Miss Saigon is a musical play created by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics written by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. The story is inspired by Giacomo Puccini’s 1904 opera Madama Butterfly, which also tells a sad love story about an Asian woman left alone by her American lover. In Miss Saigon, the setting is changed to Saigon during the Vietnam War in the 1970s. Instead of an American lieutenant marrying a geisha, the story follows a romance between a United States Marine and a seventeen-year-old South Vietnamese bargirl.

The musical first opened on September 20, 1989, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in London. It ran for 4,092 shows before closing on October 30, 1999. It later opened on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre on April 11, 1991, and received a large amount of money before its opening—over $39 million. The musical was performed in many cities and toured worldwide. Before its 2014 London revival, it was reported that Miss Saigon had set a world record for the most tickets sold on its opening day, with sales exceeding £4 million.

This was the second major success for Schönberg and Boublil, following their 1985 musical Les Misérables. As of January 2026, Miss Saigon is still Broadway’s fifteenth longest-running show.

Background

The musical Miss Saigon was inspired by a photograph that Schönberg discovered accidentally in a magazine. The image showed a Vietnamese mother saying goodbye to her child at Tan Son Nhut Air Base. The child was boarding a plane to the United States, where the child’s father, a former soldier, could offer a better life. Schönberg described the mother’s decision to leave her child behind as "The Ultimate Sacrifice," a theme central to the story of Miss Saigon.

Key scenes in the show include the evacuation of the final American soldiers from Saigon by helicopter as Vietnamese people shout in sadness, the celebration of the new communist government’s victory, and a lively nightclub scene that takes place during the city’s fall.

Synopsis

In April 1975, at a place called "Dreamland," a bar and brothel in Saigon, Kim begins her first day as a bar worker. Kim is a 17-year-old girl from the countryside who is brought into the club by the Engineer, a French-Vietnamese man who owns the business. Behind the scenes, other girls prepare for the night’s performance, teasing Kim for being new ("Overture / Backstage Dreamland"). U.S. Marines, who know they will soon leave Vietnam, celebrate with the Vietnamese women who work at the club ("The Heat Is on in Saigon"). Chris Scott, a U.S. sergeant who is unhappy with the club scene, is encouraged by his friend John Thomas to go with a girl.

The girls compete for the title of "Miss Saigon," and the winner is chosen in a raffle for a Marine. Kim’s innocence impresses Chris. Gigi Van Tranh wins the title and asks the Marine who wins the raffle to take her to America, which annoys him. The showgirls think about their hopes for a better life ("Movie in My Mind"). John helps Chris and Kim by paying for a room ("The Transaction"). Kim is shy but dances with Chris, who tries to give her money to leave the club. When the Engineer interrupts, thinking Chris does not like Kim, Chris agrees to go to Kim’s room ("The Dance").

While watching Kim sleep, Chris asks God why he met her just as he was about to leave Vietnam ("Why, God, Why?"). When Kim wakes, Chris tries to give her money, but she refuses, saying it is her first time sleeping with a man ("This Money's Yours"). Moved by learning Kim is an orphan, Chris promises to take her to America, and they fall in love ("Sun and Moon"). Chris tells John he will take leave to spend time with Kim. John warns Chris that the Viet Cong will soon take Saigon but agrees to help cover for him ("The Telephone Song"). Chris meets the Engineer to trade for Kim, but the Engineer tries to include an American visa in the deal. Chris threatens the Engineer with a gun and forces him to honor the original agreement for Kim ("The Deal").

The bar workers hold a "wedding ceremony" for Chris and Kim ("Dju Vui Vai"), with Gigi toasting Kim as the "real" Miss Saigon. Thuy, Kim’s cousin, who was promised to her when she was 13, arrives to take her home. Thuy is now an officer in the North Vietnamese Army and is angry to see her with a white man ("Thuy's Arrival"). The men argue and draw their guns. Kim tells Thuy their arranged marriage is over because her parents are dead, and she no longer loves him because of his betrayal. Thuy curses them and leaves ("What's This I Find"). Chris promises to take Kim to America with him. Chris and Kim dance to the same song as their first night ("Last Night of The World").

