Miss Saigon
Encyclopedia
Miss Saigon is a musical
by Claude-Michel Schönberg
and Alain Boublil
, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.
. It is based on Giacomo Puccini
's opera Madame Butterfly
, 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 the 1970s Saigon during the Vietnam War
, and Madame Butterflys American Lieutenant and Japanese geisha
coupling is replaced by a romance between an American
GI
and a Vietnamese
bar girl.
The musical premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
, in London
on 20 September 1989, closing after over four thousand performances, on 30 October 1999. It opened on Broadway
at the Broadway Theatre
in 1991 and subsequently played in many other cities and embarked on tours.
The musical represented Schönberg and Boublil's second major success, following Les Misérables
in 1985. As of September 2011, Miss Saigon is still the eleventh longest-running Broadway musical in musical theatre history.
to board a plane headed for the United States
where her 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 from the Embassy roof by helicopter while a crowd of abandoned Vietnamese
scream in despair, the victory parade of the new communist regime and the frenzied night club scene at the time of defeat.
Many of the major Europe
an musicals on Broadway
started in the 1980s, including Cats
, The Phantom of the Opera
, and Les Misérables
and then included Miss Saigon into the 1990s.
Miss Saigon premiered in the West End
at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
on 20 September 1989 and closed after 4,264 performances on 30 October 1999. The director was Nicholas Hytner
with musical staging by Bob Avian
and scenic design by John Napier
. In December 1994 the London
production became the Theatre Royal's (Drury Lane) longest running musical, eclipsing the record set by My Fair Lady
.
The original Kim was played by Lea Salonga
, who became famous because of this role and won the Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award
. The original Engineer was portrayed by Jonathan Pryce
who won a Tony Award
for the role.
Broadway
The musical debuted on Broadway
at the Broadway Theatre
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. As of September 2011, Miss Saigon is still the 11th longest-running Broadway musical in musical theatre history.
Other productions
Since its opening in London Miss Saigon was produced in many cities around the world including Stuttgart
from 2 December 1994 till 19 December 1999 and Toronto
, where new theatres were designed specifically to house the show. In the small island community of Bømlo
, Norway
with only around eleven thousand inhabitants, the show was set up in the outdoor amphitheater 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. According to the Miss Saigon Official Site, Miss Saigon has been performed by twenty-seven companies in twenty-five countries and 246 cities, and it has been translated into twelve different languages.
Tours
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 opened at the Palace Theatre, Manchester
and also played in the Birmingham Hippodrome
, the Mayflower Theatre
Southampton
, the Edinburgh Playhouse
, the Bristol Hippodrome
and The Point Theatre in Dublin. This successful tour drew to a close in 2003 and a brand new production was developed by original producer Cameron Mackintosh
on a smaller scale so that the show could be accommodated in smaller theatres. This new tour started in July 2004 and ended in June 2006.
The first US tour started in Chicago, Illinois in October 1992 and was then expected to travel to those cities which 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
, Florida in the Spring 1994, and the Kennedy Center, Washington, DC in June 1994. Cameron Mackintosh
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 North American tour was in Summer 2002 – Spring 2005, playing such venues as the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, New Jersey
in November 2003, Raleigh, North Carolina
in February 2005, and Gainesville
, Florida in November 2003.
, it is Kim's first day as a bargirl
. The seventeen-year-old orphan is greeted by the Engineer, a French-Vietnamese man who owns the club. Backstage, the girls get ready for the night's show, jeering at Kim's naïveté ("Overture"). The U.S. Marines, aware that they will be leaving Vietnam soon, party with the Vietnamese prostitutes at the club ("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 innocence strikes Chris. Gigi Van Trahn 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 from the Engineer for the virgin Kim and Chris ("The Transaction"). Kim is reluctant and shy but dances with Chris. Chris 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 tells her that she need not sell herself at the club, because he wants her to stay with him. The two pledge their love for each other ("Sun and Moon"). Chris tells John that he is taking leave to spend time with Kim. John warns him that the Viet Cong 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 America visa in the deal. Chris forces the Engineer at gunpoint to honour 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 become an officer in the North Vietnamese Army and is angered to find her with Chris ("Thuy's Arrival"). The two men confront each other, drawing their guns. Kim tells Thuy that their arranged marriage is now null because her parents are dead, and she no longer harbours 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 pass, and in Saigon (now renamed Ho Chi Minh City
), a street parade is taking place to celebrate the third anniversary of the reunification of Vietnam and the defeat of the Americans ("Morning of The Dragon," also called "The Fall of Saigon"). Thuy, a commissar in the new government, has ordered his soldiers to find the still-corrupt Engineer. Thuy orders the Engineer to find Kim and bring her to him. Kim is still in love with Chris and has been hiding in an impoverished area believing that Chris will come back to Vietnam to rescue her. Meanwhile, Chris is in bed with his new American wife, Ellen, when he awakens 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 finds Kim and brings Thuy to her. Kim refuses Thuy's renewed offer of marriage and introduces him to Tam, her three-year-old son fathered by Chris. Thuy calls Kim a traitor and Tam an enemy, and moves to kill Tam with a knife. Kim pulls out Chris's gun and kills Thuy ("You Will Not Touch Him"). Kim flees with Tam ("This Is The Hour") and tells the Engineer what she has done ("If You Want to Die in Bed"). The Engineer refuses to help her until he learns that Tam's father is American ("Let Me See His Western Nose") – thinking this is his passport to the United States. He tells Kim that now he is the boy's uncle, and he will lead them to Bangkok
. The three set out on a ship with other refugees ("I'd Give My Life for You").
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").
As the Viet Cong approach and Saigon 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 are allowed into the Embassy. Kim reaches the gates of the Embassy, one of a mob of terrified Vietnamese trying to get in. Chris calls to Kim and is about to go into the crowd to look for her, but 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: Reprise") and leaves the Engineer to watch Tam while she is gone. She goes to Chris' hotel room, where she finds Ellen. Kim mistakenly thinks she is John's wife, but Ellen reveals that she is Chris' wife. Kim is heartbroken and refuses to believe Ellen. Ellen asks Kim if Chris really is the father of Tam, and Kim says he is. Kim says she does not want her son living on the streets like a rat, but Ellen tells Kim that they will do what they can to support him. Kim pleads to Ellen that they take Tam with them 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 badly for Kim, but is determined to keep Chris ("It's Her or Me"/"Now That I've Seen Her"). Chris and John return, having failed to find Kim. Ellen tells them both that Kim arrived just now and that she was the one who had to tell Kim everything. Chris and John blame themselves, realizing 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 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 will leave Tam and Kim in Bangkok but offer them monetary support from America. John warns that Kim will not find it acceptable to have Tam stay in Thailand ("The Confrontation"). Back at the club, Kim lies to the Engineer that they are still going to America ("Paper Dragons"). The Engineer imagines the extravagant new life 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 ("The Sacred Bird"/"Little God Of My Heart"/"This Is The Hour (reprise)"). Chris, Ellen, John, and the Engineer arrive just outside her room. The Engineer comes in to take Tam outside to introduce Tam to his father. While this is happening, Kim steps behind a curtain and shoots herself. As she falls to the floor, everyone rushes into the room at the sound of the gunshot and find Kim mortally wounded. Chris holds Kim in his arms and asks what she has done and why she did this, as she explains that the gods have guided him to his son. Chris begs her not to die, as she asks him to hold her one last time. After sharing one final kiss, Kim says her final words to Chris, echoing what he said to her from the song "Sun and Moon" ("How in one night have we come so far?") and she dies in his arms ("Finale").
