Miss Saigon: A Discussion of Ethics in Contemporary Musical Theatre ​ By Chaewon Lee

1st place--Argument with Research

Tony-nominee Eva Noblezada performing as ‘Kim’ in the 2017 Broadway revival of 'Miss Saigon' at the Broadway Theatre, photo by Matthew Murphy for Variety

Part 1:

In the modern age, the film and television industries constantly seem to face criticism regarding issues of racial representation and erasure in storytelling. The general consensus from all types of viewers exemplifies that people are clearly becoming less afraid to contest media that portrays people of color through a narrow and harmful lens. Although film and television encompass two major forms of media that the West has come to dominate, there is another elephant in the room that is often forgotten: theatre. Before the host of problems of racial inequity brought about by Hollywood, there were minstrel shows, revues, and vaudeville--all of which possessed no lack of startling views about race. Musicals have now replaced all these historical forms of theatrical entertainment, yet the prominent issues that surrounded them far in the past look as though they are here to stay.

Although musical theatre is criticized far less often than television and film, there are still a number of shows with questionable representations of race and racial relations that have become deeply imbedded in the culture of western media and the history of theatre; these shows undoubtedly dance the thin line between ethical and unethical. One such show that does this is

Miss Saigon, a 1989 musical written by the famous French songwriter/lyricist team, ​ Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil, and produced by Cameron Mackintosh, one of the most successful producers in contemporary musical theatre. The musical tells the tale of an ill-fated romance at the height of the Vietnam war between Kim, a Vietnamese bar-girl, and

Chris, a US Marine, and unflinchingly shows the sacrifices Kim is willing to make as she transforms from a naive girl into a struggling young mother.

Supporters of Miss Saigon argue that the show has been one of the greatest contributions ​ ​ to Asian American representation in musical theatre and a deeply exploratory look into complex stories outside the Western world. On the contrary, others insist that its prevalent showcase of

Asian stereotypes displays how the show is presented by white people for white people and that ​ ​ ​ ​ it was fundamentally conceived out of the Westerner’s misguided notion that Vietnamese people during the war were completely helpless, jaded, and longing for American saviors. However, none of these contentious debates have done much to halt the countless reproductions of Miss ​ Saigon since its initial conception almost thirty years ago, including the 2017 Broadway revival. ​ With unwavering questions of racial representation in media today, is it just that on such a grandiose stage, Asian Americans see themselves reflected only in a tragic story that explores themes of poverty, death, and powerlessness? Whether that is right or wrong remains critically unanswered and ultimately raises the question: is it ethical for the production team to put on this show that presents controversial views about Asian Americans, if it means to tell a well-realized story with correctly cast actors?

A picket protest by women at the premiere of the original 1991 Broadway production for 'Miss Saigon', photo by Corky Lee, New York Times

Part 2:

In this morally ambiguous situation, there are several people and groups that would be impacted by this decision. First and foremost, the producers responsible for the show’s run on ​ ​ Broadway risk the respect that their names and jobs carry. Moving forward with the show could potentially paint these individuals as either resilient or stubborn; however, a complete cancellation of one of the longest-running Broadway shows in history would undoubtedly tarnish the reputations of the creators, Schonberg and Boublil, and the show’s long-running producer,

Cameron Mackintosh, all of whom became well-respected largely thanks to Miss Saigon’s ​ ​ immense success (Paulson). Because the show flaunts a predominantly Asian cast, Asian

American actors are also imperative stakeholders. Regardless of the debate surrounding its ethicality, it is indisputable that Miss Saigon remains one of the few major musical successes that ​ ​ has provided some of the most renowned Asian American theatre performers their first chance at the limelight. For those who wish to follow in their footsteps, this production in particular certainly presents a “make it or break it” scenario, especially in today’s extremely tense sociopolitical climate (Paulson). Lastly, much like the actors, the audiences play an equally critical role. Asian American viewers especially bear the responsibility of either lauding or condemning the show. For better or worse, they must either observe themselves rightfully reflected on the stage or become victims of racial misrepresentation.

