Miss Saigon – In The Round
A Review by John Benton
Staff Writer

Sacramento has been blessed to have one of the most amazing theaters around. We have more than just the one, of course, but the California Musical Theater’s Music Circus at Wells Fargo Pavilion puts its incredible shows in “the round,” which is truly different from standard stage theaters. 2011’s season finished off with a bang as Miss Saigon hit the theater from August 23 – 28. Sacramento theater goers have been left with mouths watering in anticipation of next summer, the start of the 2012 Music Circus season. Photo: Ma-Anne Dionisio as Kim and Eric Kunze as Chris in Miss Saigon. Photo by Charr Crail.

As the 10th longest running show on Broadway, Miss Saigon (from the creators of the acclaimed Les Misérables) has mesmerized audiences all over the world. It takes place in Saigon during the Vietnam War era, but is truly the story of Madame Butterfly, a classic opera by Giacomo Puccini. It takes the epic story of two lovers who are in the wrong place at the wrong time and are separated by half a world and by immense cultural differences, and places it in a more modern and controversial setting. Although the audience may not all remember the Vietnam War, it is still present in contemporary thought and themes. Its recent historical significance allows the audience to empathize with the hero and heroine in a way that only the most weathered opera fans could with Madame Butterfly.

I have never seen Miss Saigon before, until now. I’ve seen Madame Butterfly a few times since I first went on a field trip to San Francisco in grade school. I’ve heard people rave about Miss Saigon for years, but never got around to seeing it. Now that I have seen the Music Circus version of it, I am very happy I waited. Theater in the round, to me, allows an intimacy that is hard to achieve on a stage. The audience surrounds, and at the same time is surrounded by the action and emotion. Miss Saigon is filled with emotion. Photo: Eric Kunze as Chris and Ma-Anne Dionisio as Kim in Miss Saigon. Photo by Charr Crail.

Near the end of the Vietnam War, as American soldiers were starting to realize the futility and hopelessness of the parts they played, many were getting excited to be heading home. Chris Scott (played by Eric Kunze), a Marine Sargeant who had tired of going to the girly clubs nevertheless decided to go out to “Dreamland” with his friends. Although he was not interested in meeting any of the working girls, his best friend John Thomas (Alan H. Green) convinced him to go with first-time girl Kim (Ma-Anne Dionisio), and pays for the night. Kim’s innocence and loving nature set a spark in Chris’ eye as he started to see some reason as to why he was there in the first place. Chris learned that Kim, brand new to the club scene, was an orphan, due to unbelievable tragedies. The whirlwind romance began when Kim went to live with Chris. Photo: A scene from Miss Saigon at Music Circus. Photo by Charr Crail.

At this time in the war, the Viet Cong were actively moving to take Saigon and the American soldiers were preparing to pack it in. With the threat of “bugging out” looming, Chris worked out a bargain with Kim’s handler, “The Engineer” (played by Kevin Gray), which would allow him to take Kim to America. Although plans had been set, the suddenness of the Viet Cong’s attack forced the Marines to move quickly, which turned the world of Chris and Kim upside down. Their budding romance was to face many hardships. Photo:  From left: Eric Kunze as Chris, Ma-Anne Dionisio as Kim and Michael K. Lee as Thuy in Miss Saigon at Music Circus. Photo by Charr Crail.

This beautiful and tragic musical was amazing to see at Music Circus. Acclaimed actress Ma-Anne Dionisio’s role of the innocent Kim whose heartbreak-filled life forced her to find refuge as a dancing girl and woman of ill-repute was hands-down the most powerful part of the show. In her song with the other bargirls “The Movie in My Mind,” Ma-Anne truly seems like she is dreaming to be somewhere else. As she begins to fall for Chris, played masterfully by Eric Kunze, you see a different side of her. Kim’s innocence was being replaced with a strength and desire to have love in her life. In “Sun and Moon,” Mae-Anne and Eric sang to one another about their differences and how those differences could never keep them apart. Photo: Kevin Gray as The Engineer (center) and the ensemble cast in Miss Saigon at Music Circus. Photo by Charr Crail.

I really enjoyed how the friendships and relationships were played. It was apparent that John truly cared for his friend Chris. In “The Revelation,” Eric and Alan H. truly seemed to be heartbroken about the depth of their characters’ friendship as they discussed how to go about revealing a scary truth to Chris’ wife. Each actor took the role very seriously and was able to draw the audience into his specific emotional mindset throughout the show. We were all on the edges of our seats. Photo: Eric Kunze as Chris and Ma-Anne Dionisio as Kim in Miss Saigon at Music Circus. Photo by Charr Crail.

The California Musical Theater productions are always incredible, but they really outdid themselves with Miss Saigon. If you’ve never been to a Music Circus performance, you really need to give it a try. For more info about The California Musical Theater or Music Circus, or to order tickets, call (916)557-1999, or visit www.californiamusicaltheatre.com

At the Wells Fargo Pavilion, 1419 H Street in Sacramento, CA. Tickets are available by phone at (916) 557-1999, online at www.tickets.com or in person at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office. www.SacramentoMusicCircus.com

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