About the Show

Allegiance is an epic story of love, war and heroism set during the Japanese American internment of World War II, following the story of the Kimura family in the weeks and years following Pearl Harbor, as they are relocated from their farm in Salinas, California to the Heart Mountain internment camp in the rural plains of Wyoming.

Their story reflects the deep conflicts of a nation and a people divided, as younger brother Sammy strives to prove his loyalty and patriotism, while older sister Keiko comes to resist their internment and treatment by the government. The Kimura’s conflicts mirror the larger rift between the Japanese American Citizens League, which urged cooperation with the internment and unwavering loyalty to America, and the draft resisters of Heart Mountain, who steadfastly refused to serve a country that had put them in concentration camps. This universal story sheds new light upon a dark, under-explored, and wrenching chapter of American history. Through the remembrances of Old Sam, the painful past is revisited, and at long last, redemption and understanding begin to heal decades-old wounds.

Allegiance sheds new light upon a dark chapter of American history. One of the first Asian musicals in more than a decade, with a stunning and moving score, Allegiance connects the audience with universal themes of love, family and redemption.

Allegiance had its World Preview at The Old Globe theater in California in 2012, one of the largest and highly-respected regional theaters for development of new musicals in California and in the United States.

Source: http://www.allegiancemusical.com/show

“Star Trek” icons Leonard Nimoy & George Takei together again after performance of “Allegiance”

Star Trek icon George Takei is currently spending his days at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego as one of the stars of the musical Allegiance which he hopes to take to Broadway.

The musical is about the internment of Americans of Japanese descent during World War II resonates deeply because it is something Takei and his family had to live through.

Over the weekend, Takei posted a photo of himself with his former Star Trek co-star Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock) who caught a performance of the show.

Both of these guys still look terrific!

Source: GregInHollywood

Artist Cindy Sherman was toasted by friends at Super Linda in TriBeCa Friday night. Stars including Michael Stipe, Chuck Close, E lliott Gould, Dakota Jackson and Leonard Nimoy turned out to celebrate Sherman, whose MoMA show drew raves.

Source: New York Post

“8”

Star-studded “8” the play raises $2 million at L.A. premiere, attracts global audience online starring a stellar cast led by Brad Pitt and George Clooney, was a big hit, raising more than $2 million for the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER).

More than 1,000 people crammed into the sold-out Wilshire Ebell Theatre, including celebrities Barbra Streisand, Sally Field, Leonard Nimoy, Kyra Sedgwick, Sofia Vergara, Eric Stonestreet, Christopher Guest, Toni Collette, Olivia Wilde, Ty Burrell, Julie Bowen, Toni Collette and Stacy Keibler. Also seen in the audience were Lt. Gov. Gavin Newson, openly gay Ambassador James C. Hormel and California State Assembly Speaker John A. Perez.

The reading was streamed live on YouTube, attracting more than 250,000 viewers around the world. AFER and Broadway Impact produced the reading, and Bryan Singer, director of “The Usual Suspects” and “X-Men,” was the presenting sponsor.

Source: San Diego Gay and Lesbian News

Star Trek reunited: William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy make a rare appearance after trading barbs on Twitter

Their characters Captain Kirk and Spock infamously teamed up to explore strange new worlds on Star Trek.

But William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy are rarely spotted together these days and spend much of their time sparring through their Twitter accounts.

So it was a treat for sci-fi fans to see the actors in each other's company at Vancouver airport this weekend, after appearing at a Star Trek convention.

At 79-years-old, the actors looked a far cry from the intrepid space explorers of their youth as they walked through the Canadian airport after the fan event.

Both were casually dressed, with Shatner sporting sunglasses and a cream trilby and a tired-looking Nimoy wearing a baseball cap and specs.

Although the actors are now good friends, they weren’t always so pally when the Star Trek TV show first started in the 1960s.

However, in later years, the pair's relationship changed, with Nimoy telling the Los Angeles Times: ‘We've always been like two competitive siblings.’

The actors regularly use their Twitter accounts to make digs at each other.

Last week, Nimoy teased Shatner about the news that his former co-star is to appear in new CBS comedy S*** My Dad says.

‘Bill: Just saw promo for your new show. Glad you finally have something useful to do with your life,’ he tweeted.

Meanwhile Shatner joked with Nimoy that he has too much time on his hands after the actor announced his retirement from acting this year.

‘Lenny, it's your time to pay for a meal. I must talk to you about how you're wasting your life. My best, Bill.’

‘You're working, you pay!! Did you forget your wallet?’ responded Nimoy.

Star Trek got a new lease of life last year with a new successful movie directed by J.J. Abrams. Nimoy made a cameo in the film, appearing as an older Spock.

Source: Mail Online

Leonard Nimoy and William shatner leaving after a Star Trek convention
07/09/2010

A couple weeks ago the city of Vancouver hosted a Star Trek Convention.

Headlining the event was probably the two largest stars the franchise has. Leonard Nimoy & William Shatner.

Nimoy, who is more recently known for his work as Dr. William Bell on the hit sci-fi show Fringe, is no stranger to Vancouver. He has made several trips up here to work on the show that he was recently killed off on.

Shatner has also spent some time in the city over the years.

When they showed up to the airport to leave town after their event, they were polar opposites. Nimoy took the time to sign for the multiple people waiting for him there, was talkative & personable.

