Uwe Kröger

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Uwe Kröger, 2006
Uwe Kröger, 2006

Uwe Kröger (pronounced [ˈuvǝ ˈkʀøgǝ]) (Hamm, Germany, December 4, 1964) is one of the most famous musical stars in the German-speaking countries of the world. Besides starring on stage, Kröger has taken part in numerous galas and concerts, as well as making a few television and film appearances. He has also released many cast recordings and solo CDs.

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[edit] Biography

Kröger studied song, dance, and acting at the Universität der Künste Berlin (then called Hochschule der Künste). Shortly after finishing his education, he starred in Starlight Express in Bochum, where he became the first German performer to play Rusty the Steam Engine. Then he played in the Viennese and Amsterdam productions of Les Misérables, playing various characters. He was also active as the Assistant Resident Director of the Amsterdam production. Leading parts followed in Jesus Christ Superstar, The Rocky Horror Show, and Starmania.

Kröger's breakthrough performance was the role of der Tod (English: Death) in the world premiere of Elisabeth, a musical by Michael Kunze and Sylvester Levay, in Vienna in 1992. Two years later producer Cameron Mackintosh offered him the role of the American GI Chris in the German-language premiere of Miss Saigon in Stuttgart, where he received phenomenal reviews.

In 1995 Kröger was engaged by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber to star as Joe Gillis in the German-language premiere of Sunset Boulevard in Niedernhausen. In 1997 he was offered the role of the Beast in the German premiere of the Disney musical Die Schöne und das Biest (English: Beauty and the Beast) in Stuttgart. He then created the role of the Emcee in Cabaret in Vienna before he returned to Miss Saigon (again, as Chris) in Stuttgart.

From October 1999 to May 2000, Kröger played the antagonistic Archbishop Colloredo in the world premiere of Kunze and Levay's new musical Mozart! in Vienna. In June 2000 he performed as the Pharaoh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Raimund Theater in Vienna.

In October 2000 Kröger had his West End debut with the title role in the European premiere of Napoleon at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London. In 2001 he returned to the part der Tod for the German premiere of Elisabeth at the Collosseum Theater in Essen. That year he also starred in his first operetta; he played Felix in Ralph Benatzky's comedy Bezauberndes Fräulein (English: The Charming Young Lady) in Vienna.

In the summer of 2003 Kröger could be seen in Amstetten as Burrs in the German-language premiere of the off-Broadway musical The Wild Party.

He took on the part of Javert in Les Misérables in the Theater des Westens in Berlin. In January of 2004 he went together with his colleagues Pia Douwes, Marika Lichter, Viktor Gernot, and Anna Maria Kaufmann for the concert tour "Musical Moments". He also could be heard on the German version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera (film version), as the Phantom. In May 2004 he held two concerts, "Uwe Kröger in Concert" and "Uwe Kröger and Friends" in his hometown of Hamm.

In June 2004 he traveled to Japan to guest-perform in a concert tour "Diva 2004" with Japanese musical star Maki Ichiro. In November he performed in the gala "Best of Musical" in Köln with other well-known German musical stars.

From December 16, 2004 to the end of February 2005 Kröger again starred as Burrs in The Wild Party, this time in Klagenfurt. In February 2005 he continued one of his famous concert series with the new tour "Musical Moments 2."

Kröger then took on the role of Cardinal Richelieu in the German-language premiere of die Drei Musketiere (English: The Three Musketeers; Dutch (original language): Drie Musketiers) in Berlin until January 2006. Between February and April 2006 he toured Germany with the gala "Best of Musical 2006". From May to July Kröger was able to reprise his role as the Phantom, this time on stage in Essen.

From September 2006 until the end of 2007 Kröger has been performing in the new Kunze and Levay production Rebecca (musical in Vienna as the lead male character, Maxim de Winter. In August 2007 he also took on the role of Abraham Van Helsing in a production of Dracula, the Musical as part of the Musical Festival Graz. In 2008 he returned to Berlin to perform the role of Death again in the tour production of Elisabeth.

His first solo CD was "Boulevard der Sehnsucht" (English: "Boulevard of Longing"). His next CD, "Favourites", included a duet with Belgian star Helmut Lotti. Kröger also appeared with Pia Douwes, Marika Lichter, and Viktor Gernot in the concert series "In Love with Musical" and "Still in Love with Musical", which was continued with a new production and CD, "In Love with Musical Again".

Kröger's single CD "You Saved My Life" (2002) was dedicated to "Licht ins Dunkel" and the flood victims in Austria. In 2003 his CD "From Broadway to Hollywood" was published. 2004 saw the release of his single "All I Want", and in 2005 "Wild Party" appeared. His newest CD, "Uwe! Das Beste aus 20 Jahren" was released on November 7, 2006.

His numerous honors include an I.M.A.G.E. Award for his work in Sunset Boulevard. He was voted "Best Male Actor" and "Best Male Musical Voice" three times by the readers of "Da Capo" magazine. He was also ranked "Musical Star Number 1" for the tenth time in 2005 by the readers of the magazine "Musicals".

