''Miss Saigon'' is a
stage musical
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...
by
Claude-Michel Schönberg
Claude-Michel Schönberg (born 6 July 1944, in Vannes) is a French record producer, actor, singer, songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with lyricist Alain Boublil. Major works include ''La Révolution Fran ...
and
Alain Boublil
Alain Boublil (born 5 March 1941) is a French musical theatre lyricist and librettist, best known for his collaborations with the composer Claude-Michel Schönberg for musicals on Broadway and London's West End. These include ''La Révolution ...
, with lyrics by Boublil and
Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini (Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long li ...
's 1904 opera ''
Madame Butterfly
''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.
It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lut ...
'', and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover. The setting of the plot is relocated to 1970s
Saigon
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
, blank_name = GRP (Nominal)
, blank_info = 2019
, blank1_name = – Total
, blank1_ ...
during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, and ''Madame Butterfly''s story of marriage between an American lieutenant and a
geisha
{{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha
{{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female ...
is replaced by a romance between a United States
Marine and a seventeen-year-old South Vietnamese
bargirl
A bargirl is a woman who is paid to entertain patrons in a bar, either individually or, in some cases, as a performer. The exact nature of the entertainment varies widely from place to place; depending on the venue this can be individual enterta ...
.
The musical premièred at the
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...
,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, on 20 September 1989, closing after 4,092 performances on 30 October 1999. It opened on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
at the
Broadway Theatre
Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
on April 11, 1991 with a record advance of over $39 million, and was later staged in many other cities and embarked on tours. Prior to the opening of the 2014 London revival, it was said that ''Miss Saigon'' had set a world record for opening day ticket sales, with sales in excess of £4m reported.
The musical was Schönberg and Boublil's second major success, following ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' in 1985. As of October 2022, ''Miss Saigon'' remains
Broadway's fourteenth longest-running show.
Background
The musical was inspired by a photograph, which Schönberg found inadvertently in a magazine. It showed a Vietnamese mother leaving her child at a departure gate at
Tan Son Nhut Air Base
Tan Son Nhut Air Base ( vi, Căn cứ không quân Tân Sơn Nhứt) (1955–1975) was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) facility. It was located near the city of Saigon in southern Vietnam. The United States used it as a major base durin ...
to board an airplane headed for the United States where the child's father, an ex-GI, would be in a position to provide a much better life for the child. Schönberg considered this mother's actions for her child to be "The Ultimate Sacrifice," an idea central to the plot of ''Miss Saigon''.
Highlights of the show include the evacuation of the last Americans in
Saigon
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
, blank_name = GRP (Nominal)
, blank_info = 2019
, blank1_name = – Total
, blank1_ ...
from the Embassy roof by helicopter while a crowd of abandoned
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people ( vi, người Việt, lit=Viet people) or Kinh people ( vi, người Kinh) are a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to modern-day Northern Vietnam and Dongxing, Guangxi, Southern China (Jing Islands, Dongxing, Guangxi ...
scream in despair, the victory parade of the new communist regime, and the frenzied night club scene at the time of defeat.
Cast of principal characters
Synopsis
Act 1
In April 1975 at "Dreamland," a
Saigon
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
, blank_name = GRP (Nominal)
, blank_info = 2019
, blank1_name = – Total
, blank1_ ...
bar and brothel, shortly before the
end of the Vietnam War, it is Kim's first day as a
bargirl
A bargirl is a woman who is paid to entertain patrons in a bar, either individually or, in some cases, as a performer. The exact nature of the entertainment varies widely from place to place; depending on the venue this can be individual enterta ...
. The seventeen-year-old peasant girl is hauled in by the Engineer, a
French-Vietnamese hustler who owns the joint. Backstage, the girls ready themselves for the night's show, jeering at Kim's inexperience ("Overture / Backstage Dreamland"). The U.S. Marines, aware that they will soon be leaving Vietnam, party with the Vietnamese sex workers ("The Heat Is on in Saigon"). Chris Scott, a sergeant disenchanted by the club scene, is encouraged by his friend John Thomas to go with a girl. The girls compete for the title of "Miss Saigon," and the winner is raffled to a Marine. Kim's guilelessness strikes Chris. Gigi Van Tranh wins the crown for the evening and begs the marine who won the raffle to take her back to America, annoying him. The showgirls reflect on their dreams of a better life ("Movie in My Mind"). John buys a room for Chris and the virgin Kim ("The Transaction"). Kim is reluctant and shy, but dances with Chris, who tries to pay her to leave the nightclub. When the Engineer interferes, thinking that Chris does not like Kim, Chris allows himself to be led to her room ("The Dance").
Chris, watching Kim sleep, asks God why he met her just as he was about to leave Vietnam ("Why, God, Why?"). When Kim wakes up, Chris tries to give her money, but she refuses, saying that it is her first time sleeping with a man ("This Money's Yours"). Touched to learn that Kim is an orphan, Chris offers to take her to America with him, and the two fall in love ("Sun and Moon"). Chris tells John that he is taking leave to spend time with Kim. John warns him that the
Viet Cong
,
, war = the Vietnam War
, image = FNL Flag.svg
, caption = The flag of the Viet Cong, adopted in 1960, is a variation on the flag of North Vietnam. Sometimes the lower stripe was green.
, active ...
will soon take Saigon, but then reluctantly agrees to cover for Chris ("The Telephone Song"). Chris meets with the Engineer to trade for Kim, but the Engineer tries to include an American visa in the deal. Threatening the Engineer at gunpoint, Chris forces him to honor the original arrangement for Kim ("The Deal").
The bargirls hold a "wedding ceremony" for Chris and Kim ("Dju Vui Vai"), with Gigi toasting Kim as the "real" Miss Saigon. Thuy, Kim's cousin, to whom she was betrothed at thirteen, arrives to take her home. He has since become an officer in the
North Vietnamese Army
The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; vi, Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam, QĐNDVN), also recognized as the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) or the Vietnamese Army (), is the military force of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the armed win ...
and is disgusted to find her with a white man ("Thuy's Arrival"). The two men confront each other, drawing their firearms. Kim tells Thuy that their arranged marriage is now nullified because her parents are dead, and she no longer harbors any feelings for him because of his betrayal. Thuy curses them all and storms out ("What's This I Find"). Chris promises to take Kim with him when he leaves Vietnam. Chris and Kim dance to the same song as on their first night ("Last Night of The World").
Three years later, in 1978, a street parade is taking place in Saigon (since renamed
Ho Chi Minh City
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
, blank_name = GRP (Nominal)
, blank_info = 2019
, blank1_name = – Total
, blank1_ ...