was reported to be teaming with the original musical producer Cameron Mackintosh to create a film version of the musical. Director Lee Daniels
has mentioned directing the film version as a possible future project. A screenwriter is currently being sought, with a tentative 2011 release. Filming locations are said to be Cambodia
and quite possibly Ho Chi Minh City
(the former Saigon). No casting has been mentioned but speculation states that the producers will be seeking an unknown for the lead role of Kim.
Act II
as of the 2011 Dutch production "Now That I've Seen Her" is replaced by the song "Maybe"/"Toch Nog"
Original Broadway Cast
Original 1994 Stuttgart Cast
Original 1994 Hungarian Cast
Original 1996 Dutch Cast
Original Austrian Cast
Original New Zealand Cast
Original Stockholm Cast
2011 Dutch Revival Cast
, Deedee Magno
, Naoko Mori
, Ma-Anne Dionisio
, Miriam Valmores-Marasigan, Monique Wilson, Jennifer C. Paz, Melinda Chua Smith, Chloe Stewart, Ima Castro, Riva Salazar, Jamie Rivera, Maya Barredo, Joanna Ampil, Jennifer Hubilla, Nele-Liis Vaiksoo
, Lee So Jung.
Chris: Peter Lockyer
, Will Chase
, Simon Bowman
, Matthew Dickens
, Jérôme Pradon
, Ramin Karimloo
, John Barrowman
, David Shannon, Scott Anson, Steven Pasquale
, Peter Cousens, Koit Toome
, Russell Dixon.
John: Hinton Battle
, Peter Polycarpou
, John Partridge
, Norm Lewis
, Pavel Vitek
, James Chatham, Matthew Dickens
, Kingsley Leggs
The Engineer: Jonathan Pryce
, John Partridge
, Kevin Gray, Robert Kimble, Leo Valdez, Franc Anton Harwart, Jon Jon Briones, Marko Matvere
.
Ellen: Claire Moore (singer)
(original London), Liz Callaway
(original Broadway), Kerry Ellis
, Tami Tappan, Maarja-Liis Ilus
, Janika Sillamaa
, Anastasia Barzee
(Broadway), Jacqui Scott, Misty Cotton, Andrea Rivette(tour), Ruthie Henshall
(final cast)
Thuy: Evan D'Angeles, Robert Seña, Arvin Quirante, Jojo Urquico, Ariel Reonal, Christian Rey Marbella, Makakilo Ancheta, Sebastian Tan, Charles Azulay, Michael K. Lee
However, although the show has received awards and acclaim, it lost the Best Musical Award at the 1989/90 Laurence Olivier Awards
to Return to the Forbidden Planet
in London.
Miss Saigon and The Will Rogers Follies
led the 1991 Tony Award
nominations with eleven nominations. According to The New York Times, "'Will Rogers' and 'Miss Saigon' had both earned 11 nominations and were considered the front-runners for the Tony as best musical. But many theater 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 Macintosh, to permit its two foreign stars, Mr. Pryce... and the Filipina actress Lea Salonga, to re-create on Broadway their award-winning roles."
The show lost to The Will Rogers Follies for nearly every major award, though Lea Salonga
, Jonathan Pryce
and Hinton Battle
all won awards.
Originally, Pryce and Burns, white actors playing Eurasian/Asian characters, wore eye prostheses and bronzing cream to make themselves look more Asian, which outraged some who drew comparisons to a "minstrel show
".
In the London production of Miss Saigon, Lea Salonga
originally starred as Kim, with Jonathan Pryce
as the Engineer. When the production transferred from London to New York City, the Actors' Equity Association
(AEA) refused to allow Pryce, a white
actor, to recreate the role of the Eurasian
pimp
in America. 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 led to criticism from many including British Equity, citing violations of the principles of artistic integrity and freedom. Producer Cameron Mackintosh
threatened to cancel the show, despite massive advanced ticket sales.
Although there had been a large, well-publicized 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, Engineer (Pryce) and Thuy (Keith Burns). 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 Britain 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 was forced to reverse 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 Lea Salonga
's citizenship, as she was neither British nor American. Salonga is Filipino and the AEA wanted to give priority to their own members and so initially prevented her from reprising her role. However, Mackintosh was not able to find a satisfactory replacement for Salonga despite the extensive auditions he conducted in several American and Canadian cities. An arbitrator reversed the AEA ruling a month later to allow Salonga to star.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
by Claude-Michel Schönberg
Claude-Michel Schönberg
Claude-Michel Schönberg is a French record producer, actor, singer, songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with the lyricist Alain Boublil.These include the musicals:...
and Alain Boublil
Alain Boublil
Alain Boublil is a 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...
, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.
Richard Maltby, Jr.
Richard Eldridge Maltby, Jr. is an American theatre director and producer, lyricist, and screenwriter. He is also well known as a constructor of cryptic crossword puzzles. He has done this for Harper's Magazine, sometimes in collaboration with E. R...
. It is based on Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
's opera Madame Butterfly
Madama Butterfly
Madama Butterfly is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. Puccini based his opera in part on the short story "Madame Butterfly" by John Luther Long, which was dramatized by David Belasco...
, 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 the 1970s Saigon during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and Madame Butterflys American Lieutenant and Japanese geisha
Geisha
, Geiko or Geigi are traditional, female Japanese entertainers whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music and dance.-Terms:...
coupling is replaced by a romance between an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
GI
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and a Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
bar girl.
The musical premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 20 September 1989, closing after over four thousand performances, on 30 October 1999. It opened on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
at the Broadway Theatre
The Broadway Theatre
The Broadway Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1681 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan....
in 1991 and subsequently played in many other cities and embarked on tours.
The musical represented Schönberg and Boublil's second major success, following Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
in 1985. As of September 2011, Miss Saigon is still the eleventh longest-running Broadway musical in musical theatre history.