Three years later, in 1978, a street parade in Saigon (now called Ho Chi Minh City) celebrates the third anniversary of Vietnam’s reunification and the defeat of the Americans ("The Morning of The Dragon"). Thuy, now a government official, orders his soldiers to find the Engineer, who has been working in rice fields as part of a re-education program. Thuy tells the Engineer to find Kim and bring her to him. It is clear that Kim and Chris have been separated during the three-year gap. Kim is hiding in a poor area, still loving Chris and believing he will return to rescue her. Meanwhile, Chris is in bed with his new American wife, Ellen, when he wakes from a dream shouting Kim’s name. Ellen and Kim both promise their love for Chris from opposite sides of the world ("I Still Believe").

The Engineer takes Thuy to where Kim is hiding. Kim refuses Thuy’s offer of marriage, not knowing Thuy’s soldiers are waiting outside. Thuy orders his men to tie up Kim and the Engineer, threatening to send them to a re-education camp ("Coo-Coo Princess"). Thuy then allows the Engineer to leave. Kim again refuses to go with Thuy and introduces Thuy to Tam, her 3-year-old son from Chris. Thuy calls Kim a traitor and tries to kill Tam with a knife, but Kim is forced to shoot Thuy to protect Tam ("You Will Not Touch Him"). Thuy dies as the parade continues nearby ("This Is the Hour"), with Kim showing horror and heartbreak before fleeing with Tam.

The Engineer laments being born Vietnamese and wishes to go to the United States ("If You Want to Die in Bed"). Kim tells the Engineer that Tam’s father is American ("Let Me See His Western Nose")—thinking the boy is his chance to move to the U.S. He tells Kim he is now Tam’s uncle and will help them reach Bangkok. Kim promises Tam she will do anything to give him a better life, and the three leave on a ship with other refugees ("I'd Give My Life for You").

In Atlanta, Georgia, John now works for an aid group that helps Bui-Doi (children born during the war) find their American fathers ("Bui Doi"). John tells Chris Kim is still alive, which relieves Chris after years of nightmares about her dying. John also tells Chris about Tam and urges him to go to Bangkok with Ellen. Chris finally tells Ellen about Kim and Tam ("The Revelation"). In Bangkok, the Engineer runs a sleazy club where Kim works as a dancer ("What A Waste"). Chris, Ellen, and John arrive to find Kim. John finds Kim dancing and tells her Chris is in Bangkok. He tries to tell her Chris is remarried, but Kim interrupts, excited to hear the news and tells Tam his father has arrived, believing they will go to America with Chris. Seeing Kim happy, John promises to bring Chris to her ("Please").

The Engineer tells Kim to find Chris herself, doubting Chris will come ("Chris Is Here"). Kim is haunted by the ghost of Thuy, who taunts her, claiming Chris will betray her as he did when Saigon fell. Kim has a terrible memory of that night ("Kim's Nightmare").

In the memory, Kim recalls the Viet Cong approaching Saigon. As the city becomes chaotic, Chris is called to the embassy and leaves his gun with Kim, telling her to pack. When Chris enters the embassy, the gates close as orders arrive to evacuate Americans immediately. The ambassador stops Vietnamese from entering the embassy. Kim reaches the gates, part of a crowd of terrified Vietnamese. Chris calls to Kim and tries to find her, but John stops him by punching him. Chris is taken on the last helicopter leaving Saigon as Kim watches from outside, still loving him ("The Fall of Saigon").

