Michael Sasaki and Angela Oliver in Masao and the Bronze Nighingale (Photo by Daren Mooko)

Masao and the Bronze Nightingale

Reviewed by Martίn Hernández

CASA 0101 

Through May 15

RECOMMENDED

It’s 1946 and Japanese-Americans Masao Imoto (Michael Sasaki) and his parents (Sachi Hayashi and Greg Watanabe – till May 1, when Dan Kwong replaces Watanabe) are returning to their Boyle Heights neighborhood in Los Angeles after their incarceration at Manzanar Relocation Camp.  But while Black music, namely the records of bebop luminaries like Charlie Parker, has fed Masao’s soul and yearning for freedom, Black people, lured by defense jobs and restricted from living in White areas, have moved into nearby Little Tokyo, the once thriving cultural and commercial center for Japanese American life, now dubbed Bronzeville by its new denizens.

Masao is a hepcat sax player, however, with aspirations of becoming a bebop legend himself, much to the chagrin of his Mexican American childhood carnal and former bandmate L’il Joe (Isaac Cruz), who despises the new genre. However, with “Bird” playing at a local club – with some cat named Miles – maybe Masao can get a foot in the door. Performing at the same venue is Charlene (Angela Oliver), a Black singer with her own ambitions. When Masao and Charlene connect sparks fly but just what will they ignite?

The playwrights – and local arts legends – Dan Kwong – who directed and whose mother was at Manzanar – and Rubén Funkahuatl Guevara – born and raised in Boyle Heights – skillfully peel back the onions of racial identity and conflict, inter- and intra-cultural clashes, and multi-generational trauma. It’s a humorous, nostalgic, and moving epic and a primer on LA’s upbeat and sordid past, vibrantly delivered by a talented ensemble.  If you can last three acts in three hours with two intermissions, you won’t be disappointed.

Oliver delivers serviceable but heartfelt renditions of WWII era classics – her take on “I’ll Be Seeing You” is haunting. The chemistry between Sasaki and Oliver shines brightly, which helps when things get dark. Sasaki and Cruz also play well off each other as they teasingly trade barbs in calo, Mexican American working-class slang. José A. Garcia and Roberta H. Martinez exude cariño as L’il Joe’s loving parents and longtime neighbors of the Imotos, who shepherded their Boyle Heights’ house while they were in camp; the couples’ cross-language banter reflects respect for each other’s culture. Jon Gentry draws chuckles as a self-absorbed Miles Davis, Pauline Yasuda is a shrewd friend of Masao who sees right through him, and Scott Golden is an amiable music store owner who sees promise in Masao’s and Charlene’s relationship when others don’t.

In a wise choice given the play’s length, Kwong eschews a standard set, using historic slides – “Oh, that’s Hollenbeck Park,” an older gentleman behind me noted fondly – projected on the back wall to depict locales, and black stage crates are used for chairs, tables, beds, etc. Kudos to the stage crew for making those scene changes quick and flawless and to Jose Lopez’s alluring lighting.  

Oh, and for the bearded, bespectacled, and red beret wearing hipster sitting in front of this reviewer, the theatre’s policy is to wear a mask inside. Out of respect for the older and probably more immunocompromised audience demographic – and after staff handed you a mask – to follow that policy. Covid ain’t over, pendejo.

CASA 0101, 2102 E. First Street, Boyle Heights; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m. (talkbacks after all Sun. perfs); thru May 15.  www.casa0101.org