"He simply couldn't live without it. He breathed it like air. "He was fearless, full in and flat out". He devoured the stage ravenously," Furthermore Kevin Gray's addiction to his passion for theater was contagious as he shared his enormous talent and energy with so many.
With these opening lines of his beloved wife
Dodie Pettit, we get a sense of what the overall attraction for this incredible person is as 1,000 people filed into The Majestic Theater to pay tribute to the career and life of one of Broadway's most talented, charismatic artists.
"He was a theatrical journeyman who didn't receive celebrity star status", according to his wife Dodie, who also produced this event to remember her husband, yet well over 100 fellow artists and Kevin's theatrical students from the Harrt School,
Duke University and RollinsCollege all came to celebrate the life of their friend and mentor on stage.
It seems fitting to house this tribute to Kevin in the theater which started his career with The Phantom of The Opera in 1989. It seems and was remarkable to have the well known director of Phantom of the Opera
Hal Prince open the program with the such wonderful and warm things to say about Kevin and ending his introduction by saying "Dodie, we've got your back" to a most appreciative audience. All were there because of their affiliation, love, and support of Kevin and Dodie, which was brilliantly directed by Charles Randolph-Wright.
From the opening song "All I Ask from You" sung by Kevin's leading ladies who all played Christine in Phantom of the Opera; Katherine Buffaloe,
Terri Bibb, Sarah Pfsiterer,
Lisa Vroman and
Kate Suber the tone was set for an emotionally wonderful program.
Long time close friend and theater colleague /actor
Paul Schoeffler, shared "The Beginning" of Kevin, literally, with large screened photos of his family from infancy through young adulthood, adding warm humor filled memories of the guy who was also Paul's best man at his wedding.
From there Broadway's
Norm Lewis introduced cast members from Miss Saigon who began this show's 2- part tribute with a shortened yet stirring rendition of Bui Doi, followed by the Toronto 1993 production "Kims", Melanie Tojio and Shanon Tyo singing "Sun and Moon.
Numerous video projection courtesy of Jonathan Frank and Richie Ridge and still shots graced the center of the Majestic with memories of many of the shows that Kevin starred in such as The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Pacific Overtures, Show Boat, The King and I, The Lion King and Dracula, The Covenant; a show conceived and written by Kevin and Dodie and performed by Kevin.
Original Jekyll and Hyde, Broadway's
Robert Cuccioli took the stage sharing his experience directing Kevin in the Pittsburg Civic Light production of Jekyll and Hyde and joking about Kevin's antics during rehearsals. Even Kevin's long time agent and friend Alan Willig lovingly shared his many years of working with Kevin.
Current Broadway Phantom
Hugh Panaro and
Teri Hansen offered a lovely version of "Only Make Believe" from Showboat, a show where Kevin was cast as Gaylord Ravenal. Hugh also added his supporting remarks of playing Raoul opposite Kevin's Phantom.
A huge ensemble from the show Titanic sang the Finale from Titanic " In Every Age/Sail On" and Kevin's leading ladies from The King and I shared "Hello Young Lovers".
But the stand alone performance that stunned and touched the heart of the crowd was presented by Dodie as she graced the stage hand- in -hand with Carolee Carmelo and her selected singers to sing a song she wrote called "This Challenge", which she bravely and beautifully sang to a long standing ovation.
Without a chance for the audience to re harness their emotions, Les Miserable star
Craig Schulman masterfully and tearfully sang the show's signature song "Bring Him Home" and then commented on his friendship with Kevin and collaboration as Kevin became part of Mr. Schulman's "Three Phantoms in Concert". Bringing in Broadway's Cris Groendaal standing to the left and Schulman to the right; a shadowy spotlight centered a vacant space where Kevin's voice was brought back to join them in a specially written version of "Music of The Night".
Another great crowd of artists came together to join in the singing of "Something Wonderful" as we were treated to scenes from Kevin's last production of The King and I from the St. Louis MUNY Opera.
Returning to the stage,
Norm Lewis sang a heartfelt song entitled "Why"; a song written by Dodie and accompanied by additional backup artists.
The finale closed with a robust version of "He Lives in You" from The Lion King featuring
Wallace Smith, L.
Steven Taylor plus company members of the show past and present along with The Harrt School of Music and Alumni. Various video and still shots of Kevin as Scar entertained and delighted the crowd.
Kevin Gray appeared in more than 8,500 Broadway and national tour performances, acting in or directing moiré than 150 productions including being Broadway's youngest "Phantom" ever. This tribute to him was only missing one physical element;
Kevin Gray, who would have been enormously humbled and overwhelmed by this "display" of honor to an artist who always thought of himself as a team player in the success of his theatrical adventures.
His last 5 years were spent enhancing and enriching the lives of his grateful theater students, where he taught them not just from his experience but from his heart to be their best and their best would always come through. "You are enough" was one of the mottos that Kevin inculcated into his students as he encouraged them to give their all, their best just as he gave to everyone who ever had the joy of knowing
Kevin Gray.
Please see the complete photo coverage article here by BWW's Genevieve Rafter Keddy.
