Miss Saigon Ends the Musical Summer, but leaves with a Bang!

One of the most stunning theatrical spectacles of all time, Miss Saigon, makes its Music Circus premiere August 23-28. From the creators of Les Misérables, the classic Puccini opera Madame Butterfly is brought into modern times to 1970s Saigon during the Vietnam War.   

The epic tragedy follows Chris, an American G.I., and Kim, a Vietnamese bar girl, as they meet and fall in love in Vietnam in 1975 during the final days of the American occupation. After they are torn apart and Chris returns to America, their worlds collide once again years later. 

It is to be noted that the vocal abilities by Eric Kunze and Ma-Anne Dionisio, the two leads, were outstanding. I was on the edge of my seat, and it wasn't because I was jumping up for intermission. They both had the ability to deliver a strong performance with chemistry and passion, while lighting the house on fire in the process. I hope it wasn't a fluke of the "great opening night" excitement, because the singing in some of the early numbers alone had me looking for what Kunze would be doing in the future.

The 10th longest-running show on Broadway, Miss Saigon will mesmerize audiences with its tale of doomed romance and ultimate sacrifice. It opened on Broadway in 1991 after starting a successful run in London’s West End. It ran for 10 years and over 4,000 performances. Several national and international productions have followed. 

The cast of Miss Saigon will be led by Eric Kunze as the American G.I., Chris, Ma-Anne Dionisio as Vietnamese bar girl, Kim, and Kevin Gray as The Engineer, who runs the bar where Kim and Chris meet.   Eric Kunze performed the role of Chris in Miss Saigon on Broadway, as well as Marius in Les Miserables on Broadway, and the title character in the national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.

He was last seen at Music Circus as Che in 2008's production of Evita.  Ma-Anne Dionisio has performed the role of Kim internationally, including productions in England, Australia and Canada, as well as performing as Eponine in the US and international tours of Les Miserables.   Kevin Gray has starred on Broadway and on national tours in many shows including Miss Saigon, The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar as Pontius Pilate.  This Music Circus production will be directed by Stafford Arima and choreographed by Bob Richard.

Miss Saigon  August 23-28, 2011  At the Wells Fargo Pavilion 1419 H Street, Sacramento, CA 95814  Lyrics by Alain Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. Music by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg. Based on the opera "Madame Butterfly" by Giacomo Puccini