Originally from the mountains of North Idaho and a graduate of New York City’s The Circle In The Square, Dalen’s Buddy credits in the lead role include two sold-out runs at the Civic Theatre of Spokane, WA, Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse in Rock Island, IL (2014), and the Alhambra Dinner Theatre in Jacksonville, FL (2015).

“Dalen Gunn is fabulous as Buddy Holly. He not only looks like Holly but wears his initial geekiness on his sleeve like Holly and sounds like him when he sings. Gunn captures Holly’s ability to wrap himself in a song and make it his own. As he sings hit after hit with his rich polished voice, the songs feel as fresh as the day they were penned”

- EU Jacksonville (Jacksonville, FL)

“As Buddy, Gunn is even more than a singing-dancing-acting triple threat: he quintuples his impact by shredding his Strat and looking good in horn-rims, too. Gunn’s acting rings the changes from nervous kid to defiant artist, from gentle balladeer to rockin’ rebel”

- Inlander (Spokane, WA) 

“Gunn has great guitar skills and a fine voice. Best of all, he shows us exactly why Holly became an international star so quickly. He was a little bit gawky, a little bit goofy and a whole lot charismatic”

- The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA) 

“Six years after the dinner playhouse first presented the global-smash musical celebration, we’ve got the fantastic Dalen Gunn now in the title role. The New York-based 27-year-old – who has played Buddy in two prior runs in Spokane, Washington – has a magnetic, authoritative stage presence and uncanny vocal similarity to Holly. Gunn really makes you feel the musician’s urgency and drive to succeed”

- QCOnline.com (Moline, IL)