BWW Previews: GEORGE TAKEI Brings Unique Wit And Wisdom To The McCallum Theatre

The McCallum Theatre presents An Evening with George Takei on Saturday, November 19, at 8:00pm. With a career spanning five decades, George Takei is known around the world for his founding role in the acclaimed television series "Star Trek," in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise. But George Takei's story goes where few stories have gone before. From a childhood spent with his family imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp during WWII, to becoming one of the country's leading figures in the fight for social justice, LGBTQ rights, and marriage equality, George Takei remains a powerful voice on issues from politics to pop culture.

In 2012, Mashable.com named George the #1 most influential person on Facebook, with more than 8 million "Likes" and more than 1.46 million followers on Twitter. Today, George's growing online popularity is closing in on 10 million Facebook "Likes" and 1.8 million Twitter followers.

George hosts the AARP-produced YouTube series "Takei's Take" where he explores the world of technology, trends, current events and pop culture, and is the subject of "To Be Takei" (2014), a documentary on his life and career which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to audience and critical acclaim.

On his own YouTube channel, George and his husband Brad bring viewers into their personal life in the "heightened reality" webseries "It Takes Two." George's on-camera television credits include guest appearances on "The Big Bang Theory," "3rd Rock from the Sun," "Will & Grace," "Hawaii Five-0," "The New Normal," "Supah Ninjas," "Malcolm in the Middle," "Scrubs," "Miami Vice," "The Six Million Dollar Man," "Mission: Impossible," and many others.

In 2015, George made his Broadway debut with the premiere of his first musical, Allegiance. Inspired by his true-life experience, Allegiance - A New American Musical, is an epic story of love, family and heroism during the Japanese American internment.It's one family's journey into an untold American story of forgiveness, joy and the redemptive power of love. Allegiance premiered at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in 2012 to a packed house and its run was extended - twice!

In addition to a busy acting career, George regularly appears on Howard Stern's Sirius XM satellite radio show. He has also brought his voiceover talent to hundreds of characters in film, television, video games and commercials. In film George voiced characters in such movies as Mulan, Mulan II; Batman Beyond: The Movie; Free Birds and Larry Crowne. He has voiced characters for animated series including "The Simpsons," "Transformers: Animated," "Kim Possible," "Futurama," "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "Spider-Man," "The Smurfs," and "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."

Adding to his resume, George provided narration on many projects, including the 2009 PBS series "The National Parks: America's Best Idea;" the 2006 Peabody Award-winning radio documentary "Crossing East" centered on the history of Asian American immigration to the United States and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home which garnered George a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album.

George is also an accomplished author, having co-written the science fiction novel Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe with Robert Asprin, and published his autobiography To the Stars. He authored Lions and Tigers and Bears: The Internet Strikes Back and Oh Myyy! There Goes the Internet which reached #10 on the New York Times e-book nonfiction list.

George is a passionate advocate for social justice. He served as the spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign "Coming Out Project," and was the Cultural Affairs Chairman of the Japanese American Citizens League. He is Chairman Emeritus and a Trustee of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. He was appointed to the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission by former President Clinton. The government of Japan awarded George the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, for his contribution to U.S.-Japanese relations, conferred by His Majesty, Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. In 2007, Asteroid 7307 Takei (located between Mars and Jupiter) was named in his honor in appreciation for his social work.

With eloquence and signature wit, George shares the story of his family's interment as Japanese Americans during WWII. He also takes audiences through his rise to celebrity as a Sci-fi icon, his journey as social media mega power and his passionate fight as a community activist for LGBTQ rights and marriage equality - empowering others to beat the odds and make a difference.

Tickets for the performance of An Evening with George Takei on Saturday, November 19, at 8:00pm are priced at $97, $77, $57 and $37. Tickets are available at the Theatre's website at www.mccallumtheatre.com or by calling the McCallum Theatre Box Office at (760) 340-ARTS.

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