Aaron Walpole
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Aaron John Walpole (born March 7, 1979) is a Canadian actor and singer, who placed third on the third season of ''
Canadian Idol ''Canadian Idol'' is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show '' Pop Idol''. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Do ...
''. He is best known for playing the role of Lonnie in the 2010 Toronto run of ''
Rock of Ages Rock of Ages is an epithet that is used in some translations of Isaiah 26, Isaiah 26:4 and may refer to: Films * Rock of Ages (1918 film), ''Rock of Ages'' (1918 film), a British silent film by Bertram Phillips * Rock of Ages (2012 film), ''Roc ...
'' and Annas in the 2012 Broadway run of ''
Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...
''. He appeared in the 2014 Broadway revival of ''
Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...
'', as a part of the ensemble.


Early life

Walpole was born in
London, Ontario London is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River (Ontario), Thames River and N ...
, and has two siblings. When he was 10 years old, he saw a production of ''
Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...
'' with his family, which inspired him to pursue musical theatre. Walpole attended Parkside Collegiate Institute, where he played football and acted. He appeared in a high school production of ''
West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a Musical theatre, musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a Book (musical theatre), book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo an ...
'' as Tony. In 2001, Walpole graduated from the musical theatre program at
Sheridan College Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, formerly Sheridan College of Applied Arts and Technology, is a public polytechnic institute partnered with private Canadian College of Technology and Trades operating campuses ...
.


Career


Canadian Idol

In 2005, Walpole auditioned for the third season of
Canadian Idol ''Canadian Idol'' is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show '' Pop Idol''. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Do ...
. He went to the auditions to support a friend, but was forced to register to audition so he could stay in line with her. Walpole advanced through the audition stages, but was eliminated in the top 32 round. However, he was chosen to compete in the wildcard round where he received enough votes to advance. Walpole finished in third place, behind runner-up Rex Goudie and winner
Melissa O'Neil Melissa O'Neil (born July 12, 1988) is a Canadian actress and singer. In 2005, O'Neil won the third season of ''Canadian Idol''. As an actress, she is known for her roles as Rebecca /Two/Portia Lin in the science fiction series ''Dark Matter (20 ...
. Following the show, Walpole released a self-titled album in 2006.


Performances and results


Theatre

In 2010, Walpole starred as Lonny in the Canadian premiere production of '' Rock of Ages''. The musical opened at the
Royal Alexandra Theatre The Royal Alexandra Theatre, commonly known as the Royal Alex, is an historic performing arts theatre in Toronto, Ontario. The theatre is located at 260 King Street West, in the downtown Toronto Entertainment District. Owned and operated by Mir ...
on April 20, 2010 and closed on January 2, 2011. Walpole made his Broadway debut in 2012, where he appeared as
Annas Annas (also Ananus or Ananias;Goodman, Martin, "Rome & Jerusalem", Penguin Books, p.12 (2007) , ; , ; 23/22 BC – death date unknown, probably around AD 40) was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius as the first High Priest of the newly form ...
in the revival of ''
Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...
''. The production was originally presented in 2011 at the
Stratford Festival The Stratford Festival is a repertory theatre organization that operates from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shak ...
, before transferring to the
La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla Playhouse is a nonprofit professional theater on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. History La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. In 1983, it was revived under the ...
where it played a pre-Broadway engagement. The show closed on July 1, after four months of performances. In 2013, Walpole appeared in a revival of ''Les Misérables'', where he played Champmathieu and understudied the role of
Jean Valjean Jean Valjean () is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. The story depicts the character's struggle to lead a normal life and redeem himself after serving a 19-year-long prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his ...
. The musical had a pre-Broadway engagement at the
Princess of Wales Theatre The Princess of Wales Theatre is a 2,000-seat live theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on King Street West, in Toronto's downtown Entertainment District. The theatre's name has a triple meaning: it honours Diana, Princess of Wales, ...
in Toronto between September 27, 2013 and February 2, 2014. The musical then transferred to Broadway, where it began performances at the
Imperial Theatre The Imperial Theatre is a Broadway theater at 249 West 45th Street ( George Abbott Way) in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1923, the Imperial Theatre was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and ...
on 1 March 2014. In 2015, Walpole joined the first national tour of '' Kinky Boots'', where he played Don. In 2025, Walpole will appear as a standby in the Canadian revival production of '' Come from Away''. The musical will play at the Babs Asper Theatre in
Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
between August 14 and September 1, 2024, before transferring to the Royal Alexandra Theatre where it will begin performances on September 22, 2024.


Television and film

Walpole's first major acting role was in the 2003 television movie, '' Deacons for Defense''. He also starred in the 2011 movie '' Silent But Deadly'' as Rob. Since then, he has appeared in several television shows.


Personal life

On October 4, 2014, Walpole married Stefanie Oechslin. They have one child, a son named Eli.


Credits


Theatre


Television


Film


Discography

* ''Canadian Idol: High Notes'' – Sony BMG, 19 Recordings (2005) * ''Aaron Walpole'' (2006)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Walpole, Aaron 1979 births Living people Musicians from London, Ontario Canadian Idol participants Canadian male stage actors Canadian male musical theatre actors 21st-century Canadian male singers 21st-century Canadian singers