When Lea Salonga sang, the world stopped and listened.
During her audition in 1988 for the mega-hit musical “Miss Saigon,” Salonga enchanted the creative masterminds behind the show, including theater tycoon Cameron Mackintosh and the musical geniuses who composed and wrote one of the longest-running musicals of all time, “Les Miserables,” Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil.
Bagging the leading role as Kim, in which she played a bar girl and the love interest of an American GI named Chris, Lea catapulted to international acclaim. She was lauded for her exceptional performance, notably winning the prestigious Laurence Olivier Award in 1990 and a Tony for Leading Actress in 1991 at only 20 years old.
Twenty-four years later, “Miss Saigon” was announced to be showing in the Philippines once again, and it was no less than an exemplary performance. This Australian production of “Miss Saigon” brought the show back to Philippine shores, featuring some of the best talents, such as Filipino-Australian Abigail Adriano and Seann Miley Moore, playing the roles of Kim and the Engineer, respectively. The role of Chris is played by Nigel Huckle, while Filipino-Kiwi Laurence Mossman plays Thuy, and homegrown talent Kiara Diaro plays Gigi.
On March 26, 2024, the musical held its gala and, as always, was met with great reviews. Its spectacular return to the city that played a pivotal role in the original production made the highly anticipated return of “Miss Saigon” to Manila an experience one simply couldn’t miss. I watched on its supposed last day of showing on April 19 but due to high demand, the show was extended until the first week of May.
The musicale is set during the Vietnam War in Saigon (currently known as Ho Chi Minh City), a city tired and beaten by the conflict in which the United States of America played a violent role under the guise of nation-building and extending a protective hand against the forces of communism. Kim is a bar girl who falls madly in love with an American GI named Chris. Unfortunately, Chris abandons Kim during the Fall of Saigon as the Americans defect back to their country.
The first song I knew and loved from the musical was “Sun and Moon,” in which Kim and Chris declare their love for each other. Overflowing with love amid war and despair, this was the score that got me hooked until I saw the show myself. I began to see the world beyond the demise of two lovers who were worlds apart. The bar girls’ willingness to sell themselves for a better life in America and the soldiers on the verge of moral bankruptcy made me realize that in a war, ordinary people (including Kim and Chris) are forced to make difficult decisions. They yearn for a better life that isn’t riddled with the strife of a war they wanted no part of.
As much as it is regarded as a spectacle and a production wonder, “Miss Saigon” offers more — a glimpse into the complicated and complex layers of the characters’ lives. It is a cautionary tale that still resonates today as the threatening sounds of a whirring helicopter grow louder.
The cast did an excellent job in their respective roles, making the story of “Miss Saigon” all the more convincing and relatable. As the world stands in a delicate balance between peace and outright war, I am reminded of how fragile peace is. This musical is more than just a tragedy of two lovers; it is the tragedy of hope.
While “Miss Saigon” placed Filipinos on the map and Lea’s impeccable performance will forever be the standard that Filipinos look up to, the musical’s story is the heart of it all — a woman forever doomed by her own naivety in the midst of a war. However, her undeniable strength showed in each note and exuded in every tear that was shed.
When Salonga sang, the world stopped and listened, but she sang for Kim; and we should take heed of the voices of those who dared to hope and died doing so.