festival , beginning September 12, 2016, the BFI London Film Festival , the Middleburg Film Festival in late October 2016, the Virginia Film Festival , held at the University of Virginia on November 6, 2016, and the AFI Fest on November 15, 2016. La La Land
5244-427: The Warner Bros. studio lot ; Chazelle considered studio lots to be "monuments" of Hollywood. Production designer Wasco created numerous fake old film posters. Chazelle occasionally created names for them, deciding to use the title of his first feature, Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench (2009) for one poster, which reimagines it as a 1930s musical. The now-iconic six-minute-long "A Lovely Night" scene (searching for
5358-482: The film , which would be directed by Stephen Chbosky from a screenplay by Levenson. It premiered as the Opening Night Gala Presentation of the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2021, followed by a release in theaters on September 24, 2021, in time for Platt's 28th birthday. Upon the release of the film's first trailer on May 18, 2021, the casting of Platt as Evan Hansen and
5472-455: The title role in the Broadway coming-of-age musical Dear Evan Hansen (2015–2017). His performance in the latter earned him multiple accolades, including the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (making him the youngest solo recipient of the award at the time), a Daytime Emmy , and a Grammy Award . Platt reprised the role of Evan Hansen in the 2021 film adaptation of
5586-403: The "30 Best Musicals of All Time," with Jeremy Urquhart writing, "It works as a modern update/homage to classic Hollywood musicals that were popular in the 1950s without ever feeling derivative or mocking, and Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in the lead roles both give great performances that are up there with the best of their respective careers." It also ranked number 8 on Parade ' s list of
5700-572: The "67 Best Movie Musicals of All Time," with Samuel R. Murrian writing that the film is "many things, thusly its own creation: deftly blending a modern showbiz melodrama, a giddy throwback, a striking love story." Screen Rant also ranked it at number 10 on its list "The 35 Best Musicals of All Time" and number 1 on its list of "The 12 Best Movie Musicals of the 21st Century," while IndieWire ranked it at number 12 on its list of "The 60 Best Movie Musicals of All Time." Wilson Chapman, curation editor for IndieWire, wrote that La La Land' s story has just
5814-638: The Beast remake (2017), while Teller exited via long contract negotiations. Coincidentally, Gosling turned down the Beast role in Beauty and the Beast in favor of La La Land . Chazelle subsequently decided to make his characters somewhat older, with experience in struggling to make their dreams, rather than younger newcomers just arriving in Los Angeles. Emma Stone plays Mia, an aspiring actress in Los Angeles. Stone has loved musicals since she saw Les Misérables when she
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#17328761603665928-636: The COVID pandemic and rescheduled to begin on September 3, 2022 in Seattle, Washington before concluding in Miami, Florida on October 7, 2022, for a total of 20 stops. The tour featured Aly & AJ and Chappell Roan as its opening act. The set list included songs from Reverie , his first album Sing to Me Instead , some covers, and some Broadway tunes. Platt played tribute to the closing of Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen on September 18, 2022, by performing " Waving Through
6042-475: The Rain . In 2019, CBC Radio included it on its list of "the greatest romantic movies of all time." In 2021, Helena Trauger of The Beacon called it the best film of the 2010s, stating that it is "one of the most creative and well-executed films that every person should attempt to watch at least once." In 2022, Time Out ranked it number 79 on its list of the "100 Best Films of the 21st Century," writing that it "has
6156-425: The United States and Canada, and $ 320.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $ 472 million, against a production budget of $ 30 million. Deadline Hollywood calculated the net profit of the film to be $ 68.25 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film, making it one of the top 20 most profitable releases of 2016. This is Ryan Gosling 's second highest-grossing film, as it
6270-769: The Woods , La La Land , Mary Poppins Returns , the musical Wicked , and it’s film adaptation. He has two sisters and two brothers, including actor Jonah Platt. He and his family are Jewish. He attended the Adderley School for Performing Arts in Pacific Palisades , performing in productions like Bye Bye Birdie and Into the Woods . Platt attended Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, graduating in 2011. He then enrolled at Columbia University in New York but dropped out after seven weeks to fulfill his contract with The Book of Mormon . During his time at Columbia, he
6384-411: The appearance of the film's version of the character received substantial criticism, with viewers commenting that he, at age 27, was too old to play a high schooler. Platt, however, dismissed the response, comparing his age to those of actors who played high school students in the 1978 film Grease . The criticism against the casting went even further, with emerging claims that nepotism was involved in
