Walnut Creek's Keenan Moran Heads To China On 'Sound Of Music' Tour

WALNUT CREEK, CA — Keenan Moran of Walnut Creek landed the role of Friedrich in the Broadway Global tour of "The Sound of Music." He heads to New York City in mid-October to start rehearsals with the cast and then travels with the company to their first sit-down engagement at the 2,500-seat New Bund 31 Theater in Shanghai, China.

Keenan, a sixth-grader at St Perpetua School in Lafayette, has been training in the arts and performing for most of his young life. His first performance was at age 5 in the Performing Academy’s production of Peter Pan.

Keenan recently participated in and won the local vocal contest, "Lamorinda Idol."

For the last few years, Keenan has been balancing school, homework, dance classes, voice lessons and performances in "Fun Home" and "Merrily We Roll Along" at San Francisco’s 42nd Street Moon; "Newsies" at Livermore’s Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre; and "Matilda" and "Kinky Boots" at Berkeley Playhouse.

Last spring, Keenan shot his first feature film "No Address" playing Sam, the son of Billy Baldwin’s character, Robert. "No Address" is set to hit theaters this spring 2024.

This past summer, Keenan attended the Broadway Artists Alliance program in New York City. He auditioned among thousands of kids for a coveted spot in the program. In addition to the great training and industry exposure he received at their summer program last July, the team at BAA also got Keenan the audition for "The Sound of Music."

Keenan will spend the next six months performing eight shows a week and traveling to 14 cities throughout China. In addition to this rigorous performance and travel schedule, Keenan and the other young actors on the tour will receive daily schooling.

Keenan’s parents, Brendan and Renee DeWeese Moran, plan to switch out internationally so that one can be with Keenan and the other with their two younger children, Molly and Dominc, back home in Walnut Creek. Life will look different for the Moran family for the next six months but it was an opportunity of a lifetime they said they just couldn’t pass up.