) to celebrate the third anniversary of the reunification of Vietnam and the defeat of the Americans ("The Morning of The Dragon"). Thuy, now a
commissar
Commissar (or sometimes ''Kommissar'') is an English transliteration of the Russian (''komissar''), which means 'commissary'. In English, the transliteration ''commissar'' often refers specifically to the political commissars of Soviet and Eas ...
in the new Communist government, has ordered his soldiers to look for the still-corrupt Engineer. For the Communist Party, he goes by the name "Tran Van Dinh" and has spent the past three years working in the rice fields as part of a re-education program. Thuy orders the Engineer to find Kim and bring her to him. Although the intervening period is not shown, it is apparent that Kim and Chris have become separated in the three years separating the two acts. Kim has been hiding in an impoverished area, still in love with Chris and steadfastly believing that Chris will return to Vietnam and rescue her. Meanwhile, Chris is in bed with his new American wife, Ellen, when he wakes from a dream shouting Kim's name. Ellen and Kim both swear their devotion to Chris from opposite ends of the world ("I Still Believe").
The Engineer takes Thuy to where Kim has been hiding. Kim refuses Thuy's renewed offer of marriage, unaware that his men are waiting outside the door. Furious, Thuy calls them in and they begin tying up Kim and the Engineer, threatening to put them into a
re-education camp. Again, Kim refuses to go with Thuy and shocks him by introducing Thuy to Tam, her three-year-old son from Chris ("Coo-Coo Princess"). Thuy calls Kim a traitor and Tam an enemy, and tries to kill Tam with a knife, but Kim is forced to shoot Thuy to protect Tam ("You Will Not Touch Him"). Thuy dies as the street parade continues nearby ("This Is the Hour"), with Kim showing horror and heartbreak at her action. She flees with Tam, while the Engineer laments being born Vietnamese and wishes to go to the USA ("If You Want to Die in Bed"). Kim tells the Engineer what she has done, and he learns that Tam's father is American ("Let Me See His Western Nose") – thinking the boy is his chance to
emigrate to the United States
Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...
. He tells Kim that now he is the boy's uncle, and he will lead them to
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
. As Kim swears to Tam that she would do anything to give him a better life, the three set out on
a ship with other refugees ("I'd Give My Life for You").
Act 2
In
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, Georgia, John now works for an aid organization whose mission is to connect ''
Bui-Doi'' (from Vietnamese ''trẻ bụi đời'' "street children," meaning children conceived during the war) with their American fathers ("Bui Doi"). John tells Chris that Kim is still alive, which Chris is relieved to hear after years of having nightmares of her dying. He also tells Chris about Tam and urges Chris to go to Bangkok with Ellen, and Chris then finally tells Ellen about Kim and Tam ("The Revelation"). In Bangkok, the Engineer is hawking a sleazy club where Kim works as a dancer ("What A Waste"). Chris, Ellen, and John arrive in search of Kim. John finds Kim dancing at the club, and tells her that Chris is also in Bangkok. He then tries to tell her that Chris is remarried, but Kim interrupts. She is thrilled about the news and tells Tam that his father has arrived, believing that they are to go to America with Chris. Seeing Kim happy, John cannot bring himself to break the news to her, but promises to bring Chris to her ("Please").
The Engineer tells Kim to find Chris herself, because he doubts that Chris will come ("Chris Is Here"). Kim is haunted by the ghost of Thuy, who taunts Kim, claiming that Chris will betray her as he did the night Saigon fell. Kim suffers a horrible flashback to that night ("Kim's Nightmare").
In the nightmare and flashback to 1975, Kim remembers the Viet Cong approaching Saigon. As the city becomes increasingly chaotic, Chris is called to the embassy and leaves his gun with Kim, telling her to pack. When Chris enters the embassy, the gates close, as orders arrive from Washington for an immediate evacuation of the remaining Americans. The Ambassador orders that no more Vietnamese be allowed into the Embassy. Kim reaches the gates of the Embassy, one in a crowd of terrified Vietnamese trying to enter. Chris calls to Kim and is about to go into the crowd to look for her. John is eventually forced to punch Chris in the face to stop him from leaving. Chris is put into the last helicopter leaving Saigon as Kim watches from outside, still pledging her love to him ("The Fall of Saigon").
Back in 1978 Bangkok, Kim joyfully dresses in her wedding clothes ("Sun and Moon
eprise) and leaves the Engineer to watch Tam while she is gone. She goes to Chris's hotel room, where she finds Ellen. Ellen reveals that she is Chris's wife. While Kim is heartbroken and initially in denial about the truth, she soon confirms to Ellen that Tam is Chris's son, and says that she does not want her son to continue living on the streets, pleading that they take Tam with them back to America, but Ellen refuses, saying that Tam needs his real mother, and Ellen wants her own children with Chris. Kim angrily demands that Chris tell her these things in person, and runs out of the room ("Room 317"). Ellen feels bad for Kim, but is determined to keep Chris ("Now That I've Seen Her").
Chris and John return, having failed to find Kim. Ellen tells them both that Kim arrived and that she had to tell Kim everything. Chris and John blame themselves, realizing that they were gone too long. Ellen also tells them that Kim wants to see Chris at her place, and that she tried to give away her son to them. John realizes that Kim wants Tam to be "an American boy." Ellen then issues an ultimatum to Chris: Kim or her. Chris reassures Ellen, and they pledge their love for each other. Chris and Ellen agree to leave Tam and Kim in Bangkok but offer them monetary support from America, while John decries their decision as selfish ("The Confrontation"). Back at the club, Kim tells the Engineer that they are still going to America ("Paper Dragons"). The Engineer imagines the extravagant new life that he will lead in America ("The American Dream"). Chris, John, and Ellen find the Engineer and he takes them to see Kim and Tam.
In her room, Kim tells Tam that he should be happy because he now has a father. She tells him that she cannot go with him but will be watching over him ("This Is the Hour
eprise). Chris, Ellen, John, and the Engineer arrive just outside her room. The Engineer comes in to take Tam outside to introduce him to his father. While this is happening, Kim steps behind a curtain and shoots herself. As she falls to the floor, Chris rushes into the room at the sound of the gunshot and finds Kim mortally wounded. He picks up Kim and asks what she has done. Replying that the gods guided him to his son, Kim asks Chris to hold her once more and they share one last kiss. Kim then repeats something that he said to her on the first night they met: "How in one night have we come so far?", and dies in Chris's arms as everyone watches ("Finale").