Back in 1978 Bangkok, Kim joyfully wears her wedding clothes ("Sun and Moon [Reprise]") and leaves the Engineer

Production history

Miss Saigon first opened in London at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on September 20, 1989, and ended its run on October 30, 1999, after 4,264 shows. Nicholas Hytner directed the production, with Bob Avian handling the musical staging and John Napier creating the set designs. In December 1994, the London production became the longest-running musical at the Theatre Royal, surpassing the record previously held by My Fair Lady.

Lea Salonga played the role of Kim and won the Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award for her performance. Jonathan Pryce portrayed The Engineer and also received the Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award for this role. Simon Bowman originally played the part of Chris.

The musical opened on Broadway at the Broadway Theatre on April 11, 1991, and closed on January 28, 2001, after 4,092 performances. Nicholas Hytner directed again, with Bob Avian handling the musical staging. John Napier designed the sets, Andreane Neofitou and Suzy Benzinger created the costumes, and David Hersey designed the lighting.

In May 2014, the West End revival of Miss Saigon began at the Prince Edward Theatre as part of the show's 25th anniversary celebration. Cameron Mackintosh produced the revival, and Laurence Connor directed it. The official opening was on May 21, 2014.

A special 25th anniversary gala was held on September 22, 2014. After a full performance, Lea Salonga, Simon Bowman, Jonathan Pryce, and many members of the original 1989 cast joined the current cast for a special finale. The finale included songs such as "This Is the Hour," "The Movie in My Mind," "Last Night of the World," and "The American Dream." The West End production closed on February 27, 2016, after 760 performances.

In November 2015, it was announced that the West End production would transfer to Broadway in March 2017 for a limited run through January 15, 2018. The production featured Eva Noblezada as Kim, Jon Jon Briones as The Engineer, Alistair Brammer as Chris, and Rachelle Ann Go as Gigi, all reprise their roles from the 2014 West End revival. Other cast members included Katie Rose Clarke as Ellen, Nicholas Christopher as John, and Devin Ilaw as Thuy. The revival played at the Broadway Theatre, the same venue as the original Broadway debut. Preview performances began on March 1, 2017, with an official opening on March 23. The final performance was on January 14, 2018, after 24 previews and 340 performances.

Miss Saigon has been performed in at least 25 countries and translated into at least 12 languages. In Tokyo, Stuttgart, and The Hague, new theaters were built specifically for the show.

A production in Toronto opened on May 8, 1993, at the Princess of Wales Theatre. It starred Ma-Anne Dionisio as Kim, Kevin Gray as The Engineer, H.E. Greer as Chris, Rufus Bonds Jr. as John, and Charles Azulay as Thuy. The production closed on April 30, 1995. Norm Lewis later joined the cast as John.

The musical opened in Australia at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney on July 29, 1995, starring Joanna Ampil as Kim, Peter Cousens as Chris, Cocoy Laurel as The Engineer, Milton Craig Nealy as John, Darren Yap as Thuy, and Silvie Paladino as Ellen.

In Bømlo, Norway, the show was performed outdoors from August 5 to August 16, 2009. A Bell helicopter was used during the production. In 2013, the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, included a new song called "Maybe," which replaced "Now That I've Seen Her." This song was later added to the West End's 2014 revival.

In 2023, a revival of Miss Saigon took place at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England. The production starred Joanna Ampil as Kim and Jessica Lee as The Engineer. It was nominated for three What's On Stage awards.

The first U.S.

Casts

• Kim: Joanna Ampil, Ma-Anne Dionisio, Naoko Mori, Jamie Rivera, Monique Wilson, Carla Guevara Laforteza
• Chris: John Barrowman, Graham Bickley, David Campbell, Peter Jöback, Jérôme Pradon, Glyn Kerslake
• The Engineer: Hilton McRae, Jon Jon Briones
• Ellen: Gunilla Backman, Ruthie Henshall
• Gigi: Lorraine Vélez

