Miss Saigon

This weekend I had the opportunity to see the musical "Miss Saigon". I saw it for the first time back in 1995 so it was great to see it again and be reminded why I loved it.

If you have never seen it, may I give you a synopsis? It's kind of long, so feel free to skip this blog if you're not into it. Ok, here we go.

The story takes place in Saigon (now called Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam. It's the end of the Vietnam War. April 1975.

There's a sleazy Vietnamese club called Dreamland run by a corrupt man who calls himself the Engineer. Basically he's a pimp, selling the ladies to the American Marines who show up. They have kind of a contest every night. Each of the girls gets to do a song and dance and then the men get to vote for the one they want to crowned "Miss Saigon".

We meet the new girl, Kim. She is only 17 and her family and village have been burned in the war. She has nowhere else to go, so she is forced to become one of the bargirls at Dreamland. She is young, naive, scared. Her first night at the bar, we meet a GI named Chris. His friend John (and the other Marines) are talking about how they have to live it up that night because Saigon is about to fall and they will be shipped home. Chris is so not into the bar/girl scene and is pretty much disillusioned by everything he has seen in Vietnam.

Each girl does their song and dance and Chris is struck by Kim's innocence. His buddy John notices and decided to "buy" Kim for the night for Chris (without Chris knowing). The Engineer brings Kim to Chris and both are shocked to find out what John did. During a dance, Chris wants to pay Kim to leave the club (he wants to protect her from being prostituted), but the Engineer sees Chris starting to walk away and thinks he is displeased with Kim. Wanting to keep Kim from being kicked out into the street, Chris allows Kim to take him away.

That night Chris watches Kim sleep and asks God why he had to meet her just as he was about to leave Vietnam. When Kim wakes up, Chris tries to give her money but she refuses, telling him that it was her first time sleeping with a man. Chris hears her story and finds out that Kim is an orphan. Chris tells her that she does not need to sell herself at the club, because he wants her to stay with him. They pledge their love to one another and can't believe they have found each other in the midst of all the horror around them.

Chris calls John to say he is taking leave to spend time with Kim. John warns him that the Viet Cong are about to assume control of Saigon. America is in the process of sending people home before abandoning Saigon. And Chris better hurry and come back to the Embassy so he can catch one of the last helicopters out of Vietnam.

Chris goes back to tell Kim and asks if she wants to go live in America with him. The bargirls hold a "wedding ceremony" for Chris and Kim with one of the girls toasting Kim as the "real" Miss Saigon. Chris is called to the embassy and tells Kim to pack, reassuring her that they have plenty of time before they have to leave. Almost immediately after Chris enters the embassy, the gates are closed. Orders arrive from Washington for a total and complete evacuation of the remaining Americans.

Kim wonders why Chris has not come back and goes to the gates of the Embassy, suddenly surrounded by hundreds of terrified Vietnamese trying to find a way in. Chris unsuccessfully tries to call Kim, and is about to go out into the hysterical crowd to look for her. The Americans refuse to let Chris out and John is eventually forced to punch Chris in the face to stop him from leaving. John pushes Chris into the last helicopter leaving Saigon as Kim watches from behind the gate. Kim once again pledges her love to Chris as he leaves. The helicopter takes off with Chris screaming Kim's name.

The video I am about to show is one of my favorite songs from the show. It is 3 years later. Saigon has fallen. There is a new regime. Kim has been hiding in an impoverished area. She is still completely in love with Chris and believes that he will come back to Vietnam to rescue her. Then we see Chris in bed with his new American wife, Ellen. Ellen knows Chris is being haunted by his past but doesn't know why (Chris never told her about Kim). Chris sits up in bed shouting Kim's name. Ellen comforts him back to sleep, and both she and Kim swear their devotion to Chris at opposite ends of the earth. They don't know the other exists. The song is called "I Still Believe".



There's lots more to the story, but I think I'll stop there. You'll just have to go see it. =) If this musical ever comes to your town, you should check it out. It's a good one.