“All is fair in love and war,” in that both can somehow remain in all sorts of circumstances—and also be twisted beyond recognition, made a complete mockery of, and so easily rationalised.
Enter Miss Saigon, a love story that opens near the end of the Vietnam War. The first 15 minutes of the musical starkly puts into play the opposite tones that Miss Saigon continually, and successfully, strives to achieve—utter chaos, and serene introspection. This tonal whiplash is experienced not just by the audience, but by the characters themselves.
The Vietnam War wasn’t a great place to be, especially when one was a young, innocent woman who had lost her parents and trafficked into sex work. Kim, played by Abigail Adriano, is the musical’s heart-wrenched main character, a 17-year-old forced into undesirable circumstances.
Adriano plays the role phenomenally, all soaring hope and steely determination for her character’s best moments, and tear-choked grief during Kim’s worst—yet another example of Miss Saigon’s propensity for wild emotional seesaws.
The musical’s show stopping character, however, was The Engineer. Seann Miley Moore plays the sleazy nightclub owner to a T, steals scenes with ease, and was mostly responsible for the somber musical’s few laughs.
Whether by intention or by accident, The Engineer’s really the only character that gets the whole stage to himself for certain numbers—appropriate given he’s always off in his own sordid world—and Moore does not miss his shots.
Though the Engineer proves capable of soloing, Miss Saigon is at its best when the stage is crowded. There’s a manic, chaotic and powerful energy during such scenes, using every part of the stage—and sometimes outside of it—to the fullest. Up, down, left, and right, performers and set pieces are beautifully crafted and blocked, every single element navigating an intricate maze.
Was Miss Saigon a good time? Yes. Was it a fun time? Depends. This musical probably won’t be the first few choices as a full family outing with the kids, but it is a powerful piece of art that can get you thinking if you are willing to engage with it.
Miss Saigon’s themes are unflinching and hard-hitting. It’s a romance between prince and pauper, between coloniser and the colonised—and the power imbalance is stark, dramatic, and all too relevant.
Cameron Mackintosh’s Miss Saigon brings the heat to Marina Bay Sands from now until 29th September at the Sands Theatre!