(...)

Seeing him & Mr. Nimoy at the same time, seeing how they both dealt with the requests from fans & dealers alike in two completely opposite ways made me appreciate Mr. Nimoy a bit more.

I had heard terrible things about him all around. He was unfriendly, he was a bad signer, blah blah blah. So I was prepared for the worst. I expected him to shoot me down. While he didnt put his arms out to hug me & embrace my presence at his hotel, Mr. Nimoy was willing to accomodate my quick autograph request before he was rushed away into an awaiting production vehicle.

I was plaeased to see that all the things I had been told seem to be either fabricated or outright wrong. Of course, we'll see if hes still as accomodating when he sees me for a 2nd or 3rd time.

Nimoy drops in on retirement bash

Wright State University President Kim Goldenberg received a surprise at his retirement bash in Dayton, Ohio - a visit from Mr. Spock of "Star Trek," aka actor Leonard Nimoy.

Nimoy greeted Goldenberg with the Vulcan salute, usually paired with the well-wishing, "Live long and prosper."

Goldenberg, 59, said he and his wife, Shelley, are Trekkies.

"We don't collect the paraphernalia and all that," he said. "We like the show for its philosophies."

Goldenberg will retire Jan. 31 after nine years as president of Wright State.

About 200 people attended the celebration Thursday night at the Dayton Art Institute.

Nimoy, 75, starred in the original "Star Trek" TV series, which ran from 1966-69, and in numerous "Star Trek" movies.

Source: The Orange County Register, Jan. 13, 2007

THE sexy sixties, swinging seventies and dissipated eighties brought the glamorous superstars of Hollywood and Vine to Babylon by the Hudson. Tim Boxer was on the scene to interview and photograph the icons of an era of sex, drugs and rock and roll. As assistant and ghostwriter to fabled New York Post gossip columnist Earl Wilson, Tim covered the glitterati at film premieres, Broadway opening nights and a sophisticated nightclub landscape that is now history.

Tim was armed with a notebook and two cameras. With his Nikon he photographed the major showbiz names, which were published in Time, Newsweek, People, Life, and books and magazines around the globe. He captured Mafioso Joe Gallo cutting his wedding cake, a world exclusive shot that appeared on the front page of The New York Times, New York Post and Daily News—on the same day!

With a Polaroid he made instant candids of celebrities. And all readily signed their one-of-a-kind portraits.

Two days before the phone call from Joe, I had made a fashion-show appearance at Higbee's department store with Leonard Nimoy of "Star Trek" fame. The night before the fashion show, Jerry Hall, the local promotion man for Nimoy's label and an old friend from Texas, had arranged for the three of us to have dinner together, even though I had nothing to do with picking music for the station.

Nimoy and I hit it off, talking politics for hours after dinner in his hotel room. At the fashion show, I told Nimoy of the Time magazine article. Leonard said he had heard of Hendrix, and decided to stay in Cleveland another day, joining me at the Hendrix "impromptu" guest shot with the local band. So we met Jimi at the club that night and the three of us began talking politics. We were all on the same wavelength, wanting to see the end of the war in Vietnam.

Source: www.firststrategy.com

Jimi Hendrix and Leonard Nimoy with Chuck Dunaway

This is about the meeting between the great Yiddishist, Leonard Nimoy aka Spock and the Master of the Stratocaster, Yiddel Mitt'n Fiedel aka Jimi Hendrix.

I've had this pic in my collection for some time, given to me by ace Hendrix historian David Pearcy. It chronicles a meeting in Cleveland on March 26th, 1968. The night before Jimi was already in town and played at Otto's Grotto jamming with local band Good Earth. The Experience played two shows on the night of the 26th, and Leonard Nimoy was in attendance. Later on, they met at the club and talked for hours. They even continued on to Jimi's hotel room and talked again until 2 or 3 a.m.

The man who put these two giants together was Cleveland radio veteran Chuck Dunaway. Here's how he tells it in his memoir:

"Two days before the phone call from Joe, I had made a fashion-show appearance at Higbee's department store with Leonard Nimoy of "Star Trek" fame. The night before the fashion show, Jerry Hall, the local promotion man for Nimoy's label and an old friend from Texas, had arranged for the three of us to have dinner together, even though I had nothing to do with picking music for the station.

"Nimoy and I hit it off, talking politics for hours after dinner in his hotel room. At the fashion show, I told Nimoy of the Time magazine article. Leonard said he had heard of Hendrix, and decided to stay in Cleveland another day, joining me at the Hendrix 'impromptu' guest shot with the local band. So we met Jimi at the club that night and the three of us began talking politics. We were all on the same wavelength, wanting to see the end of the war in Vietnam."

Only recently, in an interview with the LA Times' Hero Complex blogger Geoff Boucher here.

Nimoy recalls what that meeting was like (at 10:24 on the YouTube video):

"I was promoting a recording in Cleveland and [Chuck Dunaway says,] 'Hendrix is in the next room – he heard you were here and he wants to meet you.' I thought about it for a nanosecond, and I went to break some bread with him. He was a true genius – a great, great artist. A tragic end."

Jimi died on September 18th, 1970. He would have been 70 next November 27th.

Source: Doctor Noe's Gadget. The same picture as on the blog, bigger but lower quality is here.