I'm excited to introduce you all to Jed Feder for this week's edition of On The Road! Jed is a Colorado native and proud Northwestern Alum. He is currently touring the United States with the first national tour of Disney's hit Broadway musical, Aladdin, where he plays one of Aladdin's loyal sidekicks, Kassim. I hope you enjoy getting to know my new friend!

How long have you been a performer?

When I was 6 years old I started playing guitar. I later got into drumming and acting as well, but it all started at 6!

What was the first show you ever saw that changed your life?

One of the most memorable was The Full Monty when it first opened on Broadway. I was 11 years old (maybe a bit young for the show) but my parents wanted us to see it because it was getting so much buzz. That show, and the crowd that was watching it in its first few weeks of opening, was so electric I couldn’t shake it. The comedy and the realism stuck with me.

Who is the coolest celebrity you’ve ever met at work?

I got the chance to do a show at Arena Stage with Kathleen Turner. She’s so legendary and getting to be around that voice...!

What has been your most memorable moment on tour so far?

This is easy for me. I’ve only been with the tour a few months (I joined in Denver). The week before I was scheduled to make my debut, I got a surprise chance to go on early. It was the night before my put-in rehearsal. My first time doing the show in the costumes with everyone else would be for an audience of 3,000. The moment I will never forget is partway into High Adventure (our big song in the second act with all the sword fighting), right before the big fight sequence we run all the way upstage as the palace set flies in. It’s a giant archway that flies in around us, almost all the lights go down except for spotlights, and you can barely see anything. A moment later we run forward and the fights begin. I remember that moment, the first time I had experienced this light cue, just staring out into the abyss and thinking “ok, here we go.”

Pictured with fellow sidekicks Philippe Arroyo and Zach Bencal.

Do you have any special rituals or moments that happen backstage before or during the show each night?

Lots of fist bumps or moments with people you pass backstage at the same time every show. I’m not very big on rituals, but it’s fun to find those little moments with people.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

Everything. I love getting to play around with these people; I love getting to have fun and tell stories for work. I love meeting kids at the stage door who also want to do stuff like this someday. (I was that kid at the stage door!) My favorite part of my job though is just how passionate it makes me, and how passionate about it everyone else I work with is too.

What is the most challenging part of being an actor on tour?

I miss my Chicago Theatre family dearly: it’s hard to leave that community, even though I have a great community here in Agrabah. I’m also a fairly domestic person: I like to cook and bake and tour life definitely presents a challenge with that. Also it’s hard to be in a different city than my girlfriend but she’s very supportive (Hi Tiffany!).