“Old Sam” Omura, a Japanese American veteran of World War II, is
alone in his apartment when he receives news of the death of his
teacher and friend, Gloria, with whom he hasn’t spoken for over
fifty years. When Gloria’s spirit pays him a visit, she
leads Old Sam to re-live the turbulent events that led to his
family’s evacuation from their home and store in Salinas,
California to the wastelands of Wyoming in the Heart Mountain
internment camp. (“Shikataganai”) Sent with Sam
are his father Tatsuo, his mother Kimiko, and older brother
James, who was engaged to Gloria.
Eager to find his purpose and a platform for his ideas, Sam joins
the camp paper, the Heart Mountain Sentinel, run by the camp’s
director, Bill Campbell, in conjunction with the Japanese
American Citizen League and its National Secretary, Mike Masaoka.
(“See Something in Me”) Gloria reminds Sam of the
importance of fortitude and community in time of
adversity, (“Gaman”) but Sam’s editorials,
which call for patriotism and rededication to America to
demonstrate Japanese American loyalty, rub many in camp wrong,
including Sam’s father. (“Better Americans”) After an
incident causes Sam to be suspended from the paper, he works
tirelessly to bring the camp together and prove himself within
the community. (“Count on Me”) Meanwhile, Sam’s
friendship with Campbell’s daughter, Hannah, develops into a
forbidden romantic interest.
Concerned about rising resentment, the government distributes a
questionnaire to all internees, asking all to repledge their
loyalty to America. Tatsuo’s fateful answers to the questionnaire
(“Allegiance”) set into motion events (“The
Mountain’s Heart”, “You’re in Paradise”) that end tragically
for the Omura family, and put Young Sam at a crossroad. (“Show
the way”)
When Young Sam is offered his job back, he uses his editorial
power to quash rising resistance to the draft and, inadvertently,
to endanger people close to Gloria and his family. (“Power
of the Word”) Sam’s relationship with Hannah (“Right
Here”) causes the director to take action against Sam that
threatens to end whatever chance he and Hannah have at happiness.
Meanwhile, Tatsuo and Gloria, unbeknownst to Sam,
undertake a plan that risks driving Sam from them forever.
(“Show The Way – Reprise”)
Hannah’s love for Sam (“Haven’t Got A Prayer”) leads her
to an unprecedented choice with her family. (“When He Comes
Home”) But when the war ends and the internees are
finally allowed to return home, (“442 Victory Swing”)
what Sam learns forces him to a fateful decision (“Trust”) that
will define the rest of his life. (“Count on Me -
Reprise”)
It is this terrible moment for which Gloria has come to seek
redemption, in the hopes of providing a second chance for them
all. (“Second Chances”)
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