MISS SAIGON: THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY PERFORMANCE

This emotionally explosive production from one of the greatest musicals of all time is re-born as it comes to life once again only this time on screen as a way to commemorate Miss Saigon’s 25th Anniversary. This incredible and powerful performance will be screening at cinemas around the globe for one night only, uniting audiences both old and new.  Boublil and Schönberg’s Miss Saigon will be screening in UK cinemas on October 16th and will offer the opportunity to savour this mesmerising performance frame by frame. This spectacular, sell-out event has had a staggering 20,000 booking attempts within the first five minutes of tickets being released.

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Miss Saigon was one of the most eagerly awaited musical events that the West End has had the privilege of staging in recent years. Miss Saigon has smashed box office records around the world and has earned countless awards earning the crème de la crème of theatre reviews time and time again. Despite initial trepidation having first seen the stage production some 20 years ago, expectations were exceptionally high. However, it is a pleasure to share that the screen production does not disappoint. This special screening was recorded in front of a live audience at the hit musical’s sell-out 25th anniversary performance at London’s Prince Edward Theatre, with a finale not to be missed since original cast members Jonathan Pryce, Lea Salonga and Simon Bowman return to the stage with the show’s current cast.

Sir Cameron Mackintosh, producer of the musical and of the film, comments: “The results were so astonishingly cinematic that it was decided that in order to create a unique cinematic/theatrical experience we would film some additional covering shots in January 2016. As this was a filmed live performance, the orchestra and vocals were taken directly from the show’s sound system – one take and no overdubs! It was decided not to digitally remove the stage microphones to remind viewers this was a stage event rather than a film. Remarkably, the emotional performances of this wonderful cast in close-up seems entirely natural as if they were being shot for the cinema rather than being performed in a 1,700-seat theatre. The clarity of the sound and the sweeping music makes this passionate story even more intensely thrilling and moving on the screen.”

With musical talent in the form of Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil (Les Misérables) accompanied by lyrics from Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr, Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s Miss Saigon was inspired by Puccini’s ‘Madame Butterfly’.  The story starts as the Vietnam War is nearing its close back in 1975 where the tale depicts the bitter-sweet love story of a Vietnamese orphan (Kim) and an American soldier (Chris) to whom she gave her heart. With the war ending and the fall of Saigon, Chris is forced back to his home leaving sorrow in his tracks. Kim’s only light lives in the hope that one day they will be reunited and therefore fills her days with the only cherished memories that compensate for the insurmountable sadness and loss she has experienced in her young life.

Despite integrating two different platforms, such a risk easily yields high returns that serve to showcase the extraordinarily talented cast in Miss Saigon: The 25th Anniversary Performance. Watch Jon Jon Briones as The Engineer, Eva Noblezada as Kim, Alistair Brammer as Chris, Hugh Maynard as John, Tamsin Carroll as Ellen and Rachelle Ann Go as Gigi as they collectively convey a natural intimacy and emotional powerhouse that rarely translates from stage to screen birthing an amazing and passionate performance and storytelling at its finest.

Article written by Joti Patel.

Miss Saigon: The 25th Anniversary Performance will be screening at selected cinemas on Sunday 16th October. For more information on how you can book tickets, visit here…

 

Written by Theatrefullstop