Allegiance - A New American Musical

Tickets and Information

Powerful, Emotional, Very Strong Cast
I was honored on May 12, 2010 to win an invitation to the SF investor's preview. I have been looking forward to seeing the final product since then, and finally had the chance 10/20/2012, flying down especially for the show. A few key plot items have changed, mostly for the better. The production is superb, the tech adds a lot to the emotional impact, Telly Leung is outstanding in a very demanding role, Paolo Montalban does not get nearly enough credit for his portrayal as the smarmy Mike Matsaoka, and Paul Nakauchi brings out the understated strength of Tatsuo Kimura. George Takei totally nails his two characters, and Lea Salonga is epic as Kei. The chemistry between the leads is unmistakable. On the down side, the orchestra was too loud, and the show bogs down in the last three scenes. Also, I was disappointed in how few of the cast were Japanese or Japanese-American. One thing I found charming is after all her stage triumphs, you would think Lea Salonga wouldn't be embarrassed any more by a very loud and long standing ovation, which she richly deserved.

Reviewed by howeird on Sunday, Oct 21st, 2012

Allegiance
We attended the Sunday afternoon performance with our two daughters and son-in-law. It was such a wonderful experience. We cried as well as laughed. We were only seven when we experienced friends being removed to internment camps and it left a lasting impression on us. It was good when many of the families returned to our communities, but no one ever talked much about the terrific stress the internment camp experience placed on family and friends. Since then some writers have given us insights into this tragedy, but Allegiance does such a great job of confronting us with the heart wrenching life we forced on all these people. Thank you so much for bringing this to us. It was well worth the 5 hour drive from the San Joaquin Valley for us as well as our children. Edward and Joyce Bergtholdt

Reviewed by ejberg on Sunday, Oct 21st, 2012