Miss Saigon Musical – Complete Guide | Broadway, Cast & Vietnam War Story
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Miss Saigon
A Tragic Love Story Set Against the Fall of Saigon
By Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil
Based on Puccini’s Madama Butterfly • Set During the Vietnam War
The Epic Musical That Defined a Generation
Overview
Miss Saigon is a sung-through stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini’s 1904 opera Madama Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover. The setting of the plot is relocated to 1970s Saigon during the Vietnam War, and Madama Butterfly’s story of marriage between an American lieutenant and a geisha is replaced by a romance between a United States Marine and a seventeen-year-old South Vietnamese bargirl.
Record-Breaking Success
The musical premièred at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, on September 20, 1989, closing after 4,092 performances on October 30, 1999. It opened on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre on April 11, 1991, with a record advance of over $39 million, and was later staged in many other cities and embarked on tours. Prior to the opening of the 2014 London revival, it was said that Miss Saigon had set a world record for opening day ticket sales, with sales in excess of £4m reported.
The musical was Schönberg and Boublil’s second major success, following Les Misérables in 1985. As of October 2024, Miss Saigon remains Broadway’s fourteenth longest-running show.
Inspiration
The musical was inspired by a photograph which Schönberg found inadvertently in a magazine. It showed a Vietnamese mother leaving her child at a departure gate at Tan Son Nhut Air Base to board an airplane headed for the United States where the child’s father, an ex-GI, would be in a position to provide a much better life for the child. Schönberg considered this mother’s actions for her child to be “The Ultimate Sacrifice,” an idea central to the plot of Miss Saigon.
Spectacular Production Elements
Highlights of the show include the evacuation of the last Americans in Saigon from the Embassy roof by helicopter while a crowd of abandoned Vietnamese people screams in despair, the victory parade of the new communist regime, and the frenzied night club scene at the time of defeat.
Plot Synopsis
Act I – April 1975: The Fall of Saigon
In April 1975 at “Dreamland”, a Saigon bar and brothel, shortly before the end of the Vietnam War, it is Kim’s first day as a bargirl. The seventeen-year-old peasant girl is hauled in by the Engineer, a French-Vietnamese hustler who owns the joint. The U.S. Marines, aware that they will soon be leaving Vietnam, party with the Vietnamese sex workers.
A sergeant disenchanted by the club scene, encouraged by his friend John Thomas to go with a girl. Chris is struck by Kim’s guilelessness and innocence.
A peasant girl on her first day at Dreamland. An orphan who wins the title “Miss Saigon” and captures Chris’s heart with her innocence.
The owner of Dreamland who dreams of escaping to America. A survivor who will do anything to get his ticket to the West.
The girls compete for the title of “Miss Saigon”, and the winner is raffled to a Marine. Kim’s guilelessness strikes Chris. The showgirls reflect on their dreams of a better life. John buys a room for Chris and the virgin Kim. Kim is reluctant and shy, but dances with Chris, who tries to pay her to leave the nightclub.
Chris, watching Kim sleep, questions why he met her just as he was about to leave Vietnam. When Kim wakes up, Chris tries to give her money, but she refuses, saying that it is her first time sleeping with a man. Touched to learn that Kim is an orphan, Chris offers to take her to America with him, and the two fall in love.
The Ceremony and Thuy’s Arrival
The bargirls hold a “wedding ceremony” for Chris and Kim, with Gigi toasting Kim as the “real” Miss Saigon. Thuy, Kim’s cousin, to whom she was betrothed at thirteen, arrives to take her home. He has since become an officer in the North Vietnamese Army and is disgusted to find her with a white man.
The two men confront each other, drawing their firearms. Kim tells Thuy that their arranged marriage is now nullified because her parents are dead, and she no longer harbors any feelings for him because of his betrayal. Thuy curses them all and storms out. Chris promises to take Kim with him when he leaves Vietnam.
Act II – 1978: Three Years Later
Three years later, in 1978, a street parade is taking place in Saigon (since renamed Ho Chi Minh City) to celebrate the third anniversary of the reunification of Vietnam and the defeat of the Americans. Thuy, now a commissar in the new Communist government, has ordered his soldiers to look for the still-corrupt Engineer.