Musical numbers
; Act I
* "Overture" / "Backstage Dreamland" – Gigi, Kim, The Engineer and Bar Girls
* "The Heat is On in Saigon" – Soldiers, Bar Girls, The Engineer, Kim, John, Chris and Gigi
* "The Movie in My Mind" – Gigi, Kim and Bar Girls
* "The Transaction" – The Engineer, John, Soldiers, Chris, and Kim
* "The Dance" – Kim, Chris and The Engineer
* "Why, God, Why?" – Chris
* "This Money's Yours" – Chris and Kim
* "Sun and Moon" – Chris and Kim
* "The Telephone Song" / "Asking For Leave" – Chris and John
* "The Deal" – The Engineer and Chris
* "The Wedding Ceremony" – Gigi, Kim, Bar Girls and Chris
* "Thuy's Arrival" / "Thuy's Intervention" – Thuy, Chris, and Kim
* "Last Night of the World" – Chris and Kim
* "The Morning of the Dragon" – Soldiers, The Engineer, Two Guards and Thuy
* "I Still Believe" – Kim and Ellen
* "Back in Town" / "Coo-Coo Princess" – The Engineer, Kim, Thuy and Soldiers
* "Thuy's Death" / "You Will Not Touch Him" – Thuy and Kim
* "This is the Hour" – Chorus
* "If You Want to Die in Bed" – The Engineer
* "Let Me See His Western Nose" / "Kim & Engineer"– Kim and The Engineer
* "I'd Give My Life for You" – Kim
* "Exodus" – Chorus
; Act II
* "Entr'acte"
* "Bui Doi" – John and Chorus
* "The Revelation" – Chris and John
* "What a Waste" – The Engineer, Hustlers, Tourists, John and Kim
* "Please" (Original Production) / "Too Much For One Heart" – John and Kim (2014 London / 2017 Broadway productions)
* "Chris is Here" – The Engineer, Kim, Club Owner and John
* "Kim's Nightmare" – Thuy
* "Fall of Saigon" – Soldiers, Chris, Kim, John and Citizens
* "Sun and Moon" (Reprise) – Kim
* "Room 317" – Kim and Ellen
* "Now That I've Seen Her" (Original production "Her or Me") / "Maybe" – Ellen (2011 Holland / 2012-2022 Japan / 2014 London / 2017 Broadway productions)
* "The Confrontation" – Chris, Ellen, John and Kim
* "Paper Dragons" – The Engineer and Kim
* "The American Dream" – The Engineer
* "This is the Hour" (Reprise) – Kim
* "Finale" – Chris and Kim
Production history
West End (1989–1999)
''Miss Saigon'' premiered in the
West End at the
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...
on 20 September 1989 and closed after 4,264 performances on 30 October 1999. The director was
Nicholas Hytner
Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner (; born 7 May 1956) is an English theatre director, film director, and film producer. He was previously the Artistic Director of London's National Theatre. His major successes as director include ''Miss Saigon'', ''Th ...
with musical staging by
Bob Avian
Robert Avedisian (December 26, 1937 – January 21, 2021), professionally known as Bob Avian, was an American choreographer, theatrical producer and director.
Biography
Born in New York City to an Armenian family in December 1937, Avian spent his ...
and scenic design by
John Napier
John Napier of Merchiston (; 1 February 1550 – 4 April 1617), nicknamed Marvellous Merchiston, was a Scottish landowner known as a mathematician, physicist, and astronomer. He was the 8th Laird of Merchiston. His Latinized name was Ioann ...
. In December 1994, the London production became the Theatre Royal's (Drury Lane) longest running musical, eclipsing the record set by ''
My Fair Lady
''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons f ...
''.
Lea Salonga
Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga (; born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipino singer, actress, and columnist. Nicknamed "Pride of the Philippines," she is best known for her roles in musical theatre, for supplyin ...
played the part of Kim, winning the
Laurence Olivier Award
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
and
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
. The Engineer was portrayed by
Jonathan Pryce
Sir Jonathan Pryce (born John Price; 1 June 1947) is a Welsh actor who is known for his performances on stage and in film and television. He has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards. In 2021 he was ...
, who also won the
Laurence Olivier Award
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
and
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
for the role. The part of Chris was originally played by
Simon Bowman
Simon Bowman (born 16 February 1961) is a British actor and singer, born in Cardiff and trained at Mountview Theatre School. He is best known for originating the role of Chris, opposite Lea Salonga's Kim, in the original production of ''Miss Sa ...
.
Broadway (1991–2001)
The musical débuted on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
at the
Broadway Theatre
Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
on 11 April 1991 and closed on 28 January 2001 after 4,092 performances. Directed again by Nicholas Hytner with musical staging by Bob Avian, scenic design was by John Napier, costume design was by Andreane Neofitou and Suzy Benzinger and lighting design was by
David Hersey
David Hersey (born November 30, 1939) is a lighting designer who has designed the lighting for over 250 plays, musicals, operas, and ballets. His work has been seen in most corners of the globe and his awards include the Tony Award for Best Lightin ...
. As of October 2022, ''Miss Saigon'' is still the
14th longest-running Broadway musical in musical theatre history.
West End revival (2014–2016)
Preview performances for the anticipated West End revival in the show's 25th year began in early May 2014 at the
Prince Edward Theatre
The Prince Edward Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Old Compton Street, just north of Leicester Square, in the City of Westminster, London.
History
The theatre was designed in 1930 by Edward A. Stone, with an interior designed by Ma ...
. It was produced by
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "th ...
and directed by Laurence Connor. Auditions for the role of Kim were held from November 19–22, 2012 in
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, Philippines. On November 21, 2013, it was announced 17-year-old
Eva Noblezada
Eva Maria Noblezada (; born March 18, 1996) is an American actress and singer.
Noblezada made her Broadway debut as Kim in a revival of ''Miss Saigon'', a performance for which she received a nomination for a 2017 Tony Award for Best Actress ...
was cast as Kim. Other cast members included
Kwang-Ho Hong as Thuy,
Jon Jon Briones
Ernesto Cloma Briones Jr., known as Jon Jon Briones (born August 7, 1965), is a Filipino-American actor best known for his work in musical theatre. He was born in Quezon City, Philippines and became a United States citizen in 2010.Wolf, Matt ...
as the Engineer,
Alistair Brammer
Alistair Daniel Brammer (born 12 November 1988) is an English actor best known for playing Jean Prouvaire in both the 2010 special '' Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary Concert'' and the 2012 musical film ''Les Misérables''. Brammer performed as ...
as Chris,
Hugh Maynard
Hugh Maynard is a British actor and singer of African-Caribbean descent. He is known for his roles in ''Miss Saigon'' and ''Sweeney Todd'' on the West End.
Early life and education
Hugh Maynard was born in the UK and grew up in Torquay, Devo ...
as John,
Tamsin Carroll
Tamsin Georgina Carroll (born 13 February 1979) is an Australian actress. She is best known for her performances in musical theatre in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Personal life
Carroll was born and raised in Sydney. Her parents are Au ...
as Ellen and
Rachelle Ann Go
Rachelle Ann Villalobos Go-Spies (born August 31, 1986) is a Filipina singer and actress. She began her career by participating in and winning several singing competitions, the first of which was in the long-running Philippine variety show ''E ...
as Gigi. The official opening night was 21 May.
