Music Circus Poster

Thanks to Mark for sending this on:

Don't miss this show!

Review from The Davis Enterprise 8/25/11

"Eric Kunze, known to Music Circus audiences for his roles as Che, Jesus and Joseph (and a good-looking hunk who probably will play 30-somethings for three decades) is perfectly cast as the GI Chris. His impressive vocal chops never cease to amaze. The combination of dead-on pitch, powerfully resonant yet sweet tone, and surprisingly nuanced and natural acting confirm why he made it to Broadway so early in his career, and why the Music Circus should hire him every chance they get."

And the raves are pouring in...

Review from the Sacramento Bee 8/25/11
Stafford Arima directs the large and talented cast with assurance. Kunze and Gray have performed their "Miss Saigon" roles on Broadway, and Dionisio has played her role in London and Canada. They are seasoned performers, but they bring energy and commitment to the roles as if they were new, not old, acquaintances...Kunze and Dionisio have several fine duets, best of which is the exquisite "Last Night of the "World."

Review from the Sacramento Press 8/25/11
"Kunze has a versatile, powerful voice and is believable in the passionate “Why, God, Why?” and in his tender duet with Dionisio, “Sun and Moon.” He conveys strength and anguish in the first act and is convincingly defeated in confrontation with his wife near the end of the second."


Fan Reviews:

Saw Miss Saigon last night in Sacramento and was blown away at how amazing it was. Had seen the Broadway production years ago, and wasn't sure how it would go over on the small stage. Loved every minute of it. (Tammy Pacheco Booker)

I saw MISS SAIGON last night. AWESOME! For those of you who don't know, Music Circus is theatre in the round. Minimal sets. The audience is in your face. There's no place to hide. This is honest, raw theatre, and Eric always performs magnificently in this space! It's wonderful having Eric in Sacramento, whether as Joseph, Che, The Man or now as Chris. Come back again soon! You have lots of fans here!  (Clayton Whitehead )

My wife and I saw last night's performance of Miss Saigon. It was AMAZING! GREAT JOB BY ALL!!!  (Jim Kiniris)

Purchase tickets here: www.SacramentoMusicCircus.com.

Miss Saigon opens tonight in Sacramento!

Toi, toi, toi to Eric and the cast, crew and orchestra of Miss Saigon at the California Music Circus as they open tonight! It is sure to be an awesome show, made even more special by the theater in the round. I saw Eric in "Evita" there a few years ago and it was unforgettable!

Purchase tickets here:  www.SacramentoMusicCircus.com.

Feedback on Eric's CD

Hi Fans,
I got feedback from someone who purchased Eric's CD and want to share it with you.  The CD is really THAT good, I promise!...Maggi

In playing the CD I am unwrapping a package slowly. First I was stuck on “Maria”. After playing it around 25 times (I have it in the car with me), I’ve been gradually moving onto other songs. The one I am wearing out now is “Why, God, Why”. I woke up this morning with it playing in my head, so I turned on the CD player.  I’ve been reading your fan site and some of the articles in the newspapers. This is really getting a hold of me! When I heard "Gethsemane" I thought, "MOVE OVER, ADAM LAMBERT" when Eric was sort of screaming.  I loved it!!!  (from Annette in Arizona)

Farewell Philadelphia, hello Sacramento!

After a wildly successful three month run in Philadelphia with "Miss Saigon", Eric will soon be reprising the role of Chris at the Sacramento Music Theater's Music Circus, August 23-28th.

For more information on shows and how to purchase tickets, visit www.SacramentoMusicCircus.com.

The "MISS SAIGON" cast will be led by Eric Kunze as Chris, Ma-Anne Dionisio as Kim and Kevin Gray as The Engineer. Kunze performed the role of Chris on Broadway, and was last seen at Music Circus as Che in 2008's production of "Evita." Dionisio has performed the role of Kim internationally, including productions in Britain and Australia, as well as performing as Eponine in the US tour of "Les Miserables." Gray starred in the Broadway revival of "Jesus Christ Superstar" as Pontius Pilate. The production will be directed by Stafford Arima and choreographed by Bob Richard.

Bonus with CD Orders

New! CD's ordered from the fansite will be shipped with a 4x6 photo of Eric, personally signed by him! Place your order in the right hand column.

Miss Saigon Walnut Street Trip Report and Review

My first Miss Saigon experience was during one of the Broadway tours some years ago.  I don't remember much of the show, except that I wasn't overly impressed.  Now that I've seen three different productions starring Eric Kunze as Chris, I have grown to love the show to the point where it's possibly my favorite musical, superceding my previous favorite of Les Miserables.  I have to believe that is mainly due to Eric playing the role of Chris.  I try not to be partial, because it is Eric, rather I think it is because he adds a humanity to his character that is not usually evident. 

Chris' dilemma of being torn between his wife and Kim is a difficult one to portray without seeming callous.  I'm not the only one who believes Eric portrays that dilemma in such a poignant way that you actually understand what is going on under the surface.  He loved Kim at the time, a love that was heightened by the drama of war and the heartbreaking evacuation in which he was forced to leave her behind.  After a year of loss and regret he allowed himself to love once again.  Distance and time had given perspective to what he thought was love, but now he has to protect what his reality had become.  When he sings "The Confrontation" he opens up for the first time to his wife Ellen.  Eric's interpretation of Chris' breakdown is heartbreaking and real. 

