Miss Saigon

From the creative geniuses behind another iconic musical, Les Miserables, Boublil & Schoenberg’s Miss Saigon is a modern retelling of Madame Butterfly, set against the final days of the Vietnam War and its aftermath. The musical follows Kim (Julianne Pundan), a young Vietnamese woman forced to work in a Saigon bar, and Chris (Jack Kane), an American GI who falls deeply in love with her. Their brief but powerful connection is shattered when U.S. forces evacuate, leaving Kim behind. As years pass, Kim raises their son while clinging to the hope that Chris will return, unaware that he has built a new life in America. The story builds toward a wrenching reunion that forces each character to confront the consequences of war, love, and sacrifice.

The casting for the roles of Kim and Chris is perfect. Making her professional debut in the role of Kim is Julianne Pundan. Now if this is what she can do as a debut performance I can only imagine how many wonderful years she will have as a performer! Her voice is truly touched by angels and captured the high emotion of the story. Jack Kane as Chris equally impressed. The chemistry between the pair was palpable, meaning their whole love story was completely believable leaving me wiping the tears away from my eyes as the show reached its dramatic conclusion. 

Further stand out performances came from Seann Miley Moore as The Engineer, bringing a beautifully camp quality to this larger than life character. With buckets of star quality, Moore was intoxicating especially during ‘The American Dream’ where he owned the stage from start to finish. Dominic Hartley-Harris also deserves a mention for his beautiful rendition of 'Bui Doi' in the opening of act 2. Singing about all of the children born to war, known as ‘the dust of life’, Hartley-Harris expressed his emotions impeccably and once again moved me to tears.