11/7/13: Miss Saigon at the North Shore Music Theatre

Next up at the North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) is Miss Saigon.  I have seen this show before in Boston but it was a long time ago.  I was extremely impressed by the production at the North Shore Music Theatre.  The show runs through November 17th so get your tickets now.  

   Credit for all photographs ©Paul Lyden

Let me start with the main characters who were absolutely wonderful.  Jennifer Paz played Kim and Jason Forbach played Chris.  Their voices were absolutely amazing and their love affair so believable.  Their acting really made me feel the story as I had tears running down my face at the end of the show.  Singing "Last Night of The World" and "Sun and Moon" were so beautiful.  I wondered how the North Shore Music Theatre would pull off the helicopter scene as it is something that stuck with me from the previous time I had seen the show as I was in drama class at the time.  They did a fabulous job with this and did have a helicopter come down.  Bravo!

 Francis Jue as the Engineer was hysterical and did a fantastic job in the show.  He received a big cheer at the end.  Between crowing Miss Saigon and working his club he had some memorable moments in the show and was great as the character.  His singing of "If You Want to Die In Bed" had many laughs and so did "The American Dream".

Another very touching part was Rodrick Covington as John singing about "they are all our children too" with images of children behind him.  This was another part that really got to me and was so moving.  He had a wonderful voice.

 Devin Ilaw as Thuy was very good too.  Kim had to say no to him despite being promised to marry him by their parents as children.  He was not a character you wanted to like, but also understood that he wanted to bring honor to her.

The scenes in the club with women in bikinis makes this a show not intended for young children.  In fact the first scene starts in the club with some inappropriate movements for young children to see.

 You can also play the Miss Saigon Puzzle Game and win 4 VIP Tickets for the show on November 16th at 8 pm.

Here is a video preview of the show:

More about the show:

It has been called the classic love story of our time ... the Tony Award-winning Broadway smash hit, MISS SAIGON, lands onstage at North Shore Music Theatre. "Producing Miss Saigon on any stage is an artistic and technical challenge, and re-thinking the show to work in our intimate in-the-round space has been a rewarding challenge for the staff at North Shore Music Theatre," said NSMT owner and producer Bill Hanney. "Audiences will be moved by this powerful love story and beautiful staging created by our director Richard Stafford. They will also be in awe of the work from our brilliant technical team who will land a helicopter on the stage nightly. It will be one evening in the theater that will stay with our audiences for a lifetime." From the creators of Les Misérables, the classic love story, MISS SAIGON, is one of the most stunning theatrical spectacles of all time. MISS SAIGON sets Puccini's Madame Butterfly within the turmoil of the Vietnam War where an American soldier and a Vietnamese girl fall in love, only to be separated during the fall of Saigon. Their struggles to find each other over the ensuing years is a moving testament to the human spirit as she fights to find a better life for the child he never knew he had. 

Winner of three Tony© Awards, MISS SAIGON features a sweeping score with music by Claude-Michel Schönberg and lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr. and Alain Boublil. North Shore Music Theatre's production of MISS SAIGON will feature Jennifer Paz as Kim, Jason Forbach as Chris, and Francis Jue as the Engineer. The show will also feature Rodrick Covington (John), Devin Ilaw (Thuy), and Haley Swindal (Ellen).
 Tickets for the MISS SAIGON are priced from $45 - $75. Performances are November 5 - 17, Tue - Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri and Sat at 8 pm, matinees Wed, Sat and Sun at 2 pm. Kids 18 and under save 50% on ‘Family Friday'- November 8 at 8 pm.
For tickets and information call (978) 232-7200, visit www.nsmt.org, or visit the box office in person at 62 Dunham Rd., Beverly, MA. Miss Saigon is sponsored by Abiomed.  

So don't let this show fly away, go see it with your love! 

Here is next years line up:

Anything Goes
Disney's The Little Mermaid - Lauren is so excited!
Grease - I can't wait for this one!
Chicago
Les Miserables
You can also check out the North Shore Music Theatre:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthShoreMusicTheatre

Twitter: http://twitter.com/NSMusicTheatre

Disclosure:  I received 2 tickets to attend this performance of Miss Saigon.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.