WESTLOCK – It’s been over 25 years since Kieran Martin Murphy graced the stage at Westlock’s Cultural Arts Theatre (CAT), but the Westlock native is eager for a homecoming to share his music and extraordinary talent.
“This is a real treat to be invited to come back and to be me. I have nothing but great memories from Westlock,” said Murphy. “Some of my very first performances and musical performances was in that theatre so it’s a very special place to me because I did do a lot of performing there.”
An Evening With Kieran Martin Murphy, Jan. 21 at the CAT will feature three separate sets, two of them with Murphy and other artists. The first will showcase some of his original songs — a mix of country, folk and blues music, and some cover tunes — and will be accompanied by Robert Walsh, while the last set of the evening is an operatic comedy show that features his performance as Luciano Paparazzi (a spoof on famed opera singer Pavarotti) in Paparazzi: Opera On the Rocks. The second set will feature music by Carla Boisvert. Tickets can be purchased at www.simplytickets.ca with more information on the event by contacting [email protected].
“It’s opera and it’s comedy. I’ve been playing that character (Paparazzi) since 1990,” said Murphy, noting he will be joined by pianist Jennifer McMillan for the final act of the evening.
Murphy, whose first name is actually Martin and goes by his on-stage, professional name, Kieran Martin Murphy, is an accomplished, multi-talented actor, singer and songwriter who has performed with Edmonton based choir Pro Coro Canada, with a cappella group VOCE, has written and performed comedy songs on CBC Radio’s Irrelevant show and has performed with an operatic comedy trio called The Pre-Tenors as Luciano Paparazzi. The past 20-plus years has been dedicated to musical theatre.
“I always wanted to sing as a kid, but I didn’t have any experience or background, I did love singing but I never thought it was going to be my career, even though that’s always what I dreamed about doing,” he said, noting an injury while playing basketball in college opened the door to a future in the entertainment industry. “Some friends knew that I could sing and so they said come join the choir.”
While singing with Pro Coro Canada he studied theatre as a drama major in college, which eventually helped establish his musical career.
“It just sort of took off for me — event though I was studying to be an actor, people were paying me to sing and so that‘s how it all lead into musical theatre,” he said.
Over the past two decades, Murphy has portrayed such roles on stage as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables in Vancouver, Gus in Cats and King Arthur in Spamalot, both in Calgary. In addition, Murphy has also had roles in film and television productions and has produced three solo CDs, two of which contain his own compositions released in 2013 and 2018 and a third that is a compilation of Broadway musical numbers.
“I’ve been very, very happy with my varied career,” said Murphy. “Even though I’ve been doing all these really cool things for the last 30 years, the one thing I don’t get to do is perform my own music … a lot of these songs have never seen an audience yet,” he added. “So, this (Westlock concert) is a big deal for me because I don’t often get to put my own stuff out there.”
One of his original works entitled Westlock Summer is “about what it was like growing up in that small town in the 1970s,” said Murphy, noting the song is a snapshot of what that was like.
During the pandemic Murphy studied property management and today works full-time as a resident manager of a condo complex in Langley, B.C. Having a steady day-time job allows him to pursue other creative, musical events.
“I want to be able to sing my songs, so now this opens up opportunities for me to do this more in the future so I’m looking forward to that.”
