Performance on nisei soldiers adds second show at Hawaii Theatre

A second showing of “Defining Courage,” an “immersive” live show and multimedia performance showcasing the stories of WWII nisei soldiers, has been scheduled for April 23 after tickets for today’s performance at the Hawaii Theatre sold out.

The show combines live narration and storytelling with new and historic film footage, eyewitness interviews and orchestral and choir music as it depicts the experiences of nisei soldiers in the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the Military Intelligence Service.

“The beauty of the show is it’s not just a history lesson and it’s not just a bunch of old film or pictures of battlefields,” said David Ono, host and co-producer of “Defining Courage.” “This is meant to be an immersive experience. We have multiple things to look at simultaneously, some live, some on screen, but it’s all really to advance journalism and to help tell a story that people don’t talk enough about.”

Ono is a news anchor in Los Angeles who began learning about Japanese American history through his many reported pieces and interviews with nisei soldiers over the years. As a board member of L.A.’s Go for Broke educational center, he often emceed its yearly galas, and in 2019 was invited to attend as the keynote speaker.

He pondered what he could tell his audience that would be new and different, and hit on the idea of showing them the current landscapes of the places where pertinent historical events took place. His presentation included modern footage combined with old film and interviews, which became the framework for what was later expanded into “Defining Courage.”

“We did a lot of research, and we’ve met historians from all over the world who helped put these pieces together,” Ono said. “We take you to multiple places in Italy, to Germany, Munich and Dachau. We take you to Okinawa, we take you to France and also various places around the United States. So you get to visit these places, but then you also see how they were battlefields back then.”

Since the full show debuted in Los Angeles, there have been numerous invitations to bring the production to locations through­out the country, Ono said. However, since Hawaii was home to many WWII nisei soldiers, he said it is fitting that “Defining Courage” begins its tour here.

Through a partnership with the Japanese American National Museum, the show’s Hawaii proceeds will be used to create an educational curriculum for isle students, Ono said.

“What we learned from the nisei soldiers and this chapter is not just about civil rights,” Ono said. “We could also see the incredible courage that these guys had. Insurmountable odds is what they faced in the face of prejudice, and they still rose up and accomplished incredible feats.”

Some of the featured live musicians and singers at the Hawaii performances include Na Hoku Hanohano award-winning ukulele and guitar player Kamuela Kahoano, Emi Sampson and Barrie Kealoha.

Tickets for the April 23 performance at the Hawaii Theatre are on sale at definingcourageshow.com.

Depending on the response, Ono said there’s a chance a third show will be added.

“Eventually we do want to bring it to other parts of the country and teach this to people who have never heard of these units,” Ono said. “But the beauty of Hawaii is they have heard of it, they appreciate it and they want to see it.”

Linsey Dower covers ethnic and cultural affairs and is a corps member of Report for America, a national service organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under covered issues and communities.