Next Sunday (May 1) American Idol contestants will sing songs from the Disney catalog. Helping the singers find their inner child will be Ben Platt, who is set to mentor the singers.
He’s a great choice. At 28 years old, he played a teenager in the recent film adaption of Dear Evan Hansen. He also originated the role on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for his work.
The singer and actor will dispense his advice to the contestants at Disneyland in California.
Ben became the youngest solo recipient of the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical in 2017 when he won for Dear Evan Hansen at the age of 23. His other musical theater credits include The Book of Mormon and Caroline, or Change.
In 2020, Ben appeared on the ABC special The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II and performed a duet of “A Whole New World” with Idina Menzel.
It makes sense to bring a musical theater guy on to mentor for Disney night. But I was hoping Idol producers would limit mentoring to American Idol alums. Still, Ben has the potential to be a potent mentor. He’s both a wonderful actor and singer.
How many contestants will compete on Disney night? It’s still a mystery. The Top 11 will sing Monday (April 25) for the “Judges Song Contest” where Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan choose songs for the contestants. However, American Idol is teasing a big ‘twist” while deliberately not revealing how many contestants will be eliminated. Stay tuned for an update!
On Monday May 2, a slew of American Idol alums and more will return home for the “Great Idol Reunion” celebrating 20 years of American Idol.
American Idol airs on ABC Sunday and Monday at 8 pm, Coast to Coast (in all time zones).
