Kevin Wong is a composer-lyricist, singer/musician, and dramaturg. His musicals include: Recurring John: A Song Cycle; STAR!(ving): A Collection of Songs; Polly Peel (with Julie Tepperman); Out of Stock; Drama 101 (with Steven Gallagher); In Real Life (with Nick Green); Believers (with Ali Joy Richardson), Take Me Back (with Amir Haidar); and Soft Magical Tofu Boys. Kevin streams online concerts weekly on the streaming service Twitch (twitch.tv/kevinywong). He is a member of the vocal group Asian Riffing Trio (with Chris Tsujiuchi and Colin Asuncion), is currently part-time faculty at Sheridan College, and is a three-time winner of the Playwrights Guild of Canada’s Tom Hendry Dan School of Drama & Music Award for New Musical. As of 2023, he is the Creative Lead on the Musical Stage Company’s UnCovered concert series. Most recently, he can be heard on his albums Small Ways to Move and Covers (available on streaming services everywhere).
Training: Royal Conservatory of Music (Violin/Harmony/Music History); NoteWorthy (The Musical Stage Company, 2014); Composium (Theatre20, 2015).
Selected past musical theatre writing: Recurring John: A Song Cycle (Toronto SummerWorks Festival 2014 / Chicago Musical Theatre Festival 2015); STAR!(ving): A Collection of Songs; Misprint (with bookwriter Lauren Toffan, Women of Musical Theatre Festival 2016); Drama 101 (with bookwriter & co-lyricist Steven Gallagher, Bravo Academy 2017 / Etobicoke School of the Arts 2018 / Stage Door Academy 2018); and Reframed (Musical Stage Company / Art Gallery of Ontario, Dora Nomination – Best New Musical/Opera).
In Development (as Writer): Believers (with bookwriter and co-lyricist Ali Joy Richardson); In Real Life (with bookwriter & co-lyricist Nick Green, most recently workshopped at Yes Theatre/Sudbury in October 2022); The Next BIG Thing (Film Project, Jake Foy); Soft Magical Tofu Boys (most recently at the O’Neill Theatre Center in July 2024); and Take Me back (with bookwriter and co-lyricist Amir Haidar, first reading at St. Lawrence College, November 2024).
Other: Kevin streams online concerts of originals and covers three times a week on the streaming service Twitch (twitch.tv/kevinywong). Kevin was the Musical Stage Company’s Associate Artistic Director from 2016-2018, and is the Creative Lead on The Musical Stage Company’s UnCovered concert series. Most recently, he can be heard on his own Small Ways to Move and Covers (available on streaming services everywhere). He is a member of the vocal group Asian Riffing Trio (with Chris Tsujiuchi and Colin Asuncion). He is currently part-time faculty at Sheridan College, and Creative Lead for the UnCovered concert series at The Musical Stage Company.
Dramaturgy: UnCovered: Dylan & Springsteen (The Musical Stage Company, 2017), UnCovered: Prince & Stevie Wonder (The Musical Stage Company, 2019), FIRST DRAFTS: Tiny Tenement of Horrors (Aaron Jan & alaska b); Destination Wedding (Jennifer Villaverde, Kodie Rollan, Maria Aragon); Parkdale (Meghan Swaby & Chris Tsujiuchi) (Sheridan College, 2021-2022), FIRST DRAFTS (Sheridan College, 2022-2023); UnCovered: Queen & Bowie (The Musical Stage Company, 2016), Kabilang Buhay (August 2022 Workshop), Nobody Asked to Be Here (Avery-Jean Brennan & Camila Diaz-Varela) (February 2024), Cruz Control (Jennifer Villaverde & Miquelon Rodriguez) (March 2024).
Artistic Admin: Artistic Associate (The Musical Stage Company, 2019-Present), Noteworthy Program Co-Facilitator (The Musical Stage Company, 2019-Present), Associate Artistic Director (The Musical Stage Company, 2017-2019), Metcalf Intern Artistic Director (The Musical Stage Company, 2016-2017), General Manager (Musical Works in Concert Festival, 2015)
Juries: Toronto Arts Council Playwrights Review Panel (2021), Pat & Tony Adams Freedom Fund Musical Theatre Prize Jury (Toronto Fringe Festival, 2018), Aubrey & Marla Dan Fund Panel (The Musical Stage Company, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024), Recommender Grant Panel (The Musical Stage Company, 2017, 2018)
Awards: Patron’s Pick (Toronto Fringe Festival, 2018 for Polly Peel and 2019 for Drama 101), Paul O’Sullivan/Pat & Tony Adams Freedom Fund Prize (Toronto Fringe Festival 2018, Polly Peel), Playwrights Guild of Canada Tom Hendry Award for New Musical Theatre (2018 – Polly Peel, 2021 – In Real Life, 2024 – Soft Magical Tofu Boy(s)).