“PEACE ON YOUR WINGS” returns to Honolulu after making its historic Hiroshima premiere, presenting a short revival production on November 4th at Moanalua High School!

Get Tickets

Ohana Arts Youth Theatre Company invites you to a revival production of its signature musical Peace On Your Wings on November 4th, for shows at 2 PM and 7:30 PM at the Moanalua High School Performing Arts Center (tickets).  Based on the true story of Sadako Sasaki and her 1,000 origami cranes, the musical follows the lives of Sadako and her middle-school classmates in 1950s post-war Hiroshima, capturing the challenges of adolescence and the power of friendship in the face of real-life gravity.  Most of all, Sadako’s dreams for a better tomorrow teach the children—and the world—about courage, love, and peace.  This family friendly musical brings Sadako’s story to life through the magic of theater, music, and dance, making audiences laugh, cry, and sing along while also providing an inspiring entry point into history which remains important in today’s world.

Sadako Sasaki was 2-years-old when the atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Ten years later, she was diagnosed with leukemia caused by the bomb’s far reaching radiation. Following the Japanese tradition that says anyone who folds 1,000 origami cranes is granted a wish, Sadako and her friends embarked on a quest to fold a thousand cranes to bring her back to good health. Sadako became an international symbol for peace, inspiring a youth movement to have a memorial built in Hiroshima in honor of all child victims. 

Peace On Your Wings’ original musical score was written by Ohana Arts executive and co-artistic director and composer Jennifer Taira, and co-artistic director and lyricist Laurie Rubin.  The score combines modern pop with Japanese influences to create an uplifting and unforgettable experience. New songs appear in the 2023 remounting of the show, which originally premiered in 2014. The show is directed by Cari Taira, co-founder of Ohana Arts along with Jennifer Taira and Rubin; choreography is by New York based Disney teaching artist Danielle Hannah Bensky.

The show has enjoyed consistent, sold-out houses and enthusiastic responses from audience members. Watch the all-youth cast discuss the powerful meaning behind the production here.

Notes Rubin, “While Peace on Your Wings features an all-youth cast, there is nothing childish about its message. During these times, when nuclear weaponry is being used so freely as a threat in the international arena, Sadako’s story needs to be told more urgently than ever to raise global consciousness. Our cast are youth ambassadors giving voice to this movement through musical theatre.”

“Peace On Your Wings tells the story of a 12-year-old girl who lost her life after months of suffering at the hands of someone else’s war and yet through it all didn’t stop caring about others and appreciating every moment,” notes Wyatt Tamamoto, a high school junior who plays Masahiro Sasaki, Sadako’s brother who is still living. “It serves as a wake-up call to bring us back real fast because in order to build a better future we sometimes need to look at the past and be shaken by what we find there.”

Peace On Your Wings has been the subject of two mini-documentaries by NHK (Japan’s national news network) and has been featured on KTLA news, Broadway World, Huffington Post and MidWeek (cover story) among others.

This limited two-show run takes place on the heels of its Japan premiere in Hiroshima.  Nine Hawaii State Senators and Representatives accompanied the Peace On Your Wings cast on a mission of peace and connection.  The shows were embraced by Hiroshima Mayor Matsui, and Governor Yuzaki of Hiroshima Prefecture who both expressed the wish that “Peace On Your Wings” will return to Japan “with bigger wings!”

Ticket Information 
Tickets are $35/$25 general admission and $15 for students.

About Peace On Your Wings 

Peace on Your Wings first premiered in November 2014 in Honolulu, and enjoyed a sold-out statewide tour in January-February 2015. Due to popular demand, the show returned for an August-September 2015 encore in Honolulu and Los Angeles on the 70th anniversaries of the atomic bombings of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In 2016, the show made its East Coast debut at New York’s Lincoln Center; in 2017, traveled to Northern California; and in 2018, took the stage in Sacramento.  In February of this year, “Peace On Your Wings” was remounted in its newly revised and redesigned production at Hawaii Theatre.  In August of this year, the show traveled back to the Aratani Theatre in partnership with the Japanese Cultural & Community Center (JACCC) with performances taking place on the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.  The show’s tour concluded in Hiroshima for performances on September 2-3.  Peace On Your Wings has been recognized with a Certificate of Commendation from the City Council of Honolulu, an award from the United Nations Association of Hawaii, and a proclamation from the City & County of Honolulu proclaiming August 6, 2015, as “Peace On Your Wings Day.” For more information, visit peaceonyourwings.com.

About Ohana Arts 
Ohana Arts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2010, providing high-caliber training for youth ages 6-18 with a mission to cultivate peace through the universal language of the arts. Local- and mainland-based teaching artists are invited to join the faculty of instructors, directors, music directors, and choreographers for the annual Ohana Arts summer program. Its Youth Theatre Company commissions, produces, and tours original works telling stories from the youth perspective focused on themes of diversity, including Peace On Your Wings.