6498-424: The back of a bench, but picked right up and kept on going with the scene. In 2024, Gosling reflected on the filming of this scene, wishing he can re-film it to correct the positioning of his hand in the famous still frame from the sequence that was used throughout the film's marketing, saying that "It just killed the energy that way ... It was all leading to what? A lazy ... I call it La La Hand." Chazelle said that
6612-410: The best musical and romantic films of all time. A stage musical adaptation is in the works. While stuck in Los Angeles traffic, Sebastian "Seb" Wilder has a moment of road rage directed at aspiring actress Mia Dolan. After a hard day at work, Mia's next audition goes awry because the casting director takes a phone call during an emotional scene. That night, her roommates take her to a lavish party in
6726-506: The box-office. It was an increase of 366% from the previous week and good for a per-theater of $ 20,510. The following week, the film had its wide expansion to 734 theaters, grossing $ 5.8 million for the weekend (including $ 4 million on Christmas Day and $ 9.2 million over the four days), and finishing eighth at the box-office. On January 6, 2017, the weekend of the Golden Globes , the film expanded to 1,515 theaters and grossed $ 10 million over
6840-497: The cast played a month of previews, beginning on March 26, 2016, before premiering on May 1, 2016. The limited engagement sold out its entire run with Platt playing his last performance on May 26, 2016. In December 2016, Platt originated the title role in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre . Critics hailed his work, calling it "historic" and "one of the greatest leading male performances [I've] ever seen in
6954-403: The concert there was taped for release on Netflix. Platt released a new single "Rain" on August 23, 2019, followed by a music video on September 10, 2019. On April 21, 2020, Platt revealed on Instagram that the taping of his Radio City concert, in the form of a TV special entitled Ben Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall , would be released on Netflix on May 20, 2020. On August 29, 2019, it
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#17328761603667068-469: The critical and commercial success of Whiplash. Lionsgate's Patrick Wachsberger, who previously had worked on the Step Up franchise , pushed Chazelle to increase the film's budget since he felt high-quality musicals could not be made cheaply. Miles Teller and Emma Watson were originally slated to star in the leading roles. Watson dropped out to honor her commitments to Disney 's live-action Beauty and
7182-558: The decision. On August 8, 2021, in an interview with Zach Sang on his YouTube talk show, Platt said "I think the reaction is largely from people who don't understand the context of the piece — the fact that I created the role and workshopped it for three years ... Were I not to do the movie, it probably wouldn't get made. And so, I think, my defensive response is to want to go onto Twitter and be like, 'F you, guys. You don't even know that this wouldn't exist without me.' Of course, that's not true entirely and not my place to say. All I have to do
7296-440: The election of Donald Trump sharpened the attention on questions of racial sensitivity and unexamined white privilege in the characters of film. While accolades from audiences and critics grew, the film received backlash for what some considered a disproportional amount of praise. Saturday Night Live lampooned the fervor over the film with a sketch about a man arrested for thinking it was "decent... but also boring." The film
7410-410: The film an approval rating of 91% based on 470 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, " La La Land breathes new life into a bygone genre with thrillingly assured direction, powerful performances, and an irresistible excess of heart." On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 94 out of 100, based on 54 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". It
7524-484: The film when he was a student at Harvard University with his classmate Justin Hurwitz . The two explored the concept in their senior thesis through a low-budget musical about a Boston jazz musician, Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench . Chazelle was moved by the tradition of 1920s " city symphony " films, such as Manhatta (1921) and Man with a Movie Camera (1929), that paid tribute to cities. After graduating, both moved to Los Angeles in 2010 and continued writing
7638-535: The film's musical numbers to be filmed "head to toe" and performed in a single take, like those of the 1930s works of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. He also wanted the film to emulate the widescreen, CinemaScope look of 1950s musicals such as It's Always Fair Weather . Consequently, the movie was shot on celluloid 4-perf Super 35mm film (not digitally) with Panavision anamorphic lenses in CinemaScope's 2.55:1 aspect ratio, but not in true CinemaScope as that technology
