By J.K. YAMAMOTO, Rafu Staff Writer
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Wish,” which opened in theaters on Nov. 22, has a local angle.
The voice cast includes Jennifer Kumiyama, a singer and disability rights advocate who has a long history with Disney.
The musical comedy, which celebrates the centennial of Disney animation, takes place in Rosas, a fantastical land located off the Iberian Peninsula.
“Our heroine, Asha (Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”), lives in Rosas, known as the kingdom of wishes,” said Chris Buck (“Frozen,” “Frozen II”), who directed the film with Fawn Veerasunthorn (“Raya and the Last Dragon”). “People come from everywhere to give their wishes to a magical king who promises to grant their deepest desires — someday. Only he can decide which wishes will come true and when.”
“We have been inspired by so many iconic films over Disney Animation’s 100 years, especially stories where we explore the power of someone with a wish, combined with the conviction to make that wish come true. Being able to honor that legacy with this incredible story and these amazing characters has been a joy for our entire team,” said Veerasunthorn.
Asha, described as a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force — a little ball of energy called Star. Asha and Star confront a formidable foe — the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico (Chris Pine) — to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous person connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.
The cast includes Alan Tudyk as Asha’s favorite goat, Valentino; Angelique Cabral as Queen Amaya, King Magnifico’s wife; Victor Garber as Sabino, Asha’s 100-year-old grandfather; Natasha Rothwell as Sakina, Asha’s mother; and Kumiyama as Dahlia, Asha’s best friend and the royal baker.
“Wish” premiered on Nov. 8 at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.
Kumiyama was born with a rare condition called arthrogryposis and, like her character, uses a wheelchair. She was crowned Ms. Wheelchair California 2010 and first runner-up for Ms. Wheelchair America 2011. She started her career as a stage singer at Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim from 2002 to 2016, performing four times a day for as many as 8,000 guests a day. She is the owner of The Ms. Wheelchair California Foundation, a leadership and advocacy-based program for women in wheelchairs.
“The ‘Wish’ team reached out to my agent and asked me to audition,” Kumiyama told The Rafu. “The part was not written for me, but it’s such an honor to be a part of the team responsible for bringing Dahlia to life, which includes the amazing team of disability consultants — Vanni Le, Maddy Ullman, Lauren Applebaum and Erica Mones.”
She discussed the signifiance of her first voice-over role: “Having been the first person in a wheelchair to be on any Disney stage in the world in ‘Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular’ at Disney California Adventure theme park, I’ve seen the company take many steps toward representing people with disabilities in their commercials and print ads, through the short ‘Loop’ (Pixar), where the lead character has autism, and recently by casting dancer in a wheelchair Kaylee Bays in ‘Rogers: The Musical’ at the Hyperion Theater.
“There have also been many steps taken within the theme parks to make the experience more accessible for visitors with disabilities — from ASL (American Sign Language) translations for live shows to family restrooms with changing tables in the informaries. These things make a huge difference in people with disabilities’ lives.
“The thing I love about Dahlia is that it’s very clear she has a disability, but it’s not the focus of her character storyline. She’s the town baker and best friend to the lead Asha and plays an integral part in helping Asha and her six friends save the city of Rosas.”
She added, “There is more to our lives, outside of having a disability, that people (society and media) don’t recognize. Disability is so intersectional but we are people first. That’s how we should be represented.”
Kumiyama was cast in a major role in “The Sessions” (2012), a Sundance Film Festival hit and Academy Award-nominated film based on the true story of Mark O’Brien (played by John Hawkes), a poet paralyzed from the neck down, who hires a sex surrogate, Cheryl Cohen-Greene (Helen Hunt), to lose his virginity. Kumiyama plays Carmen, whom Mark is interviewing for his essays about disability and sexuality.
Kumiyama’s other credits include the short film “Forever Beautiful” and the TV series “Popstars 2,” “Awkward,” “Plus This! Show,” and “Celebrity Undercover Boss.” The latter show featured Idina Menzel (“Wicked,” “Frozen”).
In the political arena, Kumiyama previously worked for former Councilwoman, now State Sen. Lena Gonzalez and former Long Beach Mayor, now Congressman Dr. Robert Garcia and is an elected Assembly District 69 delegate in the California Democratic Party. She is currently Long Beach’s citywide ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) coordinator.
Visit her website: www.jenniferkumiyama.org