Screenings of the Broadway Musical Also Scheduled for Hawai‘i
Veteran actor and civil rights activist George Takei will honor veterans of the 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team at a special program on Saturday, Nov. 4, at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i. Takei will be joined by cast members from the Broadway musical, “Allegiance,” and Hawai‘i community leaders. The event is free, although tickets are required for admission. They can be obtained by signing up at AllegianceMusical.Eventbrite.com
Takei’s Hawai‘i visit marks the return of “Allegiance” to movie theaters across the U.S. for a special screening on Thursday, Dec. 7, and additional days in Honolulu, Hawai‘i island and Maui. In Honolulu, it will be screened at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 7 at the Regal Dole Cannery Theatre.
The program at the JCCH is themed “Go For Broke,” which became the motto and rallying cry of the 442nd in World War II. The 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans, Sons and Daughters of the 442nd, Go for Broke National Education Center and the Nisei Veterans Legacy will also be honored. The ‘Iolani School choir will perform, as will Elena Wang, who was in the cast of the Broadway production and will also be in the cast of the upcoming Los Angeles production.
Takei, who stars in the musical, will also deliver a talk and participate in a panel with Lorenzo Thione, lead producer and co-writer of “Allegiance.” JCCH president and executive director Carole Hayashino will moderate the discussion. The program will culminate in the presentation of a commemorative gift to each of the veterans organizations.
“Allegiance” was inspired by Takei’s real-life experience and tells the story of one family’s extraordinary journey during a troubling time when America was at war.
In the play, a mysterious envelope takes “Sam Kimura” (Takei, played as a young man by Telly Leung of “Godspell” and “Glee” fame) back 60 years to a time when he and his sister “Kei” (played by Tony Award-winner Lea Salonga of “Miss Saigon” and “Mulan”) tried to save their family from the wrongful imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II. While Sam enlists in the Army to prove his family’s loyalty, Kei joins draft resisters fighting for the rights of their people. Their paths take them from the lush farmlands of California to the wastelands of Wyoming, to the battlefields of Europe as their divided loyalties threaten to tear them apart forever. But as long-lost memories are relived and a new perspective is gained, Sam finds that it is never too late to forgive and experience the redemptive power of love.
The return of “Allegiance” to cinemas commemorates the Pearl Harbor attack. It also marks the conclusion of the 75th anniversary commemoration of America’s entry into World War II.
The Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m. screening at Dole Cannery Theater will also include footage of Takei’s return to the site in Hawai‘i where U.S. history was forever changed, along with new cast interviews and footage. Screenings of “Allegiance” have also been scheduled for the neighbor islands. The theaters and dates are listed below. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.AllegianceMusical.com or at participating movie theater box offices.
“At a time when the ugly echoes of fear and racial prejudice once again grow louder with each passing day, remembering our past history becomes critical,” George Takei said. “Pearl Harbor and World War II put our country to the test, and while we as a nation rose up to the challenge and fought our enemies abroad, sadly, we also turned against our own at home and inflicted on our fellow citizens an injustice that should never be forgotten. It fills me with great pride that ‘Allegiance’ can act as a powerful reminder for audiences across America and help them experience and feel first-person the devastating impact that the internment had on families like mine, who lost everything for no crime but that of looking like the enemy who had attacked us.”
The following theaters will host additional screenings of “Allegiance” on Dec. 7, 9, 11 and 12. Tickets can be purchased at allegiancemusical.com.
Maui Mall Megaplex 12 (Kahului)
Makalapua Stadium 10 (Kailua-Kona)
Prince Kuhio 9 (Hilo)
Dole Cannery 18 with IMAX (Honolulu)
Pearl Highlands Stadium 12 (Pearl City)
Windward Stadium 10 (Kane‘ohe)
