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Contact: Diane Tanaka
310-222-5709 office

HOLIDAY CLASSIC MUSICAL “A JIVE BOMBER’S CHRISTMAS”
KICKS OFF ITS 2002 RUN AT REDONDO BEACH PLAYHOUSE

November 23 Brings Laughter, Tears And Song Via The Show’s First South Bay Performance

Torrance, Calif. (October 25, 2002) -- “A Jive Bomber’s Christmas,” the critically acclaimed musical set during World War II when 120,000 Japanese Americans were unjustifiably incarcerated by the U.S. government, debuts to South Bay audiences at 7 p.m. on November 23, 2002 at the Redondo Beach Playhouse. Sponsored by the Go For Broke Educational Foundation, “A Jive Bomber’s Christmas” was co-written and co-directed by Saachiko and Dom Magwili and has become a holiday classic.

Bringing together period music from the 1940s and original songs, “A Jive Bomber’s Christmas” takes the audience to a cold, desolate desert to an American concentration camp where a young woman’s brother goes off to join the 442nd Regimental Combat Team (RCT). His earnest sister promises to do what she can to keep the other inmates’ spirits up for the nearing Christmas holiday. She meets resistance at every turn as the despair of their situation and their own political differences come into play. When a slick zootsuiter nicknamed “The Jive Bomber” suggests having a Christmas dance, the plot thickens.

Premiered in 1993, the production, through word-of-mouth, cultivated a following each succeeding year. The musical has proved to be so popular that a road company made up of original cast members have toured as faraway as Hawai`i, Las Vegas, and Seattle.

Additionally, the musical touches on the heroism of the men of the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd RCT, many of whom, despite being forcibly relocated to American concentration camps, served in the U.S. Army to become the most decorated unit in terms of their size and length of service.

Co-producer Saachiko Magwili created this story to ensure the public is educated. “A Jive Bomber’s Christmas breaks down a period of U.S. history that many people today do not know – it’s truly a story worth remembering.” She added, “The 120,000 Japanese Americans, and especially the thousands of soldiers who fought for their country, endured much hardship and loss during this time, how they survived and overcame is astounding.”

“A Jive Bomber’s Christmas’” cast includes three South Bay residents, Helen Ota, Aaron Takahashi, and Kurt Kuniyoshi making it especially special to be performing the show in their backyard. In this production, Ota plays Kei Aragaki, the sister of 442nd RCT soldier Hideo. She joined the cast in 2001 as characters Alice Nishi and Hanna Yamada. Ota, a graduate of North High School, still resides in Torrance and currently works at the Go For Broke Educational Foundation also located in Torrance. Takahashi is also a North Torrance High School alumni and been a cast member since 2000, playing the roles of Glenn Shibata and Arnold. His father’s family was uprooted from their home to be put into a concentration camp during WWII. Kuniyoshi is new to the South Bay and has been involved with the production since 1997, joining the performing cast as Jackson “The Jive Bomber” Omata in 2000. Other cast members include: David Iwataki, Casey Kono, Katherine Nakano, and Michael Palma.

This performance of “A Jive Bomber’s Christmas” is funded by the State of California, California Arts Council. Advanced reservations are required. General admission tickets are $17. Go For Broke Educational Foundation member, senior, and student tickets are $15 with valid I.D. For tickets or more information, please call 310-222-5711. (A Sunday matinee show on November 24 at 2 p.m. may be added if this performance is sold out.)

The Go For Broke Educational Foundation institutes educational programs focused on the heroism and history of the Japanese American soldiers of World War II, as well as the Japanese American internment and civil liberties issues raised by those events. Currently the Foundation’s programs include An American Story teacher training workshops and curriculum development, Hanashi: Voice of the Nisei Soldier oral history program, and select media projects, including producing “A Tradition of Honor” documentary. For information, go to www.goforbroke.org.

In 1989 Japanese American World War II veterans established the 100th/442nd/MIS WWII Memorial Foundation to build the Go For Broke Monument as an eternal tribute to the heroics of the segregated Japanese American units: 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team, MIS (Military Intelligence Service) and the many other men and women who served overseas during World War II. The monument is located in downtown Los Angeles at Temple and Alameda streets.

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