[edit] Musical Engagements

  • September 1988-June 1989, Starlight Express, Rusty and Flat Top, Bochum
  • July 1989-April 1990, Les Misérables, Marius, Enjolras, and Swing, Vienna
  • May-August 1990, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jesus and Annas, Schwäbisch Hall
  • February-October 1991, Les Misérables, Enjolras, Feuilly, assistant resident director, Amsterdam
  • December 1991-June 1992, Starmania, Ziggy, Essen
  • September-December 1992, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jesus, Regensburg
  • September 1992-October 1994, Elisabeth, der Tod, Vienna
  • September-October 1993, The Rocky Horror Show, Frank'n Furter, Vienna
  • December 1994-November 1995, Miss Saigon, Chris, Stuttgart
  • December 1995-August 1997, Sunset Boulevard, Joe Gillis, Niedernhausen
  • December 1996-January 1997, Elisabeth, der Tod, Vienna
  • December 1997-February 1999, die Schöne und das Biest, Beast, Stuttgart
  • December 1998-January 1999, Cabaret, Emcee, Vienna
  • April-July 1999, Miss Saigon, Chris, Stuttgart
  • October 1999-May 2000, Mozart!, Archbishop Colloredo, Vienna
  • June-July 2000, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Pharaoh, Vienna
  • October 2000-February 2001, Napoleon, Napoleon, London
  • March 2001-June 2003, Elisabeth, der Tod, Essen
  • August 2001, July-August 2002, Bezauberndes Fräulein, Felix, Vienna
  • July-August 2003, The Wild Party, Burrs, Amstetten
  • September 2003-December 2004, Les Misérables, Javert, Berlin
  • December 2004-February 2005, The Wild Party, Burrs, Klagenfurt
  • April 2005-January 2006, 3 Musketiere, Cardinal Richelieu, Berlin
  • May-July 2006, Das Phantom der Oper, Phantom, Essen
  • September 2006-December 2007, Rebecca, Maxim de Winter, Vienna
  • August 2007, Dracula, the Musical, Abraham Van Helsing, Graz

[edit] Discography

  • 1991, Les Misérables original Amsterdam cast recording
  • 1992, Elisabeth original Vienna cast recording
  • 1992, Die Schatten werden länger, Maxi-CD
  • 1993, Musical? Oh My God, original Vienna cast recording
  • 1993, Highlights - Die faszinierende Welt..., Sampler
  • 1993, Treffpunkt Geisterbahn, original Vienna cast recording
  • 1993, Music from the Heart of Europe - The Wind Beneath My Wings, Sampler
  • 1994, Boulevard der Sehnsucht, solo album
  • 1994, Siebzehn Stufen, Maxi-CD
  • 1994, Böse Jungs, Maxi-CD
  • 1994, Peter Weck präsentiert..., Sampler
  • 1995, Miss Saigon, original Stuttgart cast recording
  • 1995, Musical Christmas in Vienna, Sampler
  • 1995, Living Water, Sampler
  • 1996, Sunset Boulevard, original Niedernhausen cast recording
  • 1996, In Love with Musical, Sampler
  • 1996, Favourites, solo album
  • 1997, Still in Love with Musical, Sampler
  • 1997, Musical Musical, Sampler
  • 1997, Die Schöne und das Biest (pop version), Sampler
  • 1998, Die Schöne und das Biest, original Stuttgart cast recording
  • 1998, Elisabeth - Musik einer Epoche, Sampler
  • 1998, Kaiserin Elisabeth Melodien, Sampler
  • 1998, Highlights of Cabaret and More Vienna cast recording
  • 1999, Mozart!, original Vienna cast recording
  • 1999, Alles Musical, Sampler
  • 1999, Music of the Night Sampler
  • 2000, Only the Best, solo album
  • 2000, Die fantastische Welt der Musicals - Die Highlights der deutschen Originalaufnahmen, Sampler
  • 2000, Viktor Gernot presents: Alles Musical - Vol. 2, Sampler
  • 2001, Elisabeth, Maxi-CD
  • 2001, Elisabeth, original Essen cast recording
  • 2001, In Love with Musical Again, Sampler
  • 2002, Musical Moments, solo album
  • 2002, Arena der Stars, Sampler
  • 2002, Bezauberndes Fräulein, Vienna cast recording
  • 2002, You Saved My Life, solo album
  • 2002, Elisabeth - 10th Anniversary Concert, live recording
  • 2002, Musical Moments Vol. 2, Sampler
  • 2003, ORF Willkommen Österreich, Sampler
  • 2003, From Broadway to Hollywood, solo album
  • 2004, Musicalstars singen ABBA-Hits!, Sampler
  • 2004, Von Augenblick zu Augenblick, identical to From Broadway to Hollywood
  • 2004, All I Want, single album
  • 2004, Best of Musical!, Sampler
  • 2004, Das Phantom der Oper, German film soundtrack
  • 2005, 3 Musketiere, original Berlin cast recording
  • 2005, The Wild Party, Maxi-CD
  • 2005, Die größten Musical-Hits, Sampler
  • 2005, MUSICAL STARS, Sampler
  • 2005, Stärker, by Marciel
  • 2006, Nur das Beste - die schönsten Musicalhits, Sampler
  • 2006, MUSICAL STARS Vol. 2, Sampler
  • 2006, HANDS of LOVE, benefit single CD
  • 2006, Zeitlos, by Marika Lichter
  • 2006, Best of Musical Vol. 2, Sampler
  • 2006, Uwe! - Das Beste aus 20 Jahren, solo album
  • 2006, Rebecca, original Vienna cast recording
  • 2007, Rebecca: Gesamtaufnahme, two-disc Vienna cast recording

[edit] Awards

  • BEST YOUNG ACTOR 1996, awarded by the Austrian stage magazine Bühne
  • I.M.A.G.E. Award 1997, Best Male Actor, for Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard
  • Number 1 Austrian Musical Performer 2000, elected by the readers of Bühne magazine
  • Number 1 Musical Performer 2001, elected by the readers of the German magazine Musicals
  • Best Actor 2003, 2004, 2005, elected by the readers of the German musical magazine Da Capo
  • Number 1 German-speaking Musical Performer 2006, elected for the tenth time by readers of the German magazine Musicals

[edit] External links

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