Background
The musical's inspiration was reportedly a photograph, inadvertently found by Schönberg in a magazine. The photo showed a Vietnamese mother leaving her child at a departure gate at Tan Son Nhut Air BaseTan Son Nhut Air Base
Tan Son Nhut Air Base was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force facility. It is located near the city of Saigon in southern Vietnam. The United States used it as a major base during the Vietnam War , stationing Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine units there...
to board a plane headed for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
where her 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 from the Embassy roof by helicopter while a crowd of abandoned Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
scream in despair, the victory parade of the new communist regime and the frenzied night club scene at the time of defeat.
Many of the major Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an musicals on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
started in the 1980s, including Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
, The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
, and Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
and then included Miss Saigon into the 1990s.
Production history
West EndMiss Saigon premiered in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
on 20 September 1989 and closed after 4,264 performances on 30 October 1999. The director was Nicholas Hytner
Nicholas Hytner
Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner is an English film and theatre producer and director. He has been the artistic director of London's National Theatre since 2003.-Biography:...
with musical staging by Bob Avian
Bob Avian
Bob Avian is an American choreographer and a theatre producer and director.Born in New York City, Avian's spent his early career dividing his time between dancing in such Broadway shows as West Side Story, Funny Girl, and Henry, Sweet Henry and working as a production assistant on projects like I...
and scenic design by John Napier
John Napier
John Napier of Merchiston – also signed as Neper, Nepair – named Marvellous Merchiston, was a Scottish mathematician, physicist, astronomer & astrologer, and also the 8th Laird of Merchistoun. He was the son of Sir Archibald Napier of Merchiston. John Napier is most renowned as the discoverer...
. In December 1994 the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
production became the Theatre Royal's (Drury Lane) longest running musical, eclipsing the record set by My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
.
The original Kim was played by Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
, who became famous because of this role and won the Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
. The original Engineer was portrayed by Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
who won a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for the role.
Broadway
The musical debuted on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
at the Broadway Theatre
The Broadway Theatre
The Broadway Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1681 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan....
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. As of September 2011, Miss Saigon is still the 11th longest-running Broadway musical in musical theatre history.
Other productions
Since its opening in London Miss Saigon was produced in many cities around the world including Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
from 2 December 1994 till 19 December 1999 and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, where new theatres were designed specifically to house the show. In the small island community of Bømlo
Bømlo
Bømlo is a municipality in Sunnhordland, in the southern part of the county of Hordaland, Norway. It is also the name of the main island of this archipelago, consisting of about 900 islets, located west of Stord....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
with only around eleven thousand inhabitants, the show was set up in the outdoor amphitheater 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. According to the Miss Saigon Official Site, Miss Saigon has been performed by twenty-seven companies in twenty-five countries and 246 cities, and it has been translated into twelve different languages.
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
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
stopping off in each city for several months. The tour opened at the Palace Theatre, Manchester
Palace Theatre, Manchester
The Palace Theatre, Manchester, is one of the main theatres in Manchester, England. It is situated on Oxford Street, on the north-east corner of the intersection with Whitworth Street. The Palace and its 'sister' theatre the Manchester Opera House on Quay Street are operated by the same parent...
and also played in the Birmingham Hippodrome
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 visiting opera and ballet companies, touring West End...
, the Mayflower Theatre
Mayflower Theatre
The Mayflower is a Grade II listed theatre, in the city centre of Southampton, United Kingdom, with a capacity of 2,300. It features West End theatre shows when they tour the UK. The theatre opened on the 22 December 1928, as The Empire Theatre, part of the Moss Empire theatre group...
Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, the Edinburgh Playhouse
Edinburgh Playhouse
The Edinburgh Playhouse is a former cinema in Edinburgh, Scotland which now hosts touring musicals and music concerts. Its capacity is 3,059, making it the UK's largest working theatre in terms of audience capacity....
, the Bristol Hippodrome
Bristol Hippodrome
The Bristol Hippodrome is a theatre in the centre of Bristol, England with seating on three levels giving a capacity of 1,951. It frequently features West End theatre shows when they tour the UK as well regular visits by Welsh National Opera, and an annual pantomime.- History :The theatre was...
and The Point Theatre in Dublin. This successful tour drew to a close in 2003 and a brand new production was developed by original producer Cameron Mackintosh
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh is a British theatrical producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York...
on a smaller scale so that the show could be accommodated in smaller theatres. This new tour started in July 2004 and ended in June 2006.
The first US tour started in Chicago, Illinois in October 1992 and was then expected to travel to those cities which could accommodate the large production. The tour also played venues such as the Wang Center
Wang Center
Wang Center may refer to :*Citi Performing Arts Center, located in Boston, Massachusetts, was known as the "Wang Center for the Performing Arts" from 1983 to 2006, due to the financial donation and work of computer entrepreneur An Wang . In 2006, the Center received its current name due to a...
in Boston from 14 July to 12 September 1993, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is a large multi-venue theater and entertainment complex located in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA....
, Florida in the Spring 1994, and the Kennedy Center, Washington, DC in June 1994. Cameron Mackintosh
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh is a British theatrical producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York...
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 North American tour was in Summer 2002 – Spring 2005, playing such venues as the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
in November 2003, Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
in February 2005, and Gainesville
Gainesville
Gainesville is the name of several places in the United States of America:*Gainesville, Alabama*Gainesville, Florida, largest municipality with this name*Gainesville, Georgia*Gainesville, Missouri*Gainesville , New York...
, Florida in November 2003.
Act 1
In April 1975 at "Dreamland", a sleazy Vietnamese club, shortly before the Fall of SaigonFall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, by the People's Army of Vietnam and the National Liberation Front on April 30, 1975...
, it is Kim's first day as a bargirl
Bargirl
A bargirl is a woman who works as a hostess or dancer in bars to provide company or sexual services to patrons; the exact nature of services and varieties of bar varying by country/region. In most cases, these cater mostly to male clients, although in some cases women are also clients...
