The History Of “Miss Saigon”

Jessica Black

History of Musical Theater

Dr. Armstrong

History of Miss Saigon

Due Date: 10/26/2009

The history of Miss Saigon can be traced to over one hundred years beginning with a short story that emerged in the late 1800’s. In order to fully understand a show, one must know the roots. Through understanding the reoccurrence of certain themes throughout history, it not only identifies timeless concepts, but also through the adaptation of these themes that can indicate the changes in society throughout each era. Maria Degabriele quoted Chris Berry, in an art’s journal, as referring to this phenomenon as “documentary fiction.” This enhances my theory that history such as wars, politics, and recorded facts are not the only indication of change, an abundance of history can be found in the arts, from literature to theater because the plot often reflects current issues of its time. Each adaptation of Miss Saigon portrays significant thematic differences that cater to the current audience, which documents the changes of society during each time period. The first page of my project, “The Metamorphosis of a Romance,” gives an accurate account of the history of the previous works before Miss Saigon. Therefore the focus of this essay will be the 1989 production that introduced the world to the megamusical Miss Saigon, which was born from Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly (1904).

The inspiration for creators, Schonberg and Boublil, appeared in a photo that reveals the tragedy of a Vietnamese mother handing her daughter over to be taken to America and essentially never see her mother again. With the photo in mind, the parallel plot of Madame Butterfly (even more so from the novel Madame Chrysanthemum), and the dust finally settling from the Vietnam War, the dynamic duo dove into research and character development. The in-depth study of story line, characters, and setting, prior to composing music is refreshing and feels less forced then setting the words to already composed melodies. The music added after the emotion of the text has been established allows a range of emotions to be revealed within the music. “The Sacred Bird” is a primary example because the lyrics and meaning have been established and the next step is to set music that will reinforce the dramatics as well as continuously foreshadow the results. The desperate intent to support the dramatics of the plot can only be carried out by creating music strictly for each piece as opposed to force feeding it into a melody previously written with different intent. From the low strings to the accent of the pulse via bass drum to the bizarre chaotic finale, the music brings the text to the audience’s attention and emphasizes through musical foreshadowing, the tragedy of the heroine and her demise. The relationship between music and lyric throughout the show is essential and required in order for the recipient to understand the drastic measures that each character must take and why the sacrificial ending must receive the most musical attention from a full orchestra. Without these components, the attachment that the audience feels towards the characters, the war, and sacrifice as a whole would be diminished and the show would be forgettable.

The music of the show had little to fear, but unfortunately there was a historical “scandal” that occupied most of the world before the American premiere. The controversy lied within casting and conquered the front page of newspapers across the country. The Asian community was outraged at the casting of Jonathan Pryce in the role of the Engineer whose character was a Eurasian and the use of face paint much like the controversial past of minstrel shows. A Welshman covered with yellowish paint and eyeliner to change the shape of his eyes was chosen because of stardom to play the major role as opposed to an Asian actor. The Equity eventually lost the battle to an increased advance ticket sales in the amount of 34 million dollars as well as the indispensable acting abilities of Pryce for the role. Pryce said it best in his calmness, “I’m Welsh, and in 18 years of working, I’ve never played a Welshman. Does that mean that every time I appear, I’m offending the acting community?”(Sternfeld298). With controversy behind them and Mackintosh’s persistance, Miss Saigon reigned the megamusical for a ten-year run and never received one entirely negative review which is quite an accomplishment for a decade of performances. A bouquet of musical support and genius, unique casting, over the top sets, and a helicopter labeled this production ultimately as: unforgettable.