When strictly evaluating how many Asian American talents are seen on stage, Miss ​ Saigon has arguably achieved more good than harm in accordance with the utilitarian and ​ common good approaches to ethics. In his article “The Battle of ‘Miss Saigon’: Yellowface, Art, and Opportunity,” New York Times theatre reporter Michael Paulson interviews several whose ​ ​ careers bloomed after Miss Saigon, including those who achieved skyrocketing stardom like Jon ​ ​ Jon Briones. Performing in the show is “an honor and it’s a responsibility,” says Briones, the

Filipino actor who went from a chorus member in the original production to embracing the role of the Engineer, a violent pimp who will do anything to reach American soil, in the 2017 revival. It is because of roles like the Engineer that are thought to portray minorities as self-loathing and spiteful that many argue we too often prioritize “being on the Western stage rather than [...] the roles being played” (Chung 81). In accordance, both the utilitarian and common good approaches potentially present the view that, for the good of Asian American representation, it might prove more beneficial for performers to seek roles that focus less deliberately on race and more on story and character. Another scathing criticism of the show is targeted towards the main character, Kim. Many detest that she seems a naively written protagonist who remains the victim of “total persecution and exploitation visited upon her and abject circumstances” until her suicide

(Teeman). Asian American participation in such a musical phenomenon certainly presents an ethical quandary, and such morally dubious representation may perhaps warrant cancellation.

However, according to cultural and social historian Dr. Tzu-I Chung, Miss Saigon ultimately ​ ​ offers “a chance to forge new cultural roles, identities, and contest new boundaries” (82).

It is out of this profound and prevalent struggle of “feeling yellow” that Donatella Galella ultimately discovers “shared feelings from which to build collective strategies of resistance”

(77). One such form of resistance is exemplified by the acclaimed 1988 play M. Butterfly, written ​ ​ by Chinese-American playwright David Henry Hwang. Hwang’s play is well known for utilizing commonly explored orientalist themes and presenting them with a twist, thus the show is “taken as a commentary [...] of Western attitudes towards the East” (Hwang and DiGaetani 141).

Hwang explains how these themes are reflected in his characters: in order to fulfill one’s desire,

“you can make that person ideal in your own mind whether or not the actual facts correspond to the reality” (Hwang and DiGaetani 144). In effect, this work about a French diplomat’s infatuation with a Chinese opera singer who is secretly a man forces audiences to consider “the condescension inherent when someone uses the aesthetics of another culture as ornament”

(Guilford). This idea is heavily present in Western works that are criticized today for viewing the the East not for what it truly was but as an exaggerated reflection of the Western imagination, such as in Giacomo Puccini’s 1904 opera Madama Butterfly--the very opera that Miss Saigon is ​ ​ ​ ​ inspired by. In a recent interview for his play Yellowface, Hwang ultimately reflects on how Miss ​ ​ ​ Saigon shaped his evaluation of racial relations in his future work, how the Asian American ​ community may “have lost the battle” at first but eventually “won the war” out of the many admirable shows that emerged as a response to the initial controversy (“David Henry Hwang”).

BD Wong as 'Song Liling' and John Lithgow as 'Rene Gallimard' in the original 1988 Broadway production of David Henry Hwang's 'M. Butterfly', photo by American Theatre

When considering the justice approach, however, there is a deeper history to Miss Saigon ​ that warrants further evaluation. It can be argued that the show should be cancelled not only because the Asian characters are not valued as equals but also because the actors themselves, particularly the Filipino performers, were ironically reflective of their tragic characters.

