Rachelle Ann scene-stealer in Saigon

LONDON ― Now entering its third week, Miss Saigon continues to attract enthusiastic reviews, but not without critics also weighing in on the staying power of the West End revival of the Cameron Mackintosh musical ― 25 years after its curtain raised for the first time and 15 years after it closed.

Pundits like pointing out that a return or reinvention of a mega-musical doesn’t automatically spell repeat success, but the signs are nevertheless positive. It was announced that the booking period for the ongoing run has been extended to April, 2015. Plus, there are talks of a possible Broadway comeback.

The STAR also caught Miss Saigon early this week after watching Stomp (which is going to rock anew Manila this June 17 to June 22 at the CCP Main Theater) ― and the show was packed. Having been seated on the upper portion of the Prince Edward Theatre (described as a smaller stage as compared to the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane where the original production debuted in 1989) also afforded a clearer view of the standing ovations that met the end of the nearly three-hour show.

The epic heartbreak tale between the American soldier Chris (played by British actor Alistair Brammer) and the Vietnamese bar girl Kim (played by Filipino-American Eva Noblezada) in ‘70s Saigon during the Vietnam War ― set to the music by Claude-Michel Schönberg with lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. and Alain Boublil ― has reportedly managed to recoup production costs through the advance ticket sales. And with several more Filipinos in the cast drawn from a “record-breaking” 18 countries, like the US-based Jon Jon Briones as The Engineer, Rachelle Ann Go as Gigi and Tanya Manalang and Julia Abueva as Kim alternates, among others, Filipinos are a regular fixture among the show’s audiences.

Calling Miss Saigon as the most-requested production to be staged again among all his shows, producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh had some parts reworked to offer the Saigon repeaters something new to look forward to, plus he applied the winning formula he did for the original run by holding overseas auditions to discover fresh faces to join the cast. 

In the souvenir program, Mackintosh (who’s also behind Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Cats, among others) noted, “When people ask me why my shows run as long as they have, I’m sure that my insistence on keeping my productions fresh is one of the major factors in their longevity, plus the fact that I’m mostly drawn to producing shows inspired by classic stories which require star performances from exciting new talents than stars who are already established.”

Mackintosh added that much of the changes were also reflected in the design concept. “It was nearly 15 years ago (when) I first thought with Saigon that it was time to look forward rather than back. The London and Broadway long runs were coming to their natural close but there was still tremendous demand from many theaters around the world to see the show. However, the sheer scale of the production... made it impossible to play theaters that couldn’t sustain a long run to pay for the huge cost of moving and running the show. So, rather than cut it down, I decided to come up with a completely different design concept.”

There were two sequences that they recreated from the previous version: The American Dream, which provides The Engineer his biggest moment in the show, and the now-iconic helicopter scene during Kim’s nightmare. Set designer Matt Kinley said in the souvenir program that while the famous helicopter sequence had been accomplished with aplomb in the past through projection, they wanted to “push boundaries” in the new version with their engineers producing a Huey “that would tear Chris and Kim apart in front of the audience’s eyes.”

Both sequences (with The American Dream featuring the face of the Statue of Liberty emerging from the stage) were the most applauded parts of the show.

Much has also been written about the lyrical changes to reflect some present-day perspective and language, but the music is still as poignant, heart-stirring and singable as ever. Mackintosh also has had said that he was not contented with the singing part of Ellen, Chris’ new wife, that he persuaded Boublil and Schönberg to come up with Maybe for Ellen to intensify the love-triangle drama. 

Meanwhile, in one of the most recent reviews, New York Times gushed about Eva’s professional theater debut and owning of the coveted role originated by Lea Salonga. “With no professional experience to her name, Ms. Noblezada proves a sensation in the part. Her openness to experience is arguably a boon given the emotional maelstrom into which her character gets thrown,” it wrote.

On Jon Jon, New York Times said: “A diminutive presence with a slithery, sleazy command that brings home the sardonic second-act showstopper, The American Dream.”

It must also be said that Rachelle Ann, who has put her pop-singing career in the Philippines on hold to pursue her West End dreams, is a scene-stealer and a stand-out onstage with a noticeably fuller voice and sizzling presence as the senior bar girl or “the sex toy from Hanoi” ― as how The Engineer grandly introduces her ― Gigi. Rachelle, who is known for her wholesome image, has truly stepped up to the challenge and smashed out of her comfort zones.

At the end of the show, the cast also stopped by the stage door to briefly chat with fans. The 17-year-old Eva, whose father is Filipino and mom Mexican, said, “I’ve never been there (to the Philippines), but I heard it’s beautiful. I’d love to go. It would be amazing.”

Jon Jon, for his part, said that he’s very much enjoying himself and “it’s gonna be better because my family is coming and they’re staying here for the entire run of the show.”