The New York Times: “Miss Saigon” is helicoptering back to Broadway.
Cameron Mackintosh, the storied British producer best known for bringing the megahits “Cats,” “Les Misérables” and “The Phantom of the Opera” to New York, said on Thursday that he planned to present a revival of “Miss Saigon” on Broadway in the spring of 2017.
12 comments:
I'm really interested in Miss Saigon's return to Broadway, as I've always loved it's music and the history surrounding it. One important thing to note is that unlike the original production they are using Asian actors to play all of the Asian roles. Originally a white actor, Jonathan Pryce, had played the Engineer which lead to a lot of controversy when the show moved to Broadway. Although he went on to win the Tony for his performance, many people are still upset that he was allowed to play the role at all. I find it a little ironic that Cameron Mackintosh is the one discussing how many roles Miss Saigon has provided for Asian actors, as he was the one who pushed the hardest to allow the original Engineer to be played by a white man. However, I think it speaks to the progress that we've made as a society that we're now moving away from the idea that this an an acceptable practice.
As much as I dislike generalizing the work of people in the theatre, I think it is fair to say that Cameron Mackintosh’s work always has a large spectacle factor. I remember my grandparents taking me to productions of Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon whenever they toured through a local major city. The things I remembered most about these productions was their enormous scale and grandeur. As a child I sat in the audience dazzled and amazed by all of the technical feats happening onstage with the massive sets. There is likely some significant influence to my career today that can be traced back to seeing these elaborate productions that Mackintosh continually puts together. Just as I was fascinated by all of the interesting technical things happening on stage, I’m sure that there were many other young children and teenagers that felt the same way. I’ve always been curious how many of my theatre friends and colleagues had similar experiences as children. I can only imagine it to be so. I can also only imagine the countless kids that will be influenced by the upcoming revival and national tour of another epic Mackintosh production.
Having already watched the promotional video for the London production twice and and having felt extremely moved both times by the obvious beauty of the work as a whole, I am beyond excited to see this show grace the Broadway stage. Beyond the obvious continued value of expanding roles for Asian talent, the story of "what can happen when two innocent people get caught up in tragic circumstances" is one so easily taken for granted in the modern age. The setting of Miss Saigon and the historical relevance behind it I think will serve well to reinvigorate the viewing public's appreciation of modern day tragedy, and the stories which get washed away in the face of conflict. Today's recent events in terrorism and war seem to lose their relevance in the distance so easily felt between ourselves and them. The role of theatre in re-establishing the necessity of understanding such tragedies is one which I think will become essential in the coming years, and musicals which use historical context to do so (yes I'm looking at you, Mr. Hamilton) are already having an effect. I am so excited to see what Miss Saigon can do to remind the public of the power of love amid the forces of hatred and conflict, and think that its return to Broadway is just another step on the right track toward making Broadway productions which create a lasting impression less of a rarity.
Well I have now seen the promotional video for London twice now and I have to say it looks really really well put together. I have never actually seen a production of Miss Saigon but I think this one might have to be the time I do. I was a little disturbed however by the potential return of Cats to Broadway. I mean seriously, can’t we move on already people? In stark contrast to Cats however I think Miss Saigon has a lot to offer Broadway in our current times. Vietnam has largely been swept under the table and much like Hamilton calls us to return to the lessons of the past I think Miss Saigon may be able to call attention to another important moment in our history. I guess we will find out soon how well the production is brought over to New York but I hope that it looks as good as London.
One of the boy who went to the same college with me was one of the cast of London Miss and I saw so many posts from this facebook about his life in London. I don’t like the production itself but I am interested in seeing all the technologies involved in the show (of course everyone loves that helicopter, right?). It looks like they are starting the new cycle of all revivals production, The King and I, Miss Saigon, and more to come I believe (but really, Cats?). Actually, I kind of miss classics sometimes. I would not mind watching Phantom of the Opera again and I think if I am really in a good mood I might check out Miss Saigon. It’s also a great opportunity for new faces to audition and get discovered and be part of this all time classics which will definitely push their career to a great level.
First of all, let me start off by saying I totally know Eva Noblezada, and she is so great and don’t ever doubt North Carolina. On a second note I am so excited this is coming to Broadway, the preview looked absolutely gorgeous. It is so exciting for minorities to see that Asian roles are being played by Asian actors. If I can be frank, in the past it has seemed that white people just really like to see other white people on stage, and will pay to see just that. When you make such an un ignorable show and cast it correctly, you make the minority talent un ignorable as well. This production proves that every time we are given the opportunity, that’s all we need, we will break through. And now, because of shows like “Miss Saigon” and “The King and I” we step closer and closer to a more diverse stage, a stage more representative of todays world.