After seeing this production at Walnut Street eight times I feel I can say that it is the best production I have seen to date.  The show moves along so seamlessly there is not a dead moment and my attention never wavered.  I felt the actors were giving 100% at every performance, despite their grueling nine show-a-week schedule, which included rehearsals and promotion.  Sunday night I sat close enough to see tears roll down Melinda Chua's cheek at the death scene. The staging, direction and cast rival and even surpass a Broadway production.  Now that I am home I cannot stop replaying the songs over and over in my mind. 

Here are a few photos of our fanclub gatherings and stage door meetings from last weekend:

I had a chance have dinner with new fans including Suzanne, Sheri, Suzy, Nikki,  Monica and Ingrid and connected with others I met at the theater.

Eric, Maggi, Suzy, Philip Michael Baskerville (John), Nikki, Melinda Chua (Kim)

Interview with Eric in the Philadelphia Examiner today!
Kunze has a lot of history with the show. He worked with the Broadway Company.
Kunze said, "it's just a really incredible interpretation of it. The directors let us get gritty and real with these characters. I'm having a great time."

Fans, Fans, Fans

In the space of 24 hours, two people have ordered Eric's CD from the fansite and three have left rave comments about Eric:

Maggi.
My name is Jennifer. I went last night to see Miss Saigon for the second time at the WST. I first saw it on Broadway. When I heard Eric's voice last night, I was mesmerized! He and the entire cast at the WST did a wonderful job! The emotion and sincerity on how they portrayed their roles was amazing! Also, Eric is very easy on the eyes! :) In short, please pass along to Eric and the entire cast of the WST that I really enjoyed the show. As someone who does not have any musical talent what so ever-I truly enjoy watching good theatre. Thank you! Eric- I have become a fan!
Jennifer, South Jersey"

Dear Maggi,

I was excited to order the CD. Can't wait to get it...What is interesting to me is that Eric's performance really moved me. I have seen a lot of shows. This was the first time that I felt mesmerized, emotionally engaged. It was weird that in a matter of few days I went from "it'd be interesting to see the same chris" to "I need to hear him sing". This is the first time I have contacted any fan club of any sort. I guess I am a fan.

S.D.

From Michele:

We went to see the show in Philly and loved the entire cast. Eric's voice is the best I have heard in the role of Chris, and we've seen the show several times. I am anxious to listen to the CD.

Eric Kunze and Melinda Chua at the Walnut Street Gala May 13th

(Photo by Mark Garvin)

Don't miss Eric and Melinda in "Miss Saigon" at the Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia. Many are saying this is the best production they have seen, including Broadway. Due to the overwhelming demand, the show has been held over and will run until July 24th.

Fan Mail

An interesting comment was left on the fansite today:

I am a specialist in voice care (Vocologist), and a Professor in Speech Pathology. During this week I am visiting Philadelphia as I am attending the 40th Annual Symposium of The Voice Foundation. Today I saw the Miss Saigon show at Walnut Street Theatre. I was seriously impressed with Eric Kunze's voice. Beautiful! He has a new fan.

And this comment was sent to me via email:

Dear Maggi,

I found your fansite for Eric as I was checking out the info for Miss Saigon at the WST [Walnut Street Theater]. What a great way to let people know about the talented Mr. Kunze!

Miss Saigon is my favorite Broadway show and I have seen it at least ten times in many different states. I was lucky enough to see Lea Solanga in it when she returned to Broadway but unlucky in Dublin, Ireland when the show was canceled due to mechanical troubles, if you can believe that! As every theater lover knows, each time the curtain goes up it's a different show and atmosphere each time. When I saw it on May 25th, I was totally blown away by the entire production! It was the most emotional and excellent production I have ever seen!!!

Whenever I see Miss Saigon, I always fall in love with Chris during the first act but really change my mind when he pretty much kicks Kim to the curb in the bedroom scene with John and Ellen. It always bothers me that he decides to leave Kim and Tam to fend for themselves. Each performer I've seen portray Chris has always been good but not memorable in any emotional way. Eric's acting talents really came across and I finally believed that it was heartwrenching and horrible for him to decide what to do. I still loved him by the time the curtain came down! The entire cast was so believable that I felt like I was watching it for the first time. It broke my heart and I quickly tried to get rid of the tears when the lights came on so people didn't think I was a basket case!

I purchased Eric's CD before I saw the show and his voice was phenomenal in person. While I sat in the audience at intermission, I thought about the difficult role Eric has playing Chris and wondered if he ever looks out at the audience and imagines if any of the men sitting there has left a child behind in Vietnam. It makes me sad to think that and I can't even watch the film they show when John sings Bui-Doi.

Thanks for the great website about Eric and I look forward to following his career and seeing him on stage again. Will you be doing any more special fan club events before the show ends in July? How do I join the fanclub?

          Sincerely, Susie M.

I replied to Susie that the next fanclub dinner will be held Friday, July 15th at 5:00 p.m. at Marathon Grill, just 1-1/2 blocks from the theater.  All are welcome to attend, just email me at maggiwun@yahoo.com to rsvp.  Anyone wishing to be on our mailing list to be notified of Eric news should email me as well.  Thanks Susie!  I'm sure Eric and the cast will be blessed to read your kind remarks.