Back in April, Star Trek legend George Takei debuted a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo for his project, Allegiance.
As previously reported, The musical is described as an “epic’ multi-generational story about Japanese Kimura family (mainly the tale about the brother and sister Sammy and Kei). Their journey will take them from the safety of the rich California heartland to the wastelands of Wyoming and then to the battlefields of Europe.
Sharing details about the upcoming Broadway show, Takei stated:
“I was only a small child in 941 when Pearl Harbor was bombed. But I still remember the gleam of rifle bayonet as two soldiers marched up our driveway and banged on our door, ordering us out of our Los Angeles home. I remember my mother’s tears as she tried to stay strong, even as we took only what we could carry. They herded us like cattle onto train and shipped us over a thousand miles away to the swamps of Arkansas.
“We lost everything: homes, businesses, savings, even beloved family pets. We languished for years behind barbed wire fences as prisoners held without charge, trial, or due process, all for the ‘crime’ of looking like the enemy. It was an injustice of staggering proportions.
“As an actor and an activist, it has been my life’s mission to tell the incredible story of the thousands of fmilies who endured the Japanese American Interment during World War II. The upcoming Broadway musical Allegiance and the Japanese America National Museum are the intersection of my art and activism. Inspired by my life experience and those of internees like me, the show celebrates the triumh of the human spirit in the face of adversity. I consider it my Legacy Project, and I’ve come up with a way for the Japanese American National Museum to be a part of it. But I need your help.”
During its time on the crowdfunding platform, Allegiance successfully secured $447,178 from 22,517 backers. Now, the new musical is scheduled to hit Broadway this fall. Set to hit the stage on October 6th, the tickets for the show will range from $55 to $149.
Starring alongside Takei will be Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon), Telly Leung (Godspell, RENT), Katie Rose Clarke (The Lights in the Piazza), and Michael K. Lee (Jesus Christ Superstar).
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