7752-470: The film's score composed by Hurwitz, who also wrote the film's songs with lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and the dance choreography by Mandy Moore . La La Land premiered at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2016, and was released theatrically in the United States on December 9, by Lionsgate . The film emerged as a major commercial success, grossing $ 472 million worldwide on
7866-399: The film, stating that it "succeeds both as a fizzy fantasy and a hard-headed fable, a romantic comedy and a showbiz melodrama, a work of sublime artifice and touching authenticity". Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian awarded the film five out of five stars, describing it as "a sun-drenched musical masterpiece." Tom Charity of Sight & Sound stated, "Chazelle has crafted that rare thing,
7980-432: The film. He stated that the duo "feel like the closest thing that we have right now to an old Hollywood couple" as akin to Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn , Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers , Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall , and Myrna Loy and William Powell . The film marked the third collaboration between Gosling and Stone, following Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) and Gangster Squad (2013). Chazelle asked
8094-661: The first single "Andrew" released on March 14, 2024. On March 18, 2024, it was announced that Platt would hold a three-week residency at the Palace Theatre , the first announced event at the theater since its renovations began in 2018. The residency ran for 18 performances between May 28, 2024, and June 15, 2024, and included special guests Kacey Musgraves , Kristin Chenoweth , Alex Newell , Kristen Bell , Meghan Trainor , Cynthia Erivo , Laura Dreyfuss , Micaela Diamond , Gaten Matarazzo and Brian d'Arcy James . On April 11, 2024,
8208-431: The latter of which he also co-wrote. Since 2019, he has starred in the Netflix comedy-drama series The Politician , for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award . Platt signed with Atlantic Records in 2017 and released his debut studio album Sing to Me Instead in March 2019. In May 2020, the concert film Ben Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall debuted on Netflix. Platt's second studio album Reverie
8322-573: The latter succeeded Platt in the title role in Dear Evan Hansen in 2017). They announced their engagement on November 25, 2022, and were married over the Labor Day weekend on September 1, 2024. Headlining tours Residency Platt was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award , a Drama League Distinguished Performance Award, and won the Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actor and Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in
8436-615: The latter, which was more dance and jazz-oriented. The film also makes visual allusions to Hollywood classics such as Broadway Melody of 1940 , Singin' in the Rain , The Band Wagon , and An American in Paris . About An American in Paris, Chazelle commented: "That's a movie that we just pillaged. It's an awesome example of how daring some of those old musicals really were." It shares some character development and themes with Chazelle's previous musical work, Whiplash ; Chazelle said: He said that both films reflect his own experiences as
8550-505: The musical, produced by his father. He then played Leo Frank in the 2022 New York City Center Gala production of Parade , which transferred to Broadway in 2023 and earned him another Tony nomination and another Grammy nomination. Platt's film credits include the Pitch Perfect film series (2012–2017), Ricki and the Flash (2015), Run This Town (2019), and Theater Camp (2023),
8664-564: The musical, titled Dear Evan Hansen , had begun production in Washington, D.C. at the Arena Stage with Platt originating the title role . The show premiered on July 9, 2015, and it closed on August 23, 2015. The overwhelming positive reception toward the production and Platt's performance resulted in the show being transferred to Off-Broadway . In 2016, Platt once again originated the role of Evan Hansen at Second Stage Theatre . Platt and
8778-577: The opening scene. He went on to name it his favorite movie of the year. Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune similarly lauded the opening sequence, in addition to highlighting Stone's performance, stating "she's reason enough to see La La Land ." Despite being less enthusiastic about Gosling's dancing and the film's middle section, Phillips nevertheless gave the film four out of four stars, declaring it "the year's most seriously pleasurable entertainment". A.O. Scott of The New York Times praised
8892-577: The parked car) had to be completed during the brief " magic hour " moment at sunset. It took eight takes and two days to shoot it. When Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone finally nailed it, "everybody just exploded," Stone said. Since Gosling and Stone were not primarily dancers, the two made a number of mistakes, especially during long uninterrupted single-take musical numbers. However, Chazelle was very sympathetic towards them, understanding their lack of experience and not minding their errors. While shooting Sebastian and Mia's first dance together, Stone stumbled over