On 22 September 2014, a special 25th anniversary gala performance was held. After a full performance of the current show, Lea Salonga, Simon Bowman, Jonathan Pryce and many of the original 1989 cast joined with the current cast for a special finale. The finale started with Lea Salonga leading the ensemble with "This is the Hour", Salonga and Rachelle Ann Go performed "The Movie in My Mind". Salonga, Simon Bowman, Alistair Brammer and Eva Noblezada performed "Last Night of the World" before Jonathan Pryce took to the stage for "The American Dream" and was later joined by Jon Jon Briones. The West End production closed on 27 February 2016 after 760 performances. The cast also performed a "Muck-Up Matinee" on the day of closing, where many understudies came to the stage for one final bow, including Tanya Manalang (Alternate Kim), Christian Rey Marbella (Understudy Engineer), before the main cast in the evening. Cameron Mackintosh announced a cinema screening of the 25th Anniversary Gala along with a movie at a later date, a brand new UK Tour, and plans to transfer to Australia, Germany, and Broadway in the next two years.
The revival closed to make way for the London transfer of the Broadway best-selling show ''
Aladdin
Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of ...
'' in May 2016, with former understudy for Thuy, Ethan Le Phong, understudying the lead role of Aladdin.
Broadway revival (2017–2018)
It was announced on November 19, 2015 that the
West End production of the show would transfer to Broadway in March 2017 for a limited engagement through January 15, 2018. The production starred Eva Noblezada as Kim, Jon Jon Briones as The Engineer, Alistair Brammer as Chris, and Rachelle Ann Go as Gigi, all reprising their roles from the 2014 West End revival. Other cast members included
Katie Rose Clarke
Katherine "Katie" Rose Clarke (born August 25, 1984 in Friendswood, Texas) is an American musical theater actress.
Early life
Clarke was born on August 25, 1984 in Friendswood, Texas. She got her start acting and singing in the United Methodist ...
as Ellen, Nicholas Christopher as John, and Devin Ilaw as Thuy. A U.S. national tour is planned thereafter. The revival played at the
Broadway Theatre
Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
, the same venue the show played at for its Broadway debut.
Preview performances began on March 1, 2017, with an official opening on March 23.
The final performance was on January 14, 2018.
Other productions
Since its opening in London, ''Miss Saigon'' was staged in many cities around the world including
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
,
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
,
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
, and
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, where new theatres were designed specifically to house the show.
''Miss Saigon'' opened in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
at the
Capitol Theatre Sydney on 29 July 1995, starring
Joanna Ampil
Joanna Ampil is a musical theatre and film actress from the Philippines and United Kingdom.
Career
Joanna is a stage actress. She played Kim in ''Miss Saigon'' (London, original Australian production, original United Kingdom and Ireland Tour a ...
as Kim,
Peter Cousens
Peter Cousens (born 2 November 1955) is an Australian actor and singer born in Tamworth, New South Wales. He is the Artistic Director of the Talent Development Project. He attended The Armidale School in Armidale from 1969 to 1973 and then Go ...
as Chris, Cocoy Laurel as The Engineer, Milton Craig Nealy as John, Darren Yap as Thuy, and Silvie Paladino as Ellen.
In the small island community of
Bømlo
Bømlo is a municipality in the southwestern part of Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Svortland. Other villages in Bømlo includ ...
, Norway with around eleven thousand inhabitants, the show was set up in the outdoor amphitheatre by the local musical fellowship and ran from 5 August to 16 August 2009. The local musical fellowship brought in a Bell Helicopter for the show.
''Miss Saigon'' has been performed by twenty-seven companies in twenty-five countries and 246 cities, and it has been translated into twelve languages. Arlington Virginia's
Signature Theatre 2013's production was the US debut with the inclusion of the new song "Maybe" (which replaced the prior song 'Now That I've Seen Her') which would be integrated into the West End's 2014 revival.
In 2023, the musical will receive its first regional production at
Sheffield theatres
Sheffield Theatres is a theatre complex in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It comprises three theatres: the Crucible, the Lyceum and the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse. These theatres make up the largest regional theatre complex outside the ...
by Robert Hastie and Anthony Lau. This non-replica production will be the first in the UK to explore a new approach to staging and casting and star
Joanna Ampil
Joanna Ampil is a musical theatre and film actress from the Philippines and United Kingdom.
Career
Joanna is a stage actress. She played Kim in ''Miss Saigon'' (London, original Australian production, original United Kingdom and Ireland Tour a ...
as The Engineer.
Tours
The first US tour started in Chicago, Illinois in October 1992 and was then expected to travel to those cities that could accommodate the large production. The tour also played venues such as the
Wang Center in Boston from 14 July to 12 September 1993, the
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts (commonly known as the Broward Center) is a large multi-venue performing arts center located in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States.
Opened in 1991 on a site along the north bank of the N ...
, Florida in the Spring 1994, and the
Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
, Washington, DC in June 1994.
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "th ...
said: "Corners haven't been cut. They've been added. There are only a dozen theaters in America where we can do this."
A second National US tour launched in Seattle in early 1995 and would close very successfully in August 2000 in Buffalo NY after playing engagements in most major US and Canadian markets, including Honolulu HI, San Francisco, Toronto, and return engagements in Boston (twice), Chicago and West Palm Beach. The tour originally starred
Deedee Magno Hall
Deedee Magno Hall is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her work in the pop group The Party, and as the voice of Pearl in the animated series ''Steven Universe'' and its epilogue series '' Steven Universe Future''.
Early lif ...
as Kim (replaced by Kristine Remigio, Kym Hoy & Mika Nishida), Thom Sesma as The Engineer (replaced by Joseph Anthony Foronda), and Matt Bogart as Chris (replaced by
Will Chase
Frank William Chase (born September 12, 1970) is a Tony Award-nominated American actor, director, and singer, best known for his work on Broadway and for his role as country superstar Luke Wheeler on ABC's ''Nashville''.
Early life and educatio ...
,
Steven Pasquale
Steven Pasquale (pronounced ; born November 18, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the New York City Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician Sean Garrity in the series '' Rescue Me''. He made his television debut on the ...
,
Greg Stone
Gregory "Greg" Jonathon Stone (born 23 June 1961 in Perth, Western Australia) is an Australian actor who has appeared in films, television and on stage.
Early life
Stone was born in Perth, Western Australia to parents Roy and Jennifer Stone ...
&
Will Swenson). This production boasted all the original design and creative elements of Broadway, but on a scale that most major market road houses could accommodate.
After the London production closed in 1999 and also following the closure of the Broadway production in 2001, the show in its original London staging embarked on a long tour of the six largest venues in Britain and Ireland, stopping off in each city for several months. The tour starring
Joanna Ampil
Joanna Ampil is a musical theatre and film actress from the Philippines and United Kingdom.
Career
Joanna is a stage actress. She played Kim in ''Miss Saigon'' (London, original Australian production, original United Kingdom and Ireland Tour a ...
, Niklas Andersson and Leo Valdez opened at the
Palace Theatre, Manchester and also played in the
Birmingham Hippodrome
The Birmingham Hippodrome is a theatre situated on Hurst Street in the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England.