• Kim: Rona Figueroa, Joan Almedilla, Deedee Magno Hall, Jennie Kwan, Jennifer Paz, Annette Calud (a/t)
• Chris: Jarrod Emick, Eric Kunze, Peter Lockyer, Will Chase, Tyley Ross
• The Engineer: Raul Aranas, Wang Luoyong, Alan Muraoka
• John: Keith Byron Kirk, Norm Lewis, Matthew Dickens, Billy Porter, Curtiss Cook (u/s)
• Ellen: Tami Tappan, Anastasia Barzee, Jacquelyn Piro Donovan, Ruthie Henshall, Christiane Noll, Andrea Rivette (u/s)
• Thuy: Jason Ma, Yancey Arias, Michael K. Lee, Welly Yang

• Kim: Deedee Magno Hall, Jennifer Paz
• The Engineer: Kevin Gray
• Chris: Will Chase, Eric Kunze, Peter Lockyer, Steven Pasquale, Greg Stone, Will Swenson
• John: Norm Lewis
• Ellen: Anastasia Barzee, Jacquelyn Piro Donovan, Andrea Rivette

• Chris: Luke Evans
• Ellen: Kerry Ellis

• Ellen: Siobhan Dillon
• Gigi: Natalie Mendoza

Controversies

Hubert van Es, a Dutch photojournalist who captured the most well-known image of the fall of Saigon in 1975 (a group of people climbing a ladder to a CIA helicopter on a rooftop), considered taking legal action when his photograph was used in the musical Miss Saigon.

Miss Saigon has faced criticism for its portrayal of Asians and women, including claims of racism and sexism. In the original production, white actors playing Eurasian/Asian characters used eye prostheses and bronzing cream to appear more Asian, which upset some people who compared this practice to a "minstrel show." Although there was a public search for Asian actresses to play the role of Kim, no similar effort was made to cast Asian actors for major Asian male roles, such as the Engineer and Thuy. Angelica Pao, an American scholar, noted that in the West End, the producer, Cameron Mackintosh, chose Asian actresses to play Vietnamese women to add authenticity but allowed white actors to play Vietnamese men. Yutian Wong, another American scholar, observed that British critics in the 1980s did not criticize these portrayals, but controversy began in 1990 when the musical moved to Broadway, where the U.S. has a larger East Asian population.

When the production moved to New York City, the Actors' Equity Association (AEA) refused to let the white actor, Johnathan Pryce, play the role of the Engineer, a Eurasian pimp, in the U.S. Playwright David Henry Hwang and actor B.D. Wong protested Pryce's casting, arguing that his performance in yellowface (using makeup to appear Asian) was disrespectful to Asian people. AEA's leader, Alan Eisenberg, stated that casting a white actor in this role was offensive to the Asian community and limited opportunities for Asian actors. AEA's decision on August 7, 1990, led to criticism from some groups, who claimed it violated artistic freedom. Others argued that the Engineer’s character was Eurasian (French-Vietnamese), so Pryce’s casting was not racially discriminatory. Additionally, Pryce was considered a "star" in Europe, allowing him to reprise his role on Broadway without an American casting call. Producer Cameron Mackintosh threatened to cancel the show despite high ticket sales. After pressure from Mackintosh, the public, and AEA members, the decision was reversed, and Pryce performed in the Broadway version.

During the transfer to Broadway, a smaller controversy arose over Lea Salonga, a Filipina actress, as AEA wanted to prioritize its own members and initially prevented her from returning to the role. However, Mackintosh could not find a suitable replacement for Salonga after extensive auditions in the U.S. and Canada. An arbitrator later overturned AEA’s decision, allowing Salonga to continue in the role.

Later productions of Miss Saigon have faced boycotts from Asian actors. Internationally, community members have protested the show, arguing it is racist and sexist. D Hideo Maruyama, a 2010 Fulbright Hayes Scholar, said, "It's time to see the real Vietnam, not the Miss Saigon version." Mai Neng Moua, an American artist and activist, recalled protesting the show in 1994 as a college student, inspired by Esther Suzuki, a Japanese American who understood the importance of fighting against racism. Denise Huynh, a Vietnamese American activist, described feeling physically ill during a performance due to the stereotypes in the show.

