"The Heat Is On" In Saigon's National Tour!
- Kaylee Burke
- Sep 22, 2018
- 3 min read
On Friday September 21st, 2018, the North American Tour of Miss Saigon launched in Providence, RI with an exhilarating start. The show takes place during end of the Vietnam War, as Kim, a young girl in Saigon, is forced to work at a club run by an infamous character, known as the Engineer. There, she meets and falls in love with Chris, an American soldier, but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. For 3 years, Kim struggles to survive as she tries to find her way back to Chris, who does not know he is a father to Kim’s child back in Saigon. With an evocative and exhilarating score by Claude-Michel Schönberg, this show is a theatrical masterpiece.
Led by Emily Bautista as Kim, Anthony Festa as Chris, and Red Concepción as the Engineer, the cast of this touring production offers a fresh and electrifying take on the classic show.
Emily Bautista’s portrayal offers a stunning, yet haunting view into the life of 17-year old Kim. The raw emotion and talent she offers on stage is astounding. Her voice is beautiful, powerful, and commanding, as she moved the house to tears several times throughout the performance. Her rendition of “I’d Give My Life for You” was incomparable, and left the audience in pieces before Intermission. The chemistry between her and co-star Anthony Festa, and the love and longing she shows for Chris, perfectly reflects the power one connection could have on these women in Saigon—as it was the only thing they had to live for.
Anthony Festa lead the audience through Chris’ development during and after the war flawlessly, as he begins with a simple charm, yet reveals his daunting complexities as the show progresses. The representation of his immense amounts love for Kim in Act 1 to his nonchalant dismissing of their relationship in Act 2 perfectly and heartbreakingly reflects this development. His performance of “Why God, Why” won the hearts of the audience, as did his other numbers, showcasing his incredible voice filled with emotion and power.
Red Concepción’s portrayal of the Engineer is brilliant and hilarious- a much needed light in the dark telling of this story. While he provides a light-heartedness to the show, he also reveals the complex and troubled natures of this character. His musical numbers became more and more enticing as the show progressed, and “The American Dream” had the whole crowd smiling and dancing along in awe. He received a much-deserved round of applause before he even finished the song, and ended the number with a bang.
The ensemble is filled with an insanely talented group of dancers and athletes that complete the telling of this story. While the set and design of the show puts you right in Vietnam, it is the ensemble that truly transports you there. They encompass the feeling of the country, and bring the audience through the terror and hardships of the war. The dance numbers were mind-blowing, and the scenes “The Morning of the Dragon”, the end of “I’d Give My Life for You”, “The American Dream”, and “The Fall of Saigon” left me speechless.
Theatre is intended to transform an audience into a new world and give them a new perspective into something they may not be able to experience in their own lives. Miss Saigon epitomizes this idea, and brings a much-needed acknowledgement to the occurrences abroad during the Vietnam War. Americans generally ignore the impact of this war on the citizens of Vietnam and neighboring regions, and this show allows a look into the terror and destruction caused.
Seeing this production was an emotional journey, and I still cannot fathom the talent and transformative elements this cast brought to the stage. I left profoundly inspired and reminded of the impact theatre has on my own life and the world around us. Visit the Miss Saigon website for a list of cities and dates, and run to get tickets to see this cast!
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