Christopheren Nomura, Brad Takei and George Takei. Photo by Lia Chang
George Takei and Lorenzo Thione. Photo by Lia Chang
The new American musical Allegiance starring Tony® and Olivier® award winner Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables), “Star Trek” icon George Takei in his Broadway debut at age 78, and Broadway and “Glee” star Telly Leung, played its final performance on Broadway on February 14, 2016.
Lea Salonga and Telly Leung. Photo by Lia Chang
Michael K. Lee and Lea Salonga. Photo by Lia Chang
Michael K. Lee and Telly Leung. Photo by Lia Chang
Telly Leung and Katie Rose Clarke. Photo by Lia Chang
Telly Leung and Katie Rose Clarke. Photo by Lia Chang
Greg Watanabe and Michael K. Lee. Photo by Lia Chang
Performances began at the Longacre Theatre on October 6, 2015 and the production officially opened on November 8, 2015. At the time of its closing, Allegiance played 37 previews and 113 regular performances. By its last performance Allegiance was seen on Broadway by approximately 120,000 people, a number that eerily echoes the number of Japanese Americans who were directly impacted by the events that inspired the musical, and whose rights were trampled in the name of pure fear and intolerance.
Greg Watanabe, Marcus Choi, Lea Salonga, Michael K. Lee and Telly Leung. Photo by Lia Chang
The cast of Allegiance also includes Katie Rose Clarke, Michael K. Lee, Christópheren Nomura and Greg Watanabe, Aaron J. Albano, Belinda Allyn, Marcus Choi, Janelle Toyomi Dote, Dan Horn, Owen Johnston, Darren Lee, Kevin Munhall, Manna Nichols, Rumi Oyama, Shea Renne, Catherine Ricafort, Momoko Sugai, Sam Tanabe, Elena Wang, Scott Watanabe and Scott Wise.
Rocking their ALLEGIANCE onesies! Front Row: Sam Tanabe, Janelle Dote,Telly Leung, Chris Kong; Back Row: Katie Rose Clarke, Aaron J. Albano, Kiku Enomoto, Lorenzo Thione, Elena Wang, Lea Salonga, Belinda Allyn. Photo by Lia Chang
After the final performance, producer Elliott Masie invited me to Southern Hospitality where the closing night party was in full swing, with many of the cast members and creative team cozily sporting their Allegiance onesies. Check out the party photos below.
Matthew Woolf, Marc Acito, Lorenzo Thione, Jay Kuo and Wendy Gillespie. Photo by Lia Chang
Mark Mugiishi, Elliott Masie, Wendy Gillespie and Cathy Masie. Photo by Lia Chang
Producers have announced a national tour and international productions are in the works. For more information, check out Allegiancethemusical.com.
Janelle Dote and Elena Wang. Photo by Lia Chang
Photo by Lia Chang
Scott Watanabe, Darren Lee, Elizabeth Parkinson and her husband Scott Wise, and Lea Salonga. Photo by Lia Chang
The Nomura Clan. Photo by Lia Chang
Scott Watanabe, Michael K. Lee and Telly Leung. Photo by Lia Chang
Telly Leung, James Babcock and Greg Watanabe. Photo by Lia Chang
Telly Leung, Chris Rogers, James Babcock and Katie Rose Clarke. Photo by Lia Chang
Michael K. Lee. Photo by Lia Chang
Michael K. Lee, James Babcock and Lea Salonga. Photo by Lia Chang
Belinda Allyn and Michael K. Lee. Photo by Lia Chang
Scott Watanabe and Darren Lee. Photo by Lia Chang
Greg Watanabe. Photo by Lia Chang
Scott McCreary and Catherine Ricafort. Photo by Lia Chang
Catherine Ricafort. Photo by Lia Chang
Sam Tanabe, Aaron J. Albano, Janelle Dote and Elena Wang. Photo by Lia Chang
Manna Nichols, Aaron J. Albano and Rumi Oyama. Photo by Lia Chang
Momoko Sugai. Photo by Lia Chang
Ishmon Brown and Momoko Sugai. Photo by Lia Chang
Marcus Choi. Photo by Lia Chang
Marcus Choi and Sheridan Mouawad. Photo by Lia Chang
Federico Bertè and Elena Wang. Photo by Lia Chang
Janelle Dote. Photo by Lia Chang
Allen Lucky Weaver and Janelle Dote. Photo by Lia Chang
Lea Salonga, Malan Breton and Telly Leung. Photo by Lia Chang
Marcus Choi, Bobby Pestka, Lea Salonga and Telly Leung. Photo by Lia Chang
Marc Acito, Lorenzo Thione and Jay Kuo. Photo by Lia Chang
Wendy Gillespie, Telly Leung, Anne Safran Dalin, Matthew Woolf and Michael Prince. Photo by Lia Chang
Elliott Masie and Lorenzo Thione. Photo by Lia Chang
Karen Tanz and Wendy Gillespie. Photo by Lia Chang
The Music Team. Photo by Lia Chang
Laura Bergquist, Lynne Shankel, Joe Mowatt, Jeff Saver and Chris Kong. Photo by Lia Chang
Joe Mowatt and Lynne Shankel. Photo by Lia Chang
Telly Leung, Matthew Woolf and Lea Salonga. Photo by Lia Chang
Wendy Gillespie and Cathy Masie Allegiance. Photo by Lia Chang
Manna Nichols, Elliott Masie and Rumi Oyama. Photo by Lia Chang
Lorenzo Thione, Shea Renne, Rumi Oyama, Janelle Dote and Matthew Woolf. Photo by Lia Chang
Michael Wolf and Cody Brian Phelps. Photo by Lia Chang
Laura Heywood. Photo by Lia Chang
Laura Heywood. Photo by Lia Chang and Garth Kravits. Photo by Lia Chang
Joey Mondo. Photo by Lia Chang
Jay Kuo, Wendy Gillespie and Lorenzo Thione. Photo by Lia Chang
Jay Kuo. Photo by Lia Chang
Austin Cooke and Jay Kuo. Photo by Lia Chang
James Babcock, Bobby Pestka, Ilana Kameros and Matthew Woolf. Photo by Lia Chang
Garth Kravits and Jeff Saver. Photo by Lia Chang
Elliott Masie and Michael K. Lee. Photo by Lia Chang
Elliott Masie and Cathy Masie. Photo by Lia Chang
Don Aoki and Telly Leung. Photo by Lia Chang
Brian M. Davis and Rachel Miller Davis. Photo by Lia Chang
Floyd Sklaver and Marc Acito. Photo by Lia Chang
Floyd Sklaver, Marc Acito, Laura Heywood and Garth Kravits. Photo by Lia Chang
Floyd Sklaver, Lorenzo Thione, Michael Prince and Marc Acito. Photo by Lia Chang
The Allegiance original cast album, which features music & lyrics by Jay Kuo, was recorded in December at MSR Studios and can be purchased here.
The recording is produced by Lynne Shankel & Joel Moss for Sing Out, Louise! Productions. Allegiance cast members Lea Salonga, George Takei, Telly Leung, Katie Rose Clarke and Michael K. Lee are joined by the entire company for the studio session, which includes original recordings of tracks such as “Wishes on the Wind,” “What Makes a Man,” “With You,” “Stronger Than Before,” and Salonga’s Act One showstopper “Higher,” among many others.
The Allegiance original cast album, which features music & lyrics by Jay Kuo, was recorded in December at MSR Studios and can be purchased here.
Lia Chang Photography 