SJM_Interview_Kevin Kuhn_0824_layout 9 / 19 / 24 4 : 55 PM Page 1 Music Man As a guitarist in The Who’s TOMMY , Kevin Kuhn revisits “ the soundtrack of my adolescent life . ” by Debra Wallace “ Find a job you enjoy doing , and you will never have to work a day in your life . ” Kevin Kuhn , a guitarist , composer and Broadway musician , as well as a Philadelphia native , took this nugget of advice — often attributed to Mark Twain — to heart . to speak with . For him it’s not just about Kuhngrew up in a musical home ; his father , Joe , was a performer , arranger , and music . … It’s about life and what the music recordproducer , while his mother , Anna Marie , was a prima donna soprano for the means . My best friend , Ted Baker , who PhiladelphiaOpera Company and the Suburban Opera Company . He’s been following passed , was the original keyboard player on intheir footsteps ever since . this gig . Ted and I did a couple of side pro - After a four - year hiatus , Kuhn returned to Broadway in the position of Guitar 2 jects for Pete . We did a reading of a staged in the revival of The Who’s TOMMY ( TommyTheMusical.com ) , the exhilarating version of [ the Townshend album ] “ Psy - musicalthat includes classic - rock anthems such as “ I’m Free , ” “ Pinball Wizard , ” and choderelict . ” And then we did another “ Sensation . ” show with him [ at Vassar College ] called When asked how to sum up his rich 40 - plus year musical legacy , Kuhn says , “ I The Boy Who Heard Music . feel like the only thing I’ve ever done is sit behind a guitar . How much better does it get than that ? ” Hadyou considered a nonmusical path , knowing your parents ’ history What was your initial introduction in music ? to The Who’s TOMMY ? Well , my stepfather , Dr . Nino deProphetis , TOMMY was the soundtrack to my 13 - year - old was the chief of surgery at Crozer Chester Q & A pimplyadolescent life . … My mom became so sick of General Hospital . When I was about 10 me picking up the record needle to learn how to play “ Pinball Wizard ” on my years old , he brought me into the operating guitar that she came back with a stack of records by Tal Farlow and Johnny Smith theater to observe what they called at the and said , “ Enough with The Who . Listen to these guys . They’re really good and time an open reduction , which I believe they’re real guitar players . ” was a simple appendectomy . I promptly lost my lunch . He said , “ Well , it was worth a How did you come to play the guitar in the current Broadway try . ” But you know what ? I never , ever con - production of The Who’s TOMMY ? sidered anything else . [ Music ] was in my After 23 years of working for Disney , I retired when the pandemic shut everything blood . I never really felt like I had much of a down on Broadway . I did the first 17 years of The Lion King and then they offered choice because it just seemed to come so me the chair at Aladdin . I had been on a contract of one sort or another for 40 naturally to me . years . So , I took my pension and said , “ Hey , it’s time to go skiing and boating . ” One day , I was playing a little jazz gig with John Miller , an old and dear friend , and Whatwould you be doing if you I told him , “ TOMMY is about the only show I’d come out of retirement for . ” I wanted weren’tplaying guitar in TOMMY ? to play this show again because it was such a formative part of my life . TOMMY put Skiing . I’ve got to tell you that TOMMY has me on the map in terms of guitar players and session guys in New York City . cut into my ski season big time . I didn’t ski at all this year . I’m a pretty dedicated downhill How do you feel about TOMMY in 2024 ? skier . My wife , Michele , and I have a place in hn TOMMY is not a job for me ; it’s a labor of love . I want to be in it . I’m not in it the Poconos up near Lake Wallenpaupack . I Ku n because I need it . I’m here because I have a concern for this music . I’ve known favorElk Mountain , and there are a couple of Kevi PeteTownshend now for more than 30 years , so I feel like it’s a legacy thing . I want smaller places nearby . I’m going up there of y topreserve it . soon to perform in Rhapsody in Blue with the rtes Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic . cou Talkabout hanging out with Pete Townshend . o So , I’ll probably take a month’s leave to stay hot He’s a brilliant musician , and he’s a great mind . He’s a very interesting person up at the lake . After all , I was retired . ? P SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 21 issue 6 SouthJerseyMagazine.com 40 |