[NEohioPAL] Review of "Road to Saigon"

[Bob Abelman]

Speed bumps abound in 'Road to Saigon'

 

Bob Abelman

News-Herald, Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times Courier

Member, International Association of Theatre Critics 

 

This review appeared in the Times papers 6/3/10

 

While I was in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to review the world premiere of Road to Saigon, which will soon be touring major U.S. cities, including Cleveland. 

 

When we last left Kim, the 17-year-old Vietnamese waif from the hit Broadway musical Miss Saigon, she was sacrificing herself for the welfare of her Asian-American child as U.S. troops-including the baby's father-pulled out of Saigon.  

 

Kim has been brought back for an encore in Road to Saigon, currently playing at the David Henry Hwang Theater in Los Angeles and, soon after this world premiere engagement, on tour in northeast Ohio. 

  

In fact, Kim has been brought back in triplicate.  This play-with-music, conceived by East West Players' artistic director Tim Dang and developed by director Jon Rivera, features Joan Almedilla, Jennifer Paz and Jenni Selma, who either performed the role of Kim on Broadway during its 1991-2001 run or in one of the national tours.  

 

The inspiration for this production was that each of these women followed a humble and distinctive path to this powerful and provocative play that changed their lives.

 

The essence of this production is that each woman plays herself and tells her own story, interwoven with musical numbers that reflect key memories and significant moments.

 

The plan is that their respective stories are as powerful and provocative as the original production itself.

 

After all, the play-a loose adaptation of the Puccini opera Madame Butterfly-is set during the most devastating and morally dubious military action in American history.  Miss Saigon opened amidst controversy, when an Anglo actor was hired to play a key Asian role.  Surely these three Filipino actresses should have much to say in a production staged in the playhouse the New York Times dubbed "the nation's pre-eminent Asian American theater troupe" and whose very mission is to "give voice to the Asian Pacific American experience."  

 

They do not.  In fact, these contrary Kims merely sing and dance their way around issues of social significance and and do little more than offer fond memories, unremarkable personal milestones and gossip-laden Kim confessionals.  Political context is circumvented by endearing but superficial recollections. 

 

In addition to lacking a social conscience, this production is short on artistic integrity.  The Kims are absolutely phenomenal singers, belting every number with the same honed skills and dynamic personalities that landed them on the professional stage in the first place.  However, the songs they sing are either popular standards like Billy Joel's "A New York State of Mind" or tunes from the American theatre catalog that merely hint at the stories being told. 

 

In fact, the running narrative offered by Ms. Almedilla, Ms. Paz and Ms. Selma serves as mere fodder to justify a song and to segue from one song to another.  Their respective stories are delivered in disruptive, piece-meal fashion, with one Kim offering a bit of back story before being interrupted by one of the other competitive Kims and a segment of her story.  This makes for convoluted and rather random storytelling.

 

More cabaret than the theatrical production pitched in its promotional materials, Road to Saigon resembles a cocktail lounge act in the Catskills.  Kay Cole's stagy choreography and musical accompaniment limited to piano and drums reduces these professional performers to showgirls. Scenic designer John Binkley does his best to bring some theatrics to this production. He has created a curvaceous set piece that softens the atmosphere and pushes all the action toward the audience to generate an immediate sense of intimacy.  

 

Perhaps the biggest letdown is that not a single song from Miss Saigon made it into this production.  Even Mitzi Gaynor, long past her prime and doing three shows a night in Atlantic City, sang her money song from the original South Pacific.        

 

The lure of former Kims will surely draw Clevelanders familiar with Miss Saigon to the theater.  However, audience members are bound to be disappointed once the novelty wears off and the star dust dissipates, and will wonder whether any of the other 200 Kims who graced the stage have better stories to tell.  



Reader freedback is welcome.  Go to:  www.chagrinvalleytimes.com/contact_us.php
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