Miss Saigon at the Conservatorium Theatre, Griffith University

Miss Saigon at the Conservatorium Theatre, Griffith University

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Posted 2013-08-13 by John Andrewfollow

Fri 09 Aug 2013 - Sat 17 Aug 2013


"My subject is war, and the pity of war." So said Wilfred Owen, about the carnage of the First World War.
"Miss Saigon" the musical, transplants the tragic story of "Madam Butterfly" to Vietnam, and shows the pity of war through a tragic love story. An American soldier (Chris) falls in love with a Vietnamese bar girl (Kim) just as the Americans are about to leave Vietnam. In the panic of the evacuation, Kim and Chris are separated. Kim has Chris' child, and struggles to survive under a brutal regime.

Chris marries in America, and then returns to Vietnam to find Kim, who believes that he will find her, and that she and her son will start a new life in America. They are reunited, but when Kim discovers that Chris is married, she realises that she cannot hope to escape Vietnam, but that their son can. The play ends as Kim commits suicide to ensure a new life for her son.

The production of Miss Saigon at the Conservatorium is well worth going to see. Superb direction, a wonderful set, and an excellent orchestra give great support for a high-energy engaging performance.

The lead singers had just the right kind of voices for musical theatre, and caught brilliantly the joy of first meeting, the pain of separation, and the agony of discovering that their dream had died. Rex Ablett made the cynical brothel manager into a key character, channelling and reflecting the corruption around him, and embodying life reduced to a Darwinian need to survive.

A highlight of the show was the way in which they portrayed the panicked evacuation from the roof of the American embassy, and the gut-wrenching cries of despair from the abandoned Vietnamese. With skilful use of lights and sound they created totally convincingly the illusion of the arrival and departure of a helicopter.

The choreography was excellent – colourful, energetic, and imaginative. The chorus was of a very high standard.

To sum up – lead singers ideal for their part, excellent direction and set-design, strong chorus, great dancing, and a really powerful depiction of "the pity of war".

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!date 09/08/2013 -- 17/08/2013
%wnbrisbane
204673 - 2023-06-16 05:34:52

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