By Risa Askerooth
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The musical “Peace on Your Wings” returned in full force at the Hawaii Theatre from Aug. 6 to 9 after premiering at Leeward Community College in November and travelling around the islands during January and February. The music and script of “Peace on Your Wings” were written by MHS alumna and composer Jennifer Taira and lyricist Laurie Rubin, and was directed by Taira’s sister, alumna Carolyn Lee. The recent showings coincided with the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, communicating messages of peace and remembrance which are still relevant today.
“I knew it was going to be good but we never thought it would be this well-received and people were inspired and touched by it,” said Lee.
“Peace on Your Wings” is based on the story of Sadako Sasaki, a girl who died of leukemia due to the bombing of Hiroshima. Folding 1,000 paper cranes in an effort to have her wish granted before death, Sadako’s story is about the need for peace. Youth are cast as the main characters from over 30 schools. It was originally intended to be a play for the Hongwanji Mission School but it was eventually decided that the production would fall to Ohana Arts, an organization co-founded by Taira, Lee and Rubin.
After receiving a grant to produce the musical, the time frame was tight, requiring the crew to work under pressure. “We started writing in April and we were still writing while we were holding auditions. And throughout the whole rehearsal process in the fall we were writing songs; we would bring songs to every rehearsal,” stated Taira.
Due to the pressing deadline, opening night came as a relief in November. The encore evoked an energetic reaction from the audience and although a few differences were made to the original, the storyline stayed the same. Senior Brendan Hiyane, who played bassoon, said, “It was a really good performance. And everyone knew their parts so there weren’t any messups because we did it before and so it was really energetic and the crowd was into it and I just really enjoyed that.”
The music propelled the message to touch the hearts of the audience. “The one thing that gets people, or like pulls at their heartstrings, is the music. And Jenny and Laurie have, to me, have written really brilliant music,” said Lee.
Its recent encore was made even more special by the presence of Masahiro and Yuji Sasaki, Sadako’s brother and nephew, respectively. “(Masahiro Sasaki) talked before the show and he also gave the Ohana Arts actual cranes that Sadako had folded so I thought that was really neat that he got to come. And he said it was really emotional for him because some of the moments inside the musical really touched him,” recalled Hiyane.
“Peace on Your Wings” will travel to Los Angeles and will be co-presented on Sept. 18 and 19 by Ohana Arts and the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. Additionally, in July and August, they will travel to Japan to tour four cities, a future journey of peace that is anticipated by all involved.