. The seventeen-year-old orphan is greeted by the Engineer, a French-Vietnamese man who owns the club. Backstage, the girls get ready for the night's show, jeering at Kim's naïveté ("Overture"). The U.S. Marines, aware that they will be leaving Vietnam soon, party with the Vietnamese prostitutes at the club ("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 innocence strikes Chris. Gigi Van Trahn 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 from the Engineer for the virgin Kim and Chris ("The Transaction"). Kim is reluctant and shy but dances with Chris. Chris 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 tells her that she need not sell herself at the club, because he wants her to stay with him. The two pledge their love for each other ("Sun and Moon"). Chris tells John that he is taking leave to spend time with Kim. John warns him that the Viet Cong 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 America visa in the deal. Chris forces the Engineer at gunpoint to honour 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 become an officer in the North Vietnamese Army and is angered to find her with Chris ("Thuy's Arrival"). The two men confront each other, drawing their guns. Kim tells Thuy that their arranged marriage is now null because her parents are dead, and she no longer harbours 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 pass, and in Saigon (now renamed Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
), a street parade is taking place to celebrate the third anniversary of the reunification of Vietnam and the defeat of the Americans ("Morning of The Dragon," also called "The Fall of Saigon"). Thuy, a commissar in the new government, has ordered his soldiers to find the still-corrupt Engineer. Thuy orders the Engineer to find Kim and bring her to him. Kim is still in love with Chris and has been hiding in an impoverished area believing that Chris will come back to Vietnam to rescue her. Meanwhile, Chris is in bed with his new American wife, Ellen, when he awakens 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 finds Kim and brings Thuy to her. Kim refuses Thuy's renewed offer of marriage and introduces him to Tam, her three-year-old son fathered by Chris. Thuy calls Kim a traitor and Tam an enemy, and moves to kill Tam with a knife. Kim pulls out Chris's gun and kills Thuy ("You Will Not Touch Him"). Kim flees with Tam ("This Is The Hour") and tells the Engineer what she has done ("If You Want to Die in Bed"). The Engineer refuses to help her until he learns that Tam's father is American ("Let Me See His Western Nose") – thinking this is his passport to the United States. He tells Kim that now he is the boy's uncle, and he will lead them to Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. The three set out on a ship with other refugees ("I'd Give My Life for You").
Act 2
In Atlanta, Georgia, John now works for an aide organisation whose mission is to connect Bui-Doi (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. Chris 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").
As the Viet Cong approach and Saigon 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 are allowed into the Embassy. Kim reaches the gates of the Embassy, one of a mob of terrified Vietnamese trying to get in. Chris calls to Kim and is about to go into the crowd to look for her, but 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: Reprise") and leaves the Engineer to watch Tam while she is gone. She goes to Chris' hotel room, where she finds Ellen. Kim mistakenly thinks she is John's wife, but Ellen reveals that she is Chris' wife. Kim is heartbroken and refuses to believe Ellen. Ellen asks Kim if Chris really is the father of Tam, and Kim says he is. Kim says she does not want her son living on the streets like a rat, but Ellen tells Kim that they will do what they can to support him. Kim pleads to Ellen that they take Tam with them 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 badly for Kim, but is determined to keep Chris ("It's Her or Me"/"Now That I've Seen Her"). Chris and John return, having failed to find Kim. Ellen tells them both that Kim arrived just now and that she was the one who had to tell Kim everything. Chris and John blame themselves, realizing 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 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 will leave Tam and Kim in Bangkok but offer them monetary support from America. John warns that Kim will not find it acceptable to have Tam stay in Thailand ("The Confrontation"). Back at the club, Kim lies to the Engineer that they are still going to America ("Paper Dragons"). The Engineer imagines the extravagant new life 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 ("The Sacred Bird"/"Little God Of My Heart"/"This Is The Hour (reprise)"). Chris, Ellen, John, and the Engineer arrive just outside her room. The Engineer comes in to take Tam outside to introduce Tam to his father. While this is happening, Kim steps behind a curtain and shoots herself. As she falls to the floor, everyone rushes into the room at the sound of the gunshot and find Kim mortally wounded. Chris holds Kim in his arms and asks what she has done and why she did this, as she explains that the gods have guided him to his son. Chris begs her not to die, as she asks him to hold her one last time. After sharing one final kiss, Kim says her final words to Chris, echoing what he said to her from the song "Sun and Moon" ("How in one night have we come so far?") and she dies in his arms ("Finale").
Film version
On 21 October 2009, a film version of the musical was reported to be in "early stages of development". Producer Paula WagnerPaula Wagner
Paula Wagner is an American film producer and film executive.-Early career:Wagner began her career at Creative Artists Agency. In 1993 she launched Cruise/Wagner Productions with her former CAA client Tom Cruise. C/W's first film, Mission: Impossible, was an international hit that brought the...
was reported to be teaming with the original musical producer Cameron Mackintosh to create a film version of the musical. Director Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels
Lee Louis Daniels is an American actor, film producer, and director. He produced Monster's Ball and directed the film Precious, which received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Director; the film won two of the awards.-Early years:Daniels was born on Christmas Eve, 1959, in...
has mentioned directing the film version as a possible future project. A screenwriter is currently being sought, with a tentative 2011 release. Filming locations are said to be Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and quite possibly Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City , formerly named Saigon is the largest city in Vietnam...
(the former Saigon). No casting has been mentioned but speculation states that the producers will be seeking an unknown for the lead role of Kim.
Major characters
- Kim – A seventeen-year-old girl, recently orphaned and forced to work at "Dreamland." She corresponds to Butterfly in the original opera.
- The Engineer, aka Tran Van Dinh – The slightly sleazy but likable owner of "Dreamland." He is half-Vietnamese and half-French. He corresponds to Goro.
- Christopher Scott, aka "Chris" – An American G.I. sergeant about to leave Saigon to return to America. He corresponds to Pinkerton.
- John Thomas – Chris' friend, also a G.I. He corresponds to Sharpless.
- Thuy – Kim's cousin and betrothed, to whom Kim was promised by her parents when the two were thirteen. Has since become an officer in the Communist Vietnamese government. He is a composite characterComposite characterA composite character is a character composed of two or more individuals, appearing in a fictional or non-fictional work. Two fictional characters are often combined into one upon adaptation of a work from one medium to another, as in the film adaptation of a novel...
, corresponding in part to both The Bonze and Prince Yamadori. - Ellen – Chris' American wife. She corresponds to Kate.
- Gigi Van Tranh – A hardened Saigon stripper; initially voted as "Miss Saigon".
- Tam – Kim and Chris' three-year old son. He corresponds to Dolore, or "Sorrow".
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" – Kim and Chris
- "The Telephone Song" – Chris and John
- "The Deal" – The Engineer and Chris
- "The Wedding Ceremony" – Gigi, Kim, Bar Girls and Chris
- "Thuy's Arrival" – 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" – 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 and The Engineer
- "I'd Give My Life for You" – Kim
Act II
- "Bui Doi" – Chorus and John
- "The Revelation" – Chris, John and Ellen
- "What a Waste" – The Engineer, Hustlers, Tourists, John and Kim
- "Please" – John and Kim
- "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
- "It's Her or Me" – Ellen (recent productions have replaced this with "Now That I've Seen Her")
- "The Confrontation" – Chris, Ellen and John
- "Paper Dragons" – The Engineer and Kim
- "The American Dream" – The Engineer
- "This is the Hour" (Reprise) – Kim
- Finale – Chris and Kim
as of the 2011 Dutch production "Now That I've Seen Her" is replaced by the song "Maybe"/"Toch Nog"
Original casts
Original London Cast- Kim – Lea SalongaLea SalongaLea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
- The Engineer – Jonathan PryceJonathan PryceJonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
- Chris – Simon BowmanSimon BowmanSimon Bowman is a British actor and singer, born in, Cardiff and trained at Mountview Theatre School. He is best known for creating the role of Chris, opposite Lea Salonga's Kim, in the original production of Miss Saigon at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the West End.Prior to that, he was Marius in...
