The heat is on in Miss Saigon

Coming very soon: Miss Saigon The Movie.

According to Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre, the announcement came “straight from the horse’s mouth,” the megahit musical’s producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh who said that it’s “the next musical destined for the silver screen” in a recent interview with Tim Walker of Britain’s The Telegraph.

Credited for other legendary musicals like The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Mary Poppins and Cats, Sir Cameron said the award-winning musical that catapulted Filipina Lea Salonga to international stardom will be adapted into a full-length film.

But that decision, according to Sir Cameron, will depend on the box-office outcome of his latest musical to hit the big screen, Les Miserables.

…and with Miss Saigon producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh (right) and director Laurence Connor during their meeting in London in 2010

With an all-star cast led by Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway, the big-budget Les Miz will hit the theaters this Christmas. The big screen musical — based on one of the greatest novels of the 19th century, the 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo of the same title — is getting early Oscar buzz.

“If Les Miz is a success then Miss Saigon will be made into a film,” declared Sir Cameron, 65, who admitted he enjoys making his old productions into films. “It isn’t confirmed at this point but there are many people sniffing around and offers coming in. I am in that glorious position where I can redesign and re-package my own work.”

Edmund said that while talking about Miss Saigon The Movie as his next target project, Sir Cameron qualified that he’s presently focused on the promotion of Les Miz worldwide.

Word about Miss Saigon’s film version has been circulating for the past decade or so, with several big names floating around for the plum roles of The Engineer (like Hugh Jackman), the American G.I. Chris (like James Franco), and the lead character Kim which was originated by Lea in London’s West End.

Edmund noted that at 40, Lea is out of the race to portray the 17-year-old bar girl from Saigon, a role she brought to life with her marvelous acting and singing prowess, and richly rewarded with all major theater awards including West End’s Lawrence Olivier and New York’s Tony. The grand slam recognition crowned Lea as one of the world’s theater royalties.

A scene from Genghis Khan, the 1952 classic Filipino epic film produced by Manuel Conde (inset) who also starred in it.

So who would fill Lea’s humongous shoes and, perhaps, walk all the way to the Academy Award and Golden Globes?

Even before Sir Cameron had made public his plan about Miss Saigon’s film adaptation, a number of Kim aspirants have already positioned themselves for the imminent auditions and casting calls. Several names are also being dropped every now and then for the project that is a retelling of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly about an American soldier who falls in love with a Vietnamese bar girl during the Vietnam War in the 1970s and then abandons her.

Said Edmund, “In the middle of 2010, Sir Cameron himself met with former Disney star Anna Maria Perez de Tagle in London reportedly to see for himself the Fil-Am girl from California, whom Sir Cameron was told is Lea’s rightful heir as Kim because she possesses Lea’s innocence and fierceness on stage, as well as Lea’s exquisite vocal prowess.” 

Anna Maria and her parents, along with her manager Papa Jonas (father of the Jonas Brothers), were reportedly flown in first class by Sir Cameron himself. During that meeting, Anna Maria gave Sir Cameron an up-close preview of what she has to offer by performing cuts from Les Miz and Miss Saigon accompanied by one of Sir Cameron’s pianists.

Added Edmund, “And Anna Maria reportedly delivered with flying colors as Sir Cameron and his people were said to be blown away by what they saw and heard from the same girl whom critic Roger Ebert adored in the 2009 remake of the musical film Fame. With her fragile Asian features that could definitely pass for a Vietnamese lass, a silky, smooth-singing voice that could rival Lea’s flawless vocals, plus an acting talent honed by several years of experience on Disney TV to her recent outing on Broadway’s Godspell, Anna Maria is a shoo-in for the coveted role.”

Anna Maria and her handlers declined to comment for this article, except by saying “anything can happen.” A friend close to the family said Anna Maria may be cut for the role, but the process to landing the part “is much tougher than you think.”

“Many are dying to win that role and they could even be more talented or deserving than Anna Maria,” the friend said. “Anna Maria knows that. She knows the audition process and the waiting game in Hollywood that’s why she’s just taking it easy.”

In the meantime, as Funfare reported a few issues ago, Anna Maria is excited about her homecoming this month as opener for the Jonas brothers Kevin, Joe and Nick’s concert in Manila (Oct. 19) and Cebu (Oct. 20). She will be accompanied by her parents, Artie and Evelyn Perez de Tagle.

“I want to visit Boracay, Palawan, CamSur, Bohol, Cebu, Davao, Ilocos, Tagaytay and all the wonderful places I always hear about from people who have seen and enjoyed those tourist destinations in the Philippines,” Anna Maria, now 21 (she last visited the Philippines when she was nine), told Edmund. “I’ve been to a lot of places before but I was only nine then and I want to see them again now that I’m all grown up. I hope to see those places while I’m there.” she added. “I want to see all my relatives and just reconnect with my roots. I’m so excited to see the Philippines again.”

Genghis Khan goes to NY

After its successful screening in Manila last week, the newly-restored Manuel Conde’s Genghis Khan will be screened at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) of New York, on Oct. 12 (Friday) at 4 p.m., and on Oct. 17 (Wednesday) at 7 p.m., as part of MoMA’s To Save and Project: The 10th MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation, according to Deputy Consul General (DCG) Tess De Vega, who is helping promote the exhibition.

This other piece of good news also came from Edmund Silvestre who reminded Funfare readers that Genghis Khan (1950, 91 minutes) was the first Filipino feature screened at the Venice Film Festival in 1952.

Said Edmund, “It was at this prestigious event that the masterpiece was picked up for American theatrical distribution, and it played to great success on the repertory circuit for the next quarter century.” 

DCG De Vega said New York film buffs who love classic foreign language films are lining up to see what is perhaps the most important Filipino movie of all time.

Genghis Khan is a biopic of the early days of the Mongol leader, still known under his peasant name Temujin (and played by Conde himself), as he ascends to power through bloody land struggles and daring acts of vengeance. 

According to MoMA, the film, co-directed by Lou Salvador, was a favorite of noted novelist/critic James Agee who wrote a narration for American audiences to help explain the original Tagalog dialogue and historical details.    

It was restored by the Film Development Council of the Philippines/National Film Archive of the Philippines and La Biennale di Venezia (projected digitally).  

The Oct. 12 screening will have English-track version by James Agee, while the Oct. 17 screening will have Tagalog-track version with English subtitles.

(For details, log on to www.moma.org)

What’s up?

The Philippine Council for Quality Assurance in Clinical Laboratories (PCQACL) ninth annual national convention will be held on Oct. 9, 10 and 11 at the Crowne Plaza Galleria, Ortigas Ave., Pasig City. The theme is Quality Management in the Clinical Laboratory: A Continuing Challenge. For registration details, call 926-6604 or 0922-8909746.

Roche professional diagnostics are the speakers, including Dr. Jade Jamia, gastroenterologist, National Kidney and Transplant Institute; and Dr. Radjurai Pathmanathan, Anatomic Pathologist, Sime Darby Medical Center, Malaysia.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)