Kim’s Secret
Kim has been hiding in an impoverished area, still in love with Chris and steadfastly believing that Chris will return to Vietnam and rescue her. Meanwhile, Chris is in bed with his new American wife, Ellen, when he wakes from a dream shouting Kim’s name. Ellen and Kim both swear their devotion to Chris from opposite ends of the world.
The Engineer takes Thuy to where Kim has been hiding. Kim refuses Thuy’s renewed offer of marriage. Again, Kim refuses to go with Thuy and shocks him by introducing Thuy to Tam, her three-year-old son from Chris. Thuy calls Kim a traitor and Tam an enemy, and tries to kill Tam with a knife, but Kim is forced to shoot Thuy to protect Tam.
The Engineer learns that Tam’s father is American – thinking the boy is his chance to emigrate to the United States. He tells Kim that now he is the boy’s uncle, and he will lead them to Bangkok. As Kim swears to Tam that she would do anything to give him a better life, the three set out on a ship with other refugees.
In Atlanta, Georgia
In Atlanta, Georgia, John now works for an aid organization whose mission is to connect Bui-Doi (from Vietnamese trẻ bụi đời “street children,” meaning children conceived during the war) with their American fathers. John tells Chris that Kim is still alive, which Chris is relieved to hear after years of having nightmares of her dying. He also tells Chris about Tam and urges Chris to go to Bangkok with Ellen.
Bangkok Reunion
In Bangkok, the Engineer is hawking a sleazy club where Kim works as a dancer. Chris, Ellen, and John arrive in search of Kim. John finds Kim dancing at the club and tells her that Chris is also in Bangkok. He then tries to tell her that Chris is remarried, but Kim interrupts. She is thrilled about the news and tells Tam that his father has arrived, believing that they are to go to America with Chris.
Kim’s Nightmare
Kim is haunted by the ghost of Thuy, who taunts Kim, claiming that Chris will betray her as he did the night Saigon fell. Kim suffers a horrible flashback to that night when the Viet Cong approached Saigon. As the city became increasingly chaotic, Chris was called to the embassy and left his gun with Kim, telling her to pack. When Chris entered the embassy, the gates closed, as orders arrived from Washington for an immediate evacuation of the remaining Americans.
Kim reached the gates of the Embassy, one in a crowd of terrified Vietnamese trying to enter. Chris called to Kim and was about to go into the crowd to look for her. John was eventually forced to punch Chris in the face to stop him from leaving. Chris was put into the last helicopter leaving Saigon as Kim watched from outside, still pledging her love to him.
The Tragic Confrontation
Back in 1978 Bangkok, Kim joyfully dresses in her wedding clothes and leaves the Engineer to watch Tam while she is gone. She goes to Chris’s hotel room, where she finds Ellen. Ellen reveals that she is Chris’s wife. While Kim is heartbroken and initially in denial about the truth, she soon confirms to Ellen that Tam is Chris’s son, and says that she does not want her son to continue living on the streets, pleading that they take Tam with them back to America, but Ellen refuses, saying that Tam needs his real mother.
Chris and John return, having failed to find Kim. Ellen tells them both that Kim arrived and that she had to tell Kim everything. Chris and John blame themselves, realizing that they were gone too long. Ellen also tells them that Kim wants to see Chris at her place and that she tried to give away her son to them. John realizes that Kim wants Tam to be “an American boy.” Ellen then issues an ultimatum to Chris: Kim or her.
The Engineer’s Dream
Back at the club, Kim tells the Engineer that they are still going to America. The Engineer imagines the extravagant new life that he will lead in America in the show-stopping number “The American Dream” – a satirical fantasy of American excess and materialism.
The Finale
Chris, Ellen, John, and the Engineer arrive just outside Kim’s room. The Engineer comes in to take Tam outside to introduce him to his father. While this is happening, Kim steps behind a curtain and shoots herself. As she falls to the floor, Chris rushes into the room at the sound of the gunshot and finds Kim mortally wounded.
