Actor and musician Gene Pyrz dies

Winnipeg actor and musician Gene Pyrz has died at the age of 56 after a battle with cancer.

Pyrz was a popular actor on many Winnipeg stages. He also appeared in movies such as Cinderella Man andResident Evil: Apocalypse.

Derek Aasland, currently artistic director of Manitoba Theatre for Young People, has many fond memories of working with Pyrz on stage, in film and in music.

"He was a wonderful man, an incredible performer," he said.

"He was bubbly, absolutely lovable, like my bigger brother.I treasure every hour I got to spend on stage with Gene. It was always a delight and a joy to work with him. Some of my most memorableshows were with Gene."

Pyrzco-founded and performedin a number of early productions of Shakespeare in the Ruins. Aasland recallsPyrz'sperformance as Bottom in AMidsummer Night's Dream.

"He's just a madman on the stage. And what he brought to the role of Bottom had people literally screaming with laughter," he said. "With his delivery and his insouciance andhis basic trickster nature, he would just pull the laughter out of people."

Aasland saidhe will never forgetone remarkable production in which Pyrz played the title role in Macbeth at the ruins. "In one of the final performances lightening struck and thunder punctuated each and every one of his major lines."

Afterwards Pyrzis reported to have said that he could retire after that show, that he never needed to do anything again after that.

Aasland also worked with Pyrz on some musicalideas in studio and some big band projects. Pyrz was vocalist and bassistin the rockabilly band Combo Combo. Aasland recalledtheir legendary New Year's Eve shows at the Bella Vista.

"Everyone would wait until just the moment before midnight when Gene would take his bull whip and go outside into the -30 andwhipthe lamp post 12 times. It was a highlight."

One year Keanu Reeves even came to the New Year's event when they were performing Hamlet together at MTC.

"The music that he played, the heart and soul that went into it, ran in his blood," said Aasland.