9006-400: The past and with jazz, too". Chazelle found producers through friends who introduced him to Fred Berger and Jordan Horowitz . With the two producers on board, the script went to Focus Features at a budget of around $ 1 million. The studio demanded alterations: the male lead was asked to be changed from a jazz pianist to a rock musician, the complicated opening number had to be altered, and
9120-457: The planned film. Stone gained confidence from performing in Cabaret to handle the demands of the film. In preparation for her role, Stone watched some of the musical movies that inspired Chazelle, including The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers collaborations. Stone accepted the offer because Chazelle was so passionate about the project. Ryan Gosling plays Sebastian,
9234-467: The production was released by Interscope Records on March 23, 2023. For his performance as Leo Frank, Platt received his second Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical . On June 9, 2022, it was announced that Platt would produce and star in the musical comedy film Theater Camp , inspired by the 2020 short film of the same name he co-wrote with Noah Galvin , Molly Gordon , and Nick Lieberman . The film had its world premiere at
9348-532: The public criticism was towards the film being "a little dull", the two leads' singing and dancing being considered unexceptional, and the lack of nuance in Stone's character, with Gosling's occasionally seen as insufferable. Since its release, La La Land continues to receive acclaim. It is regarded as a modern classic and one of the best films of all time due to its captivating performances, attention to detail, and its assent to previous movie musicals such as Singin' in
9462-582: The rally in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2018. Platt starred opposite Damian Lewis , Nina Dobrev , and Mena Massoud in the Rob Ford historical fiction thriller Run This Town . The casting of Platt caused minor controversy, over allegations that the filmmakers were appropriating the story of female reporter Robyn Doolittle . On March 1, 2018, Platt was confirmed to star in the indie drama Broken Diamonds opposite Lola Kirke , Yvette Nicole Brown , Alphonso McAuley , and Lynda Boyd . The film premiered at
9576-498: The right harmony of romance and melancholy, and that pieces such as "Another Day of Sun" and "A Lovely Night" are catchy and rememberable. He remarked that the Oscar-winning "City of Stars," as well as others of Hurwitz's scores, are "some of the finest written for any movie this century." In 2024, Looper ranked it number 11 on its list of the "51 Best PG-13 Movies of All Time," calling the film "a deeply affecting feature thanks to
9690-665: The role of Claude Bukowski in Columbia University's production of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical . He has also collaborated on a workshop of Alice by Heart , by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater , a new take on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland . In 2012, Platt was cast as Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Chicago production of The Book of Mormon . The show premiered at the Bank of America Theatre on December 19, 2012, after
9804-401: The romantic dinner that Sebastian prepared for Mia was "one of the scenes that I think I wrote and rewrote and rewrote more than any other in the script". Gosling and Stone also helped create the dialogue of the scene to get it to be one of the more realistic scenes in a film filled with fantasy and fantastical elements. Chazelle spent nearly a year editing the film with editor Tom Cross , as
9918-431: The script, but made a few modifications, such as altering the location to Los Angeles instead of Boston. Rather than trying to match L.A. to the charms of Paris or San Francisco, he focused on the qualities that make the city distinctive: the traffic, the sprawl, and the skylines. The style and tone of the film were inspired by Jacques Demy 's The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort , especially
10032-463: The second single "Cherry on Top" was released alongside the announcement of The Honeymind Tour , a 21-city North American tour that began on June 18, 2024, in Boston and concluded July 27, 2024, in Seattle. Platt is openly gay. He told his family when he was twelve years old, and publicly came out in 2019. On January 12, 2020, Platt began a relationship with Noah Galvin (who he first met in 2015 and
10146-497: The story's bittersweet ending needed to be dropped. Chazelle scrapped the project and moved on. Chazelle later wrote Whiplash , which was an easier concept to sell and a less risky investment. After Whiplash was well received by critics upon its premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival in January, Chazelle continued his efforts to bring La La Land to the big screen. A year later, when Whiplash earned five Oscar nominations at
10260-456: The two about their audition disasters when they were both trying to make it. Both learned to sing and dance for the film's six original tunes. The rest of the cast – J. K. Simmons , Sonoya Mizuno , Jessica Rothe , Callie Hernandez , Finn Wittrock , Rosemarie DeWitt , John Legend , Jason Fuchs , Meagen Fay – were announced between July and August 2015. The film was choreographed by Mandy Moore . Rehearsals took place at