He picks up Kim and asks what she has done. Replying that the gods guided him to his son, Kim asks Chris to hold her once more and they share one last kiss. Kim then repeats something that he said to her on the first night they met: “How in one night have we come so far?”, and dies in Chris’s arms as everyone watches.
Production History
Original West End Production (1989-1999)
Miss Saigon premiered in the West End at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on September 20, 1989 and closed after 4,264 performances on October 30, 1999. The director was Nicholas Hytner with musical staging by Bob Avian and scenic design by John Napier.
Original West End Cast
- Kim: Lea Salonga (Laurence Olivier Award & Tony Award winner)
- The Engineer: Jonathan Pryce (Laurence Olivier Award & Tony Award winner)
- Chris: Simon Bowman
In December 1994, the London production became the Theatre Royal’s (Drury Lane) longest running musical, eclipsing the record set by My Fair Lady.
Original Broadway Production (1991-2001)
The musical débuted on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre on April 11, 1991 and closed on January 28, 2001 after 4,092 performances. Directed again by Nicholas Hytner with musical staging by Bob Avian, scenic design was by John Napier, costume design was by Andreane Neofitou and Suzy Benzinger and lighting design was by David Hersey.
As of October 2022, Miss Saigon is the 14th longest-running Broadway musical.
2014-2016 West End Revival
Preview performances for the anticipated West End revival in the show’s 25th year began in early May 2014 at the Prince Edward Theatre. It was produced by Cameron Mackintosh and directed by Laurence Connor. The official opening night was May 21, 2014.
25th Anniversary Gala Performance
On September 22, 2014, a special 25th anniversary gala performance was held. After a full performance of the current show, Lea Salonga, Simon Bowman, Jonathan Pryce and many of the original 1989 cast joined with the current cast for a special finale. The finale started with Lea Salonga leading the ensemble with “This Is the Hour”, Salonga and Rachelle Ann Go performed “The Movie in My Mind”. Salonga, Simon Bowman, Alistair Brammer and Eva Noblezada performed “Last Night of the World” before Jonathan Pryce took to the stage for “The American Dream” and was later joined by Jon Jon Briones.
The West End production closed on February 27, 2016 after 760 performances.
2017-2018 Broadway Revival
It was announced on November 19, 2015 that the West End production of the show would transfer to Broadway in March 2017 for a limited engagement through January 15, 2018.
Broadway Revival Cast
- Kim: Eva Noblezada
- The Engineer: Jon Jon Briones
- Chris: Alistair Brammer
- Gigi: Rachelle Ann Go
- Ellen: Katie Rose Clarke
- John: Nicholas Christopher
- Thuy: Devin Ilaw
The revival played at the Broadway Theatre, the same venue the show played at for its Broadway debut. Preview performances began on March 1, 2017, with an official opening on March 23. The final performance was on January 14, 2018 after 24 previews and 340 performances.
International Productions
Miss Saigon has been staged in at least 25 countries and translated into at least twelve languages. In Tokyo, Stuttgart and The Hague, new theatres were designed specifically to house the show.
Notable International Productions
Toronto (1993-1995)
A production at the Princess of Wales Theatre opened on May 8, 1993, starring Ma-Anne Dionisio as Kim, Kevin Gray as the Engineer, and H.E. Greer as Chris. It closed on April 30, 1995. Replacements in the cast included Norm Lewis as John.
Australia (1995)
The musical opened at the Capitol Theatre Sydney on July 29, 1995, starring Joanna Ampil as Kim, Peter Cousens as Chris, Cocoy Laurel as The Engineer, Milton Craig Nealy as John, Darren Yap as Thuy, and Silvie Paladino as Ellen.
Norway (2009)
In Bømlo, Norway, it played in the outdoor amphitheatre from August 5 to August 16, 2009. A Bell helicopter was used for the famous helicopter scene.
Sheffield Revival (2023)
A revival was staged at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The production starred Joanna Ampil and Jessica Lee as the Engineer and Kim respectively. The production was nominated for three What’s On Stage awards.
