A visually stunning production of Alain Boublil's "Miss Saigon" opened last night at Popejoy Hall as part of the Ovation Series.
The backdrop, a stylistic drawing of a stereotypical village in Vietnam, set the stage for a night of beautiful vocals, vibrant instrumentation, decent acting and, unfortunately, a problematic story.
The music, written by Claude-Michel Schînberg, was very well done. All the singers appeared professional and convincing -- if somewhat stagnant after so many performances. Special effects, complete with strobes, helicopter visuals and excellent sets also made this a stand-out performance.
Jennifer Hubilla, who plays a Kim, a Vietnamese woman, had a lovely voice that although smooth, was not always suited for this genre of singing.
Nice packaging around some really explicit and complicated issues defines "Miss Saigon" as a musical. The show is essentially about a soldier in a whorehouse who accidentally impregnates one of the women and has to deal with the offspring years later. Right, so let's not forget the lemonade and dance numbers.
By far the most impressive performance of the evening came from Jon Jon Briones, The Engineer, a pimp during the war. His character, played with masterful subtlety, managed to examine controversial ideas packaged inside a stereotype.
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The Engineer wants desperately to become a citizen and partake in American capitalism. His first speeches are enveloped inside the typical Asian male stereotype that kept the audience comfortable and laughing. This easy repertoire eventually establishes Sthat his American dream is not necessarily to lead a more moral life, but to continue pimping blondes in the United States, for better pay.
One of his final songs, "The American Dream," draws prostitution and the pimp lifestyle as an analogy for this dream of capitalism, set against the backdrop of swirling dollar bills and pictures of famous blond women given icon status in American pop culture.
Remarkably, the audience never stopped laughing.
Though "Miss Saigon" makes an attempt to bring some controversial issues of race and gender in the context of the Vietnam War to light, some of the darker complexities of what is a recent reality for many people get smudged under the typical storylines of love and tragedy ala musical theater.
Can you responsibly address an issue like this without examining the brutilization of women in Saigon by soldiers? Is the depiction of Kim as an ever-waiting and loyal woman in love who ultimately commits suicide in despair an even remotely accurate picture of this kind of relationship?
If anything, these kinds of questions should direct you to a stellar performance of "Miss Saigon" in Popejoy Hall tonight and Friday at 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are available at all tickets.com outlets.
