Alan Muraoka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alan Muraoka | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Muraoka doing a book reading at the White House in 2023 | |
| Born | August 10, 1962 Mission Hills, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1988–present |
Alan Muraoka (born August 10, 1962) is an American actor. He plays Alan, the current owner of Hooper's Store, on the television show Sesame Street since 1998. He currently serves on the board of directors at the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice, an LGBTQIA safe-space, community activist center, and educational bridge dedicated to honoring Bayard Rustin through their mission and good works.[1]
Muraoka was born on August 10, 1962, in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California. Muraoka's first experience as a performer came at the age of 10, where he appeared as "The Candy Man" at a movie theatre during the intermission of a double feature.[2] According to the biography on his official site, he performed throughout high school where he also had his first experience as a director - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.
Muraoka studied at the Theater Department of UCLA and won the Carol Burnett Musical Theatre Award for performance. While at college, he performed in several Walt Disney World productions during sabbaticals and summer breaks. He received his B.A. in Theatre Arts from UCLA in 1985.
Muraoka then worked with East West Players in Los Angeles, and spent time as a performer on Princess Cruises.
He made his Broadway debut performing six roles in the musical Mail. After Mail opened (and closed, after one month) in 1988, Muraoka remained in New York City.
For the next ten years, Muraoka continued to act in theatrical productions, both on Broadway and in regional and touring productions. Most notably, he was a member of the original cast of Shōgun: The Musical on Broadway and had a long run in the lead role of "The Engineer" in Miss Saigon.
