The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO) today announced that Tony Award-nominated Broadway star and Obie Award winner Will Swenson (Hair, A Beautiful Noise, Les Misérables) will headline the 2026 Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner on Sunday, April 12th. He will be joined by returning Hermitage Fellow Britton Smith, who has appeared in two recent Hermitage programs and will share some of his original music.
Will Swenson is celebrated as one of Broadway’s most versatile actors. He is a Tony Award nominee and an Obie Award winner who recently starred as Neil Diamond in the Broadway musical A Beautiful Noise. He previously co-starred with Hermitage Fellow Gavin Creel in the hit Broadway revival of Hair. Swenson’s acclaimed performance as Berger earned him Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominations. (Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg won a Tony Award for his role as a producer of this acclaimed revival.) Swenson’s portrayal of Charles Guiteau in the Off-Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins earned him nominations for Outer Critics Circle, Lucille Lortel, and Drama League Awards. He won an Obie Award for his role in Jerry Springer: The Opera. Swenson’s other Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Les Misérables, Waitress, Murder Ballad (written by Hermitage Fellow Julia Jordan), Rock of Ages, Pericles, Nantucket Sleighride, Little Miss Sunshine, Adrift in Macao, and many more. Swenson’s film and television credits include The Greatest Showman, The Kitchen, This is Where I Leave You, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Law & Order (SVU & CI), The Good Wife, Hit and Run, The Bite, First Kill, and Elsbeth.
Returning Hermitage Fellow Britton Smith will also be performing at the popular spring gala, sharing some of his original music developed at the Hermitage. He is a 2024 Hermitage Greenfield Prize finalist, a Broadway veteran, and a Tony Award winner for his work with the Broadway Advocacy Coalition. Smith, the leader of the self-described “funk liberation band” Britton and the Sting, has been called a “force to be reckoned with” and a “tornado of talent and energy” by Broadway World. Hermitage audiences will remember Britton’s memorable performances in the “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” series, including his most recent program: “The Rising Stars of Jazz and Soul.”
“I’ve known Will Swenson for twenty years, and I’m so excited that he’ll be sharing his incredible talents with our Hermitage audiences at this year’s event,” says Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “Will and Britton are both extraordinary performers, and guests at this year’s Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner are in for a real treat – this is going to be a night to remember!”
Past performers at the Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner have included Tony and Grammy Award winner Rachel Bay Jones (Dear Evan Hansen, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage), Tony and Emmy Award nominee Eden Espinosa (Wicked, Lempicka, Rent), Tony Award nominee Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (Beetlejuice, Spamalot), and Tony Award-winning Hermitage Fellow Gavin Creel (Hello Dolly, Hair, Walk on Through).
This year’s event Co-Chairs are Ellen and Richard Sandor. The Hermitage Greenfield Prize is presented by the Hermitage Artist Retreat in partnership with the Philadelphia-based Greenfield Foundation, with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County serving as the lead community sponsor. Media sponsors include The Herald Tribune and SRQ Magazine. A full list of this year’s sponsors, benefactors, and partners can be found at HermitageArtistRetreat.org/HGPDinner2026.
Tables and sponsorships for the 2026 Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner may be purchased by contacting the Hermitage Development Office at (941) 475-2098, Ext. 2. Sponsorship levels for this popular Hermitage benefit range from $2,000 to $10,000. Please note: this event has limited capacity remaining.