Miss Saigon Design Concept

! Miss Saigon is a popular musical, conceived by the creators of Les Miserables, Claude-

Michel Schönberg and , that has been stealing hearts and charming audiences since 1989. It tells the story of an American GI who falls in love with a Vietnamese bar girl - a romance doomed for failure in a time where it is impossible for families to stay together. There are strong themes of love vs. tradition; hope and different interpretations of “the American

Dream”; and sacrifice.

! The primary auditory components that I intend to build the sound design around include the Bell UH-1 Iroquois “Huey” helicopter, traditional Vietnamese music, and audio snippets representing American life and pop culture. The latter component will represent the memories of the American soldiers, the vision of America that the Vietnamese civilians hold in their minds, and the reality of America experienced by Chris, John, and Ellen. In the last love scene between

Chris and Kim, the lyrics mention a “solo saxophone” representing their love. I would like to incorporate this into the sound design, possibly re-orchestrating traditional Vietnamese music with typically American instrumentation, led by a “solo saxophone”. The sound of the Huey will ideally travel all the way around the theatre: starting distant and “above” the audience, moving closer and eventually so “close” that the audience will perceive the sounds of the individual chopper blades whipping around them.

! Miss Saigon is a musical, so for the most part during the play I will focus on directing sound through the system in the most audible and effective way possible. The sound effects will be realistic and jarring: a reminder that this is a play set during wartime. I will be incorporating different versions of the aforementioned music during the pre-show, to introduce the audience to the mood of the show, and post-show, to draw the audience gently back into the present.

Prepared by: Mackenzie Ellis, Sound Designer Miss Saigon Character Profiles

Character Description Associations/Themes

Kim The title character of the play. Kim has a tragic Love, Hope, Tragedy, background and a tragic life. She watched her Loss parents die horrifically, victims of the war. She became a prostitute to support herself, and was whisked away by an American, the symbol of hope, who said he loved her and would take her to America. He left her after a few days, pregnant. The son she bore became her reason to live, and she spent three years hoping Chris would come back to rescue them. When he does come back, he breaks her heart with the news that he has found another wife, and will not be taking her or Tam with him back to America. She does the only thing she can to ensure her son’s future: she kills herself, forcing Chris and Ellen to adopt Tam. Kim is the ultimate tragic character.

Chris In the beginning of the play, Chris arrives at the bar Romance, Memory depressed and bored. Kim ignites love and passion, but after a few nights they are separated. He says he tried to contact her, but eventually moves on with his life, and marries Ellen two years later. John pushes him to meet Kim in the beginning, and John pushes him to go to to find Kim and Tam in Act 2. It is Ellen who decides that they should financially support Kim and Tam from abroad, and not take them back to the states. Chris never makes any decisions on his own, and is not strong enough to find his abandoned bride - instead, he chooses to move on with his own life and forget her. He is a generally weak person who changed Kim’s life in a moment of confused passion that was nothing to him but a summer romance.

John Chris’ best friend in the Marines, who becomes the Friendship, head of a humanitarian organization to reunite Consistency, Solidity children born during the war with their American fathers. John is a genuine person who wants the best for his friend.

Prepared By: Mackenzie Ellis, Sound Designer Character Description Associations/Themes

The Engineer The fast-talking swindler who exploits other people Corruption, for profit. He thinks only of himself in his actions, Selfishness, the corrupt and dreams of going to America where he can earn wish for the American a living and profit. He is not heartless, but prioritizes Dream his own needs above anyone else’s. His version of the American Dream is of flashy cars and busty blondes: not the true American Dream, a phrase first coined by James T. Adams, who in 1931 wrote the treatise “The Epic of America”, in which he described a dream of a social order in which every person may achieve his or her goals regardless of “fortuitous curcumstances of birth or position”. In other words, Kim’s dream for Tam.

Ellen Chris’ new wife in America. She believes that she is Innocence, Normalcy, his only love, but knows that he keeps secrets from Love his time in the war. She longs to understand the husband she loves. When she finds out about his past, she tries to be gracious and understanding, but cannot accept the thought of living near Kim or taking care of her child. Ellen is only human in her feelings. She is representative of “normal life” for Chris.

Gigi Officially crowned “Miss Saigon”, but all she wins is Tragedy, Wasted Life a cheap tiara and a night with a Marine, who will leave her. Gigi is a tragic character - an example of what could have happened to Kim.

Thuy Holds to old-fashioned values of family honor, The Past, Constraints arranged marriage. Represents Kim’s past that of Tradition keeps coming back to haunt her.

Tam Symbolizes the hope and promise of youth, the Hope, Youth, Love, the American Dream, the future American Dream

Prepared By: Mackenzie Ellis, Sound Designer Miss Saigon Research

Sources:

Fields., Robert, and Mervin Rothstein. "'Miss Saigon' Flirts With Art and Reality." The

New York Times. , 07 Apr. 1991. Web. 19 May 2013. .

Pilger, John. "The 1975: An Eyewitness Report." AntiWar.com, 16 Apr.

2005. Web. 19 May 2013. .

"The in Pictures." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, n.d. Web. 19

May 2013.

Vietnam-War-in-pictures-the-35th-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-Saigon.html>.

"The Fall of Saigon." The Fall of Saigon. The History Learning Site, n.d. Web. 19 May

2013. .

