On the 25th anniversary of its debut, the American musical Miss Saigon will return to Broadway later this month.
Miss Saigon tells the story of 17-year-old Kim, a young woman from the countryside who is forced to work in a Saigon bar, entertaining foreign soldiers during the American War. Kim falls in love with Chris, an American GI, but when the conflict comes to an end the two are separated. Kim later gives birth to their son and, determined to reunite with Chris, sets out on a journey to find the soldier, who doesn’t know he has fathered a child.
So far, the reception of Miss Saigon’s revival has been largely positive, garnering rave reviews from theater critics. Variety reports the musical also saw strong sales during its first five previews, which drew a combined US$723,243 in ticket sales.
A member of the musical’s original cast in 1991, Jon Jon Briones appears in Miss Saigon’s revival as The Engineer, a larger-than-life character who runs the bar where Kim works. The actor believes the musical’s themes are as relevant today as they were 25 years ago.
"It's very relevant that you see families being torn apart and loved ones being torn apart," he told Reuters. "But at the same time, you see also good things come of it, empathy and strength and resolve and love."
Miss Saigon officially opens on Broadway on March 23. Its revival stars American newcomer Eva Noblezada as Kim alongside Alistair Brammer’s Chris and Briones’ Engineer.
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