Will Swenson | |
|---|---|
 Swenson in July 2011 | |
| Born | October 26, 1972 Provo, Utah, United States [1] |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
Will Swenson (born October 26, 1972) [1] is an American actor and singer best known for his work in musical theatre. He also has developed a film career, primarily in LDS cinema.
Two of Swenson's grandparents, James Nathan Hale and Ruth Hale, were playwrights; Ruth was also an actor. [2]
Swenson moved throughout the United States during his childhood. He attended Brigham Young University and later served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Guayaquil, Ecuador. As of 2008, he was no longer practicing the LDS faith. [2] [3] After graduating from college, Swenson earned his Equity card by getting cast by Disney at Walt Disney World, performing in Beauty and The Beast Live: On Stage and the Hoop Dee Doo Review. [4]
Swenson is known among members of the LDS Church for his role as Jonathan Jordan in the LDS Cinema movie The Singles Ward (2002) and its sequel, The Singles 2nd Ward (2007). [5] Swenson co-wrote, directed and acted in the LDS Cinema mockumentary Sons of Provo (2004).
Swenson appeared on Broadway in Lestat , 110 in the Shade and Brooklyn . Off Broadway, he played the role of Stacee Jaxx in the musical Rock of Ages but did not go on to perform the role on Broadway because he was offered the starring role of Berger in the Broadway revival of Hair . He played Sir Sagramore in Camelot at Lincoln Center and Chris in the second national tour of Miss Saigon .
He played the role of Berger in the off-Broadway 40th Anniversary Concert of Hair opposite Karen Olivo. In 2008, Swenson was again cast as Berger in The Public Theater's revival of the show in Central Park. He went on to reprise the role when the production moved to Broadway in March 2009. [6] He received critical acclaim for his performance on Broadway and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. He played the role of Berger again in the West End revival of Hair which began performances on April 1, 2010, [7] and ended his limited engagement on May 29, 2010. [8] Audra McDonald and Swenson reprised their roles in a two-week fundraising production of 110 in the Shade at the Hale Center Theater in Orem, Utah. [9]
On October 8, 2009, Swenson appeared in the guest cameo slot for the extension performance of Katie Thompson's R.R.R.E.D.: A Secret Musical, as part of the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival. In 2010 in Toronto, Canada, Swenson played the lead role of "Tick"/"Mitzi" in the pre-Broadway North American company of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert . [10]
In October 2013, Swenson was cast as Inspector Javert in the 2014 Broadway revival of Les Misérables , which opened in March 2014 at New York's Imperial Theatre, where the musical had previously run for 13 years. [11]
In 2018, Swenson played Satan in the New Group's off-Broadway production of Jerry Springer: The Opera . In 2020, he appeared in the Netflix show Chilling Adventures of Sabrina as Pan.
In June 2022 Swenson began playing the role of Neil Diamond (Then) in the new musical A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical , based on the life and music of the performer, at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston. The show moved to Broadway later in 2022 officially opening on December 4, at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City. Swenson has said he grew up surrounded by and loving Diamond's music as the singer was one of his father's favorites. Swenson added that in his youth he would sing the songs and eventually could even sing them sounding like Diamond.
Swenson met his first wife, Amy Westerby, while they were both performing in one of his grandmother's comedies, Hopsville Holiday. The couple have two sons, Bridger and Sawyer; they have since divorced.
Swenson and actress Audra McDonald became engaged in January 2012 [12] and were married on October 6, 2012. [13] In October 2016, McDonald and Swenson had their first child, Sally.
