Now that you’ve met our Campus Celebrity, Sonya Venugopal, it’s time to learn more about Kyle Van Zanten, who stars opposite her as Ren McCormack in the musical, Footloose, this quarter. This sophomore has been seen performing on the Mayer Theatre stage before, but Footloose will be his debut in his first Santa Clara musical.
HC: How long have you been doing musicals?
KVZ: High School.
HC: What did you do first: dance, sing or act?
KVZ: Well, for me, I acted first, then danced in high school, then just started messing around with singing.
HC: Which is your favorite?
KVZ: My favorite is acting, it’s awesome. I love being funny and just doing random stuff on stage and hearing the audience react.
HC: How has it been working with the cast?
KVZ: This cast is the definition of an ensemble. Everybody is 100% invested in the show and loves working with each other.
HC: How has it been working with Sonya?
KVZ: Sonya’s great, we’ve been really goofy with each other and have been feeding off each other’s energy really well through the whole process.
HC: Did you know each other before?
KVZ: Good question.
HC: Had you seen Footloose before? The musical? The movie?
KVZ: I’ve never seen the musical before, and I’ve only seen the Kevin Bacon movie a couple times.
HC: What do you think has been the hardest part of the show?
KVZ: Singing and dancing. At the same time.
HC: What is your favorite scene?
KVZ: For me it had definitely been the one where I get to wear some old school roller skates. I haven’t broken a limb yet, so that’s a win.
Fun Facts about Kyle
People call me: KVZ
Favorite Musical: Les Miserables
Favorite Song: “Hold On” by Alabama Shakes
Favorite song to sing in the car: “Anyway You Want It” by Journey
Favorite food at Benson: I live off campus, thank God.
Tacos or Burgers: In-N-Out.
Guilty Pleasure: KE$HA
Natalie Portman or Mila Kunis: Natalie Portman. In any situation. At any time.
Action or Drama: Comedy
Beach House or Log Cabin: Beach house
If you were stranded on an island, who would you pick to be stranded with you: Natalie Portman. Or Tom Hanks. He’s gotten off an island before.
The show started May 31st and runs through June 8th! Tickets can be purchased at the box office on Wednesday-Friday (3:30 PM-6:30 PM) or online.