10374-412: The two were primarily concerned with getting the tone right. The songs and score for La La Land were composed and orchestrated by Justin Hurwitz, Chazelle's Harvard University classmate, who also worked on his two prior films. The lyrics were written by Pasek and Paul , except for "Start a Fire", which was written by John Legend, Hurwitz, Marius de Vries and Angelique Cinelu. A soundtrack album
10488-544: The weekend of February 24–26 (the weekend of the Academy Awards) the film grossed $ 4.6 million, exactly the same amount it grossed the previous weekend. The next week, following its six Oscar wins, the film grossed $ 3 million. La La Land received widespread critical acclaim, with high praise directed towards Chazelle's direction and screenplay, cinematography, music, the performances of Gosling and Stone and their chemistry. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives
10602-538: The weekend, finishing fifth at the box-office. In its sixth week of release, the film grossed $ 14.5 million (a total of $ 16.9 million over the four-day weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. Day), finishing second at the box-office behind Hidden Figures . After receiving its 14 Oscar nominations, the film expanded to 3,136 theaters on January 27, 2017 (an increase of 1,271 from the week before) and grossed $ 12.1 million (up 43% from its previous week's $ 8.4 million). During
10716-502: The winner of his episode of NBC 's songwriting competition show Songland . In April 2021, Platt teased the chorus of his new single, " Imagine ", on TikTok . The complete song was released on April 23, 2021, followed by a remix by Dutch electronic producer Tiësto on May 28, 2021. In July, he announced on Twitter that his second studio album, Reverie , for which "Imagine" was released as its first single, would be released on August 13, 2021. The second single, " Happy to Be Sad ",
10830-459: The youngest winner in the award's history. Platt earned a Daytime Emmy Award , a Grammy Award , and a Tony Award for his performance in Dear Evan Hansen . On June 11, at the 71st Tony Awards , 23-year-old Platt won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical becoming the youngest actor to win this award solo. Platt reprised the role in the 2021 film adaptation earning
10944-583: Was a member of the campus a cappella musical group Nonsequitur . At 9 years old, Platt played Winthrop Paroo in The Music Man at the Hollywood Bowl alongside Kristin Chenoweth . At 11, he appeared in a brief national tour of Caroline, or Change , by Jeanine Tesori and Tony Kushner . At 17, he played Jean Valjean in Kidz Theater's production of Les Misérables . His other early roles include
11058-530: Was announced that Platt would be starring in Richard Linklater 's film adaptation of Merrily We Roll Along alongside Beanie Feldstein and Blake Jenner . The project is set to be shot over the course of twenty years, with principal photography of the first sequence of the film having already been completed prior to the announcement. On January 10, 2023, it was announced that Jenner would be replaced by Paul Mescal . Platt starred as Payton Hobart on
11172-606: Was announced that Platt would play Leo Frank in the New York City Center production of Parade as the gala production of its 2022/2023 season after playing the role in a workshop conducted by Roundabout Theatre Company in 2018. Performances ran from November 1 to 6, 2022, and critics responded positively to Platt's return to the theatre stage. A limited Broadway run was announced on January 10, 2023, with Platt continuing his role as Leo Frank. The revival began previews on February 22, 2023, and opened on March 16, 2023, at
11286-491: Was criticized by some for its treatment of race and jazz. Kelly Lawler of USA Today noted that Gosling's character has been referred to as a " white savior " by some critics, for "his quest (and eventual success) to save the traditionally black musical genre from extinction, seemingly the only person who can accomplish such a goal." The sentiment was also expressed by Ruby Lott-Lavigna of Wired , Anna Silman of New York , and Ira Madison III of MTV News . Rex Reed of
11400-414: Was displaced by Barbie in 2023. La La Land began its theatrical release with a limited release in five theaters in Los Angeles and New York City on December 9. It made $ 881,107 in its opening weekend, giving the film a per-theater average of $ 176,221, the best average of the year. In its second week of limited release, the film expanded to 200 theaters and grossed $ 4.1 million, finishing seventh at
11514-402: Was eight years old. She said "bursting into song has always been a real dream of mine", and her favorite film is the 1931 Charlie Chaplin romantic comedy City Lights . She studied pom dancing as a child, with a year of ballet. She moved to Hollywood with her mother at age fifteen to pursue a career, and struggled constantly to get an audition during her first year. When she did, she often
11628-399: Was key when they filmed the "A Lovely Night" scene (searching for the parked car). To help his cast and crew get their creative mode flowing, Chazelle held screenings on the soundstages every Friday night of classical films that had inspired him for the film, including The Umbrellas of Cherbourg , Singin' in the Rain , Top Hat , and Boogie Nights . From the beginning, Chazelle wanted
