As the curtain goes down on 2011, Broadway.com is looking ahead to the new year. We’ve asked the brightest stars on Broadway to reflect on their personal highlights from the past year and to reveal their hopes for 2012. Check out what they had to say, and have a Happy New Year!
WILL SWENSON (Tick in Priscilla Queen of the Desert)
Highlight of 2011:
"There are so many great ones, but this one happened the other week. My girlfriend [Porgy and Bess' Audra McDonald] is kind of a big shot, and she got asked to sing to honor Barbara Cook at the Kennedy Center Honors. Lucky me, I got to be her date (no singing involved for me, and I still got to go! Bonus!) The entire thing was amazing, but one moment in particular blew my mind. We were at the White House before the gala began, talking to an endless parade of people who make me feel very untalented. Whichever Kennedy we were talking to, glanced over my shoulder and said 'Oh, we're gonna want to watch this.' Ten feet behind us, the Marine band orchestra had been playing, and they suddenly stopped. Then I saw why. Yo-Yo Ma, who was one of the honorees that night, had walked over and asked if he could sit down with the orchestra and play. He played possibly the most beautiful piece of music man has ever heard (something by Francis Poulenc, I later learned) and I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't stop watching the other cellists, who were at that moment, very possibly living out the highlight of their creative lives. I couldn't resist recording the entire thing on my camera. From ten feet away. Just like that lady in the second row did last night during the finale at Priscilla...ah, karma's a bitch!"
Resolution for 2012:"To learn to play the cello and not hate the people taking pictures from the audience quite so much. Ok...and sit in a hot tub filled with Champagne and Natalie Portman. There I said it!"
Keep checking for more resolutions from your favorite stars.