Masao And The Bronze Nightingale by Dan Kwong and Rubén Funkahuati Guevara

 

By Joe Straw

 

There’s not much time to weigh in on this production because it ends next week and if you can get tickets you are most welcomed. This night, at Casa 0101, was practically standing room only with some people sitting in the aisles. Tickets are selling out fast.

 

It’s a shame that a production this good should only have a 4-week run.

 

Casa 0101 Theater in Association with JANM (Japanese American National Museum) presents the World Premiere of Masao and the Bronze Nightingale by Dan Kwong and Rubén Funkahuatl Guevara based on a story by Rubén Funkahuatl Guevara and directed by Dan Kwong now playing through May 15, 2022. The show is produced by Emmanuel Deleage and Executive Producers Barry Shabaka Henley, Paulina Shagun & EGYPT 2020.

 

Masao (Michael Masuru Saski) and his parents Mr. and Mrs. Imoto (Dan Kwong, Sachiyo K., respectively) have just been released from Manzanar, a Japanese internment camp after 42 months.

 

They arrive at the Los Angeles train station to be greeted by Li’l Joe Casillas (Isaac Cruz), a boyhood friend and band mate from Boyle Heights, who has said that he has taken care of their property. But, maybe not so much as there’s a caveat, the house is not ready to be moved into yet forcing the entire Imoto family to be temporarily re-located to nearby cheap hotel.

 

Li’l Joe says he can’t wait to start the band again now that Masao is back, but Masao, during his internment, says that he has gotten excited by jazz, dismissing the be-bop they used to play. Li’l Joe is not enthusiastic about this sudden turn of events.

 

Masao is disturbed that “Little Tokyo” is now Bronzeville but noticed that Charlie Parker is playing with Miles Davis (Jon Gentry) at a nearby club in the area and he wants to go.

 

So, Valerio Casillas (José A. Garcia), a local tailor, Li’l Joe’s father, and a family friend as well, decides to tailor a zoot suit for Masao to look good when they go to the club. Mrs. Casillas (Roberta H. Martínez) keeping an eye on her two favorite young men sends them off looking their best. Masao fits right in being a Mexican complete with clothing and vernacular befitting a bona fide Japanese pachuco.  

 

 

 

While at the club, Masao meets Charlene (Angela Oliver) a singer with a lovely voice.  She is African-American and Masao immediately falls in love with her. But Charlene is not easily won.  She learns about his musicianship with the saxophone and invites him to audition for her.  He easily passes the audition.

 

Masao invites Charlene to dine with him.   She agrees, but has business to attend to and will meet him later.  Before she leaves, Miles Davis, who has taken an interest in her and her performance, stops her.

 

Meanwhile, at the restaurant, Masao sees Junko (Pauline Yasuda), a young lady who is not that happy to see him.  She makes it known that Masao ignored their mutual friend, a woman, maybe a former girlfriend, when they were both at Manzanar.  She is definitely not happy with him and when she sees Charlene joining him she runs to tell her mother what Masao is up to.

 

Masao’s parents find out about his relationship and his father kicks him out of the house.

 

Masao and The Bronze Nightingale is a terrific show, spectacularly written by Dan Kwong and Rubén Funkahuati Guevara, a duo that brings a concatenated complexity to the stage rich in culture and diversity in a land we call Boyle Heights.  Masao is an interesting character who knows what he wants and goes for it. But in that process he brushes aside those that stand in his way of accomplishing his goal.  Ignoring others who were depending on him, his parents, his boyhood friend, finally his girlfriend while trying to secure the limelight for himself and sending him later on a destructible alcoholic downward spiral.

 

Wonderfully directed by Dan Kwong who is a master of relationship and strong storytelling with a cast that is second to none. Kwong succeeds in getting superior performances from his entire cast and manages to create these lives, beyond the confines of their own space, using only boxes that are shifted throughout the stage as various settings.   To accentuate he additionally uses the screen to give us life with projections of the times and the deadening incandescence of life in the internment camp moving to the nightmare sequences that propel the action to insurmountable heights. Not all is grim. The play is also filled with humor throughout and carefully crafted to provide first-rate entertainment.

 

Kudos to Steve Alaniz, the Music Recording Producer, who seems to make the jazz music come directly from the stage.  It was both beautiful, pleasant to hear, and stunning.

