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Eric Kunze

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Eric Kunze
Born (1971-05-22) May 22, 1971 (age 53)
San Diego, California
Occupation(s)Singer, actor
InstrumentVocals
Years active1991–present

Eric Kunze (pronounced "Koon-zee"; born May 22, 1971) is an American stage actor and singer. He showed an early aptitude for singing and was involved in choir and theater at Rancho Buena Vista High School.[1] He is best known for his roles on Broadway.

Life and career

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Kunze was born in San Diego, California. He attended theater studies at University of California, Irvine. In his junior year, the students traveled to New York to expand their education through workshops. While there, Eric auditioned for and landed the role of Marius on Broadway in Les Misérables at the age of 20.[2] When not on the road, Kunze and his long-time friend Gina Feliccia have a production company called Big City Broadway.[3] Kunze studied acting with Uta Hagen and Robert Cohen, among others and dance training from Susan Stroman, among others.[4]

After his Broadway debut as Marius in Les Misérables (opposite Lea Salonga) Kunze went on to star in two more Broadway roles, as Chris in Miss Saigon and then as Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees (with Jerry Lewis). He later played Chris in the first National Tour of Miss Saigon. He then played the title character in the US national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar from 2003 to 2005. He later starred as "The Man" in the US national touring company of Whistle Down the Wind (2007–2008). Kunze appeared in "The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber" (2008) at the Kennedy Center and many concert appearances including the 33rd Anniversary Gala for the Boston Pops at Carnegie Hall (2016).

Off-Broadway, he has appeared in Leopard's Leap, directed by Michael Rupert. International Tours included The Fantasticks, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. He starred in the title role of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The Muny, KC Starlight at Sacramento Music Circus and San Diego CLO, earning a San Diego Critics Circle Nomination. Other regional theatre includes Evita (in which he received a LA Ovation Nomination), West Side Story, Into the Woods, the title role in Pippin (earning a LA Robbie Award), South Pacific and the title role in The Who's Tommy in Los Angeles.[citation needed]

In 2016, he played Bruce Bechdel in the first international production of Fun Home, which premiered in Manila, reuniting with his Les Mis co-star Lea Salonga as Helen and Cris Villonco as Alison. The production was directed by Bobby Garcia.[5][6] A review in ABS-CBN News said that he plays Bruce "with charm, ambiguity and just the right amount of menace and pomposity as he grapples with his obsession with outward order and his own secret longings."[7]

Credits

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Awards

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  • 2002 LA Ovation nomination (Evita)
  • 2008 IRNE Award winner (Best Actor - Musical Large Theater) for his portrayal of Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Reagle) and The Man in the National Tour of Whistle Down the Wind[8]
  • 2008 LA Ovation nomination (Miss Saigon)
  • 2009 LA Ovation nomination (Best Actor in a Musical Large Theater) for his portrayal of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar
  • 2016 Broadway in Austin (Best Leading Actor in a Touring Production) Prince Eric, The Little Mermaid
  • LA Robbie Award Lead Actor Musical (Pippin)

References

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  1. ^ Sherman, Pat. "Two Rancho Buena Vista High grads returning to local stage". legacy.sandiegouniontribune.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  2. ^ "Les Miserables". Theatre World. Vol. 49. 1992. p. 57. Retrieved June 1, 2024 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "bigcitybroadway - Home". www.bigcitybroadway.com.
  4. ^ "Eric Kunze Fansite". erickunze.com. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  5. ^ Hetrick, Adam. "Lea Salonga Reuniting with Les Miz Co-Star for Fun Home", Playbill, July 25, 2016
  6. ^ Villano, Alexa. "Lea Salonga on Fun Home, working with Eric Kunze", Rappler, November 11, 2016
  7. ^ Bunoan, Vladimir. "Review: Superb Fun Home cast moves audience to tears", ABS-CBN News, November 12, 2016
  8. ^ "IRNE AWARDS 2008 PAGE TWO". Archived from the original on March 26, 2009. Retrieved April 8, 2009.
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