By Shoyun Kim
The protests have quieted down and "Miss Saigon" is in the midst of a long and peaceful run at the Broadway Theatre. You may recall that there were several controversial issues that the major papers and magazines talked about: 1) The casting of European actor Jonathan Price for the role of a Eurasian pimp. 2) Bringing Philippine actress Lea Salonga to Broadway to reprise the role that she originated in London. 3) The use of eye prosthetics on Mr. Price and actor Keith Burns to give them "Asian eyes." 4) The negative portrayal of Asians on stage.
Before I get into these issues, here's a quick review for those of you unfamiliar with the show. The backdrop is the Vietnam War. A naive 17 year old Vietnamese prostitute and an even more naive American G.I. fall in love the first time they meet. The G.I. promises the girl that he'll take her with him to America. Strangely enough, he really means it. But as things go in these tales, the two get seperated in the chaos, and he gets on the last helicopter out of Saigon and she gets left behind.
While he's gone, the girl, now a woman, bears a child by him. Three years later the G.I. comes back with his American wife. Devastated by the news, and determined to get her child out of the streets of Vietnam to America, the girl takes her own life. (Or the basic plot of Puccini's opera "Madame Butterfly.")
That's a basic summary. If it seems a bit crass, forgive me. After having read so many reviews of the show, it's difficult to write an original synopsis.
There are aspects of the show that work, and some that don't. Act II opens with a song called "Bui-Doi." A former marine turned guilty government worker sings about the half-Vietnamese, half-American children called Bui-Doi, or "dust of life" in Vietnam. The scene is made more "subtle" by showing slides of these children. It is completely out of place in the show.
I have to admit that it is difficult to contain tears during the scene, but that is because we are able to feel empathy for these children. Being human allows people to react emotionally to this. But that doesn't make the scene artistic in any way. Instead it seems more like a trap. It lacks sensitivity and even good taste.
The much publicized helicopter isn't much to talk about. It also isn't what audiences mention when referring to the show. Because the truth is that the show, on the whole, works very well. It is romantic, intense, and at times, brave. It shows things that we don't always want to see. If we look at the bigger picture, it deals with a place and subject that some Americans would rather not deal with.
As an Asian-American, I'd like to state my personal views on the protests. As far as the casting of Jonathan Price, most people forget that the character is half-European. Yes, it would have been wonderful to see an Asian actor play the part. But most people failed to notice that blond British actor Keith Burns originated the supporting role of Thuy. That bothered me more.
Lea Salonga, who won praise for originating the role of Kim, should not have come to Broadway to reprise her role. Why not give the role to an Asian-American woman, thereby giving enormous opportunities to two Asian actresses instead of one. Oh, and the producer's "explanation" for bringing Miss Salonga over was that she could provide "unique services" and that no other actress in the United States is capable of performing the role. Yeah right.
The use of the eye prosthetics makes me more furious than anything else. We haven't come much further from Al Jolson singing "Mammy" in blackface. The prosthetics were later dropped.
As far as the negative portrayal of Asians, the story does not only portray negative Asian characters. It would be nice to see more diverse portrayals of Asians, but this message should be for all theatre and the entertainment industry. Not just this show.
To me, even with all my objections, it was wonderful to finally see Asian actors, singers, and dancers on the Broadway stage. I'm also happy that non-Asians are seeing this as well. With the anticipated long run and touring companies of the show, the one thing that "Miss Saigon" does is that it allows this country to know and understand the presence of Asian performers in the very American form of art that is the musical.