 

Michael Sasaki is very likeable as Masao Imoto, a charming friend, and good son. But runs into problems when things start turning on him. He doesn’t recognize his faults and spins out of control when he doesn’t live up to his expectations. 

 

Angela Oliver is Charlene Williams and does well throughout.  And she has a terrific voice, which is at times mesmerizing especially during the song “I’ll Be Seeing You” (music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Irving Kamal). She has a way to control others around her – a terrific character trait.  Her voice needs strengthening during the dialogue scenes.

 

Dan Kwong is very funny as both Goro Imoto and Reverend Shimizu. Goro is a headstrong character, no retreat and no surrender that manages to find his way and save face in a very nice ending. The scene with the rake is hilarious! And the monk must also take a bow. 

 

José A. Garcia is always amazing in everything I’ve seen of him.  He is equally great as Valerio Casillas who must tread a fine line when dealing with his own son and his adopted Japanese son while dealing with his parents as well.

 

Sachi Hayashi is a very fragile Yuriko Imoto and wife and mother who is on the verge of losing everything, including her life, when dealing with the troubling events in her life. In a way she moves to correct the wrongs in her life, but does not demand the wrongs be corrected.

 

Roberta H. Martinez is hilarious as Marian Casillas.  Martinez has a lot of wonderful moments and is a joy to watch on stage because she is so unpredictable.

 

Isaac Cruz plays Li’l Joe Casillas and is likable throughout but he has some tough choices to make, mostly dealing with his relationship to Masao which seems to go one way and that is mostly downhill. He has waited four years, but has been let down by someone who should be grateful, but has turned on him. There is possibly another layer to this character without waiting for the ending to give in and accept his friend for what he is.  

 

Scott Golden works really hard with character and he has many in this production, Bill Phillips, Marty Friedman, Drunk G.I. #2 and Pawnbroker.  He is equally amazing in all of these roles.

 

Jon Gentry also plays many roles including Young Miles Davis, Bobby Taylor Walter, Drunk G.I. #1, Ernie and Dr. Hoxie and does well in all roles.  Last seen in The Water Tribe, Gentry has mightily progressed since our last meeting.  Excellent work.

 

 

 

Pauline Yasuda is marvelous as the antagonist Junko Kawai. Such a thankless job to be the meanie but manages to do it quite well. Yasuda has a wonderful presence.

 

Greg Watanabe (Mr. Imoto/Rev. Shimizu) did not perform the night I was there.

 

Abel Alvarado always does amazing work for costumes and this production is no exception. The zoot suits, cabaret dresses, and other Boyle Heights costumes were brilliant.

 

There is a huge team working behind the scenes to manipulate the boxes on stage and their work is exceptional.

 

Other members of the crew are as follows:

 

Assistant Director: Corky Dominguez

Stage Manager: Daniel Corona

Casa 0101 Technical Director: Max Brother

Lighting Design: Jose Lopez,

Hair/Make-up: Omar Gutierrez

Prop Master: John Paul Torres

Original Song:  Corrinne May (Music), Dan Kwong (Lyrics)

 

There is also a huge production team including:

 

Projection Imagery:  Kamyi Lee

Opening Newsreel Video: Evan Kodani

Bridge Sequence Videos:  Evan Kodani, Addl. Editing:  Dan Kwong

Asst. Sound Designer:  Joel Iwataki

Addl. Directorial Consultants:  Page Leong, Shishir Kurup

Toyo Miyatake photos courtesy:  Alan Miyatake & Toyo Miyatake Studio

Joey Guthman:  Associate Lighting Designer

Master Electrician:  Rafael Vasquez

Carpenter:  Lorenzo Tambriz

Stage Crew: David Corona, Cassandra Gutierrez, Josue Angeles, Ernesto Lopez

Vocal Coach:  Melodee Fernandez

Acting Coach: Doug Warhit

Son Jorocho Dance Coach:  Martha Conzalez

Production Assistant:  Al Aguilar

Publicist:  Steve Moyer

Playbill Design:  Soap Studio Inc.

 

Recording Musicians

Henry Franklin – Bass

Nick Smith – Piano

David Hitchings – Drums

Steve Alaniz – Sax

John Pagels – Guitar

Rachel Rudich – Shakuhachi

Mike Penny – Shamisen

Cesar Castro – Jarana

 

The Shadow Band

Isaac Cruz, Taiji Miyagawa, Derek Nakamoto, Steve Taylor, Phillip Whack

 

Telephone: 323-263-7684

 

www.casa0101.org