Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard, Billy in Carousel, are two which come immediately to mind. I loved his interpretation of "The Man" in Whistle Down the Wind. Even though the show itself did not garner great reviews, his performance did.
A new, lush American musical is being built specifically for Eric Kunze, who will star as "Will," a kid's book author/illustrator. BRINDLEBEAST will also star Alexandria Wailes and Danielle Lee Greaves. Book & lyrics by Anita Riggio Music by Larry Farrow Check out the website to follow the progress from page to stage.
There's something weirdly unsettling about him that makes me want to not see him in anything, despite the fact that I saw him in Evita and thought he was pretty wonderful.
He's doing Company with Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities (Redondo Beach) Sept 14th to Oct 2nd. I'll be there 9/28 to 10/1. Eric's fans are meeting for a dinner before the show on Friday, 9/30. All are welcome. Just email Maggi at maggiwun@yahoo.com if you are interested. More information at Eric's fansite. erickunze.com
His first role was Marius on Broadway at age 19 - an incredible feat in itself, as he had auditioned on a whim while in NY on a college study program. Then went on in leads to Miss Saigon with Lea Salonga and Damn Yankees with Jerry Lewis. Had a two year stint in the title role in the national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. If you heard him sing and saw him live on stage, you'd know why this question is being asked. You can see him on YouTube, but they pale in comparison. The only thing holding him back (IMO) from superstardom is his choice of homebase to be close to family out west. He has been approached by very influential people about film, for instance, but he prefers the stage. Updated On: 8/6/11 at 12:49 AM
Ravnquest1, you are certainly entitled to your opinion. In all fairness, I feel I have to mention that I attended ten performances at Walnut and every single one of them had people on their feet with a standing O. So many people said it was the best show Walnut had ever done - a tribute to the entire cast, including Eric. I have no reason to benefit from promoting him, other than being a fan. However, through the fansite I do get email every day from people who rave about the effect Eric and his performance had on them, including professionals in the vocal field. Sleepwalking? I sat close enough to see real tears run down Melinda's face as he held her in the closing scene, as people were sobbing around me. As I've said before, he has done more than three roles. His Che is the best I've ever seen. He's appeared at the Kennedy Center in The Music of Andrew Lloyd Weber. And among other roles he's done Damn Yankees at the Muny and soon will be in Company at Civic Light Opera in Redondo Beach. Sorry this is long, but just trying to set the record straight. Eric Kunze Fansite