According to Chung, Filipino fixation on idealizing the American Dream and embracing increasing globalization was incumbent upon the “negation of their national pride and self esteem,” which originated in the history of neocolonial relations between the United States and the Philippines (79). The 2017 Miss Saigon potentially obstructs the ethics of fairness because ​ ​ the very origin of the show’s success “exposes how people’s perceptions of themselves are filtered through the lenses of American popular culture and [...] uneven positionings of the First and Third worlds” (Chung 79). Stars like Lea Salonga and Jon Jon Briones had never left the

Philippines when they auditioned in Manila, and it is quite likely they never would have if Miss ​ ​ ​ Saigon’s creative team had not conducted their search for their perfect vision of these characters ​ ​ ​ outside the US. The difference between these actors in the Philippines compared to England and the US is clearly reflective not only of their star-quality, but also of their roles as “foreign laborers” in the globalized market of the entertainment industry (Stanley).

In addition to the justice approach, the virtues and rights approaches call on several forms of displaying integrity. If the Mackintosh production company truly believes it is honest in its portrayal of this ill-fated romance, then the producers reserve the right to put on the 2017 revival of Miss Saigon and to satisfy audiences who admire its artistic ambition and value. When ​ ​ discussing the Norwegian National Opera’s production of the controversial Madama Butterfly, ​ director Annelise Miskimmon follows this approach: “To continue to grapple with the story of

Madama Butterfly, much as Puccini did himself, is to honor the empathetic impulse that inspired ​ its creation.” Those who respect works like Butterfly and Miss Saigon and their inherent intent ​ ​ ​ ​ have the right to continue learning from their legacies. Still, there is sometimes an extent to which pure intent can negate result. If the producers desire to be just and take into consideration the ill-harboured feelings shared by some Asian American audiences, then a cancellation might showcase how much they prioritize fairness to audiences who are equally important members of the theatre community. Regardless of their good intentions and motivations, if the producers exercised compassion and harkened back to complex histories of orientalism in operas like

Puccini’s Butterfly that was “seldom a masterpiece of ethnic sensitivity,” they have a duty to stop ​ ​ this production and realize that Miss Saigon may only continue feeding into this centuries-long ​ ​ cycle (Guilford).

Glyndebourne's 2018 production and reimagination of Giacomo Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly', photo by Tristram Kenton for the Guardian

As a child, my discovery of Miss Saigon and seeing Asian faces and voices on stage ​ ​ excited me. Although it possesses its moments of questionability in regards to race, unlike shows like Madama Butterfly, it ultimately does not contribute to a twisted or fetishized view of Asian ​ ​ women or culture. In fact, the massive difference in behavior and motivation between major characters like Kim and the Engineer refrain from portraying the Vietnamese people as purely one-dimensional. While the characters desire freedom from debilitating violence and poverty, they are never left without an arc that marks their completion as characters. If Kim is perceived as a weak and incorrect representation of Vietnamese women, her final decision to commit suicide for her son’s sake and to choose her own fate should also be viewed as an act that transcends race and sex altogether and instead resonates with humanity. In the words of

Tony-winning actress Lea Salonga, who originated the role of Kim: “You can rally and rail ​ ​ against it, but you can’t erase history. This is set in 1975, not in 2017, and this really happened”

(Paulson). It is an undeniable fact that Miss Saigon is a critical part of the contemporary musical ​ ​ ​ theatre canon, thus to cancel this production completely would act as a catalyst that may eventually eliminate a significant part of musical history, a part that includes Asian Americans at the center of the conversation. Although the origins of the show’s controversy stem from complicated global relations of the past, the 2017 production flaunts a cast of diverse Asian

Americans that strays from the initial method of casting people from poorer locales in the

Philippines. Moreover, cancellation of this revival would be limiting the already scarce opportunities for Asian American actors, artists, and audiences to create the change they hope to realize in the theatre community, much like people like Salonga and Hwang have done for almost thirty years. For meaningful and rooted change to occur, there must be an instigator.

There is something greater to be gained by learning from mistakes of the past and attempting to ameliorate them in the present and for the future, and I ultimately believe that Miss Saigon ​ should continue to be living proof of this.

Works Cited

American Theatre. “BD Wong and John Lithgow in the original 1988 Broadway staging of ‘M.

Butterfly.’” American Theatre, Theatre Communications Group, 7 Mar. 2018, ​ ​ www.americantheatre.org/2018/03/07/this-month-in-theatre-history-36/. Accessed 1 Dec.

