Miss Saigon was one of those Broadway Shows that everyone knows but knows nothing about. People just know its based in the war and theres a helicopter, but it is so much more than that. The story is so deep and while not too many people experience what Kim and Chris experience throughout the show, everyone can find themselves in the characters that surround this plot. Everyone's voice is amazing, the score is beautiful, the set is amazing and the only downside of the show is I am so bummed I did not get to see it when it was in New York or London. Miss Saigon is a beautiful show that everyone should see.
The show opens to Kim (Eva Noblezada), standing alone in a marketplace in Saigon, Vietnam during the Vietnam war. A man named The Engineer (Jon Jon Briones) finds Kim and takes her backstage to his strip club ("Overture/Backstage Dreamland"). Kim reveals herself as a teenage virgin and is fearful, as the other girls torment her. Meanwhile, The Engineer opens up the club to G.I's, taking the night off from war ("The Heat Is On"). Every night The Engineer holds a contest for a man to take the winning lady as Miss Saigon, and Gigi (Rachel Ann Go) is chosen to go with a man named John. The two argue and The Engineer slaps Gigi across the face. Gigi and Kim both reminice about their dream situations, to be taken to america, safely ("The Movie In My Mind"). Johns friend, Chris (Alistair Brammer) comes to the club but aims not to sleep with anyone. After seeing John so happy, Chris chooses to spend the night with Kim as he takes her virginity.
Chris wakes up and prays to G-D to set Kim free from this life ("Why God Why"). Kim wakes up and Chris gives Kim back the money, stating that he couldnt pay for someone as wonderful as she. Kim instantly has feelings for Chris and Kim asks if he could marry him, to which he accepts ("Sun and Moon"). Chris goes to the Engineer to ask for his permission, and he initially declines, but after Chris threatens his life, he accepts. The girls prepare an intimate wedding for Kim and Chris and the two are wed ("The Wedding Ceremony"). A man named Thuy walks in after the wedding and states that he is to be married to Kim and has been trying to find her for years. Kim tells him to move along, showing him how happy she is with Kim. After Thuy leaves, Chris promises Kim that he will take her back to the U.S immediately ("Last Night Of The World").
3 Years Pass and the war has ended, leaving many homeless. Thuy is promoted to head of the Vietnam army as they prepare for more battles ("The Morning Of The Dragon"). In an alleyway, we find Kim, hopeless and homeless. She longs for Chris, but what she doesnt know is Chris has returned to the states and married a woman named Ellen (Tasmin Carroll) ("I Still Believe"). The Engineer finds Kim, but he is followed by Thuy. Thuy interrogates Kim, stating that now Chris is back home that Thuy will marry Kim. Kim tells Thuy she cannot marry him, as she has had a child that is indeed Chris' named Tam. Thuy threatens to kill Tam, but in a rage of anger, Kim murders Thuy and runs off with Tam in fear ("You Will Not Touch Him/This Is The Hour"). The Engineer is finding ways to get a visa to america, and he finds Kim and says there is a boat to Bangkok which would work to both of their advantages. Before going on the boat, Kim tells Tam that he can be whatever he wants and that she would do anything to see him happy ("I'd Give My Life For You").
Since the war has ended, John has devoted his life to building a camp for orphaned vietnamese children ("Bui-Doi"). His work brings him to bangkok, where he finds out that Kim has survived the war and is living in another strip club with the engineer. He phones Chris and urges him to come to Bangkok, for he knows that Kim has a child with her. Chris tells Ellen about Kim and the two travel to Bangkok. One night after a show, John meets Kim in her dressing room. He tells her that Chris is in Bangkok but he has a wife. The Engineer comes in and states that she must hustle for him to get a visa. Alone, Kim has a nightmare, reliving what happened the night Chris left. On that night, Chris gave Kim his gun for protection and drove to the embassy. The two try effortlessly to get Kim on the helicopter, but it fails, leaving Kim in Vietnam ("Kim's Nightmare").
After her nightmare, Kim swears that Chris is her one and only true love (Sun And Moon (Reprise)"). Kim arrives at Chris' hotel, and finds Ellen. Chris and John are looking for Kim at the club at the same time. Kim finds out Chris married even though him and Kim are already married. Realizing she has no future, Kim torments Ellen by stating that she must take Tam back to America so that he can grow up to be whatever he wants, but Ellen declines and Kim leaves furious ("Maybe"). As Chris comes back to the hotel, him and Ellen state that they will live in Bangkok so that Tam could live with them and Kim at the same time. When Kim returns to the club, she tells the engineer that they are moving to america and he is elated ("The American Dream"). As they arrive at the hotel, Kim tells Tam once again that he must grow to his full potential and do whatever he wants. Once Tam is in Chris' clutches, Kim hides behind a curtain and shoots herself. She dies in Chris' arms as she announces her love for him one last time ("Little God Of My Heart").
One thing any level headed person must know before watching Miss Saigon as that the tears never stop. While there are flashy numbers like "The American Dream" and "The Heat Is On", the show at its core is very deep and dark and really makes you feel empathy. While I do agree that the deleting of Ellen's "Now That I've Seen Her" makes her character not pleasurable, this show is near perfection. I would love commemorate Eva Noblezada's performance. She did that role from 2014-2019 without hesitation. Kim is one of the most complex I have ever seen and she just mutilates into a beautiful version of Kim, calm and sophisticated, but torn and haunted on the inside.
