PALO ALTO — The Palo Alto Players will present the musical “Allegiance” live at the Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto, from April 22 to May 8.

Showtimes: Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. The show will also be streamed on demand from May 5 to 8.

Inspired by the true childhood experience of TV/film actor and social media icon George Takei, who starred in the Broadway production, “Allegiance” tells the story of the Kimura family, whose lives are upended when they are forced to leave their Salinas home following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and join 120,000 other Japanese Americans in internment camps dotted around America.

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.

Book by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione; music and lyrics by Kuo. Directed by Vinh G. Nguyen. Assistant director/choreographer: Nicole Tung. Music director: Benjamin Belew.

The cast includes Ron Munekawa as Sam and Ojii-Chan; Marah Sotelo as Kei Kimura; Jomar Martinez as Sammy Kimura; Bryan Pangilinan as Tatsuo Kimura; Chris Sotelo as Frankie Suzuki; Corinna Laskin as Hannah Campbell; and Doy Charnsupharindr as Mike Masaoka.

Also featured are Ethan Le, Joseph Alvarado, Sharline Liu, Julia Wright, Brandon Gruber, Edmond Kwong, Yoshi Humfeld, Andrew Mo, Mai Abe, Romelo Urbi, Cordelia Larsen, Justin Kerekes and Michael Hirsch.

Age recommendation: 10 and up. In-person tickets: $20-$57. On-demand tickets: $20. Ticket discounts available after Preview Night for seniors, educators, patrons under 30, and active military.

“Allegiance” is supported in part by a grant from the JA Community Foundation.

“Allegiance” will be staged to a live in-person audience, in accordance with the CDC and state and local health officials. Audience members must follow all local and state health and safety requirements at the time of the performance. At this time, Palo Alto Players will follow Santa Clara County’s strong recommendation by requiring attendees to wear a mask in the theater regardless of vaccination status.

Attendees must also show an ID plus proof of full vaccination against COVID-19. Patrons unable to receive the vaccine because of medical condition or strongly held religious belief will be required to show an ID plus proof of a negative COVID test (PCR method) taken within 72 hours of the performance for entry. Note: COVID protocols are subject to change.

Special events taking place during the run of “Allegiance” include:

Preview Night, Friday, April 22: Pick your price. Ticket prices range from $10 to $40.

Opening Night, Saturday, April 23: Enjoy a post-show toast in the outdoor courtyard, free with the purchase of a ticket for that evening’s performance.

Post-show cast talkback on Thursday, April 28. Enrich your experience with the director and the cast following the performance, free with the purchase of a ticket for any performance during the run.

Virtual on-demand: The live performance will be filmed and available for online viewing on-demand from the Palo Alto Players website. $20 to watch anytime from May 5 at 12:01 a.m. through May 8 at 11:59 p.m. PT.  Click on any “Get Tickets” calendar date from May 5 to 8 and choose “Buy On-Demand Access.” On-demand e-tickets will include a link to a password-protected webpage where the video will be screened. On-demand tickets are non-transferrable and cannot be shared.

You can pause, rewind and rewatch the video as many times as you’d like during the specified dates. Closed captioning is available for on-demand viewers.

For more information, call (650) 329-0891, email [email protected] or visit https://paplayers.org.

Articles for you