Interview: Robert Westenberg of A BEAUTIFUL NOISE at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre

Robert Westenberg was supposed to be retired. 

The Tony-nominated actor left Broadway two decades ago after a celebrated career that included a host of enviable roles: Inspector Javert in Les Misérables, George in Sunday in the Park with George, and both the Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods—where he met his future wife, Kim Crosby (she played Cinderella!).

Their real-life “happily ever after” has taken them from Missouri to Colorado, where Westenberg has embraced life as a grandfather, university professor, and theater director.

But last year, at 70, the Broadway veteran was offered what he calls a “unicorn” of an opportunity: the role of older Neil Diamond in A Beautiful Noise (playing at the Pantages Theatre through July 27 before heading to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts from July 29 to August 10).

The show, which tells the story of Neil Diamond's beginnings into his older years, has been called “a stirring celebration of a life in music” (The New York Times), with classics like “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “I Am... I Said,” and “America.”

Westenberg took some time to chat with BroadwayWorld about how he landed the role, how it feels to go back on tour—and how the first time he heard a Neil Diamond song, he was headed for a job in the priesthood. 

OK, I read that you had retired—not just from Broadway, but also from your University teaching job? 

I did retire from both, but sometimes opportunities arise. 

It’s been a long time since you were last on Broadway. Tell me what you’ve been up to.

My wife, Kim, and I left New York over 20 years ago and moved to Springfield, Missouri—her hometown. I started teaching there first as the chair of a theater department. Later, I moved to [the University of Missouri], where I served as the coordinator of the BFA musical theater program for a few years.

Then our daughter, who lives near Denver, earned her medical degree and met her future husband. They have children now, so we decided that’s where we were going to live. I began teaching and directing at the University of Boulder.

How did the opportunity for A Beautiful Noise come about? 

I got a call from Jim Carnahan [casting] while I was still in Missouri about the original Broadway production. I didn't get it, but they told me that they were going to keep me in mind for the future. And sure enough, when the tour came up, they made me an offer. 

Amazing. Were you actively looking for these opportunities, or did they just come to you?

It’s one of those roles that, because of the age requirement, has a very specialized pool of actors. So I understood that—and yeah, I got the gig.

What’s it like going back on tour after so long away from the business?

It’s actually a little bit easier. 

Really? 

For me? Yeah. I mean, I’m older, which comes with its own challenges. But the last time I toured was with The Full Monty in 2002. And now we have FaceTime. We have Airbnb. We have Ubers. It’s just easier to tour. 

So, are you a big Neil Diamond fan? 

Oh, God, yes. My whole life.

OK, what's your first Neil Diamond memory? 

I was in seminary, actually. A friend of mine—another seminarian—was a great guitarist, and he would come into my room and play pop songs. He introduced me to Neil Diamond.

Wait, you were in seminary? Did you originally set out to be a priest?

Yep. I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic schools. Many of my closest friends were priests. It was the path I took—until I figured out what the word “celibacy” really meant. [Laughs] I realized that might not be for me.

And clearly, you had a talent for musical theater.

I never saw that until I was in the seminary, actually. I never did theater or sang at all. Gosh, it was my second year in college, and one of the seminarians was directing a play called “Child's Play,” which had been on Broadway. And he asked me to build a set for him because I had carpentry skills. Then, while I was building it, he just came up to me and said, ‘Do you want to read for the play from one of the parts?’

I guess you could say that’s when the bug bit me. So I left the seminary, went back to regular college, and just started doing theater from that point on. 

What's your favorite Neil Diamond song?

I would say “Baby Loves Me” is one of my favorite songs. It just delivers on every level. And I never get tired of it. 

Is that one in the musical? 

Yeah, it's a big number.  

So, how did you prepare to play the role? 

Oh, gosh—YouTube. It was an incredibly helpful resource. I could track Neil, from really early Neil to more recent Neil, and get a sense of the arc: how he carries himself, his sensibilities, how he expresses himself. All of that.

What are some characteristics that are distinctly Neil Diamond? 

One of the trademark characteristics that I love about Neil are his openness and his sincerity. And his humbleness. I think it's an interesting combination. He's humble and he's also a megastar. And he knows it. 

You’ve been directing at universities for a while now—was it hard to step back into acting? 

I had the script for a long time before I got into rehearsal.  I just read it over and over again. I read it with my daughter over and over again. She was my acting partner. 

But I think one of the hardest parts was going into tech. It was just like, ‘Oh, my God, that's right; those spotlights are really bright.’ And, ‘Oh, that's right. I have to wear this microphone; I have to hit this mark.’ There are a lot of technical issues, but once you get over that hump, it takes about a day or two, and you go, ‘Oh, yeah, this is what I do. This is what I did for most of my life.’

I heard that there are big sing-alongs during A Beautiful Noise. How does that feel? 

Well. I'm sort of in my own world up there. That is almost an alternate reality. It's a memory play, it's an origin story, and there's also a Neil Diamond rock concert. It's a beautiful mixture of genres. 

But my character is dealing with his past and trying to solve his problem, which I'm not going to talk about in this interview because that would be a spoiler alert, okay? 

Anyway, my focus and my concentration is not on the audience. My focus is on what's happening with Neil. And processing that and getting to the point where I have to get to. The end of the fight.

OK. So, are you back now? Diving into the acting world again? 

[Laughs.] Who would even want me? I'm too old. I think this role is just a unicorn for me. The idea of going back to New York and looking for work… I have another life entirely now. I have family. This is just a beautiful, lovely, rare moment that came along, and I just feel so lucky and so privileged to be a part of it.