Overall, Miss Saigon gets a 10.
The show opens to Kim (Eva Noblezada), standing alone in a marketplace in Saigon, Vietnam during the Vietnam war. A man named The Engineer (Jon Jon Briones) finds Kim and takes her backstage to his strip club ("Overture/Backstage Dreamland"). Kim reveals herself as a teenage virgin and is fearful, as the other girls torment her. Meanwhile, The Engineer opens up the club to G.I's, taking the night off from war ("The Heat Is On"). Every night The Engineer holds a contest for a man to take the winning lady as Miss Saigon, and Gigi (Rachel Ann Go) is chosen to go with a man named John. The two argue and The Engineer slaps Gigi across the face. Gigi and Kim both reminice about their dream situations, to be taken to america, safely ("The Movie In My Mind"). Johns friend, Chris (Alistair Brammer) comes to the club but aims not to sleep with anyone. After seeing John so happy, Chris chooses to spend the night with Kim as he takes her virginity.
Chris wakes up and prays to G-D to set Kim free from this life ("Why God Why"). Kim wakes up and Chris gives Kim back the money, stating that he couldnt pay for someone as wonderful as she. Kim instantly has feelings for Chris and Kim asks if he could marry him, to which he accepts ("Sun and Moon"). Chris goes to the Engineer to ask for his permission, and he initially declines, but after Chris threatens his life, he accepts. The girls prepare an intimate wedding for Kim and Chris and the two are wed ("The Wedding Ceremony"). A man named Thuy walks in after the wedding and states that he is to be married to Kim and has been trying to find her for years. Kim tells him to move along, showing him how happy she is with Kim. After Thuy leaves, Chris promises Kim that he will take her back to the U.S immediately ("Last Night Of The World").
3 Years Pass and the war has ended, leaving many homeless. Thuy is promoted to head of the Vietnam army as they prepare for more battles ("The Morning Of The Dragon"). In an alleyway, we find Kim, hopeless and homeless. She longs for Chris, but what she doesnt know is Chris has returned to the states and married a woman named Ellen (Tasmin Carroll) ("I Still Believe"). The Engineer finds Kim, but he is followed by Thuy. Thuy interrogates Kim, stating that now Chris is back home that Thuy will marry Kim. Kim tells Thuy she cannot marry him, as she has had a child that is indeed Chris' named Tam. Thuy threatens to kill Tam, but in a rage of anger, Kim murders Thuy and runs off with Tam in fear ("You Will Not Touch Him/This Is The Hour"). The Engineer is finding ways to get a visa to america, and he finds Kim and says there is a boat to Bangkok which would work to both of their advantages. Before going on the boat, Kim tells Tam that he can be whatever he wants and that she would do anything to see him happy ("I'd Give My Life For You").
Since the war has ended, John has devoted his life to building a camp for orphaned vietnamese children ("Bui-Doi"). His work brings him to bangkok, where he finds out that Kim has survived the war and is living in another strip club with the engineer. He phones Chris and urges him to come to Bangkok, for he knows that Kim has a child with her. Chris tells Ellen about Kim and the two travel to Bangkok. One night after a show, John meets Kim in her dressing room. He tells her that Chris is in Bangkok but he has a wife. The Engineer comes in and states that she must hustle for him to get a visa. Alone, Kim has a nightmare, reliving what happened the night Chris left. On that night, Chris gave Kim his gun for protection and drove to the embassy. The two try effortlessly to get Kim on the helicopter, but it fails, leaving Kim in Vietnam ("Kim's Nightmare").
After her nightmare, Kim swears that Chris is her one and only true love (Sun And Moon (Reprise)"). Kim arrives at Chris' hotel, and finds Ellen. Chris and John are looking for Kim at the club at the same time. Kim finds out Chris married even though him and Kim are already married. Realizing she has no future, Kim torments Ellen by stating that she must take Tam back to America so that he can grow up to be whatever he wants, but Ellen declines and Kim leaves furious ("Maybe"). As Chris comes back to the hotel, him and Ellen state that they will live in Bangkok so that Tam could live with them and Kim at the same time. When Kim returns to the club, she tells the engineer that they are moving to america and he is elated ("The American Dream"). As they arrive at the hotel, Kim tells Tam once again that he must grow to his full potential and do whatever he wants. Once Tam is in Chris' clutches, Kim hides behind a curtain and shoots herself. She dies in Chris' arms as she announces her love for him one last time ("Little God Of My Heart").
One thing any level headed person must know before watching Miss Saigon as that the tears never stop. While there are flashy numbers like "The American Dream" and "The Heat Is On", the show at its core is very deep and dark and really makes you feel empathy. While I do agree that the deleting of Ellen's "Now That I've Seen Her" makes her character not pleasurable, this show is near perfection. I would love commemorate Eva Noblezada's performance. She did that role from 2014-2019 without hesitation. Kim is one of the most complex I have ever seen and she just mutilates into a beautiful version of Kim, calm and sophisticated, but torn and haunted on the inside.
Overall, Miss Saigon gets a 10.