Although best known as the home stage of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, it also hosts a wide variety of other performances including vi ...
, the
Mayflower Theatre
Mayflower Theatre (formerly the Gaumont Theatre and originally The Empire Theatre) is a Grade II listed theatre in the city centre of Southampton, England, with a capacity of 2,300. It features West End theatre shows when they tour the United Ki ...
in
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
, the
Edinburgh Playhouse
Edinburgh Playhouse is a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. With 3,059 seats it is the second largest theatre in the United Kingdom after the Hammersmith Apollo. The theatre is owned by Ambassador Theatre Group.
Building history
The theatre opened ...
, the
Bristol Hippodrome
The Bristol Hippodrome () is a theatre located in The Centre, Bristol, England, United Kingdom with seating on three levels giving a capacity of 1,951. It frequently features shows from London's West End when they tour the UK, as well as re ...
and
The Point Theatre in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
. This successful tour drew to a close in 2003 and a brand new production was developed by original producer
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "th ...
on a smaller scale so that the show could be accommodated in smaller theatres. This tour started in July 2004 and ended in June 2006.
A non-Equity North American tour began in summer 2002 to spring 2005, playing such venues as the New Jersey Performing Arts Center,
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.[Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats, seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County in the United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most ...]
in February 2005, and
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, Alachua County, Florida, and the largest city in North Central Florida, with a population of 141,085 in 2020. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gaine ...
in November 2003.
A third UK tour for 2017/2018 opened at the
Curve
In mathematics, a curve (also called a curved line in older texts) is an object similar to a line (geometry), line, but that does not have to be Linearity, straight.
Intuitively, a curve may be thought of as the trace left by a moving point (ge ...
in Leicester, and also toured to the
Birmingham Hippodrome
The Birmingham Hippodrome is a theatre situated on Hurst Street in the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England.
Although best known as the home stage of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, it also hosts a wide variety of other performances including vi ...
, the
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre (originally the Grand Canal Theatre) is a performing arts venue, located in the Docklands of Dublin, Ireland. It is Ireland's largest fixed-seat theatre. It was designed by Daniel Libeskind for the DDDA, built by ...
in Dublin, the
Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre ( cy, Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru) is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 an ...
in Cardiff, the
Edinburgh Festival Theatre
The Edinburgh Festival Theatre (originally Empire Palace Theatre and later shortened to Empire Theatre) is a performing arts venue located on Nicolson Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is used primarily for performances of opera and ballet, larg ...
, the
Mayflower Theatre
Mayflower Theatre (formerly the Gaumont Theatre and originally The Empire Theatre) is a Grade II listed theatre in the city centre of Southampton, England, with a capacity of 2,300. It features West End theatre shows when they tour the United Ki ...
in Southampton and the
Palace Theatre in Manchester.
Another US tour began at
Providence Performing Arts Center
The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC), formerly Loew's State Theatre and Palace Concert Theater, is a multi-use not-for-profit theater located at 220 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1928 as a movie p ...
in September 2018. The tour closed early on March 15, 2020 in
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 20 ...
due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Casts
Notable replacements
West End (1989–1999)
*Kim:
Joanna Ampil
Joanna Ampil is a musical theatre and film actress from the Philippines and United Kingdom.
Career
Joanna is a stage actress. She played Kim in ''Miss Saigon'' (London, original Australian production, original United Kingdom and Ireland Tour a ...
,
Ma-Anne Dionisio,
Naoko Mori
(born 29 November 1971) is a Japanese actress based in the United Kingdom. She is known for her roles as Toshiko Sato in ''Doctor Who'' and ''Torchwood'', Yasuko Namba in ''Everest'', Sarah in ''Absolutely Fabulous'' and Nicola in '' Spice Wor ...
,
Jamie Rivera
Mary Jane Cruz-Mendoza (born August 29, 1966), known professionally as Jamie Rivera, is a pop singer from the Philippines and also known as the Inspirational Diva.
Since her post-People Power Revolution, EDSA Revolution debut album ''Hey It's M ...
,
Monique Wilson
Monica Anne Esteva Wilson (born May 4, 1970), usually credited as Monique Wilson, is a Filipina singer, actress, and women's rights activist. She began her professional career at the age of nine. At 18, she gained recognition as the understudy f ...
*The Engineer:
Hilton McRae
Hilton McRae (born 28 December 1949) is a Scottish actor, working in theatre, television and film.
Career
McRae was part of the radical theatre group 7:84 before graduating from the University of Edinburgh, and by 1977 he had joined the Royal ...
*Chris:
John Barrowman
John Scot Barrowman (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his role as Captain Jack Harkness in '' Doctor Who'' and ''Torchwood'', and as Malcolm Merlyn in the Arrow ...
,
Graham Bickley
Graham John Bickley (born 18 May 1958) is an English actor and singer. He is best known for playing the role of Joey Boswell in '' Bread'' from 1989 until 1991, taking over from Peter Howitt, who played him from 1986 until 1989.
Early life
Bi ...
,
David Campbell,
Peter Jöback
Peter Arne Jöback (born 4 June 1971 in Stockholm, Sweden) is a Swedish singer, actor and musical artist.
Biography
Early life and education
Peter Jöback was born on 4 June 1971 in Stockholm. He spent his childhood in Värmland and Östergö ...
,
Jérôme Pradon
Jérôme Pradon (born 3 June 1964) is a French actor and singer who has performed in the West End, in Paris and in various other places around the world. He was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France.
Theatre
In 1991, Pradon ...
,
Glyn Kerslake (u/s)
*Ellen:
Gunilla Backman
Gunilla Katarina Backman (born 18 June 1965) is a Swedes, Swedish singer, actress, and Musical theatre, musical-artist.
Early life and career
Backman comes from a musical family and studied classical ballet from 1972 until 1982 at Kungliga Teate ...
,
Ruthie Henshall
Valentine Ruth Henshall (born 7 March 1967), known professionally as Ruthie Henshall, is an English actress, singer and dancer, known for her work in musical theatre. She began her professional stage career in 1986, before making her West End d ...
*Gigi:
Lorraine Vélez
Lorraine Vélez (born November 2, 1964) is an American singer and actress of Puerto Rican descent, who has specialized in musical theatre. Her name has sometimes appeared as Loraine Velez. She is the identical twin sister of actress Lauren Vél ...
Broadway (1991–2001)
*Kim:
Joan Almedilla
Joan Richelle C. Almedilla (born September 19, 1973) is a film and theater actress, composer, and singer who has starred as Kim in the Broadway musical ''Miss Saigon''.
Life and career
Almedilla was born to Agapito and Rosario, whose roots are ...
,
Deedee Magno Hall
Deedee Magno Hall is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her work in the pop group The Party, and as the voice of Pearl in the animated series ''Steven Universe'' and its epilogue series '' Steven Universe Future''.
Early lif ...