In October 2020, Swenson joined other Broadway stars in a virtual letter-writing event hosted by nonpartisan voter advocacy group VoteRiders. The mission was to educate at-risk voters on their options in the upcoming election, focusing specifically on voters in Florida and Wisconsin. [14]
| Year | Show | Role | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | Miss Saigon | Chris Scott | US National Tour |
| 2001 | Jekyll & Hyde | Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde | Westchester Broadway Theatre |
| 2004 | Brooklyn | Vocalist; u/s Street Singer, u/s Taylor Collins | Broadway |
| 2005 | Two Gentleman of Verona | Ensemble | Off-Broadway |
| 2006 | Lestat | Ensemble; u/s Armand, u/s Lestat | Broadway |
| 2007 | Adrift in Macao | Rick Shaw | Off-Broadway |
| 110 in the Shade | Cody Bridger; u/s Bill Starbuck | Broadway | |
| 2008 | Camelot | Sir Sagramore | Lincoln Center |
| The Slug Bearers of Kayrol Island | Psychiatrist | Off-Broadway | |
| Hair | Berger | ||
| Rock of Ages | Stacee Jaxx | ||
| 2009-2010 | Hair | Berger | Broadway |
| 2010 | West End | ||
| Bonnie & Clyde | Clyde | Workshop | |
| Priscilla, Queen of the Desert | Tick (Mitzi) | Toronto | |
| Broadway | |||
| 2013 | Murder Ballad | Tom | Off-Broadway |
| Little Miss Sunshine | Richard Hoover | ||
| 2014 | Les Misérables | Inspector Javert | Broadway |
| 2014-2015 | |||
| 2015 | The Rocky Horror Show | Frank 'N' Furter | Pioneer Theatre Company |
| Les Misérables | Inspector Javert | Broadway | |
| 2016 | Pericles | Cleon | Theatre for a New Audience |
| Disaster! | Tony | Broadway | |
| The Pirates of Penzance | The Pirate King | Barrington Stage Company | |
| 2017 | Hair | Berger | Lincoln Center |
| 2017-2018 | Waitress | Earl Hunterson | Broadway |
| 2018 | Jerry Springer - The Opera | Satan | Off-Broadway |
| The Royal Family of Broadway | Tony Cavendish | Barrington Stage Company | |
| Parade | Tom Watson | Workshop [15] | |
| 2019 | Nantucket Sleigh Ride | McPhee | Lincoln Center |
| Fun Home | Bruce Bechdel | Workshop [16] | |
| 2021-2022 | Assassins | Charles J. Guiteau | Off-Broadway |
| 2022 | A Beautiful Noise | Neil Diamond (then) | Boston |
| 2022-2023 | Broadway |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Treasure Chest | Thor | Short film |
| 2002 | The Singles Ward | Jonathan Jordan | |
| 2003 | The R.M. | Kori Swenson | |
| 2004 | Sons of Provo | Will Jensen | Also executive producer |
| Dear John | Tyson | Short film | |
| 2007 | The Singles 2nd Ward | Jonathan Jordan | |
| 2010 | The Switch | Actor on stage | |
| 2013 | Gods Behaving Badly | Ares | Unreleased |
| 2014 | This Is Where I Leave You | Young Mort Altman | |
| 2017 | The Greatest Showman | Philo Barnum |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | All My Children | Purse-snatcher | Episode: August 14, 2002 |
| 2006 | As the World Turns | Vanya | Episode: December 18, 2006 |
| 2007 | Six Degrees | Photoshoot man | Episode: "Slings and Arrows"; uncredited |
| 2008 | Live from Lincoln Center | Sir Sagramore | Episode: "Camelot" |
| 2009 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Joe Lazar | Episode: "Rock Star" |
| Late Show with David Letterman | Berger | Episode: April 30, 2009 | |
| 2012 | The Good Wife | Justin Varney | Episode: "Pants on Fire" |
| Pzazz 101 | Will | Episode: "Method Acting" | |
| 2016 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Mitch Hampton | Episode: "Broken Rhymes" |
| 2016–17 | No Tomorrow | Pete | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Chilling Adventures of Sabrina | Pan | 5 episodes |
| 2021 | The Bite | Brian Ritter | |
| 2022 | First Kill | Sebastian Fairmont | Recurring role |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Submissions Only | Fred Planer | Episode: "Having Foresight" |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Hair | Nominated |
| Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Nominated | ||
| 2018 | Obie Award | Performance | Jerry Springer: The Opera | Won |
| 2022 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | Assassins | Nominated |
| Outer Critics Circle Award | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Nominated | ||
| Lucille Lortel Award | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical | Nominated | ||
| 2023 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance | A Beautiful Noise | Nominated |
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado and music by Galt MacDermot. The work reflects the creators' observations of the hippie counterculture and sexual revolution of the late 1960s, and several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement. The musical's profanity, its depiction of the use of illegal drugs, its treatment of sexuality, its irreverence for the American flag, and its nude scene caused much comment and controversy. The work broke new ground in musical theatre by defining the genre of "rock musical", using a racially integrated cast, and inviting the audience onstage for a "Be-In" finale.
Audra Ann McDonald is an American singer and actress. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four acting categories. In addition to her six Tony Awards she has received numerous accolades including two Grammy Awards, and an Emmy Award. She was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 2016 from President Barack Obama, and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2017.
Jennifer Laura Thompson is an American actress and singer, best known for her theatrical performances. She originated the role of Cynthia Murphy in the Tony Award-winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen, and received a Tony Award nomination for her performance as Hope Cladwell in Urinetown. She is also known for being the first replacement for Kristen Chenoweth as Glinda in Wicked on Broadway.
Stephanie Janette Block is an American actress and singer, best known for her work on the Broadway stage.
Celia Keenan-Bolger is an American actress and singer. She won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for portraying Scout Finch in the play To Kill a Mockingbird (2018). She has also been Tony-nominated for her roles in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005), Peter and the Starcatcher (2012), The Glass Menagerie (2014), and Mother Play (2024).
Kelli Christine O'Hara is an American actress and singer, most known for her work on the Broadway and opera stages.
Christian Dominique Borle is an American actor and singer. He is a two-time Tony Award winner for his roles as Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher and as William Shakespeare in Something Rotten! Borle also originated the roles of Prince Herbert, et al. in Spamalot, Emmett in Legally Blonde, and Joe in Some Like It Hot on Broadway, each of which earned him a Tony nomination. He starred as Marvin in the 2016 Broadway revival of Falsettos. He also starred as Tom Levitt on the NBC musical-drama television series Smash and Vox in the adult animated black comedy musical series Hazbin Hotel.
Raúl Eduardo Esparza is an American actor. Considered one of Broadway's most prominent leading men since the 2000s, he is best known for his Tony Award-nominated performance as Bobby in the 2006 Broadway revival of Company and for his television role as New York Assistant District Attorney (ADA) Rafael Barba in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, where he had a recurring role in Season 14 and was promoted to a series regular in Seasons 15 to 19.
Andy Karl is an American actor and singer. He is best known for performing in musical theatre specifically musicals adapted from successful movies. He has received several accolades including a Laurence Olivier Award and a Drama Desk Award as well as nominations for three Tony Awards. He is also known for playing Sgt. Mike Dodds on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit from 2015 to 2016.
Laura Ann Osnes is an American actress and singer known for her work on the Broadway stage. She has played starring roles in Grease as Sandy, South Pacific as Nellie Forbush, Anything Goes as Hope Harcourt, and Bonnie and Clyde as Bonnie Parker, for which she received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She also starred in the title role of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella on Broadway, for which she received a Drama Desk Award and her second Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.
Norm Lewis is an American actor and baritone singer. He has appeared on Broadway and in London'sWest End, film, television, recordings and regional theatre. He’s also noted for his wide vocal range. Lewis was the second African-American actor after Robert Guillaume to perform in the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera and the first one to do so in the Broadway production. In 2023, he reprised the role in the show's sequel, Love Never Dies, in the West End.
Caissie Levy is a Canadian-American actress and singer, mainly known for her work in musical theatre on Broadway and in the West End. Her early Broadway credits included Penny Pingleton in Hairspray and Sheila in Hair, a role she also played in the West End. She originated the role of Molly Jensen in the West End and Broadway productions of Ghost: the Musical, and played Fantine in the 2014 Broadway revival of Les Misérables. Levy also originated the role of Elsa in Frozen on Broadway. For her performance on the cast recording of Caroline, or Change, she was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2023. Levy originated the role of Diana Goodman in the London production of Next to Normal and received a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Danny Burstein is an American actor and singer. Known for his work on the Broadway stage, he's received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, two Drama Desk Awards and nominations for three Grammy Awards.
Ted Sperling is a musical director, conductor, orchestrator, arranger, stage director and musician, primarily for the stage and concerts. He won the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations and the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Orchestrations, for his work in The Light in the Piazza in 2005. He is the Artistic Director of MasterVoices, formerly the Collegiate Chorale.
Rory James O'Malley is an American actor, best known for his Tony Award-nominated performance as Elder McKinley in The Book of Mormon. He is a co-founder of the gay rights activist group Broadway Impact.
Brooks Ashmanskas is an American actor. He has appeared both on Broadway and Off-Broadway as well as in regional theatres. Ashmanskas has done limited film and television work, most recently appearing in the Netflix series Uncoupled. He was nominated for a 2006 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical and a Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for playing various characters in Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, and for a 2019 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his role as Barry Glickman in The Prom.
Ragtime is a musical with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Terrence McNally. It is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by E.L. Doctorow.
Krystal Joy Brown is an American actress. She made her Broadway debut playing various roles in the musical revival of Hair (2009). She has since played Ornella Sturdevant in the musical Leap of Faith (2012), Josephine Bloom in Big Fish (2013), and Diana Ross in the jukebox musical Motown: The Musical (2014). She gained prominence and acclaim in a replacement role portraying Eliza Hamilton in the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical Hamilton, and as Gussie Carnegie in the Stephen Sondheim revival Merrily We Roll Along (2022–2024).
Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill is a play with music featuring several of Billie Holiday's most famous songs. The play was written by Lanie Robertson and recounts some events in the life of Holiday. It premiered in 1986 at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and soon played Off-Broadway. The play opened on Broadway in 2014, and also played in London's West End in 2017.
Adam Gwon is an American composer and lyricist living in New York City.
I don't practice Mormonism at all anymore, but I grew up in a Mormon family.
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