{"id":12379,"date":"2019-11-01T08:00:17","date_gmt":"2019-11-01T12:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.washingtonfamily.com\/?p=12379"},"modified":"2019-11-01T09:56:43","modified_gmt":"2019-11-01T13:56:43","slug":"aladdin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.washingtonfamily.com\/aladdin\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Aladdin\u2019s\u2019 Whole New World"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Broadway national tour of Disney’s \u201cAladdin\u201d is making its way through cities across the country, bringing a whole new world to the Hippodrome starting Nov. 13.<\/p>\n

As the show approaches its second anniversary, five new cast members have been added, including newcomer Kaena Kekoa, a native of Hawaii who was discovered at a Disney on Broadway open casting call in Honolulu. She will make her professional theater debut in the iconic role of Jasmine this fall.<\/p>\n

Theater newcomer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Kekoa grew up singing in church and her local musical theater community. But before she won the coveted Aladdin role, she was a schoolteacher.<\/p>\n

\"Aladdin\"
Photo by Deen van Meer<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“I didn’t get into theater until I was about 11 when I did a community production of \u2018Fiddler on the Roof.\u2019 That’s when fell in love with acting and dancing as well as the musical theater style of singing,” Kekoa says. “Before I landed this role, I was teaching for about seven months. It all kind of all happened to me so fast. I purely went to the audition for fun. I went in with no real expectations, but then I got it. ”<\/p>\n

Now that she has landed the part, it has stirred up a whirlwind of emotions. She admits that she has \u201call the feels\u201d playing a character that is so well-known and well-loved by anyone who grew up with Disney. “This isn’t just my first national tour \u2014 this my first big professional show. I’ve never done anything like this before at this level,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight before I walk into the theater, I have all these emotions bubbling up, mostly I am feeling nervous and anxious. But, as I walk onto that stage, it all goes away. Because this is what I’ve been dreaming about since I was a little girl. All of that nervousness tends to go away when I put on the crown and the costume and when I start singing.\u201d<\/p>\n

A new rendition<\/strong><\/p>\n

While many remember the \u201990s Disney film, the stage version of \u201cAladdin\u201d has new songs and characters, Kekoa says, adding that it’s still the same story about Aladdin, Jasmine and the genie.<\/p>\n

\"Aladdin\"
Photo by Deen van Meer<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“But we’ve also added a couple of new characters and a couple of new songs to add depth to their stories,\u201d she says. \u201cJasmine’s even got a new song, which I’m really excited about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can expect to see all the characters you know and love, but also a couple of new ones that you will continue to fall in love with as you watch the show,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Sound advice<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kekoa also has some advice for those coming into the business. It\u2019s in her motto: Always be kind.<\/p>\n

“Obviously, you can never stop working on your craft, but I would say the most important thing is to be kind,\u201d she says. \u201cThere are a lot of people working backstage, not just on stage. There are your management team and your crew. There are your props; there are the fly people that make sure things aren\u2019t going to fall on your head when you’re on stage. So, just saying thank you and being kind, it’s important.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Aladdin\"
Photo by Deen van Meer<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt’s easy to get in your head and for your ego to blow up in this business,\u201d she adds. \u201cBut if you remember just to say thank you, this career will be a lot better for you and it’ll last longer. I always say it’s a blessing to be here.”<\/p>\n

\u201cAladdin\u201d at the Hippodrome, Nov. 13-Dec. 1, times vary. Tickets start at $52. france-merrickpac.com.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Want more family-friendly things to do? Check out our weekend calendar<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Broadway national tour of Disney’s \u201cAladdin\u201d is making its way through cities across the country, bringing a whole new world to the Hippodrome starting Nov. 13. As the show approaches its second anniversary, five new cast members have been added, including newcomer Kaena Kekoa, a native of Hawaii who was discovered at a Disney […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":12381,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[549,148],"tags":[699,700,701,702,703,704,388,705],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018Aladdin\u2019s\u2019 Whole New World - Washington FAMILY Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Broadway national tour of Disney's \u201cAladdin\u201d is making its way through cities across the country, bringing a whole new world to the Hippodrome starting Nov. 13.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonfamily.com\/aladdin\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Aladdin\u2019s\u2019 Whole New World - 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