,
Jennie Kwan
Jennie Kwan is an American television, film, and voice actress. She played Samantha "Sam" Woo on ''California Dreams'', Satoko Hojo in '' Higurashi When They Cry'', and voiced Suki, a character on ''Avatar: The Last Airbender''.
Career
Kwan beg ...
,
Jennifer Paz
Jennifer Paz-Fedorov (born April 23, 1974) is a Filipina-born American actress. She is mostly known for her recurring role as Lapis Lazuli in ''Steven Universe'' and '' Steven Universe Future''.
Career
The youngest of four children, Paz moved w ...
,
Annette Calud (a/t)
*The Engineer:
Kevin Gray,
Wang Luoyong
Wang Luoyong (; born 24 December 1958) is a Chinese actor who has appeared in American films. He first appeared in '' Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story'' as James Yim Lee. He had recently appeared in CCTV's ''The Legend of Bruce Lee'' as Shao Ruhai, ...
,
Alan Muraoka
Alan Muraoka (born August 10, 1962) is a Japanese American actor and director who plays Alan, the current owner of Hooper's Store, on the television show ''Sesame Street'' since 1998. He currently serves on the board of directors at thBayard Rusti ...
*Chris:
Will Chase
Frank William Chase (born September 12, 1970) is a Tony Award-nominated American actor, director, and singer, best known for his work on Broadway and for his role as country superstar Luke Wheeler on ABC's ''Nashville''.
Early life and educatio ...
,
Jarrod Emick
Jarrod Emick (born July 2, 1969) is an American actor who primarily acts in musicals. He received a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, and a Theatre World Award for his performance in the 1994 revival of ''Damn Yankees''.
Biography
Emick grew u ...
,
Eric Kunze,
Peter Lockyer
Peter Lockyer is an American actor and tenor. He was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. As a child, he split his time between Toronto and Connecticut, and went to the same high school as the actress Gretchen Mol. Lockyer has appeared in numerous prod ...
,
Tyley Ross
*John:
Matthew Dickens,
Keith Byron Kirk
Keith Byron Kirk is an American theater actor, singer and playwright. He is a director of graduate studies for the Theatre Department at the Virginia Commonwealth University.
Education
Kirk attended SUNY (Anderson Scholarship recipient) whe ...
,
Norm Lewis
Norm Lewis (born June 2, 1963) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in Europe, on Broadway, in film, television, recordings and regional theatre. Productions that he has been involved in include '' Dessa Rose'', ''Miss Saigon'', '' T ...
,
Billy Porter,
Curtiss Cook
Curtiss Cook is an American character actor from Dayton, Ohio. He studied at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London.Sandoval, Lapacazo"Curtiss Cook – Reprising His Role in Season Three of Showtime’s ''The Chi''" ''Los Angeles Sentinel ...
(u/s)
*Ellen:
Anastasia Barzee
Anastasia Barzee (born April 24, 1971) is an American actress. Born in Miami, Barzee is a graduate of Frost School of Music.
Career
Barzee originated the role of Betty Haynes in '' White Christmas''. She also originated the role of Josephin ...
,
Jacquelyn Piro Donovan,
Ruthie Henshall
Valentine Ruth Henshall (born 7 March 1967), known professionally as Ruthie Henshall, is an English actress, singer and dancer, known for her work in musical theatre. She began her professional stage career in 1986, before making her West End d ...
,
Christiane Noll
Christiane Noll (born October 5, 1968) is an American actress and singer known for her work in musicals and on the concert stage. She originated the role of Emma Carew in Frank Wildhorn's '' Jekyll & Hyde'', and had roles in '' Urinetown'', ''Rag ...
,
Andrea Rivette (u/s)
*Thuy:
Yancey Arias
Yancey Arias (born June 27, 1971) is an American actor. He played Miguel Cadena in the NBC series '' Kingpin'' and Gabriel Williams in the FX series ''Thief''.
Life and career
Arias's mother, Miriam, is Puerto Rican and his father, Tony, is Col ...
,
Michael K. Lee,
Welly Yang
Welly may refer to:
* Wellington boot, protective boot popularized by the first Duke of Wellington
* A nickname for the city of Wellington, New Zealand, and:
** Wellington Phoenix FC
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional assoc ...
U.S. Tour (1992-96)
*Kim:
Jennifer Paz
Jennifer Paz-Fedorov (born April 23, 1974) is a Filipina-born American actress. She is mostly known for her recurring role as Lapis Lazuli in ''Steven Universe'' and '' Steven Universe Future''.
Career
The youngest of four children, Paz moved w ...
*The Engineer:
Kevin Gray
*Chris:
Will Chase
Frank William Chase (born September 12, 1970) is a Tony Award-nominated American actor, director, and singer, best known for his work on Broadway and for his role as country superstar Luke Wheeler on ABC's ''Nashville''.
Early life and educatio ...
,
Eric Kunze,
Peter Lockyer
Peter Lockyer is an American actor and tenor. He was born in Poughkeepsie, New York. As a child, he split his time between Toronto and Connecticut, and went to the same high school as the actress Gretchen Mol. Lockyer has appeared in numerous prod ...
,
Will Swenson
West End revival (2014–2016)
*Ellen:
Siobhan Dillon
Siobhan Patricia Dillon (born 1 September 1984) is an English actress and singer, who rose to fame when she performed in the British talent show-themed television series '' How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?'' on BBC One in 2006. Since then ...
*Gigi:
Natalie Mendoza
Natalie Jackson Mendoza (born 12 August 1976) is an Australian actress, singer, and dancer. She is best known for her roles as one of the main characters, Jackie Clunes, in the British drama series '' Hotel Babylon'' (2006–2008) and as Juno i ...
Controversies
Hubert van Es
Hubert van Es (6 July 1941 – 15 May 2009) was a Dutch photographer and photojournalist who took the well-known photo on 29 April 1975, which shows South Vietnamese civilians scrambling to board a CIA Air America helicopter during the U.S. e ...
, a Dutch photojournalist who took the most famous image of the
fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon, also known as the Liberation of Saigon by North Vietnamese or Liberation of the South by the Vietnamese government, and known as Black April by anti-communist overseas Vietnamese was the capture of Saigon, the capital of ...
in 1975 (a group of people scaling a ladder to a CIA helicopter on a rooftop), considered legal action when his photograph was used in ''Miss Saigon''.
Casting controversies
''Miss Saigon'' has received criticism for its
whitewashing as well as racist or sexist overtones, including protests regarding its portrayal of Asians and women in general. Originally, Pryce and Burns, white actors playing Eurasian/Asian characters, wore eye prostheses and bronzing cream to make themselves look more Asian,
[Behr, Edward, and Mark Steyn. ''The Story of Miss Saigon''. New York: Arcade Publishing, 1991.] which outraged some who drew comparisons to a "
minstrel show
The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century.
Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people spe ...
".