Sarah Bellamy, co-artistic director of the Penumbra Theatre, stated that Miss Saigon is "by, for, and about white people, using people of color, tropical settings, and costumes to reinforce white supremacy." Yutian Wong described the musical as promoting the image of "an effeminized and infantized Asia serving as a low-budget whorehouse for the West." The show does not address how the Vietnam War impoverished many Vietnamese people or forced women into prostitution to survive. In 1999, a London advertising campaign for Miss Saigon featured posters with an Asian woman in a military jacket, which Wong argued linked Asia to prostitution.

Karen Shimakawa, an American scholar, noted that the romance between the Marine, Chris, and Kim in the show was meant to justify the Vietnam War, with Kim portrayed as submissive and dependent on Chris. Ellen explains to Kim that under American law, she is Chris’s wife, and Kim accepts this without question, which Shimakawa argued reflects the idea that Vietnam is a place for American enjoyment.

Richard Fung, a Trinidadian-Canadian critic, wrote in 1994 that if Miss Saigon were the only show about Asian women and men, it would not be a stereotype. However, repeated portrayals of such stereotypes in media harm the self-esteem of Asian Americans, especially women.

In 2019, the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin, planned to host a touring production of Miss Saigon and scheduled a panel discussion to share Asian American perspectives on the musical’s portrayal of Asian characters. The panel was later postponed.

Critical response

The critic Michael Feingold from The Village Voice strongly disliked the musical Miss Saigon. He called it "unlikely," "unoriginal and not enjoyable," and "a way to make money without real value," among other negative descriptions.

In contrast, Frank Rich from The New York Times reviewed the original Broadway production and described the musical as "exciting and traditional entertainment." He noted that it included "rich and beautiful music," "impressive performances," and "emotional moments." While Rich mentioned that some lyrics were simple and the characters Chris and Ellen were not clearly developed, he believed the strong music and standout performances by Salonga and Pryce helped the audience overlook these issues.

Awards and nominations

The show has won many awards and received praise, but it did not win the Best Musical Award at the 1989/1990 Laurence Olivier Awards. Instead, the award went to Return to the Forbidden Planet in London.

When the musical opened on Broadway in 1991, it was very highly expected to be the best musical of the year by critics and audiences. It set several Broadway records, such as selling $24 million in advance tickets, offering tickets priced at $100, and paying back investors in less than 39 weeks.

In 1991, Miss Saigon and The Will Rogers Follies each received 11 nominations for the Tony Awards, the most of any show that year. According to The New York Times, both shows were seen as strong competitors for the Best Musical Tony Award. However, some theater professionals thought Miss Saigon, which had come to Broadway from London, might face challenges due to the large amount of attention it had already received. There was also concern about the efforts by its producer, Cameron Mackintosh, to allow its two foreign stars, Mr. Pryce and Lea Salonga, to perform the same roles they had won awards for in London.

Although Miss Saigon lost to The Will Rogers Follies for several major awards, Lea Salonga, Jonathan Pryce, and Hinton Battle each won awards for their performances.

Film adaptation

On 21 October 2009, a film version of the musical was said to be in the early planning stages. Producer Paula Wagner was working with the original musical producer, Cameron Mackintosh, to make a film version of the musical. Filming was expected to take place in Cambodia and possibly in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon).

Cameron Mackintosh stated that the film version of Miss Saigon was dependent on the success of the Les Misérables film. In August 2013, director Lee Daniels shared plans to start making a film version of the musical.

On 27 February 2016, during the closing night of the Miss Saigon London revival, Mackintosh suggested that the film adaptation was nearing production when he said, "Sooner rather than later, the movie won't just be in my mind." Additionally, the 2014 "25th anniversary" performance of Miss Saigon in London was recorded for a cinema broadcast in autumn.