Lamorinda Idol champion and film and stage actor Keenan Moran prepares to travel to 14 cities throughout China, where he will play Friedrich von Trapp in Broadway’s Global Tour of The Sound of Music.
At just 11-years-old, sixth-grader Keenan Moran stepped onto the stage of Lamorinda Idol, preparing to unleash his remarkable vocal talent. While many kids his age are involved in the typical pursuits of sports, school and spending time with friends, Moran has soared above the ordinary. He clinched the title of Lamorinda Idol and soon after landed the role of Friedrich von Trapp in the Broadway Global Tour of The Sound of Music.
From an early age, Moran knew he wanted to be a film and stage actor. His first performance was with the Performing Academy’s production of Peter Pan.
“I had a lot of interests when I was really young, but when I was about five-years-old, I really loved musical theater. Recently I started doing film and TV auditions,” said Moran.
For the past few years Moran has been involved in many live shows, but he shot his first feature film last year, No Address, which is set to hit theaters spring 2024.
Moran’s dedication to the arts is starting to pay off.
He won the Lamorinda Idol grades 3-5 solo category in 2020, where 44 singers auditioned and only 11 were selected as finalists.
“Keenan’s performance of Middle of a Moment stood out as he was able to channel his considerable acting skills, enabling him to fully express the emotion of the song,” said Steve Harwood, Lamorinda Idol chair for the past 16 years.
However, Moran’s proudest accomplishment to date is booking a role in the Broadway Global Tour of The Sound of Music. He spent the past summer with the Broadway Artists Alliance in New York City, after auditioning among thousands of kids for a coveted spot in the program.
Not only did he acquire valuable industry exposure, but it was there that he obtained an audition for The Sound of Music, where he landed the role as Friedrich von Trapp.
The pre-teen will spend the next six months performing eight shows a week while traveling to 14 cities throughout China.
“I’m most looking forward to getting to know the cast and really connecting with them, seeing how they act on stage and traveling to really cool places I’ve never been to,” said Moran.
Performing for Broadway as a middle school student comes with challenges. Moran has to prioritize school on top of his rigorous show schedule, but he continues to be positive.
“Luckily there’s seven Von Trapp kids, so there will be other students on the tour with me to do school work with. It is really exciting for me, but I know it’s going to be a big sacrifice,” he said.
His parents, Brendan and Renee DeWeese Moran, plan to switch out, so one can be with Keenan and the other with their two younger children.
Despite the sacrifices, the Moran family could not pass on this opportunity of a lifetime.
“I really just have a flood of emotions,” said Keenan. “It will be such a fun experience that I will remember forever.”
