A musical about Neil Diamond has found the polished theater gem who will play the icon onstage -- Will Swenson.
Swenson has been tapped to lead "A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical" this summer when it makes its debut at Boston's Emerson Colonial Theatre. Swenson calls it a not straightforward musical. "It's unconventional and it's beautiful," the actor told The Associated Press.
Swenson's Broadway credits include "Waitress" opposite Sara Bareilles, creating the role of Javert in the 2014 revival of "Les Miserables," and starring in "Priscilla: Queen of the Desert" and "110 in the Shade."
Diamond, 81, is the singer and songwriter of massive hits like "Sweet Caroline," "Song Sung Blue" and "Cracklin' Rosie." He's also written hits recorded by other artists, such as "I'm a Believer" by the Monkees, "Red Red Wine" by UB40 and "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" by Barbra Streisand.
The musical has a story by four-time Academy Award-nominee Anthony McCarten ("Bohemian Rhapsody," "Darkest Hour"), direction by Tony-winner Michael Mayer and choreography by four-time Tony-nominee Steven Hoggett. It will play the Emerson Colonial Theatre from June 21-July 31, and tickets go on sale Friday.Swenson says Diamond was his dad's favorite artist, and he grew up knowing every Diamond song. Swenson's dad went to Diamond concerts and had a signed poster up in the garage. "One of my earliest memories is wearing out the `Hot August Night' eight-track tape," he says, laughing.
"I never had a music rehearsal because I came in and I knew all the songs by heart, and I'm not even exaggerating," he said. "I just had it all in my DNA because it was such a part of my upbringing, just constantly on in the car and constantly on at home."Swenson has become so adept at singing Diamond that he developed an impression, using it in concert with his wife, Audra McDonald, and at cabarets. So when it was time to play Diamond in front of the man himself, Swenson had an "out-of-body experience."
"If you want to talk about a surreal moment, try singing 30 Neil Diamond songs while portraying Neil Diamond, 10 feet away from Neil Diamond. It was the most crazy, crazy experience of my life.
"It's fitting that the musical of Diamond will premier in Boston, where Red Sox fans have embraced "Sweet Caroline." Swenson grew up in California and roots for the Dodgers. "I'm not a Yankee fan, though. So it's not as harsh," he said.
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Advocacy groups behind a so-called suicide capsule said Sunday they have suspended the process of taking applications to use it as a criminal investigation into its first use in Switzerland is completed.
Donald Trump's fourth scheduled stop in eight days in Wisconsin is a sign of his increased attention as Republicans fret about the former president's ability to match the Democrats' enthusiasm and turnout machine.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's chief of staff quit on Sunday, citing concerns that growing news reports about her role 'risked becoming a distraction to the government.'
As a junior at George Washington University, Ty Lindia meets new students every day. But with the shadow of the Israel-Hamas war hanging over the Washington, D.C., campus, where everyone has a political opinion, each new encounter is fraught.
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Rwandan health authorities will begin a vaccine study against the Marburg hemorrhagic fever, officials said Sunday, as the East African country tries to stop the spread of an outbreak that has killed 12 people.
Bruzzese came down with COVID-19 in February 2023, and received her injection at the end of March. “Being able to recognize smells is something we take for granted, until you can’t.â€
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Scientists announced on Thursday a milestone in neurobiological research with the mapping of the entire brain of an adult fruit fly, a feat that may provide insight into brains across the animal kingdom, including people.
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The calculus of predicting an election and identifying its key battlegrounds is complex enough in any race, but observers of the British Columbia poll this month are facing a pair of unknown quantities that make the math even more confounding.
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NDP Leader David Eby is promising to offer a $75-million loan forgiveness program to entice doctors, nurses and heath professionals to expand health-care services in rural British Columbia.
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Lethbridge police executed dozens of warrants and laid numerous charges in another targeted enforcement project in the downtown area.
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As part of an ongoing investigation, provincial police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a Kubota tractor stolen in North Shore Township, Ont., last month.
A 33-year-old man was arrested Saturday for allegedly spraying bear mace at three individuals in northwestern Ontario.
A drug raid on a home on the Far North Attawapiskat First Nation last week resulted in two local residents being charged and more than $50,000 in suspected narcotics, including methamphetamine, being seized.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
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