Don't Miss Saigon! 5 Reasons To See Boublil And Schönberg’s Epic Musical
Posted on 29 June 2015
I’m often weary of seeing a show more than once - I feel like nothing can ever be as good the second time as the excitement and suspense is often gone because you know exactly what will happen next. But I have made an exception to this rule for one very special show: Miss Saigon. I’ve now seen it three times, and each time it just gets better and better. I haven’t lost my love for the show at all, if anything it’s grown more, and below are just my top five reasons why I love Miss Saigon so much.
5. Musical Variety
One of the reasons I’m not so keen on Boublil and Schönberg’s slightly better known cousin to Miss Saigon, Les Mis, is because I find the songs a bit samey. Miss Saigon, however, has a great amount of variety in its music, from the upbeat opening number 'The Heat Is On In Saigon' to gushy love songs like 'Sun And Moon'. For me, I feel like this keeps the show really engaging and is perhaps one of the reasons why I can return to this show again and again without getting bored.
4. Eva Noblezada
A complete vocal powerhouse, Eva Noblezada has been playing the role of Kim since the show opened in 2014. She has completely blown me away on all occasions of seeing the show and I’m so pleased she’s stayed in the show for the 2015/16 season; I think I may need to return to see her with the new cast!
3. A History Lesson
As a student of history it’s hardly surprising that one of the things I love about Miss Saigon is that it’s set during the Vietnam War. I love how the show adds a human aspect to the tragic events - it’s often easy to forget that historical events affected so many people when you are so fixated on remembering detailed facts about them - and the story of Kim and Chris really reinforces the sad reality of all the people’s lives affected by the Vietnam War.
2. The Helicopter Scene
This is without a doubt one of the most impressive scenes on the West End at the moment and the hype it gets is certainly worth it. Surround sound and wind machines really help create the illusion that a real helicopter is about to land on the stage and this really intensifies the dramatic separation of Kim and Chris and (linking in with the history lesson!) helps you to imagine one of the most famous events of the Vietnam War, the fall of Saigon.
1. Jon Jon Briones
I seriously think Jon Jon was completely robbed of the Olivier Award for Best Leading Actor; he adds a strange sense of sympathy to the creepy character of the Engineer and I hate that I even begin to want him to succeed in his dream of getting to America. His vocals are always spot on and I think his performance during 'The American Dream' is something really special.
So there we have it, just five of my top reasons why I love Miss Saigon so much. Have you seen the show? What are your favourite things about it? Let me know on Twitter, @itsellielook!
