Video: Ben Platt Discusses PARADE Feeling 'Frighteningly Contemporary' on CBS MORNINGS

Ben Platt says @paradebway, though a period piece, "feels very frighteningly contemporary," amid a rise in antisemitism.

He shares how the show has impacted his identity as a Jewish person and why taking on the role was a "no-brainer." pic.twitter.com/IgnqCywgwQ

CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 12, 2023

Tony, Grammy, and Emmy winning artist Ben Platt sat down on CBS Mornings today to discuss starring in Parade on Broadway.

Platt, who was recently nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the production, discussed his longtime love for the show and why he felt that he would be an "authentic storyteller" for the piece as a Jewish person.

Platt also discussed how his character, Leo Frank, sits onstage throughout the duration of intermission at every performance.

"It's brilliant on Michael [Arden]'s behalf because it's a moment to really pay homage to just this human being and this man who was in isolation for the end of his life and really have a moment every night where that's the only focus," Platt shared.

The new Broadway production of Parade starring Tony Award winner Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond, directed by two-time Tony nominee Michael Arden, is now running on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre.

Parade features a book by two-time Tony Award winner, Pulitzer Prize winner, and Academy Award winner Alfred Uhry, music and lyrics by three-time Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown, and co-conceived by 21-time Tony Award-winning legend Harold Prince.

Leo and Lucille Frank (Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond) are a newlywed Jewish couple struggling to make a life in the old red hills of Georgia. When Leo is accused of an unspeakable crime, it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice, and devotion. Riveting and gloriously hopeful, Parade reminds us that to love, we must truly see one another.

Watch the new interview here: