Will Swenson
Encyclopedia
William Swenson is an American
actor
, writer
and film director
best known for his work in musical theatre. He also has developed a film career, primarily in Mormon cinema. He is well known among Utahn Mormons, particularly for his role as Jonathan Jordan in the LDS Cinema
movie The Singles Ward
(2002) and its sequel, The Singles 2nd Ward
(2007). Swenson also co-wrote, directed and acted in the LDS Cinema
movie Sons of Provo
(2004).
A grandson of Nathan and Ruth Hale
, Swenson was born to a theatre-loving Mormon family in Utah and moved around a lot throughout the United States during his childhood. His parents are Robert Swenson, and the late Sally Hale Swenson Rice. He has 3 siblings; Cody, Leah, and Robert. Most of his young theater life was experienced on the stage of the Hale Center Theatres (Glendale CA, SLC UT, Orem UT), which were established by his Grandparents, and continue to be owned and run by their descendants. He attended Brigham Young University
and later served as an LDS missionary in Ecuador
. However, he is no longer a practicing Mormon.
Swenson has appeared on Broadway
in Lestat
, 110 in the Shade
and Brooklyn
. He created 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 also played Sir Sagramore in Camelot
at Lincoln Center and Chris in the 2nd National Tour of Miss Saigon
.
Swenson 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 Theatre's revival of the show in Central Park
. He then went on to reprise the role when the production moved to Broadway in March 2009. Swenson 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, and ended his limited engagement on May 29, 2010. Audra McDonald
and Will Swenson reprised their roles in 110 in the Shade in the Hale Center Theater Orem's production. The production, a fundraiser for the community theater, ran from June 28 to July 10, 2010.
Olivier Award nominee Tony Sheldon
and Will Swenson (who will play "Tick"/ "Mitzi") will lead the cast of the pre-Broadway North American company of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert beginning in Toronto, Canada on 26 October 2010. This pre-Broadway run will be playing in Toronto for 12 weeks before beginning its Broadway run in Spring 2011.
On October 8, 2009, Swenson appeared as 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.
Swenson met his wife, Amy Westerby while they were both in one of Ruth Hale's family comedies, "Hopsville Holiday." "I was 15 and she was 14, and we both lived in Salt Lake at the time." Swenson recalled. Swenson has two young sons, Bridger and Sawyer, with Westerby. They have since divorced.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
best known for his work in musical theatre. He also has developed a film career, primarily in Mormon cinema. He is well known among Utahn Mormons, particularly for his role as Jonathan Jordan in the LDS Cinema
LDS cinema
LDS or Mormon cinema typically refers to films with themes relevant to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, though the terminology has also been used to refer to films that do not necessarily reflect Mormon themes but have been made by Mormon filmmakers...
movie The Singles Ward
The Singles Ward
The Singles Ward is a 2002 LDS cinema comedy film directed by Kurt Hale and written by Kurt Hale and John E. Moyer based on his own life as a stand up comedian and single member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
(2002) and its sequel, The Singles 2nd Ward
The Singles 2nd Ward
The Singles 2nd Ward is a comedy film, directed by Kurt Hale. Like The Singles Ward, and other films which followed it, The Singles 2nd Wards target audience is members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and citizens of Utah...
(2007). Swenson also co-wrote, directed and acted in the LDS Cinema
LDS cinema
LDS or Mormon cinema typically refers to films with themes relevant to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, though the terminology has also been used to refer to films that do not necessarily reflect Mormon themes but have been made by Mormon filmmakers...
movie Sons of Provo
Sons of Provo
Sons of Provo is a 2004 film written by Peter Brown and Will Swenson, and directed by Will Swenson. It is a mockumentary that portrays the experience of an LDS boy-band named Everclean from formation to resounding success.-Story:...
(2004).
A grandson of Nathan and Ruth Hale
Ruth Hale (playwright and actress)
Ruth Hale was an American playwright and actress.Hale was born in Granger, Utah and was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints....
, Swenson was born to a theatre-loving Mormon family in Utah and moved around a lot throughout the United States during his childhood. His parents are Robert Swenson, and the late Sally Hale Swenson Rice. He has 3 siblings; Cody, Leah, and Robert. Most of his young theater life was experienced on the stage of the Hale Center Theatres (Glendale CA, SLC UT, Orem UT), which were established by his Grandparents, and continue to be owned and run by their descendants. He attended Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
and later served as an LDS missionary in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. However, he is no longer a practicing Mormon.
Swenson has appeared on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in Lestat
Lestat (musical)
Lestat is a Broadway musical inspired by Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. The score is by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, book by Linda Woolverton and directed by Robert Jess Roth with musical staging by Matt West...
, 110 in the Shade
110 in the Shade
110 in the Shade is a musical with a book by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt.Based on Nash's 1954 play The Rainmaker, it focuses on Lizzie Curry, a spinster living on a ranch in the American southwest, and her relationships with local sheriff File, a cautious...
and Brooklyn
Brooklyn (musical)
Brooklyn the Musical is a musical with a book, lyrics, and music by Mark Schoenfeld and Barri McPherson.-Synopsis:Using the play within a play structure, Brooklyn focuses on a group of five ragtag homeless musicians known as the City Weeds...
. He created the role of Stacee Jaxx in the musical Rock of Ages
Rock of Ages (musical)
Rock of Ages is a rock/jukebox musical, with a book by Chris D'Arienzo, built around classic rock hits from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of the decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Asia, among...
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
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
. He also played Sir Sagramore in Camelot
Camelot (musical)
Camelot is a musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe . It is based on the King Arthur legend as adapted from the T. H. White tetralogy novel The Once and Future King....
at Lincoln Center and Chris in the 2nd National Tour of Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon
Miss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
.
Swenson played the role of Berger in the Off-Broadway 40th Anniversary Concert of Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
opposite Karen Olivo
Karen Olivo
Karen Olivo is a stage and television actress, who is known for originating the role of Vanessa in the Tony Award–winning musical In the Heights both on and off Broadway. She won her Tony Award for her performance as Anita in the revival of West Side Story...
. In 2008, Swenson was again cast as Berger in The Public Theatre's revival of the show in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. He then went on to reprise the role when the production moved to Broadway in March 2009. Swenson received critical acclaim for his performance on Broadway and was nominated for a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. The award has been presented since 1947...
. He played the role of Berger again in the West End revival of Hair which began performances on April 1, 2010, and ended his limited engagement on May 29, 2010. Audra McDonald
Audra McDonald
Audra Ann McDonald is an American actress and singer. She currently stars in the ABC television drama Private Practice as Dr. Naomi Bennett. She has appeared on the stage in both musicals and dramas, such as Ragtime and A Raisin in the Sun...
and Will Swenson reprised their roles in 110 in the Shade in the Hale Center Theater Orem's production. The production, a fundraiser for the community theater, ran from June 28 to July 10, 2010.
Olivier Award nominee Tony Sheldon
Tony Sheldon
Tony Sheldon is an Australian actor/singer best known for his work in theatre; he is also a writer.- Career :...
and Will Swenson (who will play "Tick"/ "Mitzi") will lead the cast of the pre-Broadway North American company of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert beginning in Toronto, Canada on 26 October 2010. This pre-Broadway run will be playing in Toronto for 12 weeks before beginning its Broadway run in Spring 2011.
On October 8, 2009, Swenson appeared as 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.
Swenson met his wife, Amy Westerby while they were both in one of Ruth Hale's family comedies, "Hopsville Holiday." "I was 15 and she was 14, and we both lived in Salt Lake at the time." Swenson recalled. Swenson has two young sons, Bridger and Sawyer, with Westerby. They have since divorced.
Filmography
- The Singles WardThe Singles WardThe Singles Ward is a 2002 LDS cinema comedy film directed by Kurt Hale and written by Kurt Hale and John E. Moyer based on his own life as a stand up comedian and single member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
- Jonathan Jordon (2002) - The R.M.The R.M.The R.M. is a 2003 comedy film about the experiences of an LDS returned missionary. "RM" is an LDS initialism for "returned missionary." It was written by Kurt Hale and John E. Moyer and directed by Kurt Hale.-Overview:...
- Kori Swenson (2003) - Dear John - Tyson (2004)
- Sons of ProvoSons of ProvoSons of Provo is a 2004 film written by Peter Brown and Will Swenson, and directed by Will Swenson. It is a mockumentary that portrays the experience of an LDS boy-band named Everclean from formation to resounding success.-Story:...
- Will Jensen (2004) - The Singles 2nd WardThe Singles 2nd WardThe Singles 2nd Ward is a comedy film, directed by Kurt Hale. Like The Singles Ward, and other films which followed it, The Singles 2nd Wards target audience is members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and citizens of Utah...
- Jonathan Jordon (2007) - Runnin That Trany Train(2010)