Koogle theatre company
ESTABLISHED IN 2007 by professional theatre performers Leslie and Christopher Gray.
Leslie and Christopher had been performing professionally all across Ontario for many years but when they got married and started a family they realized they couldn't travel around and go where the work was anymore so they established their own company in Burlington. KooGle Theatre Company has brought high quality productions to Burlington including "I Love You, You're Perfect Now Change", "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee", "Couple of Swells", "Rock Around the Clock", "Let the Sun Shine", "Broadway Moments", "All Together Now", "A Magical Evening of Dance", "An Evening with Friends", "A KooGle Theatre cabaret" and many more. They've collaborated with local artists including with The Burlington Symphony bringing "An Afternoon of Rodgers & Hammerstein" to a sold out crowd at The Burlington Performing Arts Centre. KooGle Theatre Company is thrilled to be a part of Burlington's thriving artistic community. They would like to thank all of their wonderful patrons and sponsors for their support over the years.
In 2017 KooGle established a Performing Arts Training program to pass on their many years of experience, training and passion for theatre and musical theatre. Despite setbacks during covid their training program is thriving and in August 2021 they moved into their brand new performing arts space for classes and rehearsals on Headon Road!
What's a KooGle? Leslie's oldest sister Karen passed away from cancer back in 2006 and KooGle was what they used to call a game they played when they were kids where Karen would make Leslie fly by laying on the ground and holding her up with her hands and knees, like a flying angel.
Leslie and Christopher had been performing professionally all across Ontario for many years but when they got married and started a family they realized they couldn't travel around and go where the work was anymore so they established their own company in Burlington. KooGle Theatre Company has brought high quality productions to Burlington including "I Love You, You're Perfect Now Change", "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee", "Couple of Swells", "Rock Around the Clock", "Let the Sun Shine", "Broadway Moments", "All Together Now", "A Magical Evening of Dance", "An Evening with Friends", "A KooGle Theatre cabaret" and many more. They've collaborated with local artists including with The Burlington Symphony bringing "An Afternoon of Rodgers & Hammerstein" to a sold out crowd at The Burlington Performing Arts Centre. KooGle Theatre Company is thrilled to be a part of Burlington's thriving artistic community. They would like to thank all of their wonderful patrons and sponsors for their support over the years.
In 2017 KooGle established a Performing Arts Training program to pass on their many years of experience, training and passion for theatre and musical theatre. Despite setbacks during covid their training program is thriving and in August 2021 they moved into their brand new performing arts space for classes and rehearsals on Headon Road!
What's a KooGle? Leslie's oldest sister Karen passed away from cancer back in 2006 and KooGle was what they used to call a game they played when they were kids where Karen would make Leslie fly by laying on the ground and holding her up with her hands and knees, like a flying angel.
co-artistic directors - Leslie and christopher gray
Leslie GRAY (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, the renowned Sheridan College Musical Theatre Programme and studied voice, dance and acting in Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Toronto and New York. She went on to perform in over 50 musicals, starting in local theatre with Hamilton Theatre Inc., Drury Lane, McMaster Musical Theatre, Dundas Theatre, Theatre Burlington and The Yorkminstrel Players in Toronto and then into professional theatre productions with many seasons at the Sunshine Festival, performances at Cullen Gardens, Kawartha Lakes Summer Playhouse, St Lawrence Stage Company, Theatre Aquarius, Living Arts Centre, Early Times Theatre, Capitol Theatre and Gravenhurst Opera House.
Favourite roles include - Sister Amnesia in "Nunsense", Kathy Selden in "Singin' in the Rain", Erma in "Anything Goes", Cinderella in "Into the Woods", Val in "A Chorus Line", "Lily St Regis" in Annie, Tess in "Crazy For You" and singing Rodgers and Hammerstein songs in front of a 50 piece orchestra.
She has trained locally with The Paul Gordon Dancers, Steps the Dance Company, Theatre Aquarius Summer School, the renowned Sheridan College Musical Theatre Programme and studied voice, dance and acting in Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Toronto and New York. She went on to perform in over 50 musicals, starting in local theatre with Hamilton Theatre Inc., Drury Lane, McMaster Musical Theatre, Dundas Theatre, Theatre Burlington and The Yorkminstrel Players in Toronto and then into professional theatre productions with many seasons at the Sunshine Festival, performances at Cullen Gardens, Kawartha Lakes Summer Playhouse, St Lawrence Stage Company, Theatre Aquarius, Living Arts Centre, Early Times Theatre, Capitol Theatre and Gravenhurst Opera House.
Favourite roles include - Sister Amnesia in "Nunsense", Kathy Selden in "Singin' in the Rain", Erma in "Anything Goes", Cinderella in "Into the Woods", Val in "A Chorus Line", "Lily St Regis" in Annie, Tess in "Crazy For You" and singing Rodgers and Hammerstein songs in front of a 50 piece orchestra.
Christopher 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, the George Merner Award, and was directed by and was under the tutelage of John Neville, Peter Wylde, Brian Way, David Walden, Perry Schneiderman, Cynthia Ashperger and Iris MacGregor-Bannerman to name a few.
Selected theatre credits:
KooGle - Couple of Swells: A Movie Musical Revue, Rock Around the Clock, Let the Sun Shine, Broadway Moments, I Love You You're Perfect Now Change, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, An Afternoon of Rodgers & Hammerstein
The Merchant of Venice, Inherit the Wind, The Sound of Music (Stratford 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).
Selected theatre credits:
KooGle - Couple of Swells: A Movie Musical Revue, Rock Around the Clock, Let the Sun Shine, Broadway Moments, I Love You You're Perfect Now Change, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, An Afternoon of Rodgers & Hammerstein
The Merchant of Venice, Inherit the Wind, The Sound of Music (Stratford 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).
