Over its two-and-a-half-month run, hundreds of “Lord of the Rings” fans gathered in the Shire, the homeland of the hobbits, at Chicago Shakespeare Theater for the national premiere of the “Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale.” Michael Kurowski, a Columbia College Chicago theatre program alum, acted as a resident hobbit in his role as Samwise Gamgee in the show. After a successful introduction in Chicago, the production is set to continue in New Zealand later this year.
The show spans Frodo and Sam’s journey out of the Shire, throughout Middle Earth and to Mordor with the help of the fellowship of the ring. Kurowski described the show as “the most physically exhausting” production he has done. From singing and dancing with his fellow hobbits in the Shire to fighting off the giant spider monster, Shelob, Kurowski’s character, Sam, hardly ever stops moving.
On top of all the physical work he had to do, Kurowski also had to be musically in shape to fulfill this role. Unlike most stage productions, the “Lord of the Rings” musical doesn’t have a pit band to accompany the show’s many musical numbers. Instead, the on-stage ensemble would pick up all sorts of instruments, from drums to cellos, trumpets, violins, guitars and mandolins to create the score for the audience.
On his own, Kurowski plays a total of eight instruments and auditioned for this production with an acoustic guitar version of “Joanna” from the musical “Sweeney Todd.”
Kurowski’s love of guitar has been something he’s carried throughout his theatrical career, even when he started his degree at Columbia. “Columbia was a great place to give you – ‘Oh you play guitar? Let’s throw it in the show! Let’s show you off and what you can do.”
Stephanie Shaw, who taught Kurowski’s “Scenes and Songs” class at Columbia, said Kurowski was a “bright spot of energy” and was “always looking to be challenged.”
“I don’t feel like I had to push him that hard,” she said. “He tapped into what was at his core very easily, which some people can’t do.”
Having graduated in 2016 with his BFA in musical theatre, Kurowski said he looks fondly on his days at Columbia.
“My whole world just, like, expanded in those four years,” he said. “Columbia is really good at allowing you to take what’s around you and improve upon it yourself.”
“When you do theater at Columbia… Chances are that’s exactly how you’re going to be getting direction in the real world,” Kurowski said.
At the start of his musical theatre degree, Kurowski said he had a clear vision of where he wanted his career to go.
“I always came in with the idea of like, ‘Hell yeah! I’ve got an agent. I’m doing shows here. I’ve got great momentum and when I’m out of college, I’ll be just hitting up Broadway,” Kurowski said.
Despite what he expected, now 30-year-old Kurowski said things didn’t work out exactly how he planned.
“I didn’t think I would still be in Chicago — just down a couple miles from my college,” Kurowski said. “I can’t plan out my future in this business; I have to go where the work is and the work just so happened to be in this city.”
As a husband and a father to two kids, Kurowski said it’s been exhausting having to juggle being a stay-at-home dad and a full-time actor. After a full day of making meals, taking his kids to school or the park and singing songs with them at the dinner table, he also has to perform as Samwise Gamgee for hundreds of people eight times a week.
Theatre faculty member Brian Shaw, who also taught Kurowski, said “it’s really great to see students who have work in such prominent theaters.” Both Stephanie and Brian Shaw said they’re “not surprised” to see Kurowski performing at the level he is in Chicago.
While Kurowski may not be “hitting up Broadway” as originally planned, he said he sometimes prefers it this way.
“It’s becoming easier and easier for me to say, ‘I don’t think Broadway is the final goal,” Kurowski said. “I think the goal is just doing this job, in a city I love, with a family that I cherish and wherever it brings me, it’s gonna bring me.”
The “Lord of the Rings” shows are now finished at Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the production, Kurowski included, is relocating to New Zealand for its next run. Kurowski said the people of New Zealand are “the audience that matters most” due to the J.R.R. Tolkien series being a cherished part of New Zealand’s culture.
Susan Gosdick, the teacher who taught Kurowski’s “Accents and Dialects” class, has recently worked with him as the dialect coach for the musical, one of five professional productions they’ve worked on together since 2016.
Gosdick said Kurowski “brings a lot of heart, a centeredness and depth” to the character of Samwise Gamgee.
“He was already marvelous when he left [Columbia],” she said, “but to see him grow as the roles he does get more challenging is really exciting.”
After seeing Kurowski as Sam in the show, Columbia theatre faculty member John McFarland said, “Every time I’ve seen him onstage, I believe he is who he’s playing.”
“When I see him on stage, even though I know Michael in real life, I’m taken into that world.”
While the Lord of the Rings musical is no longer at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, the production will continue in Auckland, NZ, at the Civic Theater, beginning November 5, 2024.
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