Miss Saigon at Pantages Theatre

You’ve probably heard of the sensational Miss Saigon, or even seen it before – if not, you’re in for a treat. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, Miss Saigon is an adaption of the Giacomo Puccini opera Madame Butterfly, telling the similar tragic story of an Asian woman left by her American lover and showing tenacity and courage in her journey that follows. Prepare for an emotional rollercoaster in amongst the stunning colours and vivid imagery – Miss Saigon is an experience that will stay with you for life. Choose your show from the list below and book early to get the best seats!

Miss Saigon Tickets:

“From the 19 trucks that carry the extraordinary set, the full-grown helicopter that airlifts the Americans from the US Embassy in Saigon, to the gravitas and scale of human emotions this tragedy evokes, this production packs a punch as big as anything on the West End and Broadway” – Daily Echo

“The phenomenon is back where it belongs. Sensational in every way” – Deadline

“The staging works effortlessly, taking the audience from the brothels to the battlefield in a matter of seconds…The incredible staging makes it impossible for the audience’s attention to wane, even for a moment” – Reviews Hub

Written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg of Les Misérables, fans of Les Mis will find plenty to love in Miss Saigon. Upon the musical’s opening on Broadway in 1991, Miss Saigon was a virtually unprecedented hit, setting a record for ticket sales, with sales of over $4 million reported within 24 hours!! Current estimates put Miss Saigon at having seen by over 34 million people in over 29 countries, with translated versions in 15 languages.

The musical opens in a brothel in Saigon, run by the dangerous but charming Engineer, where audiences are introduced to Kim, who is on her first day at the bar, where she meets Chris, a U.S marine, who she genuinely falls in love with before the troops are forced to depart (in a famous scene featuring a life-size and apparently real helicopter that descends and carries the actors away). Cut to three years later, and Kim, working as a stripper, has Chris’ child, and seeks to find a way out of their life in seediness and poverty to reach America and find Chris again.

Well-known for it’s stunning production values, with elaborate costumes, humor, and incredible set design, the musical is a dark tale and doesn’t apologise for it. Miss Saigon pulls no punches in exposing the grittiness of Kim’s life and the difficulties she has had to face in being pushed into sex work and the terrible consequences of her falling in love with and being left pregnant age 17 by Chris – who, even otherwise played as one of the show’s protagonists, will leave the audience wondering if anyone truly has Kim’s best interests at heart at all. It’s a complex and nuanced portrayal of the traditional female role, motherhood and bravery in the face of impossible adversity that will tug at the most hardened of hearts.

Most importantly of all, however, Miss Saigon has direct relevance to today’s continuously war-ridden world, and the affect America has had on other countries. “History has almost caught up with Miss Saigon,” said Cameron Mackintosh, during the musical’s 2014 run in London. “When the show opened it was only 14 or 15 years after the Vietnam War had finished. But now that kind of war and the tragedies that spill out of that kind of conflict… nearly every country in the world has been involved: Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq. We are seeing things develop in Ukraine as we speak. I know I’m biased but when I walk into rehearsals I think, “This musical could have been written this morning, not 25 years ago.”

Prepare for an experience that will disturb, delight, and ultimately move you like no other. Miss Saigon is more than just a visually stunning, musically flawless and emotionally wrought musical theatre spectacle – it carries a message for modern times that the Western world needs to hear. If you see only one musical this year, make it this one – book your tickets to see Miss Saigon today.