Whether you’re a regular musical goer, or someone who just loves dramatics, Miss Saigon is a must watch if you’re in Singapore till 29 September.
As a regular musical goer, Miss Saigon has been a staple for me as I’ve travelled from Broadway to West End to Sydney to watch musicals over the years.
Originally produced by Sir Cameron Mackintosh featuring music from Alain Boubil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, Miss Saigon was first performed on West End in London in 1989. It is best known as the musical that propelled then 18-year old Lea Salonga to what can only be referred to as infinite stardom, cementing her position in musical theatre globally. You can check out her story here.
For those that don’t really keep track, Sir Cameron Mackintosh was also the name behind The Phantom of the Opera, Cats (my favourite), and more recently Hamilton.
But when it comes to partnerships, Boubil and Schönberg, together with Sir Cameron are perhaps best known for Les Miserables, with Miss Saigon being a close second.
In this technically updated musical that is now in Singapore for a limited season at Marina Bay Sands till 29 September 2024, here’s SUPERADRIANME’s take on three things you cannot miss out on with this run.
Lights, Music, Drama!
If you’ve seen the original Miss Saigon, you’ll know that the one thing that got most people excited is the full-sized helicopter as the American soldiers leave Saigon. With this run, even though you only get half a helicopter and half a car, there’s a whole lot more to look out for.
From the lighting and staging arrangements to the choreography, Singapore’s edition of Miss Saigon brings to life a contrast between the American and Vietnamese people who lived in war-time Saigon as they strived for a better life within their circumstances. I’m talking about the scenes with the Vietnamese military and in Dreamland where you’ll truly experience the impact of the musical.
Of course, the sets have also seen a huge upgrade. With Miss Saigon, much like Les Misérables, Sir Cameron is known for massive, impressive moving sets that change at speed through the scenes. Miss Saigon continues to deliver on that, from the gates at the embassy, which rotate to both inside and outside at speed, bringing to life the dramatic contrasts that the show is known for.
Miss Saigon Chemistry and Chorus be LIT
Of course, as we attended gala night of Miss Saigon, there were constant conversations about how Abigail Adriano wasn’t Lea Salonga. And having watched multiple iterations of Miss Saigon, I’d agree, simply because they are different people!
BUT! That’s not really what we’re all here for. With Miss Saigon, it’s all about the chemistry, and the Singapore run delivers beautifully on this. Nigel Huckle is hands down one of the stronger artists vocally to have ever played Chris, and what you really are after here is his chemistry with Kim – and they truly brought that throughout the musical – in spades.
When you get to Last Night of the World, one of the signature scenes in Miss Saigon, you’ll probably be drowning in the love story (as cliché and dated as it may be). You might also be fully convinced by now that Nigel and Abigail were dating since before they even worked on Miss Saigon together – yes, their chemistry is THAT good.
What I’d also say about Abigail as Kim, is that I loved howher vocal technicality told of the pain, struggle and strife that Kim would have experienced as a bar worker and single mom to Tam in Saigon, and later Bangkok as the story progresses. It’s not about the comparison, people. It’s about how she owned this character and gave it her all – and I loved that.
However, one cannot step away from Miss Saigon without also appreciating the strength of the main chorus ensemble. You’re probably looking at a rock-solid cast of 20 (give or take, my math isn’t great) who all brought their all to the stage, delivering powerful chorus performances. My personal favourite being This is the Hour.
The Secret Sauce – The Engineer
Every Boubil and Schonberg classic with Sir Cameron will have one (sometimes maybe more) characters who connect the entire musical and stitch it together. It’s one of the more unique characters who usually are both quirky and interesting, and you want to always keep seeing them.
In Les Miserables, it was the Thenardiers who brought down the house as bar owners who were literally everywhere in the musical. They were loud, obnoxious, very merry, and you could not do without them.
For Miss Saigon, I fell madly in love with Sean Miley Moore as The Engineer, who was the consummate ring master for the Singapore run. Sean embodies exactly what you want and more as The Engineer, a character founded in resilience, passion, flamboyance, dramatics and a consistent light throughout Miss Saigon.
In case you’re wondering who The Engineer is, well, all I’ll say without further spoilers, is that you literally cannot miss him in the show. I also suspect that when you do discover his amazing vocal range and skill in musical theatre, you’ll fall as madly in love with him as I did. Miss Saigon in Singapore literally would not be Miss Saigon, without Sean as The Engineer.
The Heat is On with Miss Saigon in Singapore till 29 September
Personally, it was an interesting refresh of the original staging of Miss Saigon on West End from back in 1989. But for first timers who haven’t seen a classic musical, it’s worth your time if you know just what to look out for.
Before I go, and Don’t Say Bojio, I’ll let Sean tell you why you should go to Miss Saigon, because I truly think he articulates it the best.
Miss Saigon runs with matinee and evening performances at Marina Bay Sands till 29 September. Tickets are available from Klook.
