“I’m still learning how to be fabulous y’all, bear with me,” Dara Reneé writes front and center on her Instagram page (with its 306,000 followers) in a playful way that captures her rising-star energy perfectly. Fans in the Washington area will soon get to see that spirit live when Disney’s Descendants/Zombies: Worlds Collide Tour arrives at Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena this week.
The arena spectacle brings together beloved stars from Disney’s blockbuster Descendants and ZOMBIES franchises for a night of chart-topping hits, dazzling choreography, and behind-the-scenes fun. For Reneé—best known as Kourtney in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and Uliana in Descendants: The Rise of Red—the show is as much about the message as the music. “I feel like Descendants has a great message, which is don’t judge a book by its cover. Continue to be yourself, love yourself, have patience with yourself,” she said.
The Cast of Descendants/Zombies: Worlds Collide Tour (courtesy Disney concerts)
The Worlds Collide Tour is billed as an immersive arena experience, with blockbuster staging and hit songs from Disney’s beloved franchises—including “Rotten to the Core,” “Do It Like the Zombies Do,” and Reneé’s own original single, “Imma Do It.” For Reneé, performing live has been both exhilarating and eye-opening. “Touring life is kind of insane—going from city to city every day,” she said with a laugh. “But it’s so much fun. It’s like college on the road because I get to be with my best friends.”
While the spotlight is on stage, Reneé’s connection to the region runs deeper than performance. The Baltimore native often spends time in Washington, D.C., where her godmother lives. “I love the Smithsonian, and I go to the African American Museum all the time,” she said. “It’s such an important outlet for me and so many people who look like me. I definitely think we need more funding behind it because it means so much to the community.”
Courtesy of Disney Concerts
When the tour brings her back to Maryland, aviator gameReneé is planning to celebrate in her own style: “Actually, me and my family are throwing the cast and crew a big old cookout,” she revealed with a smile. “I’m inviting all of my old students that I taught. And yeah, we’re doing a cookout and then maybe walk around the harbor, get some crabs at Captain James—get some good.”
Beyond her onstage success, Reneé has long been an advocate for the arts. She co-founded Encouraging Youth to Dream, a performing arts studio designed to empower young people to pursue their passions. “We wanted to create a safe space for kids to know that anything is possible—whether you want to be a doctor, a singer, or a lawyer,” she explained.
The Cast of Descendants/Zombies: Worlds Collide Tour (courtesy Disney concerts)
As the tour crisscrosses North America, Reneé is already looking toward future creative challenges. “I’d love to work with a Jordan Peele or a Ryan Murphy on a psychological thriller,” she said. “I feel like people know me for comedy, but I’d love the world to see another side of me.”
Descendants/Zombies: Worlds Collide Tour, on Wed., August 27, 2025 at CFG Bank Arena, Baltimore, MD. Tickets available at www.DescendantsZombiesTour.com
