By Ed Diokno
The musical Allegiance, which opened just two months ago on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre, has set a closing date for its Broadway run – Feb. 14, 2016.
It’s your time now to experience our story. Join us before February 14! ? https://t.co/Qjv5wNzYgK pic.twitter.com/Z2IxmschCH
— Allegiance Broadway (@allegiancebway) January 6, 2016
In a statement, producers for Allegiance said:
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“Audiences who have experienced Allegiance on Broadway have left the theater transformed, uplifted, enlightened, inspired, informed, and entertained. We remain committed to finding more ways in which the true impact of Allegiance will continue.”
By the time the show closes, it will have played 37 previews and 113 regular performances.
The storyline is partially inspired on the life of actor George Takei (who also stars) and his experience in Japanese American incarceration camps during World War II. Allegiance also stars Tony winner Lea Salonga and Telly Leung, and tells the story of a family uprooted and forced to adapt to a new mode of life demanded by a frightened country which would not dare to accept difference.
Allegiance, according to press notes, “illuminates one of American history’s lesser known chapters as it tells the story of Sam Kimura (Takei), transported back nearly six decades to when his younger self (Leung) and his sister Kei (Salonga) fought to stay connected to their heritage, their family, and themselves after Japanese Americans were wrongfully imprisoned during World War II. An epic story told with great intimacy, Allegiance explores the ties that bind us, the struggle to persevere, and the overwhelming power of forgiveness and, most especially.”
The show features a book by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo, and Lorenzo Thione, and music and lyrics by Kuo. A cast recording of Allegiance will be released Feb. 5 through Broadway Records/Yellow Sound.
The complete cast comprises Takei as Sam Kimura/Ojii San, Salonga as Kei Kimura, Leung as Sammy Kimura, Katie Rose Clarke as Hannah Campbell, Michael K. Lee as Frankie Suzuki, Christopheren Nomura as Tatsuo Kimura and Greg Watanabe as Mike Masaoka with Aaron J. Albano, Belinda Allyn, Marcus Choi, Janelle Dote, Dan Horn, Owen Johnston, Darren Lee, Manna Nichols, Rumi Oyama, Catherine Ricafort, Momoko Sugai, Sam Tanabe, Kevin Munhall, Elena Wang, Scott Watanabe and Tony winner Scott Wise.
(Ed Diokno writes a blog :Views From The Edge: news and analysis from an Asian American perspective.)