‘Defining Courage’ at Meany Hall

By David Yamaguchi
The North American Post

Occasionally, a special event comes to Seattle that is of broad interest to the NAP readership. One such event is the April 11 performance of Defining Courage at Meany Hall on the University of Washington Seattle campus.

Defining Courage is a live multimedia retelling of the story of the Japanese American soldiers of World War II. The traveling production is narrated by David Ono, an Emmy Award-winning news anchor for ABC7 television station in Los Angeles (L.A.), California (CA). As seen in its movie trailer, the performance includes a film, chamber orchestra, and vocalists. However, the musicians vary as the show travels to different localities.

To date, “Defining” has been performed in L.A., CA three times; Honolulu, Hawaii (HI) twice; Costa Mesa, and San Jose, CA; Washington, D.C.; San Francisco (S.F.), CA; Houston, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Berkeley, CA; and Maui, HI. After Seattle, it is headed to Salt Lake City, Utah and Heart Mountain, Wyoming. At each location, Ono adapts the  narrative to highlight its own Nisei veterans.

The Seattle event will emphasize the story of 442nd Infantry medic James Okubo. He was a Bellingham High School graduate, who would later receive the U.S. Medal of Honor, the Armed Forces’ highest military decoration, for saving 17 men in one day. The film footage follows Bill and Anne Okubo in retracing their father’s journey in the Vosges Mountains, France.

The second focus will be the path of Bainbridge Island Japanese Americans. They were the first community to be taken from their homes to inland incarceration camps.

Rafu Shimpo, the L.A. Japanese community newspaper, says, “This is more than a history lesson—it’s a testament to inner strength that inspires us in our search for courage today.”

A heads-up for those planning to attend: Nichi Bei News of S.F., CA describes the show as a tear-jerker. Tissues were passed out at the 2023 L.A. event.

Sponsor a piece of history
Platinum: $10,000 — 20 premium tickets, 14 VIP post-show reception tickets and more.
Gold: $7,500 — 16 premium tickets, 10 VIP post-show reception tickets and more.
Silver: $5,000 — 10 premium tickets, 6 VIP post-show reception tickets and more.
Bronze: $2,500 — 6 premium tickets, 4 VIP post-show reception tickets and more.
Community: $1,000 — 2 premium tickets, 2 VIP post-show reception tickets and more.
Details at: https://definingcourageshow.com.