Austin P. McKenzie is an American actor known for his role as Melchior Gabor in Deaf West Theatre's 2015 Broadway Revival of Spring Awakening. His performance as Melchior has garnered significant critical acclaim, and multiple theatrical award nominations for both Los Angeles runs and its run on Broadway.
Early life
McKenzie grew up in Mesa, Arizona. When he was young he wanted to become a music minister, even though his family did not regularly attend church. Starting at age fifteen, McKenzie spent six summers assisting at a summer camp for children and adults with mental and physical disabilities called Lions Camp Tatiyee. It is where he first came in contact with people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The camp inspired him to enroll at Columbia College Chicago, where he studied American Sign Language and Childhood Education with the intention of becoming a special needs teacher. He graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor's degree in American Sign Language and Vocal Performance. During high school, McKenzie had a casual involvement in the arts and was involved with some theatre, but did not see it as a possible career.
Career
''Spring Awakening'' (2014–2016)
Soon after graduating from Columbia College Chicago, McKenzie sent in a tape to director Michael Arden and the creative team at Deaf West Theatre, with hopes of obtaining a job as an interpreter during the company's ASL-inclusive run of Spring Awakening. However, the Deaf West team saw his potential, and requested he audition for the leading role in the production—the radical atheist Melchior Gabor. He was given the role, and began rehearsing for the show in mid-2014. At first, McKenzie was the only member of the hearing cast that was able to effectively communicate with their deaf and hard-of-hearing cohorts, thanks to his training in ASL. Deaf West's Spring Awakening originally performed at a 99-seat theatre off of skid row in Los Angeles, California from September 14, 2014 to November 9, 2014. It was McKenzie's professional theatre debut. In 2015, the production was rebooted at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills with the additions of cast members Andy Mientus, as Hanschen Rilow, Krysta Rodriguez, as Ilse Neumann, Alex Boniello, as the voice of Moritz Stiefel and Alex Wyse as Georg Zirschnitz. McKenzie reprised his role as Melchior. McKenzie and the rest of the cast were highly acclaimed by critics, receiving many nominations and wins for Ovation Awards; including his Best Leading Actor in a Musical nomination. The show ran from May 21, 2015 to June 14, 2015. In the mid-summer of 2015, it was announced that the production would be transferring to Broadway with its current cast for a limited engagement at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. McKenzie made his Broadway debut on September 8, 2015, and stayed with the production through its closing on January 24, 2016. The show ran two weeks past its intended run due to its rave reviews, and garnered three Tony Award nominations including Best Revival of a Musical.
Film and television (2015–present)
In addition to theatre, McKenzie has appeared on both the big and small screen. In 2015, he appeared in a one-episode guest starring role in the television series The 101. He starred in the feature filmSpeech & Debate, adapted from the hit 2007 off-Broadway play of the same name by Tony-winning playwright Stephen Karam and released by Sycamore Pictures and Vertical Entertainment in select theaters and VOD on April 7, 2017. McKenzie stars as one of three leads as the character of Howie, an openly gay teenager alongside Sarah Steele, who also starred in the original off-Broadway premiere of Speech & Debate and Liam James. The film features three misfit students in high school who are frustrated with the hypocrisy they see in their parents and school staff. Together, they try to revive an extinct school debate club to face the situation in which they find themselves. A number of theater names including Darren Criss and Lin-Manuel Miranda cameo in the film and Kristin Chenoweth sings an original song for the film. McKenzie recently starred in the ABC docudramaminiseriesWhen We Rise, helmed by Dustin Lance Black and Gus Van Sant. He portrays the young LGBT activist Cleve Jones in the period piece, which chronicles the personal and political struggles, setbacks and triumphs of a diverse family of LGBTQ people who helped pioneer an offshoot of the Civil Rights Movement from its turbulent infancy in the 20th century to the once unfathomable successes of today. When We Rise tells the history of the modern gay rights movement, starting with the Stonewall riots in 1969. McKenzie also sings "Thinking of You" from the When We Rise soundtrack.
Personal life
Mckenzie is openly gay. He is currently in a relationship with actor Kevin McHale.
