Telling Jesus' story, one line at a time

Herald Malaysia

01-08-2025

From Broadway lights to church altars, this journey is anything but ordinary. While most stars were chasing the spotlight, Bruce Kuhn took a different curtain call, one that's led him from dazzling theatre stages to quiet sanctuaries in churches and cathedrals, where he now performs the greatest story ever told. Aug 01, 2025
By Tianne PereiraFrom Broadway lights to church altars, this journey is anything but ordinary. While most stars were chasing the spotlight, Bruce Kuhn took a different curtain call, one that's led him from dazzling theatre stages to quiet sanctuaries in churches and cathedrals, where he now performs the greatest story ever told. Bruce isn't just any ordinary actor. He once stood under the bright lights of Les Misérables on Broadway, played to packed houses and taught theatre at top schools. But today, you're more likely to find him, still leaving the crowd in awe and performing solo in a church near you. That's exactly how we were fortunate enough to meet up with him. He recently took Singapore and Malaysia by storm, performing 10 shows across both countries in a whirlwind tour that left audiences amazed, moved and stunned by the sheer artistry of a one-man show where the script is Scripture. Mid-interview, he grins and quotes Picasso, 'Bad artists borrow, great artists steal.' His performance of both the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles, word for word, scene by scene is unlike anything you've seen in church theatre. No costumes. No props. No supporting cast. Just Bruce, standing before a crowd, weaving through the life and teachings of Christ with such conviction, such precision and presence, that the pews felt like the dusty roads of Galilee. Let's just say he steals your attention from the second he walks on stage. And here's the thing — there's never a dull moment. Whether you're a teen who's never cracked open a Bible or someone who knows the verses by heart, you'll find yourself pulled into the story like you're actually there. The passion. The drama. The humour. The pain. It all hits differently when Bruce is the one telling it. So who is this man behind the voice? When I asked him to describe himself offstage, away from the lights, he didn't miss a beat. He quoted Proverbs 20:11, 'Even a child is known by his deeds.' 'I'm a father. A husband. My fruits are in how I raise my children and how I love my wife,' he said simply. Bruce was born and raised in the United States, but now lives in the Netherlands, which he describes as a place of 'beauty and calm.' So why the big move from 'Broadway to Bethlehem'? In one word - love. 'When I fell in love, I discovered a whole new world. I made changes. I was about 40 when I got married, late, by most standards. And suddenly, Broadway felt... engineered. But this, this was real. This was where my heart was.' And it's in that same spirit that he performs. You don't get the feeling he's acting, you get the sense he's inviting you into something. Into someone. 'I don't memorise,' he said, when we asked how on earth he remembers hours of Scripture. 'I live in the moment. I tell my students this too. Don't memorise lines. Just pump the story into your brain, again and again. Feel it. Know what happened. If you remember the events, the words will follow.' As someone who teaches the Bible and has done theatre, the more I can't help but appreciate the talent — what Bruce does is nextlevel. He remembers the Gospel in order, with no script, no cues and no one to feed him lines if he slips. It's just him and the Word. He laughs when we ask if any show stands out. 'Does forgetting your lines count?' It was Toronto, full house and Bruce blanks — completely. He just stands there. Another time he learned the Gospel in Dutch, then couldn't remember it in English and he had to translate it back into English on the fly during a show.' he recalls, still a little wideeyed about it. But perfection isn't the point. Presence is. 'None of us really knows how Jesus said the things He said,' Bruce points out. 'And sometimes people come up to me after a show and say, 'Jesus didn't say it that way.' And I ask, with no sarcasm intended, 'How do you think He said it?' That's when the conversation really starts.' 'We often like our Jesus a certain way. But too many people have tamed Jesus,' he says. 'We like the loving, forgiving Jesus. But we forget, Jesus hated evil more than we do.' It's one of the reasons Bruce's portrayals feel so alive, he doesn't soften the edges. He lets Jesus be fully human and fully divine. And the crowd leans in every time. So, has performing the Gospel changed him? Cue to another classic Bruce moment, with a straight face he says. 'Oh yes, I walk around holy. Radiant. A tongue of fire over my head.' Then, he laughs. 'I didn't grow up very religious. We weren't really practicing Catholics. But one day, a friend who was an evangelist, convinced me that Jesus Christ was crucified and that He resurrected. That's a fact. I couldn't shake it. So I started wondering, 'Who is this Jesus?' And that's when the journey began.' When the lights dim and the story ends after each show, Bruce's hope is simple, that something eternal lingers. 'It's not about me' he said. 'What matters most is that people leave feeling the Holy Spirit move and walk away with a deeper curiosity to discover who Jesus really is.' He even quoted psychologist Dr Jordan Peterson, saying: 'Motivation can be implied by actions, so you can guess somebody's mind and motives.' Then added, 'Am I doing this for an Oscar nomination? No.' When you think about it, this really is ministry, not a performance for fame. So what's next for this doting father of two? 'I'm working on the Gospel of Mark,' he shared. 'I've also got bits and pieces of other biblical narratives in the works.' Before we wrapped up, we had to ask how he was enjoying Malaysia. 'Oh, this isn't my first time!' he said brightly. 'I love the food here, especially the teh tarik.' To us the sweetest part of the conversation wasn't about the show, or the travel, or even the faith it stirs. It was every time he mentioned his wife, whom he referred to often, with the same glowing smile. 'She's the sweetest thing,' he said, eyes lighting up, as if talking about her for the first time - like a man still smitten. It is clear, he is in love. And just like that, you realise that Bruce Kuhn's greatest performance isn't on stage. It really is in the way he lives.
If you ever get the chance to catch Bruce Kuhn live, take it. You'll laugh, you'll reflect and maybe, just maybe, you'll meet Jesus in a whole new way.