Singapore (2024)
The Cameron Mackintosh new revival opened in Singapore in August 2024 and ran till September 29, 2024 at the Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands.
Upcoming Productions
2025 UK Tour
A new UK tour produced by Michael Harrison Entertainment in association with Cameron Mackintosh will open at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle in October 2025 before touring to Edinburgh, Manchester Birmingham, Leeds, Oxford, and more. Julianne Pundan is set to make her professional debut as Kim, while Seann Miley Moore is set to reprise the role of the Engineer which he previously played on the international tour.
Major Tours
United States Tours
First US Tour (1992-1994)
The first US tour started in Chicago, Illinois in October 1992 and was then expected to travel to those cities that could accommodate the large production. The tour also played venues such as the Wang Center in Boston (July-September 1993), the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Florida (spring 1994), and the Kennedy Center, Washington, DC (June 1994).
Cameron Mackintosh said, “Corners haven’t been cut. They’ve been added. There are only a dozen theaters in America where we can do this.”
Second US Tour (1995-2000)
A second national US tour launched in Seattle in early 1995 and closed in August 2000 in Buffalo, New York, after playing engagements in most major US and Canadian markets, including Honolulu, San Francisco, Toronto, and return engagements in Boston (twice), Chicago and West Palm Beach.
The tour originally starred Deedee Magno Hall as Kim (replaced by Kristine Remigio, Kym Hoy and Mika Nishida), Thom Sesma as The Engineer (replaced by Joseph Anthony Foronda), and Matt Bogart as Chris (replaced by Will Chase, Steven Pasquale, Greg Stone and Will Swenson).
United Kingdom Tours
After the London production closed in 1999 and also following the closure of the Broadway production in 2001, the show in its original London staging embarked on a long tour of the six largest venues in Britain and Ireland, stopping off in each city for several months. The tour starred Joanna Ampil, Niklas Andersson and Leo Valdez and played in Manchester, Birmingham, Southampton, Edinburgh, Bristol and Dublin. This successful tour drew to a close in 2003.
A brand new production was developed by original producer Cameron Mackintosh on a smaller scale so that the show could be accommodated in smaller theatres. This tour started in July 2004 and ended in June 2006.
Following the 2014-16 London revival, a new UK and Ireland tour opened at the Curve in Leicester in July 2017 before touring to Birmingham, Dublin, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Southampton and Manchester.
Recent US Tour (2018-2020)
Another US tour began at Providence Performing Arts Center in September 2018. The tour closed early on March 15, 2020 in Fort Myers, Florida due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Notable Cast Members
West End Notable Replacements
| Role | Notable Performers |
|---|---|
| Kim | Joanna Ampil, Ma-Anne Dionisio, Naoko Mori, Jamie Rivera, Monique Wilson |
| Chris | John Barrowman, Graham Bickley, David Campbell, Peter Jöback, Jérôme Pradon, Glyn Kerslake |
| The Engineer | Hilton McRae, Jon Jon Briones |
| Ellen | Gunilla Backman, Ruthie Henshall |
Broadway Notable Replacements
Broadway Standouts
Kim: Joan Almedilla, Deedee Magno Hall, Jennie Kwan, Jennifer Paz, Annette Calud
Chris: Will Chase, Jarrod Emick, Eric Kunze, Peter Lockyer, Tyley Ross
The Engineer: Wang Luoyong, Alan Muraoka
John: Matthew Dickens, Keith Byron Kirk, Norm Lewis, Billy Porter, Curtiss Cook
Ellen: Anastasia Barzee, Jacquelyn Piro Donovan, Ruthie Henshall, Christiane Noll, Andrea Rivette
Thuy: Yancey Arias, Michael K. Lee, Welly Yang
Controversy and Criticism
Important Note on Representation
Miss Saigon has received significant criticism for its portrayal of Asian characters and Vietnam War themes. The production history includes important controversies regarding casting and representation that should be understood in context.