The American scholar Yutian Wong noted when ''Miss Saigon'' premiered on the West End in 1989, reviews in British newspapers such as the ''
Daily Mail
The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper and news websitePeter Wilb"Paul Dacre of the Daily Mail: The man who hates liberal Britain", ''New Statesman'', 19 December 2013 (online version: 2 January 2014) publish ...
'', ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'', and the ''
Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
'' were uniformly positive as British theater critics did not find anything objectionable about the opera. The controversy about ''Miss Saigon'' only began in 1990 with the prospect of it appearing on Broadway, which Wong argued was because the United States has a much larger Asian population than does the United Kingdom.
In the London production of ''Miss Saigon'',
Lea Salonga
Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga (; born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipino singer, actress, and columnist. Nicknamed "Pride of the Philippines," she is best known for her roles in musical theatre, for supplyin ...
originally starred as Kim, with
Jonathan Pryce
Sir Jonathan Pryce (born John Price; 1 June 1947) is a Welsh actor who is known for his performances on stage and in film and television. He has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards. In 2021 he was ...
as the Engineer. When the production transferred from London to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, the
Actors' Equity Association
The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a boo ...
(AEA) refused to allow Pryce, a
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
actor, to portray the role of the Engineer, a
Eurasian
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Ja ...
pimp
Procuring or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. A procurer, colloquially called a pimp (if male) or a madam (if female, though the term pimp has still ...
, in the United States. The playwright
David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang (born August 11, 1957) is an American playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and theater professor at Columbia University in New York City. He has won three Obie Awards for his plays '' FOB'', '' Golden Child'', and '' Yell ...
and the actor
B.D Wong
Bradley Darryl Wong (born October 24, 1960) is an American actor. Wong won a Tony Award for his performance as Song Liling in ''M. Butterfly'', becoming the only actor in Broadway history to receive the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critic ...
wrote public letters of protest against Pryce's casting. Both Hwang and Wong had seen ''Miss Saigon'' on the West End of London, and felt Pryce's performance as the Engineer was demeaning to Asian people. In the London production, Pryce had performed the role in
yellowface
Portrayals of East Asians in American film and theatre has been a subject of controversy. These portrayals have frequently reflected an ethnocentric perception of East Asians rather than realistic and authentic depictions of East Asian cultures, c ...
, wearing prosethetics to alter the shape of his eyes and makeup to alter the color of his skin. As Alan Eisenberg, executive secretary of Actors' Equity explained: "The casting of a Caucasian actor made up to appear Asian is an affront to the Asian community. The casting choice is especially disturbing when the casting of an Asian actor, in the role, would be an important and significant opportunity to break the usual pattern of casting Asians in minor roles."
This ruling on 7 August 1990 led to criticism from many, including the
British Actors' Equity Association
Equity, formerly officially titled the British Actors' Equity Association, is the trade union for the performing arts and entertainment industries.
Formed by a group of West End performers in 1930, the union grew to include performers and sta ...
, citing violations of the principles of artistic integrity and freedom. Producer
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "th ...
threatened to cancel the show, despite massive advance ticket sales.
Though there had been a large, well-publicised international search among Asian actresses to play Kim, there had been no equivalent search for Asian actors to play the major Asian male roles—specifically, those of the Engineer (Pryce) and Thuy (Keith Burns). The American scholar Angelica Pao noted that in the first production of ''Miss Saigon'' on the West End, Macintosh went out of his way to cast Asian actresses to play the Vietnamese women, arguing that this was necessary to provide authenticity, but he was content to cast white actors as Vietnamese men. However, others pointed out that since the Engineer's character was Eurasian (French-Vietnamese), they argued that Pryce was being discriminated against on the basis that he was Caucasian. Also, Pryce was considered by many in Europe to have "star status," a clause that allows a well-known foreign actor to recreate a role on Broadway without an American casting call.
After pressure from Mackintosh, the general public, and many of its own members, Actors' Equity reversed its decision. Pryce starred alongside Salonga and Willy Falk (as Chris) when the show opened on Broadway.
During the production transfer from West End to Broadway, a lesser controversy erupted over Salonga's citizenship, as she was
Filipina
Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or other ...
, and the AEA wanted to give priority to its own members, initially preventing her from reprising her role. However, Mackintosh was unable to find a satisfactory replacement for Salonga despite the extensive auditions that he conducted in several American and Canadian cities. An arbitrator reversed the AEA ruling a month later to allow Salonga to star.
Revived productions of ''Miss Saigon'' have been subjects to boycotts from Asian actors.
Orientalism, racism, and misogyny
Internationally, community members objected to productions of the show over the years, arguing the show is racist and misogynistic. The 2010 Fulbright Hayes Scholar D Hideo Maruyama states: "it's time to see the real Vietnam, not the ''Miss Saigon'' version. Whether or not America is ready to see the real one is up to question." American artist and activist
Mai Neng Moua stated: "I protested ''Miss Saigon'' back in 1994 when the
Ordway first brought it to town. I was a college student at
St. Olaf and had never protested anything before. I didn't know what to say or do. I was scared people would yell or throw things at me. Then I met Esther Suzuki, a Japanese American woman whose family survived the racist
U.S. policy of internment camps. Esther was about my size – which is small – but she was fearless. Esther protested ''Miss Saigon'' because, she better than anyone, understood Dr. King's "No one is free until we all are free." I stood with Esther, protesting ''Miss Saigon'', and drew strength from her. We protested ''Miss Saigon'' because it was racist, sexist, and offensive to us as Asian Americans. Nineteen years later, this hasn't changed." Vietnamese American activist Denise Huynh recounts her experience attending the production and the stereotypes making her feel physically ill.
Sarah Bellamy, co-artistic director of the
Penumbra Theatre, dedicated to African American theater, stated: "It gets a lot easier to wrap your head around all of this for folks of color when we remember a key point: this work is not for us. It is by, for, and about white people, using people of color, tropical climes, pseudo-cultural costumes and props, violence, tragedy, and the commodification of people and cultures, to reinforce and re-inscribe a narrative about white supremacy and authority."
The American scholar Yutian Wong described ''Miss Saigon'' as promoting the image of "an effeminzed and infantized Asia serving as a low-budget whorehouse for the West". The fact that the Vietnam war impoverished many Vietnamese people, and forced many women to turn to prostitution in order to survive is not mentioned in ''Miss Saigon'', and establishments such as the fictional Dreamland brothel are portrayed as the norm in Vietnam. In 1999, when ''Miss Saigon'' was closing in London, a new advertising campaign was launched on the Tube featuring posters reading "You'll miss Saigon" that showed an Asian woman wearing a military jacket that barely covered her breasts, which Wong felt sent the message that "Asia equals prostitution".
