Southland Students Fold Origami Cranes for International Peace Day, PEACE ON YOUR WINGS Premiere

The PEACE ON YOUR WINGS Hawaiian youth cast, ages 6-18, the musical's authors: Encino-born opera star Laurie Rubin and Jennifer Taira, and local Japanese-American community leaders will appear this Thursday, September 17 at 1:45 p.m. at the Aratani Theatre, 244 S San Pedro Street (Downtown) Los Angeles, 90012, to hang origami paper cranes made by southland students in advance of International Peace Day and the new musical's opening.

Students from all over the Southland folded cranes in the name of peace. After the show, where the paper cranes will be hung in the lobby, the cranes will be sent to the AME 7th District Church in South Carolina, and to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum.

At 2 p.m., the cast will perform a preview of the upbeat and inspiring new musical based on the life of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who survived the bombings at Hiroshima. Sasaki developed leukemia from radiation caused by the bombings in Hiroshima, and hoped to have her dreams of good health come true by folding 1,000 paper cranes. Her friends supported her and together they inspired an international peace movement and a monument to the child victims in Hiroshima.

PEACE ON YOUR WINGS plays Friday, September 18 at 8 pm and Saturday, September 19 at 2 and 8 pm at the Aratani Theatre. Tickets are $15-$35; and available at (213) 680-3700, JACCC.ORG.

Presented by Ohana Arts and Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, in partnership with Helen Bing, PEACE ON YOUR WINGS combines modern pop with Japanese influences. After its Los Angeles performances the musical will travel to Washington, D.C., New York City and Japan.