Allegiance: The Musical

Background
Allegiance is an original American musical, with music and lyrics by Jay Kuo (Insignificant Others), and book by Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione. The cast includes Lea Salonga and George Takei in the principal roles of Gloria Suzuki and Old Sam Omura.
Allegiance tells the story of a Japanese American family, the Omuras, during World War II and the internment.
Summary
Allegiance opens with Old Sam Omura attending the funeral of his sister-in-law, Gloria, who was once married to Sam's older brother, James. Gloria has left behind a manuscript for Sam entitled "Allegiance," which tells the story of the family's experiences during World War II from their home in Salinas, California to their relocation to Heart Mountain camp in Wyoming, where the Omuras lived for four years.
Old Sam, a veteran of WWII, lives alone, long estranged from his family ever since that dark chapter in history. But through Gloria's memoir, Old Sam relives his family's experiences, and he learns that he was mistaken about much of what he presumed true, especially the difficult and painful choices that his brother James and his father Tatsuo made so long ago.
Development
Allegiance held its first developmental reading in Los Angeles in July of 2009. Because of the show's historical backdrop of the Japanese American internment, the first reading was held at the Japanese American National Museum.
The show's first full development reading is scheduled in New York City on February of 2009, and the cast includes Lea Salonga, George Takei, Telly Leung, Allie Trimm, Kevin Gray, Tamlyn Tomita, Michael K. Lee, Paolo Montalban, Philip Hoffman and Sally Wilfert. The reading will be directed by Stafford Arima and music directed and arranged by Lynne Shankel.
Production Plans
Allegiance closed its front money round in late 2009. Following a development period in 2009-10, Allegiance will hold its world premiere in 2011 in an out-of-town production with a . Sing Out, Louise! Productions is the lead producer, with the Charlotte Wilcox company as general manager. The casting is by telsey + co.

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