MISS SAIGON SHOW SYNOPSIS / CHARACTERS

Miss Saigon is a modern adaptation of Puccini's opera, Madame Butterfly, and like the opera, is a story of a tragic love affair between an Asian woman and her American soldier lover. In April of 1975, Kim, an orphaned South-Vietnamese girl, meets Chris, a young Marine, at Dreamland, a Vietnamese nightclub owned by the Engineer, a corrupt and opportunistic French-Vietnamese. They fall in love, but their love is complicated by her promise to a cousin, Thuy, who, since their betrothal, has become a member of the North Vietnamese army. She denies any feelings for him and with the help of her friend, Gigi, "marries" Chris. Chris leaves with the American forces, but promises to return.

The story moves forward to 1978; Thuy orders the Engineer to find Kim. He does so, along with her two year old son, Tam, Chris's child. She again refuses Thuy, kills him and with the Engineer and her son joins other refuges on a boat to Bangkok.

In the meantime in Atlanta, Chris learns through John, his G.I. buddy, that Kim is alive. Chris tells his American wife, Ellen, and with John the three go to Bangkok. Kim finds Chris only to learn of Ellen. He in turn learns of Tam. Ellen does not want to take Tam back to the states, but agrees with Chris to support Kim and the boy in Bangkok. Not a satisfactory option for Kim, she kills herself so that Tam will have a better life in America.

Male singing roles
     The Engineer, aka Tran Van Dinh, the sleazy pimp owner of 'Dreamland'
     Chris, aka Christopher Scott, an American G.I about to leave Saigon to return to America
     John, Chris' friend, also a GI
     Thuy, Kim's cousin, to whom Kim was promised by her parents when the two were thirteen. He           has since become an officer in the Communist Vietnamese Government

Female singing roles
     Kim, A teenage girl, recently orphaned and forced to work at "Dreamland"
     Ellen, Chris' s American wife
     Gigi, a friend of Kim's at "Dreamland"

Other roles
     Tam, a two-year-old child
     Large chorus with various solo parts. Solos will be awarded based on auditions for lead roles.