Review: ALLEGIANCE Makes Its Los Angeles Premiere at JACC
By: Don Grigware Mar. 01, 2018
Allegiance - A New Musical Inspired by a True Story/book by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo, and Lorenzo Thione/music and lyrics by Jay Kuo/directed by Snehal Desai/Aratani Theatre at Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC)/through April 1
Focusing on one of the most devastatingly controversial periods in history after Pearl Harbor in the early 1940s, Allegiance portrays Japanese Americans, loyal to the US, who were forced out of their homes and relocated to centers akin to concentration camps. Treated like animals with little food, water or medications, somehow through the grace of strong will many of them toughed it out. Currently on stage at JACCC in its Los Angeles premiere, Allegiance has a fairly sturdy book and some fine uplifting music, but is not without its flaws.
The first act of a musical is always the most difficult to swallow. In this case, the setup of plot and characters takes almost 90 minutes. What is worse, the message of freedom is pounded and hammered into audience's heads over and over. We understand the impossible circumstances for the Japanese minority and sympathize, but do not have to be reminded every five seconds that they were suffering. I was reminded of Ragtime the Musical, also about a minority betrayed by our great nation. It had a realistic way of telling the story as it happened without pushing the limits and a magnificent almost operatic score. Allegiance has some nice tunes that move the story forward, but you will not leave the theatre humming any of them. Allegiance does have its good and powerful moments, especially in act two, but lacks the calibre of a great musical.
Under Snehal Desai's evenly paced direction, Allegiance boasts a fine cast headed by George Takei in two roles. The play opens in San Francisco in 2001 and then flashes back to 1941-45. In 2001 the aged Sam Kimura is played by Takei. In the flashbacks he essays the role of the Kimura family's grandfather Ojii-chan. Old Sam Kimura learns of his sister Kei's death (Elena Wang). Not only does 50 years of separation leave him emotionless, but we learn that after he went to war to defend the loyalty of the Japanese Americans - the young Sammy is played winningly by Ethan Le Phong - Kei's boyfriend Frankie Suzuki (Eymard Cabling) refused to join in and was arrested for evading the draft. He had also left Kei pregnant. Other characters that play into the drama are Hannah Campbell (Natalie Holt MacDonald), an American nurse who with limited supplies does her best to help an overabundance of patients. She has broken the rules and hopelessly fallen in love with young Sammy. Tragedy looms large for the couple. Hannah is fatally shot in trying to defend Frankie. Alas, the older Sam, who could never please his father (Scott Watanabe), is devastated by his loyal efforts, Hannah's loss, and does not wish to mourn his sister's death. Throughout the period of the 40s America is represented by one private at arms who handles all the policing (a strong Jordan Goodsell).
As I mentioned above the entire 15 member cast do splendid work with their acting, singing and dancing. As a chorus, they sound terrific. Choreographer Rumi Oyama does nice work putting the cast through some fast and furious moves. Se Hyun Oh's scenic design is adequate, as are Halei Parker's costumes. Nice projection work from Adam Flemming, who puts his projections in several places across the stage. One very strange element is the use of box-like shapes that float down consistently. One side of each is used for projections, but why these curious shapes? Do they symbolize something in the Japanese culture? Very disconcerting!
In spite of the flaws, see Allegiance and support JACC through April 1! There is a nice feel-good emotional ending that makes it all worthwhile, and of course, you'll enjoy the performances.
(Photo Credit: Michael Lamont)
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