2018.

Chung, Tzu-I. “The Transnational Vision of Miss Saigon: Performing the Orient in a Globalized ​ ​ World.” MELUS, vol. 36, no. 4, 2011, pp. 61–86, 193, ​ ​ go.galegroup.com.proxy.library.vcu.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA275849958&v=2.1&u=

viva_vcu&it=r&p=LitRC&sw=w

“David Henry Hwang Talks About Identity.” YouTube, Propeller TV, 11 Apr. 2014, ​ ​ www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=78v=SenmQVGGrw4. Accessed 1 Dec. 2018.

Galella, Donatella. "Feeling Yellow: Responding to Contemporary Yellowface in Musical

Performance." Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism, vol. 32, no. 2, 2018, Project ​ ​ ​ MUSE, pp. 67-77, doi:10.1353/dtc.2018.0005 ​ Guilford, Gwynn. “Opera’s Old-Fashioned Race Problem.” The Atlantic, 23 Jul. 2014, ​ ​ www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/07/its-time-to-stop-using-exoticism-as-

an-excuse-for-operas-racism/374900/. Accessed 1 Dec. 2018.

Hwang, David Henry, and John Louis DiGaetani. “‘M. Butterfly’: An Interview with David

Henry Hwang.” TDR, vol. 33, no. 3, 1989, JSTOR, pp. 141–153. ​ ​ ​ ​ www.jstor.org/stable/1145993. Kenton, Tristram. “War bride … the new Glyndebourne Butterfly’s 50s twist.” Guardian, ​ Guardian News and Media, 5 June 2018,

www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/05/metoo-madama-butterfly-puccini-geisha-opera

-women-exploitation, Accessed 1 Dec. 2018.

Lee, Cooky. “A Broadway opening-night picket of ‘Miss Saigon’ in 1991.” New York Times, ​ New York Times, 17 Mar. 2017,

www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/theater/the-battle-of-miss-saigon-yellowface-art-and-oppo

rtunity.html?_r=0. Accessed 1 Dec. 2018.

Miskimmon, Annelise. “Sex, Betrayal, Suicide: Is Madama Butterfly too Sordid to Stage

Today?” The Guardian, 5 June 2018. ​ ​ www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/05/metoo-madama-butterfly-puccini-geisha-opera

-women-exploitation. Accessed 1 Dec. 2018.

Murphy, Matthew. “Eva Noblezada and Samuel Li Weintraub.” Variety, Variety Media, 23 Mar. ​ ​ 2017, https://variety.com/2017/legit/reviews/miss-saigon-review-broadway-1202013196/,

Accessed 1 Dec. 2018.

Paulson, Michael. “The Battle of ‘Miss Saigon’: Yellowface, Art, and Opportunity.” New York ​ Times, 17 Mar. 2017, ​ www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/theater/the-battle-of-miss-saigon-yellowface-art-and-oppo

rtunity.html?_r=0. Accessed 1 Dec. 2018.

Stanley, Sandra Kumamoto. “Settling Scores: The Metamorphosis of Madame Butterfly and Her

Transnational Legacy.” Pacific Coast Philology, vol. 42, no. 2, 2007, JSTOR, pp. ​ ​ ​ ​ 257–263. www.jstor.org/stable/25474237. Teeman, Tim. “Sexism, Race, and the Mess of ‘Miss Saigon’ on Broadway.” The Daily Beast, ​ 23 Mar. 2017, www.thedailybeast.com/sexism-race-and-miss-saigon-on-broadway.

Accessed 1 Dec. 2018.

BIO: Chaewon Lee is currently a second-year student at VCU who is majoring in

Communication Arts and minoring in Art History. She composed “Miss Saigon: A Discussion of

Ethics in Contemporary Musical Theatre” for her UNIV 112 course in the fall of 2018. In her free time, she enjoys drawing outside, singing, and discovering new movies and TV shows to watch.