BWW Interview - Debut of the Month - MISS SAIGON's Rachelle Ann Go

Rachelle Ann Go makes her Broadway debut reprising her acclaimed West End performance as Gigi in Miss Saigon. The epic story takes place during the last days of the Vietnam War, where a young Vietnamese woman Kim, and an American G.I., Chris, fall in love. Following the fall of Saigon, they are torn apart, and Kim must find a way to survive and find her way back to the man she loves.

Today, Rachelle Ann Go speaks to BWW about making her Broadway debut in Miss Saigon and explains why it was just like living "the movie in my mind."

[NOTE: BroadwayWorld's fabulous photographer Walter McBride captures images of the Broadway stars profiled in our monthly column in a special photo shoot. Check out the pics of Rachelle Ann Go throughout the feature!]

This show tells such a powerful story.

It does. The first time I saw it, I think it was in 2010, it was playing in Toronto, Canada and my uncle, who was really obsessed with musical theater, was like 'Why don't we go see Miss Saigon?' and I was like, 'I have no idea what that is.' [laughing] All I knew was that Lea Salonga had done it originally. But then after watching it I said, 'One day I am going to do this show!' and now here I am. It's just crazy. But yes, it is a very powerful story.

Speaking of Lea Salonga, I understand she has always been an idol of yours.

Oh yes, definitely. I've been looking up to her ever since I was a kid and I'm so grateful that when I got into this industry I was able to sing with her when we celebrated the show's 20th anniversary in London. And she was just amazing.

What was it about her that inspired you so much?

You know her voice is just perfect. Every time you hear her sing it's just always on point. As a singer I am a perfectionist, and every time I hear her it sounds like it's recorded, it sounds like it's not live, but of course it is. And I always want to be like that, but every time I sing, it's not always perfect like that! Listening to her sing, it's like a dream. And of course I was also inspired by all the things that she has done in theater and all the Disney songs that she's done, and she is really big in the Philippines. In fact, when I was young I was part of this Sunday musical variety show and she was one of our guests and I had to sing the song 'Reflections' from Mulan. I was so nervous because she was sitting there listening and watching. And I remember I wasn't even hitting the right notes because I was so nervous, I was just so starstruck and it was really embarrassing. But I was young back then, maybe it was 10 years ago, and after that performance I said, 'One day I'm going to sing with Lea and do better', and I got to sing with her a few years later, so it was really a dream.

Did she have any advice for you about making your Broadway debut?

Well first and foremost, before I even auditioned for the musical Miss Saigon, I was really scared to try out for it, and she messaged me saying, 'You have to audition for it,' and I was like, 'Well I don't know we'll see.' And she said, 'No, you have to try this!' So I did, I just listened to what she said. And when I got the role of Gigi I was so scared because in my family we're really conservative and I heard that Gigi had to wear a bikini, so I went to speak with Lea about it and she told me, 'People are not going to remember what you are wearing, it's your performance that will matter.' And I knew she was right. It's not about singing, it's about storytelling, and she reminds me of that all the time, just tell the story. And I think it's in my system to try to be technical and just focus on being perfect when it comes to singing, but Lea always reminds me, 'No, it's about the story that matters.' And even now, as I perform on Broadway she still reminds me of that.

The story of MISS SAIGON is still so relevant with all that is going on in the world today.

Yes, I feel like even now, there is still no freedom in some places and it's very sad. Doing the character of Gigi, I only have one song, but it's a very powerful song and it starts off the show. And for me, it tells the story of these women who came before us, yet people can still relate to their story. So it's heartbreaking and powerful. Before we even started rehearsing this beautiful production, our director, Laurence Connor, showed us a lot of documentaries about the Vietnam War. It was very heavy material, but it really helped us as actors to understand what had happened. And Gigi's story is painful because women like her sacrificed themselves, their bodies, and for what? For freedom and for that dream of escaping their reality. So when she sings 'That Movie in My Mind', she just keeps re-playing that movie in her mind, but she's still in that little box and she's still a slave of that country. So it's painful every night.

You know people always ask me, 'How do you do it eight shows a week, doesn't it get boring?'. But for me it never does. For me it's about focusing on the story. And every night I try to give it a different flavor, a different attack and that's why it excites me each time I sing it. And I want people to understand what happened to these people and that it's still happening today. I just want to reach out to everyone, especially the younger generation, because it's important that they understand.

Since we never find out Gigi's fate in the show, do you have a theory about what ultimately happens to her?

Oh gosh! Well in the movie in her mind, she imagines that one day someone will love her, and accept her and save her and bring her back to a safe place. And I guess that would be her happy ending, her being at peace, and having a family one day. I recently met this man from Vietnam, and he was sharing with me the story of his mom, and how she finally was able to escape from that war, from that era, and they were on the boat and his mom gave birth to him. And him telling me that story gave me goosebumps because that's what I hope can happen for people who are struggling now in places like Syria; to be able to escape and get to a safe place and be able to live a life. And what I love about musical theater, really all theater, is that it can use any historical event and tell a really powerful story.

What was it like to make your Broadway debut in Miss Saigon?

Oh, I was floating! I don't even remember what I did! That night was just surreal. First and foremost, I didn't even expect that I was going to be part of Broadway. It was always part of my dream, my movie in my mind, it was part of my wish list. So when it happened, I was just like, 'Ooh, I'm living the dream!' And that first night was just crazy. My loved ones, my relatives came over and a few of my friends were there, so it was extra special. And of course, everyone in the audience was so excited that finally Miss Saigon came back to the same theater, so it was all really crazy. And of course, the after party was wonderful as well. So yes, I just enjoyed it so much. And now I'm just trying to enjoy every single night and every single moment!

She began her career by winning a nationally-televised singing competition at the age of 17 in her native Philippines. She has since released seven multi-platinum solo albums and has appeared in various shows and international concerts. It was recently announced that she will take on the role of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton in the West End production of HAMILTON, beginning previews this November. Additional theater credits include Ariel in The Little Mermaid (Manila), Jane Porter in Tarzan (Manila), and Fantine in Les Misérables (in the West End and Manila).