Odds & Ends: Ben Platt Talks Being a Teen in the Age of Social Media, Beauty and the Beast Wins Big at MTV Movie Awards & More

Here's a quick roundup of stories you may have missed today.

Dear Evan Hansen Tony Nominee Ben Platt Talks Being a Teen in the Age of Social Media
Starting the day off with Ben Platt always gets a lot of “likes” from us! The Tony nominee and newly minted Lortel winner stopped by Live with Kelly and Ryan on May 8 to discuss his work in Dear Evan Hansen and the significance of social media in the show. “On the surface, [social media] connects and brings together and creates this community, but that can also be a very isolating thing because it can all be made of superficial connections,” he said. We “like” this Tony nominee a lot, both in life and on our smartphones! Platt also discussed his true love for SoulCycle (because of course). Watch the interview below!



Gina Gershon, Mario Cantone, Rachel Dratch Set for Celebrity Autobiography
A slew of Broadway veterans have signed on for the latest performances of Celebrity Autobiography, featuring cold reads from the memoirs of the biggest and brightest. Set for the 7pm shows on May 20 and June 26 at the Triad will be Gina Gershon, Mario Cantone, Rachel Dratch, Marsha Mason, Cady Huffman, Eugene Pack, Tate Donovan and more.

Tony-Nominated Broadway Director Ed Sherin Has Died
Ed Sherin, who earned a Tony nomination for his direction of Find Your Way Home, died on May 4 at age 87, according to Deadline. Sherin’s career kicked off as a Broadway actor, appearing in the original 1957 Broadway production of Measure for Measure and revivals of Lysistrata and Peer Gynt. Sherin met his wife, the actress Jane Alexander, while working at Washington, D.C.'s Arena Stage. Sherin made his Broadway directing debut with The Great White Hope, the play that earned Alexander the 1969 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. Sherin and Alexander married in 1975. Sherin continued to direct on Broadway through 2004. His work in Hollywood included executive-producing more than 160 episodes of Law & Order. Sherin is survived by Alexander, his three sons, Tony, Geoffrey, and Jon, from a previous marriage, and his stepson, Jace.

Beauty and the Beast Wins Big at MTV Movie Awards
The hit live-action Beauty and the Beast film won Movie of the Year at the 2017 MTV Movie Awards on May 7. Emma Watson took home a trophy for her performance as the high-singing, book-consuming ingenue Belle. Tony winner Hugh Jackman and his Logan co-star Dafne Keen won the prize for Best Duo.