11742-403: Was later moved back a week to December 9, 2016, with the wide release still being planned for December 16, 2016. Lionsgate opened the film in five locations on December 9, 2016, and expanded it to about 200 theaters on December 16, 2016, before going nationwide on December 25, 2016. The film went fully wide on January 6, 2017, with a release into select IMAX theaters a week later. La La Land
11856-639: Was originally planned for a stretch of ground-level highway, until Chazelle decided to shoot it in the 105–110 interchange, which arcs 100 feet (30 m) in the air. Production designer David Wasco said, "I thought somebody was going to fall off and get killed." Not every portion of the highway was blocked. Chazelle compared the scene to the yellow brick road leading to the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Chazelle scouted for "old L.A." locations that were in ruins, or were perhaps razed. One such example
11970-428: Was originally set for a July 15, 2016, release; however, in March 2016, it was announced the film would be given a limited release starting December 2, 2016, before expanding on December 16, 2016. Chazelle stated that the change was because he felt that the release date was not right for the context of the film, and because he wanted to have a slow rollout beginning with the early fall film festivals. The limited release
12084-570: Was released in the United Kingdom on January 12, 2017. The film was released in the Netherlands on December 22, 2016, and in Australia on December 26, with the rest of the territories planned for a release from mid-January 2017. Lionsgate released La La Land on Digital HD on April 11, 2017, and Blu-ray , Ultra HD Blu-ray and DVD on April 25, 2017. La La Land grossed $ 151.1 million in
12198-448: Was released on August 13, 2021. After signing with Interscope in 2023, Platt's third studio album Honeymind was released on May 31, 2024. In 2017, Platt was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. Platt was born in Los Angeles, the fourth of five children of Julie and Marc Platt . His father is a film, television, and theater producer whose credits include Legally Blonde , Into
12312-412: Was released on December 9, 2016, by Interscope Records , featuring selections from Hurwitz's score and songs performed by the cast. The film's opening number, " Another Day of Sun ", shot as a single tracking shot on an L.A. freeway, received praise for its choreography. The songs " City of Stars " and " Audition (The Fools Who Dream) " received numerous awards. La La Land had its world premiere as
12426-612: Was released on July 16, 2021. The Reverie tour was announced on August 13, 2021, spanning 27 stops in North America beginning February 23, 2022, and concluding at the Hollywood Bowl on April 8, 2022. The tour was later postponed due to the COVID pandemic and rescheduled to begin on September 3, 2022, in Seattle , Washington before concluding in Hollywood, Florida on October 7, 2022, for
12540-550: Was subsequently nominated at the 2013 Teen Choice Awards in the Choice Movie Scene Stealer category for his work. In 2015, Platt reprised his role as Benji Applebaum in the sequel, Pitch Perfect 2 , followed by appearances in the films Ricki and the Flash and Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk . Platt became attached to Steven Levenson and Pasek and Paul 's then Untitled P&P Project in 2014, participating in early read-throughs and workshops. By 2015,
12654-612: Was the first to be shot, and was filmed on a closed-off portion of two carpool direct connector ramps of the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange , connecting the I-105 Carpool Lane to the I-110 Express Lanes, leading to Downtown Los Angeles . It was filmed in a span of two days, and required more than 100 dancers. For this particular scene, Chazelle wanted to give a sense of how vast the city is. The scene
12768-454: Was the third- and sixth-highest scoring film released in 2016 on each respective site. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported audiences gave an 81% overall positive score and a 93% "definite recommend". Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave La La Land four stars out of four, describing it as "a hot miracle" and complimenting its musical numbers, particularly
12882-462: Was the use of the Angels Flight trolley, built in 1901. The funicular had been closed in 2013 after a derailment . Attempts were made to repair and re-open the railway, but to no avail. However, the production team was able to secure permission to use it for a day. Chazelle and his crew then arranged to have it run for shooting (it was re-opened to the public in 2017). Mia works at a coffee shop on
12996-466: Was turned away after singing or saying just one line. Stone drew from her own experiences for her character of Mia, and some were added into the film. She met Chazelle in 2014 while she was making her Broadway debut in Cabaret . Chazelle and Hurwitz saw her perform on a night when the actress had a cold. She met with Chazelle at Brooklyn Diner in New York City , where the director outlined his vision for
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