A WHOLE NEW WORLD
Graeme’s dream role in Aladdin
For singing star Graeme Isaako, 2019 is going to be a huge year. Not only is he set to star as Aladdin in the spectacular stage show, which will bring him home to New Zealand, but he and his wife Rea are also expecting their second child in March.
Based in Sydney, Australia, Graeme (29) admits that life in the Isaako household is pretty hectic thanks to 14-month-old son Soul, plus a baby girl on the way. But he and Rea (25) wouldn’t have it any other way.
The couple decided right from the start that Rea would travel with Graeme for any contracts that lasted more than three weeks.
“They’re always going to come with me. I find I’m a lot more stable that way,” says Graeme. “The show is so intense – it’s great, but by the time you finish you just want to come home and have some aroha. They really do ground me. I’m very blessed to have them travel with me.”
When Aladdin hits our shores in January, Rea and Soul will also get to spend some time with Graeme’s beloved nana, Saimisa (81), who lives in Auckland in the same house that Graeme spent a lot of time during the first years of his life.
“We pretty much lived here. My mother is the youngest of nine kids. Almost all of them have three to five kids, so I have, easily, 45 first cousins just from Mum’s line. All the kids would be in the back room – we cycled through. I was one of the last.”
Graeme has fond memories of the time they spent with Saimisa. “Her home was always full of music and prayer. Honestly, one of my greatest memories is just sitting by the piano with my nana.
“After church on a Sunday or during the week, we’d just play. I don’t think Nana actually learned. She just played by ear. We’d be bouncing off each other and those melodies just stayed in my heart.”
Saimisa says that Graeme was always a star. “With my children, the only place they sang was in church or Sunday school. My oldest daughter was the only one who took up the piano. All of my children liked singing, but they don’t sing like Graeme.”
Graeme honed his vocal skills in Australia, where he has lived for the last 21 years. He says his mother Jone Purcell (53), who raised him, his brother Paul (35) and sister Leevonia (37) as a single mum, spent countless hours ferrying him to all of his singing and dancing lessons.
“We would catch a bus to the station, then catch a train, then she’d walk me to my lessons and wait around until I finished. It was epic.”
He landed the role of Oliver aged 11, and from then on knew that he wanted to have a career on the stage. “Even now when I step backstage at Aladdin, there’s so much going on – the lighting and the technicians and the props crew. Imagine that at 11; it was exhilarating! I’ve always loved that feeling. I thrive on it.”
After finishing high school, Graeme completed a year-long performing arts course, then went straight onto the TV show So You Think You Can Dance. The series screened in New Zealand and Saimisa tuned in every week, her lounge packed with other family members.
“From there, I was able to find opportunities everywhere,” says Graeme. He went on to play Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, then was the understudy for Simba in The Lion King. He says Aladdin is a dream role for him, with the added advantage of bringing him to New Zealand.
While she loved seeing him on TV, Saimisa simply can’t wait to see her grandson perform live in January. “I’m looking forward to seeing him. He’s a very good boy. I love him and I’m so proud.”