Prepared by: Mackenzie Ellis, Sound Designer "Saigon During The Vietnam War? Non Aviation Forum | Airliners.net." Airliners.net, 23

July 2009. Web. 19 May 2013. .

"Vietnam War Guns." Vietnam War Guns. Military Factory, n.d. Web. 20 May 2013.

.

Prepared by: Mackenzie Ellis, Sound Designer Miss Saigon Scene/Character Breakdown Act 1

# Scene/Musical Number Setting Characters

1.1 Opening Act 1 (Overture / Saigon, April 1975 Engineer, Kim, Backstage at Dreamland) Girls (Gigi, Mimi, Yvonne, Yvette)

1.2 The Heat is On in Saigon Saigon, April 1975 Engineer, Girls (Kim, Gigi, Mimi, Yvonne, Yvette), Marines (John, Chris, Others), Company

1.3 The Movie In My Mind Saigon, April 1975 Gigi, Kim, Girls (Mimi, Yvonne, Yvette)

1.4 Bartering for Kim (The Saigon, April 1975 Engineer, John, Transaction) Chris, Crowd, Kim

1.5 Kim and Chris Dance (The Saigon, April 1975 Chris, Kim, Dance) Engineer

1.6 Why God Why? Saigon, April 1975 Chris

1.7 This Money is Yours Saigon, April 1975 Chris, Kim

1.8 Unicorn Saigon, April 1975 Chris, Kim

1.8b Sun and Moon Saigon, April 1975 Chris, Kim

1.9 The Telephone Saigon, April 1975 Chris, John

1.9b The Deal Saigon, April 1975 Engineer, Chris

1.10 The Wedding Ceremony Saigon, April 1975 Chris, Kim, Girls (Gigi, Mimi, Yvonne, Yvette)

1.11 Thuy’s Intervention (Thuy’s Saigon, April 1975 Chris, Kim, Thuy Arrival)

1.12 Last Night of The World Saigon, April 1975 Chris, Kim

Prepared by: Mackenzie Ellis, Sound Designer Updated 6/6/13 # Scene/Musical Number Setting Characters

1.13 The Fall of Saigon (The Morning , Engineer, Thuy, of The Dragon) April 1978 Group 1 (men), Chorus, Assistant Commissar (Nick), Soldier 1 (Jagger), Soldier 2 (Justin)

1.14 I Still Believe Ho Chi Minh City / Kim, Ellen America, April 1978

1.15 Coo Coo Princess (Back in Town) Ho Chi Minh City, Engineer, Kim, April 1978 Thuy, Soldiers (Jagger, Justin, Will B, Nick, Will V, Thomas), Woman (Anna)

1.16 Thuy’s Death (You Will Not Touch Ho Chi Minh City, Kim, Thuy, Crowd Him) April 1978

1.17 If You Want to Die in Bed Ho Chi Minh City, Engineer April 1978

1.18 Kim and Engineer Ho Chi Minh City, Engineer, Kim April 1978

1.19 Finale Act 1 (I’d Give My Life For Ho Chi Minh City, Kim, Company You) April 1978 (group 1 - men, group 2 - men and girls)

Prepared by: Mackenzie Ellis, Sound Designer Updated 6/6/13 Miss Saigon Scene/Character Breakdown Act 2

# Scene/Musical Number Setting Characters

Entr’Acte

2.20 Opening Act II Men

2.21 Bui-Doi America, John, Men September 1978

2.22 Post Bui Doi (The Revelation) America, John, Chris, Ellen September 1978

2.23 Bangkok (What A Waste) Bangkok, Engineer, Company September 1978 (Hustlers - Ray, Thomas, Sebastian, CJ, Will B; Vendors - Jagger, Seth, Justin, Will V, Nick; Club Owner - Kyle), John, Kim

2.24 Please Bangkok, John, Kim September 1978

2.25 Chris is Here Bangkok, Engineer, Kim, September 1978 Club Owner (Kyle)

2.26 Kim’s Nightmare Part 1 Bangkok, Thuy’s Ghost, Kim September 1978

2.27 Kim’s Nightmare Part 2 Flashback to Captain Schultz Saigon, April 1975 (Ray), Embassy Workers (CJ, Sebastian, Wen, Seth, Tyler, Stephen, Jonathan), Chris, Kim, A Vietnamese

Prepared by: Mackenzie Ellis, Sound Designer Updated 6/6/13 # Scene/Musical Number Setting Characters

2.28 Kim’s Nightmare Part 3 Flashback to Marine (Stephen), Saigon, April 1975 Chris, Vietnamese Men (Jagger, Will, Justin, Thomas, Nick, Kyle, Will), Vietnamese Women, Kim, John

2.29 Sun and Moon Reprise Bangkok, Kim, Engineer September 1978

2.30 Kim And Ellen (Room 317) Bangkok, Kim, Ellen September 1978

2.31 Now That I’ve Seen Her Bangkok, Ellen September 1978

2.32 Ellen and Chris (The Bangkok, Chris, Ellen, John, Confrontation) September 1978 Kim, Engineer

2.32 Paper Dragons Bangkok, Engineer, Kim (A) September 1978

2.33 The American Dream Bangkok, Engineer, Company September 1978

2.34 Finale Bangkok, Kim, Chris September 1978

Prepared by: Mackenzie Ellis, Sound Designer Updated 6/6/13