Allegiance coming to Broadway — Page 4

VintageSnarker said: "Not to derail this thread (I'd send you a PM if I could)... but I went to high school in the aughts in New York. I distinctly remember being taken to a museum or exhibit on Japanese internment camps but it can't have been in high school because it doesn't make sense with the curriculum. My AP US History class was a joke but that's a conversation for another day.

Anyway, I agree that it's important that the subject be discussed in schools and perhaps Allegiance will help bring the stories of the real people back into the light."

(Moving the other conversation to this thread. I also forgot I disabled everything when creating this account :) )

I also took AP American History and assumed (now) that the subject matter is more appropriate for the high school age bracket. It's an uncomfortable subject just like the American slaughter of native tribes and slavery practice. But I don't remember what we were taught in middle school either, so in any case, I was just disappointed (much after the fact) that there was no dialogue in my corner of the world.

One reason why I really like the third documentary video is that it points out how dangerous (negative) the description "a musical about the Japanese-American internment" is. That's exactly my concern about how to get the tourists to see it, though having two really big names probably will help a lot. A family drama that happens to take place in that setting is going to be easier to swallow, I imagine, with the expectation of a happy if bittersweet ending.

The insane part is that Japanese Americans who lived in Hawaii were conveniently not interred, because they were much more than a handful of the populace.

Call_me_jorge said: "To the person talking about their American history class. In Illinois where I live they have adjusted the curriculum to decrease the amount of time we talk/learn about slavery, the genocide of native Americans, and internment camps under the assumption that it makes America look bad. That is the worse reason ever, but that's what my apush teacher told us the first day.

"

Seriously? That's something Texas would do/has done. I wouldn't have expected Illinois.

Because ignorance sure makes Americans look GOOD to the rest of the world and even amongst ourselves. I hate people.

trentsketch said: "The internment camps are too immediate and too American to fit into a critical reading of US policy just yet. Time will let the story open up more. It's, sadly, just the way things are.
"

That's what I thought too. You're right about the time lapse required to even get a disturbing cultural topic on the reading list; human psychology, I suppose.

What struck me about the little marketing meeting in video 3 was the Director of Audience Engagement (didn't know that was a thing) stating that there has never been any other approach to this subject matter in the entertainment industry: no films, no TV shows. I hadn't even thought about that, yet it's not surprising at all. There have been historical documentaries, certainly, but nothing like this that attempts to bring such a story in a dramatized fashion to the public.

Someone in a Tree2 said: "There WAS the film adoption of the terrific novel SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS. Few went to see it, and the internment period was only depicted briefly, but it was certainly the crux of that story.

"

Oh, you're right. I've heard of that one too, what the heck.

Keiichi2 said: " There have been historical documentaries, certainly, but nothing like this that attempts to bring such a story in a dramatized fashion to the public.

There is a little known movie from 1990 called Come See the Paradise, starring Dennis Quaid, who gets a job at a Japanese movie theater in Los Angeles in 1936. He falls in love with the boss' daughter, and they marry, but when the war breaks out, they are separated, and the film deals with his wife and her family being placed in the camp, while he has to raise their child on his own.

There's a great scene where Quaid takes his kid to a Mall Santa, and the Santa won't talk to the kid because he is Japanese, and Quaid demands that he listen to what his kid wants for Christmas.

"

Thanks for that. I think I would've been to young to appreciate a dramatic film like that in 1990, but now's a good time to prepare for the musical's opening!

Part 4 of the documentary is up:

https://www.facebook.com/georgehtakei/videos/vl.1229516840407094/1365793190116797/?type=1

On a side note, I wonder how Takei's voice will hold up. I was reading an article about Allegiance's record-breaking run at the Old Globe Theater, and apparently he about lost his voice after a combination of the 7-week run and publicity appearances. No doubt he'll have plenty of publicity appearances for the Broadway run too.

Lea Salonga has an understudy, so I wonder if he will too, but it looks like both he and Lea are above-title. Hopefully his health will hold up for the grueling (especially holiday) schedule.

I have so many Japanese-American friends, who would love to see this musical. They cannot tell you how much it means to them that this part of American history is going to educate some/many in the Broadway community and beyond. I really hope the production does well (and that it tours to the west coast, where my friends and I are located). The family of a friend were interned at the site of the Santa Anita racetrack (for horses) in California. Just imagine living in a place meant for animals. The camps were often placed in the middle of deserts, hot, sandy, with armed guards posted outside of camps with barb-wire surrounding them. The living conditions were very difficult, with freezing cold winters, and poor medical care.

Those Japanese-Americans who were interned felt a combination of fear, anger, betrayal, and shame (of their own ancestry). They were treated like criminals, all without any legal process preserving their civil rights. Yet, many of the young Japanese-American men served in the U.S. military during WWII. I'm sure this musical will cover some of the mixed feelings that Japanese-Americans felt while in the camps, including the feeling of those young men who fought for the U.S., some giving their lives while serving their country, while their families were imprisoned and treated like the enemy in this same country.

I adore Lea Salonga. They are so lucky to have her. My family are fans of George Takei and Star Trek. With his name visibility and with Lea's, I hope many come to see the production. What I have heard of the music is impressive. Also, if any are interested, there was a film in 1976 based on a book called "Farewell to Manzanar." I think this is the earliest film that was made about how the Japanese-Americans were treated. The book was commonly read and highly regarded by many people whose families were interned (the author wrote of her own personal experience being in an internment camp). I remember reading the book, and feeling deeply touched.

Updated On: 9/20/15 at 07:30 PM

RippedMan said: "They're all going to have understudies. That's standard procedure. I mean, hell, Hugh Jackman had an understudy.

"

Isn't it more likely that a show would go dark when Jackman is out? That's for pre-planned, though; apparently the Allegiance team expects Salonga's understudy to go up for some planned absences.

I suppose I'm thinking more of a stand-by situation if Takei loses his voice after a couple months and needs vocal rest. Since he's above-title, hopefully that won't mean a big refund line.

Meanwhile, after listening to some of Telly Leung's singing bits, his voice/vocal style just isn't for me. I'm curious who his understudy is.

"Already missed a chance to see it when it was in San Diego a few years back..."

Hi haterobics. Yes, I know. I could kick myself for missing it at the Old Globe Theatre! Hoping I get a second chance! LizzieCurry, I'm glad you read the book too. One of my friend's grandparents were interned, and since I used to visit their home a lot, I had talks with her mom about her mother's experience. She was just a little girl, and had no idea why armed military officers made them leave their home and most of their possessions to take them to a "camp," surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards.

Updated On: 9/21/15 at 10:30 PM

Hi ChiTheaterFan. You're welcome. I hope you have a chance to see the musical (after you read the book...). I could see why that lesson would stick with you. I'm glad your teacher felt it was important to reflect on some of the times our government made mistakes.

I would love to hear your views if you see it, ChiTheaterFan!

Sorry you missed it because of circumstances, haterobics.