- John – Peter PolycarpouPeter PolycarpouPeter Polycarpou is a British stage and TV and film actor, best known for playing Chris Theodopolopoudos in the television comedy series Birds of a Feather.-Career:...
- Ellen – Ruthie HenshallRuthie HenshallValentine Ruth Henshall , better known as Ruthie Henshall, is an English singer, dancer, and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Henshall attended the Laine Theatre Arts school in Epsom, Surrey before making her first professional appearance on stage in 1986...
/Claire MooreClaire Moore (singer)Claire Moore is an English soprano singer and actress, best known for her leading role as Christine in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera and as Ellen in "Miss Saigon".... - Thuy – Keith Burns
- Gigi – Isay Alvarez
- Tam – Allen Evangelista/Wasseem Hamdan/David Platt
- Alternate Kim – Monique Wilson
Original Broadway Cast
- Kim – Lea SalongaLea SalongaLea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
- The Engineer – Jonathan PryceJonathan PryceJonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
- Chris – Willy Falk
- John – Hinton BattleHinton BattleHinton Battle is an American actor, dancer, and dance instructor. He has won three Tony Awards, all in the category of Featured Actor in a Musical...
- Ellen – Liz CallawayLiz CallawayLiz Callaway is an American actress and singer, famous for providing the singing voices of many female characters in films, such as Anya in Anastasia, Odette in The Swan Princess, and Kiara in The Lion King II:Simba's Pride....
- Thuy – Barry K. Bernal
- Gigi – Marina Chapa
- Tam – Brian R. Baldomero/Philip Lyle Kong
- Alternate Kim – Kam Cheng
Original international casts
Original 1993 Toronto Cast- Kim – Ma-Anne DionisioMa-Anne DionisioMa-Anne Dionisio in is a Manila-born, Winnipeg-reared Canadian singer.Dionisio is the middle child of five sisters; her parents, both accountants, moved the family to Canada in 1989. She had begun singing at age 13 in the Philippines and won a nation-wide talent show there. After the relocation to...
- The Engineer – Kevin Gray
- Chris – H.E.Greer
- John – Rufus Bonds Jr.
- Ellen – Melissa Thomson
- Thuy – Charles Azulay
- Tam- Katelyn Fong
Original 1994 Stuttgart Cast
- Kim - Aura Deva
- The Engineer ("Chef im Ring") - Jerzy JeszkeJerzy JeszkeJerzy Jeszke, born November in Bytów, is a Polish actor and singer.-Life And Work:He started his four-year-long studies of acting and singing at the "Studio" Danuta Baduszkowa in 1976 and completed it with honours in 1980...
- Chris - Uwe KrögerUwe KrögerUwe Kröger is a famous musical star in the German-speaking countries of the world. Besides starring on stage, Kröger has taken part in numerous galas and concerts, as well as making a few television and film appearances...
- John - Eric Lee Johnson
- Ellen - Grania Renihan
- Thuy - Robert Seña
- Gigi - Milanie Sumalinog
Original 1994 Hungarian Cast
- Kim – Eszter Bíró
- The Engineer – Attila Kaszás
- Chris – Attila Csengeri
- John – Sándor Sasvári
- Ellen – Mónika Sáfár
- Thuy – Gábor Lengyel
- Gigi – Ottília Csengery
Original 1996 Dutch Cast
- Kim – Linda WagenmakersLinda WagenmakersLinda Wagenmakers is a Dutch singer. She represented her country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 in Stockholm, Sweden, and finished the competition in 12th place with the song "No Goodbyes".-External links:* *...
- The Engineer – Willem Nijholt
- Chris – Tony Neef
- John – Stanley Burleson
- Ellen – Ellen Evers
- Thuy – Charles Azulay
- Gigi – Imelda de los Reyes
Original Austrian Cast
- Kim – Kun Jing
- The Engineer – Daniel Eriksson
- Chris – Carsten Lepper
- John – David Whitley
- Ellen – Wietske Van Tongeren
- Thuy – Romeo Salazar
- Gigi – Marides Lazo
- Tam – Angelo Nguyen, Levin Hu
Original New Zealand Cast
- Kim – Jihyen Park
- The Engineer – Matthew Pike
- Chris – Nic Kyle
- John – Michael Bayly
- Ellen – Laura O' Loughlin
- Thuy – Charlie Panapa
- Gigi – Jamie Ling
- Tam – Sena Eady/Jennifer Im/Arian Rassoul
Original Stockholm Cast
- Kim – Divina Sarkany
- The Engineer – Stefan Sauk
- Chris – Niklas Andersson
- John – Johan Boding
- Ellen – Sofia Källgren
- Thuy – Thomas Flores
- Gigi – Malena Laszlo
Revival casts
2010 Toronto Revival Cast- Kim – Ma-Anne Dionisio
- The Engineer – Kevin Gray
- Chris – Aaron Ramey
- John – Josh Tower
- Ellen – Becca Ayers
- Thuy – Devin Ilaw
- Gigi – Joanne Javien
- Tam – Alessandra Crisante-Crespo/Chloe Stanford
2011 Dutch Revival Cast
- Kim – Na-Young Jeon
- The Engineer – Stanley Burleson
- Chris – Ton Sieben
- John – Edwin Jonker
- Ellen – Brigitte Heitzer
- Thuy – Kok-Hwa Lie
- Gigi – Li-Tong Hsu
The 1989 Original Cast Recording
- Kim - Lea SalongaLea SalongaLea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
- Chris - Simon BowmanSimon BowmanSimon Bowman is a British actor and singer, born in, Cardiff and trained at Mountview Theatre School. He is best known for creating the role of Chris, opposite Lea Salonga's Kim, in the original production of Miss Saigon at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the West End.Prior to that, he was Marius in...
- Gigi - Isay Alvarez
- Ellen - Claire MooreClaire MooreClaire Mary Moore is an Australian politician. Moore was elected to the Australian Senate from Queensland in July 2001, representing the Australian Labor Party. Her term began on 1 July 2002....
- Engineer - Jonathan PryceJonathan PryceJonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
- Thuy - Keith BurnsKeith BurnsKeith Bernard Burns is a former professional football player. The Denver Broncos drafted Burns out of Oklahoma State in the 7th round of the 1994 NFL Draft. A Bronco for most of his thirteen-year career, Burns saw playing time as a reserve linebacker and a prominent special teams player...
