GOES TO MANILA
The original Kim of Miss Saigon, Lea Salonga
The original Kim of Miss Saigon, Lea Salonga
GOES TO MANILA
"Ang Peryodiko" To date, Miss Saigon has played to an audience of a record of 27 million people worldwide. For over a decade, the internationally acclaimed musicale about the passionate and powerful love story of an American G.I. and a young Vietnamese woman continues to entrtain, thrill and move audiences with its spectacular performances. Preproduction has begun for the much-awaited Philippine presentation of Miss Saigon--the longest running show at the Theatre Royale Drury Lane with an uninterrupted record of ten years--scheduled for a 24-week run at the CCP Main Theatre from October this year to March 2001. Notice Phillipine production was formalized in July last year through Mackintosh local representive Dong Alegre, with award winning composer Claude Michel Schonberg who personally flew in to break the news. It will be a homewoming of sorts when the curtain is raised at the CCP Main theatre on the opening night of Miss Saigon for the original Filipino cast in London.
May 5-11. 2000
American GIs and other men feast their eyes on Vietnamese bar girls.
At the formal launch held at the Cultural Center of the Philipines, Lea Salonga confirmed through a phone message that she will be in Manila to portray her original role as the tragic heroine Kim for the first three months which is equivalent to 72 runs.
The original Filipino cast members in London headed by Lea in the title role including Monique Wilson as the first understudy,Jenine Desiderio, Pinky Amador, Isay Alvarez, Junix Inocian, Cocoy Laurel, Robert Sena, Jon Jon Briones, Leon Roque, Michael Williams, Miguel Diaz, and Bobby Mariano in the supporting roles took the theatre world by storm, catapulting the Philippines to the awareness of the international entertainment community and justifying Mackintosh confidence in the extroadinary talents of Filipino artists.
Becoming Miss Saigon's primary casting source for Asian parts in the musicale, the Philippines was deemed as the "promised land" making Miss Saigon and the Philippines synonymous to each other ever since.
During the past 10 years, Miss Saigon has continued to cast much-coveted role of "Kim" and the starring role of the "engineer" from the Philippines.
Since 1988, Filipino artists have continued to be consistently cast to perform as principal and ensemble actors for Miss Saigon's London, Broadway, and other international productions.
The Filipino roster for the title role after Lea Salonga included Monique Wilson. Jenine Desiderio, Jamie Rivera, Joanna Ampil, Riva Salazar, Maya Barredo and Gina Respall for the London production.
Again it was Lea. Leila Florentino, Rona Figueroa, Deedee Lynn Magno, Emy Baysic, Joan Almedilla and Roxanne Taga for the Broadway production' Ma Anne Dionsio and Cornelia Luna for the Toronto production; Angel Suguita, Caselyn Francisco, Le de los Santos, Anjeanette Laborte, Michelle de Guzman and Melissa Reyes for the German production; Miriam Valmores, Ester Barroso and Cezarah Campos for the Australian production; and Caselyn Francisco and Tricia Canilao for the Dutch production.
The starring role of the "engineer" has included performances of Cocoy Laurel for the Australian production; Junix Inocian, Leo Valdez and Robert Sena for the London production; and Jon-Jon Briones for the German and London production.
In 1989 and 1991 respectively, Lea Salonga swept two of the most prestigious international theatrical awards-the Lawrence Oliver and the Tony Awards for "Best Actress in a Musical."
Current production of Miss Saigon continues to perform on Broadway.
Other international productions include: Sydney (Australia), Budapest (Hungary), Toronto (Canada), Tokyo (Japan), Copenhagen (Denmark), Stuttgart (Germany), and Stolkholm (Sweden).
The production involvesbringing onstage a fully computerized 8700 pound helicopter and a 18-foot statue of Ho Chi Minh, an 84-man scenic and electrical crew is tasked to manage 91 automated effects and run 22 separate scene shifts every performance.
Since Miss Saigon opened in 1989, over 100 Filipino artists have and continue to perform in the musical, making the production the undisputed showcase of Filipino talent in the international stge, prompting Cameron Mackintosh to say that "without the Philippines, there would be no Miss Saigon."
The Philippine season of Miss Saigon will be playing six evening performances from Tuesday to Sunday with Friday and Sunday matinees, bringing a total of eight performances a week.
Kim says goodbye. Lea Salonga in one of Miss Saigon's most heartending scenes.
