Miss Saigon

Musical

Writers: Alain Boublil Claude-Michel Schönberg Richard Maltby, Jr.

Overview

Show Information

Based on the Play/Book/Film
Madama Butterfly, opera by Giacomo Puccini
Category
Musical
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1989
Genres
Drama, Romance
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings, Spectacle
Time & Place
saigon, 1975
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
Large
Dancing
Some Dance
Ideal for
College/University, Diverse Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male
Casting Notes
Mostly male cast
Includes child, young adult, adult, late teen characters

Synopsis

Miss Saigon is an epic, stunning adaptation of Puccini’s opera, Madame Butterfly, by the writers behind Les Miserables. Reframing Puccini’s story by setting it during the Vietnam War, Miss Saigon is a powerful and poignant tale of love in a war-torn country. In the dangerous days before Saigon’s fall in 1975, Chris (an American GI) and Kim (a destitute Vietnamese orphan working her first night as a prostitute) fall in love. When the city falls, the lovers are forced apart, and each must find their own way, alone. When, years later, Chris is able to return to Vietnam, he brings with him an American wife. Kim, who has waited for Chris, has raised their son, Tam, who is “bui-doi”-- a term for a child conceived during the horrors of war. With so much devastation behind them, Kim and Chris must decide how to move forward. Miss Saigon is a tragedy of massive proportions: passionate, profound, and heart-wrenchingly honest. With a sung-through score and tour-de-force roles for actors, Miss Saigon is a theatrical experience that will stay with you for years to come.

Lead Characters

Miss Saigon guide sections