East Coast Premiere Of A New Version Of The Broadway Musical
Allegiance
Begins May 4 At The SpeakEasy Stage
From May 4 through June 2, 2018, SpeakEasy Stage will proudly present the East Coast Premiere of a new version of the acclaimed Broadway musical Allegiance.
Inspired by the true childhood experience of TV/film actor and social media icon George Takei (Mr. Sulu on “Star Trek”), Allegiance tells the story of the Kimura family, whose lives are upended when they and 120,000 other Japanese-Americans are forced to leave their homes following the events at Pearl Harbor. Sam Kimura seeks to prove his patriotism by fighting for his country in the war, but sister Kei fiercely protests the government’s treatment of her people. An uplifting testament to the power of the human spirit, Allegiance follows the Kimuras as they fight between duty and defiance, custom and change, family bonds and forbidden loves.
This powerful and timely musical features a book by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo, and Lorenzo Thione, and music and lyrics by Jay Kuo.
SpeakEasy Founder and Producing Artistic Director Paul Daigneault will direct the New England premiere of Allegiance. The artistic team also includes Music Director Matthew Stern and Choreographer Ilyse Robbins.
The cast for this New England Premiere production is Eymard Cabling, Paige Clark, Ron Domingo, Melissa Geerlof, Michael Hisamoto, Elaine Hom, Ryan Mardesich, Gary Thomas Ng, Ben Oehlkers, Isaac Phaman Reynolds, Tyler Simahk, Sam Tanabe, Rachel Wirtz, Micheline Wu, Kendyl Yokoyama, and Grace Yoo.
Allegiance had its first reading at the Japanese American National Museum on July, 13, 2009, starring George Takei. That was quickly followed by two more readings in New York City in 2010, followed by a workshop in San Diego in 2011. The musical premiered in September, 2012 at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre, where it broke box-office records. The musical began previews on Broadway on October 6, 2015, and ran through February 14, 2016. Allegiance was reworked a bit for its West Coast premiere at the East West Players in Los Angeles, where the show concluded a six-week run on April 1, 2018. SpeakEasy Stage is presenting the East Coast Premiere of this new version of the show.
Allegiance will run for five weeks, from May 4 through June 2, 2018, in the Roberts Studio Theatre in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in Boston’s South End.
617.933.8600 or visit www.SpeakEasyStage.com .