- John - Peter PolycarpouPeter PolycarpouPeter Polycarpou is a British stage and TV and film actor, best known for playing Chris Theodopolopoudos in the television comedy series Birds of a Feather.-Career:...
Miss Saigon: Complete Symphonic Recording
- Kim - Joanna AmpilJoanna AmpilJoanna Ampil , is a musical theatre actress from the Philippines.Ampil has performed in several West End musicals, including Avenue Q, Miss Saigon, and Jesus Christ Superstar...
- Chris - Peter CousensPeter CousensPeter Cousens is an Australian actor, born in Tamworth NSW.He attended The Armidale School in Armidale and then Gordonstoun School, Scotland. He then spent a year reading Arts at St Paul's College, Sydney University before studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Art , graduating in...
- Engineer - Kevin Gray
- Thuy - Charles Azulay
- John - Hinton BattleHinton BattleHinton Battle is an American actor, dancer, and dance instructor. He has won three Tony Awards, all in the category of Featured Actor in a Musical...
- Ellen - Ruthie HenshallRuthie HenshallValentine Ruth Henshall , better known as Ruthie Henshall, is an English singer, dancer, and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Henshall attended the Laine Theatre Arts school in Epsom, Surrey before making her first professional appearance on stage in 1986...
- Gigi - Sonia Swaby
Notable actors
Kim: Lea SalongaLea Salonga
Lea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
, Deedee Magno
Deedee Magno
Deedee Lynn Magno Hall is an American actress and singer, formerly a member of the pop group The Party. She also lent her voice to the Disney show The All New Mickey Mouse Club. She also appears as Jasmine on the Aladdin a Musical Spectacular Soundtrack...
, Naoko Mori
Naoko Mori
is a British-Japanese actress known for roles as Sarah, Saffron's "odd" friend in Absolutely Fabulous, Mie Nishikawa in Casualty, and Toshiko Sato in Doctor Who and Torchwood.-Early life:...
, Ma-Anne Dionisio
Ma-Anne Dionisio
Ma-Anne Dionisio in is a Manila-born, Winnipeg-reared Canadian singer.Dionisio is the middle child of five sisters; her parents, both accountants, moved the family to Canada in 1989. She had begun singing at age 13 in the Philippines and won a nation-wide talent show there. After the relocation to...
, Miriam Valmores-Marasigan, Monique Wilson, Jennifer C. Paz, Melinda Chua Smith, Chloe Stewart, Ima Castro, Riva Salazar, Jamie Rivera, Maya Barredo, Joanna Ampil, Jennifer Hubilla, Nele-Liis Vaiksoo
Nele-Liis Vaiksoo
thumb|Nele-Liis Vaiksoo in "Fame" Nele-Liis Vaiksoo , is an Estonian singer and actress.-Career:In the 1990s Vaiksoo toured Europe with the Eesti Televisioon concert choir. In 2000 she received fourth place at the all-Estonian song contest for children organized by ETV...
, Lee So Jung.
Chris: Peter Lockyer
Peter Lockyer
Peter Lockyer is an American actor and singer. He was born in Westbrook, Connecticut. As a child, he split his time between Toronto and Connecticut, and went to the same high school as actress Gretchen Mol. Lockyer has appeared in numerous productions, including Miss Saigon as Chris, Les Misérables...
, Will Chase
Will Chase
Will Chase is an American actor and singer, best known for his work in Broadway musicals.Chase was born in Frankfort, Kentucky to Jerry and Betty Chase and is the youngest of three boys...
, Simon Bowman
Simon Bowman
Simon Bowman is a British actor and singer, born in, Cardiff and trained at Mountview Theatre School. He is best known for creating the role of Chris, opposite Lea Salonga's Kim, in the original production of Miss Saigon at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the West End.Prior to that, he was Marius in...
, Matthew Dickens
Matthew Dickens
Matthew Dickens’ is an American theater, film, television performer with credits as an Actor/Singer/Dancer, Writer/Producer/Director and Choreographer.-Early life:...
, Jérôme Pradon
Jérôme Pradon
Jérôme Pradon is an actor and singer who has performed in the West End, Paris and various other places around the world. He was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France on 3 June 1964.- Theatre :...
, Ramin Karimloo
Ramin Karimloo
Ramin Karimloo is an Iranian-born Canadian musical theatre actor, recognized chiefly for his work in London's West End. He has played the leading male roles in both of the West End’s longest running musicals; the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, as of 29th...
, John Barrowman
John Barrowman
John Scot Barrowman is a Scottish-American singer, actor, dancer, musical theatre performer and media personality. Born in Glasgow yet growing up in Illinois after his family emigrated to the United States when he was eight years old, Barrowman was encouraged to further his love for music and...
, David Shannon, Scott Anson, Steven Pasquale
Steven Pasquale
Steven Pasquale is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Sean Garrity in the critically acclaimed series Rescue Me. He made his debut on the HBO series Six Feet Under, playing a love interest for David. He also starred in the film Aliens vs...
, Peter Cousens, Koit Toome
Koit Toome
Koit Toome is an Estonian singer and musical actor.-Career:In late 1994 the highly successful pop duo Code One consisting of Koit Toome and Sirli Hiius was formed by the producer Mikk Targo...
, Russell Dixon.
John: Hinton Battle
Hinton Battle
Hinton Battle is an American actor, dancer, and dance instructor. He has won three Tony Awards, all in the category of Featured Actor in a Musical...
, Peter Polycarpou
Peter Polycarpou
Peter Polycarpou is a British stage and TV and film actor, best known for playing Chris Theodopolopoudos in the television comedy series Birds of a Feather.-Career:...
, John Partridge
John Partridge (performer)
John Partridge is an English actor, singer, dancer, panelist and television presenter, who is probably best known for the role of Christian Clarke in the long-running BBC television soap opera EastEnders, having joined the cast in January 2008...
, Norm Lewis
Norm Lewis
Norm Lewis is an American actor and baritone singer. He has appeared on Broadway as well as in regional theatre.-Life:Lewis was born in Tallahassee, Florida and grew up in Eatonville, Florida...
, Pavel Vitek
Pavel Vitek
Pavel Vítek is a Czech singer and actor.He performed in the musicals Les Misérables , Miss Saigon , Grease , and in the play Romeo and Juliet ....
, James Chatham, Matthew Dickens
Matthew Dickens
Matthew Dickens’ is an American theater, film, television performer with credits as an Actor/Singer/Dancer, Writer/Producer/Director and Choreographer.-Early life:...
, Kingsley Leggs
The Engineer: Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
, John Partridge
John Partridge (performer)
John Partridge is an English actor, singer, dancer, panelist and television presenter, who is probably best known for the role of Christian Clarke in the long-running BBC television soap opera EastEnders, having joined the cast in January 2008...
