Lethbridge actor ready to rock home crowd in Queen musical

“What happened is Stuart Morley, Queen’s musical director, actually flew in and re-Queen’ed it, we’ll say. They went through all the harmonies in the [score] and did everything and kind of just tightened everything up, made it more Queen-like so we’re actually the first crew and the first cast to do this version of the show.”

Gruninger portrays Commander Khashoggi, one of the show’s villains. The story follows a group of bohemians and their quest to restore freedom in a world where everyone wears the same clothes, thinks the same thoughts and musical instruments and composers are forbidden.

Khashoggi takes orders from Killer Queen, Earth’s iron-fisted ruler.

“It is something a little different,” Gruninger said on playing one of the show’s antagonists.

“I haven’t really played many ‘villain’ villains before, not in real-life, but I seemed to tap into the villain quite easily. I don’t know what that says about me, but it came very naturally (laughs).”

He added that he’s performed in a variety of New West Theatre shows in Lethbridge and when the audition for the touring production of WWRY came up, he was actually working on a cruise ship.

“I saw the audition come up and instantly flew back to Canada and did the audition.”

Gruninger said the crew just wrapped up shows in over 70 different cities in the United States, before a three-week holiday break. They’re now bringing over 30 shows to Canada.

“We’re doing about six shows a week, up to eight shows a week and we just keep going,” he said.

As far as keeping the show fresh from city to city, he said they are always rehearsing to make sure every performance is the best it can be.

“There are also under-studies and different people who are a part of different parts of the show that we want to keep fresh just in case somebody gets injured or something like that. Every single day there are rehearsals, there are fight calls, there are warm-ups, there are musical meetings and things like that, just to make sure we are always fresh, so we are always working,” he explained.

A PERFORMER’S ROUTINE

Gruninger said as a performer, to stay fresh, all he needs is enough sleep, water and food.

“If I can get those three things, I can perform and sing forever.”

He said when he was younger, performing gave him an ‘escape from the real world’.

“It was something that I could connect to, it was just something that set me apart from my peers. I didn’t know I was so different growing up and then you finally figure it out and it’s because you’re a theatre kid at heart and it`s just that whole escape,” he told LNN.

Headshot of Kyle Gruninger (Photo credit: Jaime Vedres photography of Lethbridge)

“I was very lucky and fortunate growing up to have something like that, that I could connect with, that I could write music and get all those emotions out, whether they be positive or negative and just continue my life so I owe the arts this and I’ll continue to give back the rest of my life.”

He added that one of his favourite parts of performing, in this show in particular, is interacting with the audience.

“The great thing and why I even do this is when you look out in that audience and you see those kids as young as eight or nine years old with their Queen shirts on and they’re waving their hands screaming back and forth – I run down to the audience and give them a high five,” he said.

“Those moments live with those kids forever and will transcend anything that their life throws at them. Really, I just want to say that the arts are here and it’s very cool and tangible when you can see someone that you know right on that stage and kind of just inspire them and let them know they can do the same thing if they want to.”

As for his favourite Queen songs, Gruninger said he loves to perform his duet in the show, ‘It’s a Kind of Magic’, with co-star Krystle Chance, who plays Killer Queen.

“Singing with her is the greatest part of every day.”

He said his favourite Queen song, which holds a special place in his heart, is ‘Death on Two Legs’.

“That’s the opening to [the album] ‘A Night at the Opera’, which is what got me into Queen, so that’s always [been] my favourite song.”

PERFORMING AT HOME

Gruninger noted how excited he is to take the ENMAX Centre stage in his hometown.

“I’ve performed a lot in Lethbridge but it’s always the dream to play the home stadium. No matter who you are, you always want to play the home stadium. I’m going to have a difficult time keeping myself together emotionally performing in front of all my friends and family. It’s something that’s hard to explain, but I’m ready for it,” he said.

He said once the tour wraps, he may perform in local shows and hopes to spend some time with family and friends. He added that he’ll be working on songs for his solo record as well as touring with his band.

“I’m just going to try to keep writing music and keep performing and then keep auditioning and I’ll just keep living the life,” he said, adding a thank you to the people of Lethbridge for their support.

by Justin Goulet

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Lethbridge actor ready to rock home crowd in Queen musical

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