BURLINGTON CULTURAL MAPPING

Leslie Kay ...was born and raised in Burlington, Ontario and has been singing and dancing through life since she was a little girl. She loved to belt out songs from Annie and A Chorus Line to her mom’s records and put on shows for her family and neighbours. She enrolled in dance classes when she was 10 and auditioned for her first musical (The King and I) at age 13 with the encouragement of her Grandpa Walker (George) who played the bass fiddle in the orchestra at Hamilton Theatre Inc. She landed the show as a dancer and singer (directed by the late/great Pat Dawson) and from then on she was hooked. She has trained locally with The Paul Gordon Dancers, Steps the Dance Company, Theatre Aquarius Summer School, Sheridan College Musical Theatre Programme and studied voice, dance and acting in Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Toronto and New York.

Selected performing credits include KooGle Theatre: Couple of Swells, Rock Around the Clock, Broadway Moments and I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. Theatre Aquarius: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, The British Vaudeville Show, Charlotte’s Web. Sunshine Festival: Anne of Green Gables, Bye Bye Birdie, Dame Vera (Vera Lynn), Oklahoma! St Lawrence Stage Co.: Annie, Dames At Sea. Kawartha Lakes Summer Playhouse: Into the Woods (Cinderella), Steppin’ Out. Other favourite roles include Sister Amnesia in Nunsense (Cobourg/Bancroft), Val in A Chorus Line (H.T.I.) and Kathy Selden in Singin’ In the Rain (Yorkies). 

After performing in over 40 musicals from amateur to professional and choreographing for schools, corporations, Hamilton Theatre Inc. and Theatre Aquarius, she turned her talents into forming her own company with her husband, and KooGle Theatre Company was ‘conceived’. She also managed to ‘conceive’ two beautiful boys ages 5 and 2 ("Love you Cameron and Jacob"). She couldn’t do any of this without the love and support of her family, especially her mom and dad and her wonderful husband whom she loves performing on stage with.

Christopher Alan Gray ...grew up in Chatham, Ontario and began singing at a very young age in his church choir. He then began studying voice and competed in the Kiwanis Music Festival for many years before receiving his Grade 8 Level Singing from the RCM. Christopher was also given the wonderful opportunity to be a part of his high school’s (UCC) strong theatre program. "Many thanks to Elisa Smyth and Michael Milner (among many others) for their amazing direction/guidance and support." Christopher then had the pleasure of studying Acting at Ryerson Theatre School where he received his Honours BFA and worked with the likes of John Neville, Peter Wylde, Brian Way, David Walden, Perry Schneiderman, Cynthia Ashperger and Iris MacGregor-Bannerman to name a few.

He has co-produced, co-written and performed in KooGle's first four productions - Couple of Swells: A Movie Musical Revue, Rock Around the Clock, Let the Sun Shine, and Broadway Moments. In 2012, KooGle brought the second-longest running Off-Broadway musical hit, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change to The Burlington Performing Arts Centre Studio Theatre. This sold out and successful production was then remounted as a co-production with Angelwalk Theatre in Toronto at The Toronto Centre for the Arts in 2013. Also garnering critical acclaim in Toronto, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change was nominated for 9 Broadwayworld.com Awards. Christopher and Leslie starred in the four person show with Dean Hollin and Alison O'Neill. Most recently (Feb 2015), KooGle teamed with Symphony on the Bay to present An Afternoon of Rodgers and Hammerstein on the main stage of The Burlington Performing Arts Centre. This sold out show was conducted by Denis Mastromonaco and featured not only the incredible sound of the 50 piece Symphony on the Bay but also 15 local singers who joined Christopher and Leslie to delight the crowd!

Selected theatre credits: The Merchant of Venice, Inherit the Wind, The Sound of Music (Stratford Shakespeare Festival), Toad in Toad! and Templeton in Charlotte’s Web (Theatre Aquarius), Carnes in Oklahoma!, South Pacific (Sunshine Festival), Greg in A Chorus Line (Capitol Theatre), Miles in Tigers (Grand Theatre London One-Act Festival – *Best Actor), Jim Casy in The Grapes of Wrath (dir. Kelly Robinson), Romeo in Shakespeare, Love and All That Jazz (dir. John Neville), and King Phillip II in The Lion in Winter (dir. Tedde Moore). Film/TV: The West Wing (NBC) and Duckblind (2004 CineSiege Nominee).

Christopher and his wife Leslie chose to take a step back from the business full time so that they could get married and start a family. They are blessed to have two beautiful boys! In 2007, KooGle Theatre Company was born which has given them the platform to create and be a part of the process again by producing self-generated and published works. They are very excited about where KooGle can go! "Thank you to my family for their love and unwavering support, especially to my beautiful wife Leslie and sons, Cameron and Jacob for the inspiration and joy they bring to my life - Love you!!"