, Kevin Gray, Robert Kimble, Leo Valdez, Franc Anton Harwart, Jon Jon Briones, Marko Matvere
Marko Matvere
Marko Matvere is an Estonian actor. He was the front actor of the Tallinn City Theatre since graduating from the Higher Theatre School of the Estonian Academy of Music in 1990, but was to go freelance in 2004. Matvere is one of the most famous and expensive Estonian actor. He made his first movie...
.
Ellen: Claire Moore (singer)
Claire Moore (singer)
Claire Moore is an English soprano singer and actress, best known for her leading role as Christine in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera and as Ellen in "Miss Saigon"....
(original London), Liz Callaway
Liz Callaway
Liz Callaway is an American actress and singer, famous for providing the singing voices of many female characters in films, such as Anya in Anastasia, Odette in The Swan Princess, and Kiara in The Lion King II:Simba's Pride....
(original Broadway), Kerry Ellis
Kerry Ellis
Kerry Jane Ellis is an English stage actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music...
, Tami Tappan, Maarja-Liis Ilus
Maarja-Liis Ilus
Maarja-Liis Ilus, sometimes better known by her performing name Maarja is a pop musician. Maarja has achieved some chart success in a number of countries across Europe and Asia...
, Janika Sillamaa
Janika Sillamaa
Janika Sillamaa is an Estonian singer and actress.Born to the family of musicians, Janika found herself on stage at a very young age: in the musical theatre Colombina, founded by her mother Kaari Sillamaa, she played lead roles in children's musicals, such as "Thumbelina" and a revue programme...
, Anastasia Barzee
Anastasia Barzee
Anastasia Barzee is a celebrated Broadway, Film and Television actress. She is a graduate of Frost School of Music at Miami University. Along with fellow Miami grads, the Grammy Award nominated Matt Pierson and Grammy Winner Gil Goldstein she has recorded a solo album, The Dimming of the Day, of...
(Broadway), Jacqui Scott, Misty Cotton, Andrea Rivette(tour), Ruthie Henshall
Ruthie Henshall
Valentine Ruth Henshall , better known as Ruthie Henshall, is an English singer, dancer, and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Henshall attended the Laine Theatre Arts school in Epsom, Surrey before making her first professional appearance on stage in 1986...
(final cast)
Thuy: Evan D'Angeles, Robert Seña, Arvin Quirante, Jojo Urquico, Ariel Reonal, Christian Rey Marbella, Makakilo Ancheta, Sebastian Tan, Charles Azulay, Michael K. Lee
Response
Upon its Broadway 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.However, although the show has received awards and acclaim, it lost the Best Musical Award at the 1989/90 Laurence Olivier Awards
Laurence Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Award is presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre. Named after the renowned British actor Laurence Olivier, they are given for West End shows and other productions staged in London...
to Return to the Forbidden Planet
Return to the Forbidden Planet
Return to the Forbidden Planet is a Jukebox musical by playwright Bob Carlton based on Shakespeare's The Tempest and the 1950s science fiction film Forbidden Planet ....
in London.
Miss Saigon and The Will Rogers Follies
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 Follies, which he often headlined, and describes every...
led the 1991 Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nominations with eleven nominations. According to The New York Times, "'Will Rogers' and 'Miss Saigon' had both earned 11 nominations and were considered the front-runners for the Tony as best musical. But many theater 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 Macintosh, to permit its two foreign stars, Mr. Pryce... and the Filipina actress Lea Salonga, to re-create on Broadway their award-winning roles."
The show lost to The Will Rogers Follies for nearly every major award, though Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
, Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
and Hinton Battle
Hinton Battle
Hinton Battle is an American actor, dancer, and dance instructor. He has won three Tony Awards, all in the category of Featured Actor in a Musical...
all won awards.
Original London production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best New Musical | ||
| Best Actor in a Musical | Jonathan Pryce Jonathan Pryce Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s... |
|||
| Best Actress in a Musical | Lea Salonga Lea Salonga Lea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and... |
|||
| Best Director | Nicholas Hytner Nicholas Hytner Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner is an English film and theatre producer and director. He has been the artistic director of London's National Theatre since 2003.-Biography:... |
|||
Original Broadway production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Drama Desk Award Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category... |
Outstanding Actor in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... |
Jonathan Pryce Jonathan Pryce Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s... |
|
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... |
Lea Salonga Lea Salonga Lea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and... |
|||
| Outstanding Orchestrations Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors... |
William David Brohn William David Brohn William David Brohn is an American arranger and orchestrator, best known for his theatre scores of musicals such as Miss Saigon, Ragtime and Wicked... |
|||
| Outstanding Lighting Design Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors... |
David Hersey David Hersey David Hersey 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 many awards include the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design for Evita, Cats, and Les Misérables, the Drama Desk Award for... |
|||
| Outer Critics Circle Award Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets... |
Outstanding Broadway Musical | |||
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Jonathan Pryce Jonathan Pryce Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s... |
|||
| Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Lea Salonga Lea Salonga Lea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and... |
|||
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Nicholas Hytner Nicholas Hytner Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner is an English film and theatre producer and director. He has been the artistic director of London's National Theatre since 2003.-Biography:... |
|||
| Theatre World Award Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:... |
Lea Salonga Lea Salonga Lea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and... |
|||
| Tony Award Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway... |
Best Musical Tony Award for Best Musical This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack... |
|||
| Best Book of a Musical Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligible... |
||||
| Best Original Score Tony Award for Best Original Score The Tony Award for Best Original Score is the Tony Award given to the composers and lyricists of the best original score written for a musical in that year. The score consists of music and lyrics... |
||||
| Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical is awarded to the actor who was voted as the best actor in a musical play, whether a new production or a revival... |
Jonathan Pryce Jonathan Pryce Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s... |
|||
| Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical is the Tony Awards award given to the actress who was voted as the best leading actress in a musical, whether a new production or a revival... |
Lea Salonga Lea Salonga Lea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and... |
|||
| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. The award has been presented since 1947... |
Hinton Battle Hinton Battle Hinton Battle is an American actor, dancer, and dance instructor. He has won three Tony Awards, all in the category of Featured Actor in a Musical... |
|||
| Willy Falk | ||||
| Best Scenic Design of a Musical Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Musical This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design for outstanding set design of a play or musical. The award was first presented in 1947... |
John Napier John Napier (designer) John Napier is a set designer for Broadway and London theatrical performances.-Biography:John Napier studied at Hornsey College of Art and the Central School of Arts and Crafts, studying under notable set designer Ralph Koltai.... |
|||
| Best Lighting Design of a Musical | David Hersey David Hersey David Hersey 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 many awards include the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design for Evita, Cats, and Les Misérables, the Drama Desk Award for... |
|||
| Best Choreography Tony Award for Best Choreography -1940s:* 1947: Agnes de Mille – Brigadoon / Michael Kidd – Finian's Rainbow* 1948: Jerome Robbins – High Button Shoes* 1949: Gower Champion – Lend An Ear-1950s:* 1950: Helen Tamiris – Touch and Go* 1951: Michael Kidd – Guys and Dolls... |
Bob Avian Bob Avian Bob Avian is an American choreographer and a theatre producer and director.Born in New York City, Avian's spent his early career dividing his time between dancing in such Broadway shows as West Side Story, Funny Girl, and Henry, Sweet Henry and working as a production assistant on projects like I... |
