GARDENA — The popular annual voice recital featuring the students and group class of Lisa Joe will be held on Saturday, June 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Ken Nakaoka Community Center, 1670 W. 162nd St. in Gardena.
Joe was introduced to musical theater at East West Players in 1981 and since then she has performed in more than 30 musical theater productions. She has also been a musical director for East West Players, Brentwood Theater Co., L.A. Children’s Museum, West Coast Ensemble, Grateful Crane Ensemble, and Yes, and … Productions.
For over 40 years, Joe has been teaching music and voice, and in 2002, she took over the voice studio of her mother, the late Sue Okabe, a talented and respected music teacher and vocalist whose earliest performances began while she and her family were incarcerated in Minidoka during World War II.
Okabe started teaching music and voice in the 1950s, and Joe continues the tradition of the annual recitals in tribute to and in memory of her mother.
Featured soloists at the recital are Linh Dang, Keri Kaba-Dien, Katherine Koyanagi (flute), Tom Ishimine, Masako Nakane, Helen H. Ota, Michael C. Palma, Allan Shigemitsu, Tad Tonokawa, Jun Uehara and Sumi Yata.
The group class includes Marilyn Garibaldi, Joannie Koyanagi, Shirley Nagaoka, Phyllis Nakagawa, Masako Nakane, Toni Noda, Sharon Saka, Emy Sakamoto, Sharon Sugita, Mary Yamabe, and Sumi Yata.
Admission is free and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Light refreshments will be available.