Pittsburgh Musical Theater presented a stunning portrayal of Jean-Michel Schoenberg's Miss Saigon, the tragic retelling of Puccini's Mme. Butterfly. The Byham Theatre became home to shimming call girls, a pair of star-crossed lovers, and a biracial love child, all intriguing elements in the musical.

Miss Saigon herself is Kim, portrayed by Jihyen Park. Kim isan orphan and she must sell her body to the highest bidder in a Saigon club. One night, everything changes for Kim whenshe falls in love with an American soldier, Chris (Christian Delcroix). After one magical night together, the two are forced to part. Chris goes to America and starts another life, while Kim remains in Saigon with a burning passion for her American soldier. The passage of time changes many life circumstances for the star-crossed lovers, and the play ends with a dramatic twist that takes away the audience's breath.

Delcroix and Park aptly performed the instant passion between their characters. Their chemistry was palpable throughout the show. When Delcroix and Park were onstage together, their intimate scenes were quite realistic and charged with emotion. Their ballad "Last Night of the World," a moving ballad about forbidden love, stood out as a pinnacle in the show. Delcroix, however, seemed to suffer from temporary lags in energy outside of the confines of his world-weary character during his more solitary moments on stage. Nevertheless, he recovered instantly when pitted against Park's energy and vitality, or when he encounteredJohn (Jacob Ming Trent), Chris's leading officer in the military. Trent opened the second act with the spiritual-influenced "Bui-Doi," a number about the biracial children created in the midst of the Vietnam War.The impassioned number grabbed the attention of even the most noncommittal of audience members.

The owner of the Saigon club is a power-hungry man who calls himself "the Engineer," a role portrayed energetically by Broadway veteran Paul Binotto. Binotto's engaging performance in the role of Engineer left audiences thrilled and wanting more. Binotto was extremely convincing as the dancing, singing, conniving strip club owner. Although his character was sleazy and selfish, Binotto managed to portray the Engineer as a likable person. A veteran to the stage, he has performed all over the United States and appeared on Broadway numerous times.

Carnegie Mellon has made quite an appearance in Miss Saigon – Park's portrayal of Kim was a reprisal of the role originated on Broadway by School ofDrama alum Lea Salonga. For this Pittsburgh show, current Carnegie Mellon CFA juniors Christine Lyons (Gigi) and Devin Ilaw (Thuy) performed in supporting roles, and alum Christopher Moyer portrayed various roles in the chorus. Lyon's heartfelt rendition of "Movie in My Mind" and Ilaw's evocative scenes against a defenseless Kim gave Carnegie Mellon a very good showing at the Byham.

The well-crafted set and costumes of Miss Saigon worked together effectively, creating a very distinct flavor for the production. The actors worked primarily on two split-level structures that moved in different formations around the stage.   

Lighting was also used effectively throughout the production to communicate the mood of certain scenes. The most visually engaging moment in the show was the transition from the drab, disparate colors of a war-torn Saigon to the fearful atmosphere of the red-tinted stage that depicted post-unification Vietnam. The production made intriguing use of a combination of lighting, multimedia, staging, and costumes to portray the intensity of Saigon life during the Vietnam War. 

One of the well-known images from Miss Saigon is the full-size helicopter that is brought onstage in the Broadway version. Although a full-size helicopter was not feasible for Pittsburgh Musical Theater's production, their portrayal of the helicopter was quite effective. Instead, the audience saw a large structure with a bright light on the front being lifted into the air. Lighting and swirling smoke completed the illusion.  

Overall, Miss Saigon was a production worth seeing. The show had something for everyone: love, war, sex, death, and passion.

Miss Saigon played at the Byham Theatre downtown January 19-29. For more information about future shows, visit Pittsburgh Musical Theater or the Byham Theater online.

Editor's Note: The program for Miss Saigon at the Byham read "Ms. Saigon," which was subsequently the way the title of the show was published at The Pulse. However, the show's official name is Miss Saigon and has been changed to reflect that. Lea Salonga was also originally published as "Solange."

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