Walnut Creek sixth-grader performing in Broadway show touring China
It all began when Walnut Creek’s Keenan Moran started performing in musicals choreographed by his mother, Renee DeWeese Moran, until he reached the second grade … that’s when he knew he wanted to be a performer.
Now in the sixth grade at Lafayette’s St. Perpetua School, Keenan was recently rehearsing in New York City, where he auditioned for and landed the role of Friedrich Von Trapp in the new Broadway global tour in China of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1959 classic “The Sound of Music” (broadwayasia.com/tsom-new). Not only was he excited to get the call to pack his suitcase, his friends were excited too.
“My friends think it’s cool, they had a lot of questions. They have been really supportive, but they’re sad that I won’t see them for six months,” said Keenan. “I’m sad to miss a really fun camp that all sixth-graders do at St. Perpetua every year and my school play, but I think this experience was too special to pass up, and I’ll learn and experience so much traveling and performing.”
This recent New York trip was not his first but his third.
“I’ve been to New York twice, once in 2019, and just recently this last summer I did an intensive (program) called BAA (Broadway Artist Alliance), where I got the audition for ‘The Sound of Music,’ ” he said. “My mom likes to take me to see lots of Broadway shows in New York City and San Francisco.
“My mom and I actually have a podcast we started because of how much we like to go see shows together, it’s called ‘Stage Notes Bay Area’ (player.fm/series/stage-notes-bay-area), where we interview local performers and discuss the shows we’ve seen most recently. We’re total theater nerds, but if you like that stuff, you’d like our podcast.”
Keenan has an impressive performance resume that includes lots of regional work in San Francisco and a recent singing award at a competition in Orinda called “Lamorinda Idol.”
His favorite roles that he has played so far include Eric in “Matilda” and Young Charlie in “Kinky Boots” (both at Berkeley Playhouse), John in “Fun Home” and Frank Jr. in “Merrily We Roll Along” (both at San Francisco’s 42nd Street Moon) and Les in “Newsies” (Pleasanton’s Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre). Now for his resume, he can add places like Shanghai, Beijing, Zhuhai, Tianjin, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, to name a few out of the 14 Chinese cities altogether that he’ll tour.
“I love performing with a huge community of performers and making someone’s day when they come to see the show,” said Keenan, who has a manager in Los Angeles and an agency in San Francisco that represents him for film and commercial jobs but not theater. “It brings me joy and makes the whole experience better.”
Keenan’s younger sister, Molly, 9, and brother, Dominic, 7, support him with his theater work, as well as mom Renee and dad Brendan Moran, both of whom take turns caring for Keenan. His mom will start and after six weeks, his dad will fly in, with the two constantly switching places. Though Keenan is missing time at school while hitting the high notes, he still has to hit the books.
“We have structured school time every day with a tutor that will keep us on-task and help us with our school work,” Keenan said. “The tutor travels with us on this tour. I’m excited this show has so many young performers so I’ll have friends to do school with every day.”
Keenan’s parents did not make the decision lightly for their son to tour in China.
“Due to the unique touring schedule and location, Brendan and I had a lot of conversations about how our family could take on this sort of opportunity before we brought Keenan into the conversation,” said Renee, also known as Keenan’s “mom-ager.” “We knew he would want to do it — he loves performing and has been waiting for his ‘big break’ into the professional world, so we just needed to make sure this was the right decision for him and the rest of our family that will be impacted by a decision like this.”
Leading up to Moran’s “big break,” with all the rehearsals and performances he’s done up until now, Brendan Moran said it’s been a team effort.
“Between work and caring for Keenan’s brother and sister, we have to trade off on driving him to performances and lessons and shooting auditions in our home studio (that’s actually in the garage). We love it, though. We joke that his career is like a part-time job for us.”
Renee Moran is the founder and owner of Performing Academy (performingacademy.com/our-team), a Central Contra Costa County children’s theater training program since 2011, and Brendan Moran is a real estate broker.
“It’s come in handy with this career in real estate. I work from home, and I make my own schedule,” said Brendan Moran. “Without it, we probably wouldn’t be able to drive him to movie sets every day or take weeks off to go to China.”
Not all parents have the opportunity to see and help their child’s dreams come true.
“Being Keenan’s parents has been a fun ride so far. We feel so lucky to go on this adventure with him,” said Renee Moran. “We have no doubt this experience will have an impact on who he is as a person and an artist, and we’re excited to have a front-row seat to see it all play out.”
Keenan said he’ll miss his dog, Scout, and his friends the most since both are dear to his heart and that he can’t wait to see them when he gets back. He also offers advice to anyone who wants to follow in his footsteps.
“Start with community and school theater, then try regional theater and then just keep auditioning and continue to climb the ladder,” said Keenan. “Get experience by constantly training. I take weekly voice lessons, dance class and acting coaching, so I’m ready for auditions when they come up.”
Reach Charleen Earley, a freelance writer and journalism professor at Foothill and Diablo Valley colleges, at charleenbearley@gmail.com or 925-383-3072.