"Miss Saigon" is a fantastic musical by Boublil and Schonberg. It finished in the West End in October 1999 and should be touring the UK very soon. It is one of my favourite musicals.

The show is set in Vietnam during the war, and tells the story of a seventeen year old girl, Kim, who falls in love with an American GI, Chris. They plan to go back to America together but tragically when Saigon falls they get separated in the crowds and so Kim has to stay in Saigon. Kim holds onto the dream that Chris will one day come back to get her and his son, Tam. This though doesn't happen. When Kim and The Engineer go to Bangkok Kim learns Chris has a wife, Ellen. Kim wants her son to have a better life in America with his father and vows she will "give my life for you". The ending is very tragic and will have you in tears. Some of the best songs include: "The Heat is on in Saigon", "Why God Why?", "I'll Give My Life For You" and "The American Dream".

The character "Gigi" who's named "Miss Saigon".

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Jonathan Pryce (The Engineer) and Lea Salonga (Kim)

Melinda Chua (Kim) & Michael Flanigan (Chris) on Broadway

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Lea Salonga (Kim) and little Tam.

Thuy's death

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Simon Bowman (Chris) during "The Fall of Saigon".

Chris and Kim during the Finale.

I have seen the show in London and on Broadway. The original cast included Jonathan Pryce (The Engineer), Simon Bowman (Chris) and Lea Salonga (Kim).

I have seen the following people in the show:

Raul Aranas, Junix Inocian & Luoyong Wang (The Engineer)

Scott Anson, Mike Scott & Michael Flanigan (Chris)

Sarah Jane Hassell, Gunilla Backman & Margaret Ann Gates (Ellen)

Colin Charles & Richard Lloyd King (John)

Jo Jo De La Cerna & Edmund Nalzaro (Thuy)

Maya Barredo, Riva Salazar & Melinda Chua (Kim).

The show has everything, romance, tragedy, fantastic costumes and scenery (a helicopter even comes on stage) and excellent performances from each member of the cast.

The photographs are taken from varoius "Miss Saigon" brochures that were published in 1989, 1994, 1997, 1998, and 2000. Photographs taken by Michael Le Pour Trench.