I cannot wait to see this show performed on Broadway. I have never seen the show performed live, but I am familiar with the story and the music. In addition to just being excited for the show's return to Broadway, I am so thrilled that it is being done with actors and actresses that actually represent the ethnicities being portrayed onstage. This is obviously important because it makes the performances more moving and believable, but also because it is part of the industry-wide movement in the right direction of diversity in entertainment. With show like The King And I and Miss Saigon having cast of the actual race in question, people of color slowly but surely get representation onstage.
I am really happy this show is returning to Broadway, I have always found it really beautiful. I worked on a Production of this show 6 years ago and it still stands with me. There are always some shows you work on that that will stay with for years to come, the cast, crew and production team were all amazing and supportive though the whole crazy process. I was working as the wardrobe supervisor, and watched the show from the wings when I was not involved in a change. I rarely do that, but this show was magnetizing. While many crazy technical challenges arose during the technical rehearsal and performances, the cast and crew continued to work as a team the whole time and the show continued to be very successful. I worked on 5 other shows at that theater over the summer and none of them ran as a team like Miss Saigon did. Obviously each cast will be different, but I hope that I get an opportunity to see Miss Saigon on broadway.
I had the great fortune to see Miss Saigon in London this summer and it was really breathtaking. I didn’t know the show before I saw and I wouldn’t know what had changed from the original version but this one was definitely something to see. It had heart and depth to it that is hard to do with revivals. I think that audiences here in the US will like this new take on the show. It teaches the audience about a culture that is not talked about much and really opens your eyes to what happened during the war. I would recommend this show to anyone who is looking for something different and somewhat dark. This musical has a nice balance of both and is worth paying to see.
I'm pretty excited Miss Saigon is returning to Broadway. I think it is still just as relevant today as it was in 1991, and additionally, we have a slightly different perspective on Vietnam now than we did 25 years ago. It is much less of a raw wound to an entire generation, and so I think there is interesting story telling in comparing the thoughts and feelings surrounding Vietnam with what younger veterans coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq are experiencing.
I also watched the West End promo video, and there weren't any shots of the helicopter, leading me to believe that perhaps they cut it. I think that would be an awesome choice, because on Broadway these days, you almost can't "just" have a helicopter onstage, and looking at that transcendental moment in a new way would be a good way to update the story. Yes Miss Saigon had/has a hefty dose of spectacle, but I think I agree with Mackintosh's choice to tell the story in a grittier, less operatic way.
I am so excited for this revival of Miss Saigon! I know that this production has the potential to be terrible and/or slightly racist depending on the way it is played, but from the conversations that I’ve seen so far around the revival, it looks promising. If they stick true to casting and use this production for the advancement of Asian or Asian-American actors, then this production could be great. Especially with other shows like Allegiance and even The King and I which are currently open, I think that Broadway may finally be trying to even the playing field for Asian actors. I like the story of Miss Saigon, and the music is great, but I’ve only ever seen one community theatre production. I would love to see what the show has to offer when backed with a bigger budget and more trained cast/crew. I hope the revival goes well, and does what the producers are currently setting out to do. Let’s hope I can stray from Pittsburgh long enough to see it.
When first hearing about this revival my reaction was more than underwhelming. I find the story of Miss Saigon to be unapologetically long, and unfortunately not that interesting.
After watching that trailer for the production my opinions and views of the show are changed! The technical elements alone look mind boggling. The most spectacular element in the show I'm sure will be the helicopter and I am so excited for that, but the other technical elements in the production look superb as well!
The lighting looked vibrant and modern. The costumes looked glamorous, but not over the top, and the scenery looked like just enough, All in all, it looks like it's shaping up to be quite the cohesive production.
On another note, the talent in the show seems unreal. The voices in the trailer seem incredible.
I am very excited that there will be another predominantly Asian cast on Broadway. After the King and I revival I think many people realized that there are many different cultures that need to be acknowledged on the stage. Hopefully, along with producing revivals of shows, people will be inspired by all of this talent to write plays and musicals with diverse casts and styles highlighting the nuances of modern theatre artists.. like HAMILTON!
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