American scholar Karen Shimakawa argued that the romance between the Marine Chris with Kim was intended as a message by Boublil and Schönberg about the legitimacy and justice of the Vietnam war with the submissive Kim looking up to Chris to protect and save her from her own people. The wedding between Chris and Kim is seen by the former as a mere spectacle for him to enjoy rather representing a binding commitment on his part to Kim, and he is very surprised to learn later on that Kim considers him to be her husband, an aspect of his character that he is not criticized for. Instead, Ellen explains to Kim that under American law she is Chris's wife, and Kim just merely accepts the supremacy of American law over Vietnamese law, which Shimakawa argued represents the viewpoint that Vietnam is merely just a place that provides exotic spectacles for Chris and other Americans to enjoy.
The Trinidadian-Canadian critic
Richard Fung
Richard Fung (born 1954) is a video artist, writer, public intellectual and theorist who currently lives and works in Toronto, Ontario. He was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and is openly gay.
Fung is a professor at OCAD University. He earned a ...
wrote in 1994: "If ''Miss Saigon'' were the only show about sexually available Asian women and money-grubbing Asian men, it wouldn't be a stereotype and there would be no protest-negative portrayals ''per se'' are not a problem". Fung argued that the way in which films, television and plays repeated such stereotypes ''ad nauseam'' had a damaging effect on the self-esteem of Asian-Americans, especially Asian-American women.
The
Overture Center for the Arts
Overture Center for the Arts is a performing arts center and art gallery in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. The center opened on September 19, 2004, replacing the former Civic Center. In addition to several theaters, the center also houses the ...
planned to host a touring production of ''Miss Saigon'' in April 2019 and had scheduled a panel discussion to showcase Asian American perspectives on the musical's treatment of Asian characters. The Center then postponed the panel discussion indefinitely, prompting a teach-in by the panel's organizers and scheduled speakers. “Shame on Overture for making a profit off the bodies of Asian bodies and Asian lives,” said Nancy Vue of Freedom Inc. “If you are a white woman, you should be outraged because this play pits white woman against Asian women. You should be outraged that it does that because we ought to be working together.”
Recordings
Response
Though the show has received awards and acclaim, it lost the Best Musical Award at the 1989/1990
Laurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...
to ''
Return to the Forbidden Planet
''Return to the Forbidden Planet'' is a jukebox musical by Bob Carlton, based on Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest'' and the 1956 science fiction film '' Forbidden Planet'', which, in turn, is loosely based on ''The Tempest''. The show features ...
'' in London.
Upon its
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
opening in 1991 the musical was massively hyped as the best musical of the year, both critically and commercially. It broke several Broadway records, including a record advance-ticket sales at $24 million, highest priced ticket at $100, and repaying investors in fewer than 39 weeks.
''Miss Saigon'' and ''
The Will Rogers Follies
''The Will Rogers Follies'' is a musical with a book by Peter Stone, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Cy Coleman.
It focuses on the life and career of famed humorist and performer Will Rogers, using as a backdrop the Ziegfeld ...
'' led the 1991
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
nominations with eleven nominations. According to ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', "''Will Rogers'' and ''Miss Saigon'' had both earned 11 nominations and were considered the front-runners for the Tony as best musical. But many theatre people predicted that ''Miss Saigon'', an import from London, would be the victim of a backlash. There is lingering bitterness against both the huge amount of publicity ''Miss Saigon'' has received and the battle by its producer,
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "th ...
, to permit its two foreign stars, Mr. Pryce and the Filipina actress
Lea Salonga
Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga (; born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipino singer, actress, and columnist. Nicknamed "Pride of the Philippines," she is best known for her roles in musical theatre, for supplyin ...
, to re-create on Broadway their number one award-winning roles."
The show lost to ''The Will Rogers Follies'' for nearly every major award, though
Lea Salonga
Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga (; born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipino singer, actress, and columnist. Nicknamed "Pride of the Philippines," she is best known for her roles in musical theatre, for supplyin ...
,
Jonathan Pryce
Sir Jonathan Pryce (born John Price; 1 June 1947) is a Welsh actor who is known for his performances on stage and in film and television. He has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards. In 2021 he was ...
and
Hinton Battle
Hinton Battle (born November 29, 1956) is an American actor, singer, dancer, and dance instructor. He has won three Tony Awards, all in the category of Featured Actor in a Musical. He was the first to portray the Scarecrow in the stage version ...
all won awards.
Awards and nominations
Original West End production
Original Broadway production
2014 West End revival
2017 Broadway revival
Film adaptation
On 21 October 2009, a film version of the musical was reported to be in "early stages of development". Producer
Paula Wagner
Paula Kauffman Wagner (born Paula Sue Kauffman) is an American film producer and film executive. Her most recent credits include the film ''Marshall'' starring Chadwick Boseman, Kate Hudson, Sterling K. Brown, and Josh Gad as well as the Broadw ...
was reported to be teaming with the original musical producer Cameron Mackintosh to create a film version of the musical. Filming locations are said to be Cambodia and quite possibly
Ho Chi Minh City
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
, blank_name = GRP (Nominal)
, blank_info = 2019
, blank1_name = – Total
, blank1_ ...
(the former Saigon).
Cameron Mackintosh reported that the film version of ''Miss Saigon'' depended on whether the ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' film was a success. In August 2013, director
Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. His first producer credit was ''Monster's Ball'' (2001), for which Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress, making Daniels ...
announced hopes to get a film adaptation off the ground.
On 27 February 2016, at the closing night of the ''Miss Saigon'' London Revival, Mackintosh hinted that the film adaptation was close to being produced when he said: "Sooner rather than later, the movie won't just be in my mind". As well as this, the 2014 "25th anniversary" performance of ''Miss Saigon'' in London was filmed for an Autumn cinema broadcast. In March 2016, it was reported that
Danny Boyle
Daniel Francis Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English director and producer. He is known for his work on films including ''Shallow Grave'', '' Trainspotting'' and its sequel ''T2 Trainspotting'', '' The Beach'', '' 28 Days Later'', '' Su ...
was in talks to direct the film for a 2018 release.
[Broadway World, 10 March 2016]
Danny Boyle in Talks to Helm MISS SAIGON Film Adaptation
/ref>
See also
* ''Tears of Heaven'' – Another Vietnam-set musical, from 2011 by composer Frank Wildhorn
Frank Wildhorn (born November 29, 1958) is an American composer of both musicals and popular songs. His musical ''Jekyll & Hyde'' ran for four years on Broadway. He also wrote the #1 International hit song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" for Whitne ...
, set in the lead up to and during the Tet Offensive.
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
*
Official UK website
On the Scene: ''Miss Saigon'' Celebrates 4,000 Performances
Plot summary and character descriptions
''Miss Saigon''
at the Music Theatre International website
''Miss Saigon – School Edition''
at the Music Theatre International website
*
{{Authority control
Musicals by Claude-Michel Schönberg
1989 musicals
West End musicals
Broadway musicals
Musicals based on operas
Sung-through musicals
Fiction about interracial romance
Fiction about suicide
Plays set in the 1970s
Vietnam War in popular culture
Saigon in fiction
Tony Award-winning musicals
Race-related controversies in theatre