The Disney Renaissance was a magical decade that spanned the years from 1989 to 1999.
It was during this time period that the beloved production studio embraced a revival, and a new generation of children got to experience a resurgence of what became some of the most classic movies.
During this stretch, Disney offered a new and whimsical catalog of animated musicals that didn’t delay in capturing hearts with mystic and wonder. Timeless hits were born, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, The Lion King and of course Aladdin.
Aladdin is an enduring tale that follows the young protagonist around as he tries to win the affections of Princess Jasmine.
The movie illustrates a captivating tale, peppered with a star-studded, memorable cast and colored in with unforgettable songs.
And while you may not immediately recognize the name of Lea Salonga, you will surely recognize her voice.
The Filipina actress-singer has been the voice of not just one but two Disney princesses, including Jasmine and Mulan.
In addition, she won a Tony Award for her role in Miss Saigon. She is world renowned “for her powerful voice and perfect pitch.” Salonga tours all over the world, performing sold-out concerts.
A popular segment of Salonga’s shows includes her selecting audience members to duet with her…on stage!
She’s been doing this duet feature for many years, and is happy to report that sometimes it goes great…though other times, it’s “not so great.”
Still, rolling those dice keeps things enchanting and fun! One of her most memorable concerts happened at the De Jong Concert Hall at Brigham Young University’s College of Fine Arts and Communications in Utah. It was there she asked for a volunteer as per her routine, but she ended up getting a lot more than she bargained for!
Enter the ever-enthusiastic Jared Young.
When Salonga selected an audience member, he was called to duty to come up and sing “A Whole New World” with her.
The aspiring singer was quick to take his place beside her.
Young revealed to Yahoo in a statement:
“When she asked the audience for a volunteer… I managed to start screaming ‘LEA, PICK ME!!’ She chose me and I ran onstage out of breath and still a bit shocked at what was about to happen. We bantered a bit about my excitement then she handed me a lyric sheet and we began.”
Much to the delight of both Salonga and the audience, Young surprised them with his beautiful voice, perfectly suited for the role of Aladdin.
In the video, he completely nails the performance, note-for-note and line-for-line.
The video got uploaded to YouTube and helped kickstart Young’s personal theatrical career.
Since it was posted, it’s had over a whopping 14 million views and 157,000 likes! Young’s enthusiasm makes for an epic performance.
In the description of his YouTube upload he shares:
“I dreamt for 20 years of playing Aladdin(also for many years dreamed of performing alongside Lea Salonga) and couldn’t believe my dream was coming true! It was a perfect night.” – DREAM HARD . CHASE HARDER.”
As for Salonga, she doesn’t hesitate to express her thrill at the end of the song for having selected the perfect audience partner.
The audience erupts in a round of applause and cheers, warmly receiving the performance.
One watch you and will see what people are raving about! This inspirational performance reminds us that life is full of opportunities, and forever the magic and wonder that Disney shows us so well.
Check out this amazing duet for yourself in the video below, for Jared Young it truly is “A Whole New World.”
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