My Saigon Story
I was lucky enough to see the West End production of Miss Saigon twice. I first heard of the production when Alistair Brammer was cast and followed along throughout the rehearsals and opening. I got to see it the first time in July 2014, with Alistair Brammer and Eva Noblezada as Chris and Kim. If I thought I'd loved the show before, I couldn't even fathom how much I adored it now. I can honestly say I've never cried that much before in a show! Being with my friend, Stefanie, who had fallen in love with the show alongside me made the experience even more special. And after, I got to meet Eva at stage door and we bonded over both being from North Carolina. It's so inspiring to me to see another North Carolina girl, even younger than me, achieving her dreams in the industry I want to work in.
I was able to see it again in March 2015, this time with Niall Sheehy and Tanya Manalang as Chris and Kim. I cannot even tell you how lucky this production was to have understudies and alternates and swings legitimately as talented as their leads. I loved getting to introduce my mom to the show and see her reactions to it. You can read my full review of that performance here.
The Big News
In addition to the upcoming Broadway production with Eva Noblezada and the incredible Jon Jon Briones as Kim and the Engineer in Spring 2017 (and yes, I 100% intend to see it multiple times), Cameron Mackintosh announced some exciting news. The 25th Anniversary Gala performance that occurred September was filmed and will be shown in cinemas this coming fall.
Additionally, Mackintosh said that he is working on a film adaption of Miss Saigon, similar to the 2012 Les Miserables film. I think that Miss Saigon is particularly well suited to being adapted to the screen; imagine how amazing Kim's Nightmare could be! Read more about Mackintosh's announcements here and here.
So, even though I'm fairly bummed about the production closing (Jon Jon Briones is already back in LA!), we Miss Saigon fans definitely have a lot to look forward to.
Who else is excited out of their mind for a Miss Saigon film adaption? Any hopes for casting? And who else got a chance to see the London production while it lasted? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter at @nicoleackman16.