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
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).
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
Mamma Mia, La Mirada Theatre, CA 2021
Next to Normal, (Dan) Riverside Theatre, Vero Beach, 2019
Mamma Mia (Sam), Riverside Theatre, Vero Beach, Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, Music Circus, Sacramento Musical Theatre, CA, 2018
An Evening With Eric Kunze, 2018 Rubicon Theatre, Ventura, CA
The Little Mermaid (Prince Eric) 2015 Houston, TX Hobby Center; New Orleans, LA Saenger Theatre; San Antonio, TX, Majestic Theatre; Austin, TX Bass Hall; Minneapolis, Minn, Orpheum; Broadway Sacramento; Dallas, TX Music Hall at Fair Park; Fort Worth TX: Bass Hall
Music of the Night October 9–10, 2009 at the Orpheum Theater in Vancouver, B.C. With the Vancouver Symphony Pops, Bramwell Tovey, conducting, with soprano Betsy Wolfe.