Yellowface Controversy (1990)
When the production transferred from London to New York City, the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) refused to allow Jonathan Pryce to portray the role of the Engineer, a Eurasian pimp, in the United States. Originally, Pryce and other actors wore eye prostheses and bronzing cream to make themselves look more Asian, which outraged some who drew comparisons to a “minstrel show.”
The playwright David Henry Hwang and the actor B.D Wong wrote public letters of protest against Pryce’s casting. Alan Eisenberg, executive secretary of AEA stated: “The casting of a Caucasian actor made up to appear Asian is an affront to the Asian community. The casting choice is especially disturbing when the casting of an Asian actor in the role would be an important and significant opportunity to break the usual pattern of casting Asians in minor roles.”
Producer Cameron Mackintosh threatened to cancel the show, despite massive advance ticket sales. After pressure from Mackintosh, the general public, and many of its own members, AEA reversed its decision. Pryce starred when the show opened on Broadway.
During the production transfer from West End to Broadway, a lesser controversy erupted over Lea Salonga’s citizenship, as she was Filipina, and AEA wanted to give priority to its own members, initially preventing her from reprising her role. However, Mackintosh was unable to find a satisfactory replacement for Salonga despite extensive auditions. An arbitrator reversed the AEA ruling a month later to allow Salonga to star.
Ongoing Criticisms
Internationally, community members have objected to productions of the show over the years, arguing the show is racist and misogynist. Later productions of Miss Saigon have been subject to boycotts from Asian actors.
Scholars have argued that the musical promotes problematic stereotypes and that the romance between Chris and Kim was intended as a message about the legitimacy of the Vietnam war, with the submissive Kim looking up to Chris to protect and save her from her own people.
Critical Reception
Mixed Reviews
Awards and Recognition
1989/1990 Laurence Olivier Awards
Winner Best Actress in a Musical – Lea Salonga
Winner Best Actor in a Musical – Jonathan Pryce
Nominated Best Musical (Lost to Return to the Forbidden Planet)
1991 Tony Awards
Miss Saigon and The Will Rogers Follies led the 1991 Tony Award nominations with eleven nominations each. According to The New York Times, many theatre people predicted that Miss Saigon would be the victim of a backlash due to the controversy surrounding its producer’s battle to permit its two foreign stars to re-create on Broadway their award-winning roles.
Tony Award Winners
Winner Best Performance by a Leading Actress – Lea Salonga
Winner Best Performance by a Leading Actor – Jonathan Pryce
Winner Best Performance by a Featured Actor – Hinton Battle
Lost Best Musical to The Will Rogers Follies
2017 Tony Award Nominations (Revival)
Nominated Best Revival of a Musical
Nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role – Eva Noblezada
Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role – Jon Jon Briones
Nominated Best Scenic Design – Totie Driver and Matt Kinley
Film Adaptation
On October 21, 2009, a film version of the musical was reported to be in “early stages of development”. Producer Paula Wagner was reported to be teaming with the original musical producer Cameron Mackintosh to create a film version of the musical. Filming locations are said to be Cambodia and quite possibly Ho Chi Minh City (the former Saigon).
Cameron Mackintosh reported that the film version of Miss Saigon depended on whether the Les Misérables film was a success. In August 2013, director Lee Daniels announced hopes to get a film adaptation off the ground.
2016 Update
On February 27, 2016, at the closing night of the Miss Saigon London revival, Mackintosh hinted that the film adaptation was close to being produced when he said, “Sooner rather than later, the movie won’t just be in my mind”. As well as this, the 2014 “25th anniversary” performance of Miss Saigon in London was filmed for an autumn cinema broadcast.
Legacy and Impact
Miss Saigon broke several Broadway records, including a record advance-ticket sales at $24 million, highest priced ticket at $100, and repaying investors in fewer than 39 weeks. It remains one of the most successful musicals in theatrical history, despite ongoing debates about its cultural representation and historical treatment.
The Ultimate Sacrifice
A mother’s love transcending war, tragedy, and impossible choices.
Miss Saigon continues to move audiences worldwide with its powerful story of love, loss, and sacrifice.
