~:[CH5 - Day 347]:~ PHOod for the Soul

~:[CH5 - Day 347]:~ PHOod for the Soul

I've been waiting this day for awhile. As I sat down with an alumni for a brunch bowl of pho, I enjoyed the little bit of leisure time in what would be an exhausting day. However, for that moment, I soaked in the environment in a place that is so comfortable and familiar and keeps me at ease. As I rushed back to my hectic day, I lectured, did some paperwork, moved supplies, mailed out items and picked things up in a matter of hours. I stopped off to watch the Middle School XC Championships, stopped off at TapEx to pick some stuff up before meeting up with everyone to watch Allegiance. While the bowl of pho is and always be a moment I can sit back, relax and enjoy, it was not the moment I was waiting for. As the day quickly turned to night as the number of hours in the day grew shorter, I arrived at the block to catch Allegiance. It was eleven months ago when I was introduced to this musical and it has quickly become my favorite. Within a few weeks, I caught the show again, sadly before it closed on Broadway. I could not comprehend how a show this fabulous with great reviews could close, but it did and left me with a void. I had something great to incorporate into my internment lesson, but sadly, I could not say, go watch this. Today, I could. Across the country, a recorded version of this musical was provided to the population to experience this powerful message. It was even better than I could have expected. I think one of the most impressive things about this musical is that the cast is so engaged and invested in the story. When someone believes so deeply in the performance that they are in, it makes the performance so much better and this for sure, fit the bill. From the reminder of how racism can change lives forever, the impact that life decisions has, and simply in the fragility of life and death, Allegiance hits every emotion you could image so quickly. It helps that I have a cultural connection to the story, but this story is not simply for people of Japanese decent, as it's a message that we all need to hear. As I think back to the moment this morning when I was sitting with my bowl of pho, I couldn't help to think that today was filled with food for the soul, from that very bowl to the ability to have one more opportunity to experience something so wonderful and amazing that is known as Allegiance. Thank you to all those involved in bringing this production to the masses, as it truly has been a magical ride each time I've seen it and just the right food I needed for my soul.

Thank you for this magical experience Janelle Dote​ Lea Salonga​ George Takei​ Jay Kuo​ Stafford Arima​ Lynne Shankel​ Telly Leung​ Katie Rose Clark Darren Lee Scott Wise​ Scott Watanabe​ Elena Wang​ Sam Tatsuo Tanabe​ Momoko Sugai​ Shea Renne​ Rumi Oyama​ Manna Nichols​ Michael K. Lee​ Owen Johnston II​ Dan Horn​ Marcus Choi​ Belinda Allyn​ Aaron Albano​ Greg Watanabe​ Chris Nomura​. I saw a theater full of people sit all the way to the end in amazement of so many experiences and stories wrapped up in this one story, a story which many never told and many others never heard, well, that is until today.