|||
| Best Direction of a Musical Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical. Prior to 1960, category for direction included plays and musicals.-1950s:Note: this category was for both dramatic and musical productions... |
Nicholas Hytner Nicholas Hytner Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner is an English film and theatre producer and director. He has been the artistic director of London's National Theatre since 2003.-Biography:... |
|||
Original US tour
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Ovation Award | Best Musical – Large Theatre Ovation Awards The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the Los Angeles Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. They have been called the "...highest-profile contest for local theatre..." by the Los... |
||
| Best Direction of a Musical Ovation Awards The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the Los Angeles Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. They have been called the "...highest-profile contest for local theatre..." by the Los... |
Jan Duncan | |||
| Best Lead Actor in a Musical Ovation Awards The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the Los Angeles Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. They have been called the "...highest-profile contest for local theatre..." by the Los... |
Franc Anton Harwart | |||
| Best Lead Actress in a Musical Ovation Awards The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the Los Angeles Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. They have been called the "...highest-profile contest for local theatre..." by the Los... |
Kristine Remigio | |||
| 2008 | Best Musical – Large Theatre Ovation Awards The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the Los Angeles Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. They have been called the "...highest-profile contest for local theatre..." by the Los... |
|||
| Best Lead Actress in a Musical Ovation Awards The Ovation Awards are a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, established in 1989. They are given out by the Los Angeles Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. They have been called the "...highest-profile contest for local theatre..." by the Los... |
Jennifer Paz | |||
Original Australian production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Helpmann Award Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards recognize distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in Australia's live performing arts sectors. The recognized disciplines include musical and physical theatre, contemporary and classical music, opera, and dance, with a comedy category introduced in 2006... |
Best Musical Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards recognize distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in Australia's live performing arts sectors. The recognized disciplines include musical and physical theatre, contemporary and classical music, opera, and dance, with a comedy category introduced in 2006... |
||
| Best Male Actor in a Musical Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards recognize distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in Australia's live performing arts sectors. The recognized disciplines include musical and physical theatre, contemporary and classical music, opera, and dance, with a comedy category introduced in 2006... |
David Harris | |||
| Best Female Actor in a Musical Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards recognize distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in Australia's live performing arts sectors. The recognized disciplines include musical and physical theatre, contemporary and classical music, opera, and dance, with a comedy category introduced in 2006... |
Laurie Cadevida Laurie Cadevida Laurie Cadevida is a musical theatre performer. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, CaliforniaShe appeared on Ed McMahon's short-lived PAX Network talent competition Next Big Star. She is best known for her performances as "Kim" in Miss Saigon.... |
|||
| Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards recognize distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in Australia's live performing arts sectors. The recognized disciplines include musical and physical theatre, contemporary and classical music, opera, and dance, with a comedy category introduced in 2006... |
Juan Jackson | |||
| R.J. Rosales | ||||
| Best Direction of a Musical Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards recognize distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in Australia's live performing arts sectors. The recognized disciplines include musical and physical theatre, contemporary and classical music, opera, and dance, with a comedy category introduced in 2006... |
Laurence Connor | |||
| Best Choreography in a Musical Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards recognize distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in Australia's live performing arts sectors. The recognized disciplines include musical and physical theatre, contemporary and classical music, opera, and dance, with a comedy category introduced in 2006... |
Geoffrey Garratt and Bob Avian Bob Avian Bob Avian is an American choreographer and a theatre producer and director.Born in New York City, Avian's spent his early career dividing his time between dancing in such Broadway shows as West Side Story, Funny Girl, and Henry, Sweet Henry and working as a production assistant on projects like I... |
|||
| Best Music Direction Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards recognize distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in Australia's live performing arts sectors. The recognized disciplines include musical and physical theatre, contemporary and classical music, opera, and dance, with a comedy category introduced in 2006... |
Guy Simpson | |||
| Best Sound Design Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards recognize distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in Australia's live performing arts sectors. The recognized disciplines include musical and physical theatre, contemporary and classical music, opera, and dance, with a comedy category introduced in 2006... |
Peter Grubb for System Sound | |||
Controversy
Miss Saigon has received criticism for what some have perceived as a racist or sexist overtone, including protests regarding its portrayal of Asian men, Asian women, or 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, which outraged some who drew comparisons to a "minstrel show
Minstrel show
The minstrel show, or minstrelsy, was an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the Civil War, black people in blackface....
".
In the London production of Miss Saigon, Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
originally starred as Kim, with Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
as the Engineer. When the production transferred from London to New York City, the Actors' Equity Association
Actors' Equity Association
The Actors' Equity Association , commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing the world of live theatrical performance, as opposed to film and television performance. However, performers appearing on live stage productions without a book or...
(AEA) refused to allow Pryce, a white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
actor, to recreate the role of the Eurasian
Eurasian (mixed ancestry)
The word Eurasian refers to people of mixed Asian and European ancestry. It was originally coined in 19th-century British India to refer to Anglo-Indians of mixed British and Indian descent....
pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
in America. 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 led to criticism from many including British Equity, citing violations of the principles of artistic integrity and freedom. Producer Cameron Mackintosh
Cameron Mackintosh
Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh is a British theatrical producer notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York...
threatened to cancel the show, despite massive advanced ticket sales.
Although there had been a large, well-publicized 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, Engineer (Pryce) and Thuy (Keith Burns). 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 Britain 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 was forced to reverse 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 Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
's citizenship, as she was neither British nor American. Salonga is Filipino and the AEA wanted to give priority to their own members and so initially prevented her from reprising her role. However, Mackintosh was not able to find a satisfactory replacement for Salonga despite the extensive auditions he conducted in several American and Canadian cities. An arbitrator reversed the AEA ruling a month later to allow Salonga to star.
External links
- Official UK website
- Musical Cyberspace: Miss Saigon
- On the Scene: Miss Saigon Celebrates 4,000 Performances
- Time review, noting changes from West End to Broadway
- Plot summary and character descriptions
- MTI Shows characters, plot and other production information
- New Zealand Premiere Photos
- New Zealand Premiere Cast