13 November 2009

Miss Saigon raises standard of local theatre to ‘helicoptic’ proportions

| George
Join the conversation
1

I had the pleasure of attending the Canberra Premiere of Miss Saigon last night at the ANU Arts Centre.

Miss Saigon has for a long time been on my wish list of musical productions to see and I must say it was worth the wait.

The cast and orchestra were outstanding. Jacinta Le, who plays Kim, steals the show with her powerful and emotional performance. This role seemed ‘personal’ for Kim as a Vietnamese-Australian thus giving the part natural passion. Dean Salonga, the lead male character, is no stranger to Miss Saigon having performed in the ensemble in a profession production in Sydney. Dean as the Engineer, the sleazy pimp, you love to hate, brought Broadway to the ANU Centre with a number of showstoppers with ‘The American Dream’ a standout.

The helicopter seen is gripping with the audience made to feel part of the anguish and desperation as Saigon falls. The Bui Doi seen is also very emotional.

Kelda McManus as Director has excelled here and has delivered Canberra with a lavish, thought provoking and spectacular production that Canberrans will treasure for many years to come.

The only negative is that it is a shame that we do not have better and affordable theatre facilities in Canberra for amateur theatre as this is a big production that would have been better presented in a theatre more fitting of this extravaganza.

Congratulations to the Phoenix Players, Supa Productions and everyone else involved.

Join the conversation

1
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

Yes George it is a wonderful production. I went along on Saturday evening and was really impressed!

The cast was very strong indeed and Dean Salonga was brilliant! The helicopter scene was so well done.

A great show!

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.