Julia Abueva, Tanya Manalang to Star as 'Kim' Alternates in West End's MISS SAIGON?

PhilStar.com writes that two Pinay (Filipina) talents will be alternating with the recently announced star Eva Noblezada in the title role of 'Kim' in the West End's MISS SAIGON revival next year. Noblezada will perform four shows a week, with Julia Abueva and Tanya Manalang taking over the rest.

MISS SAIGON will begin performances on Saturday 3 May 2014 at the Prince Edward Theatre. Read the original story here. Abueva, 18, from Singapore, recently graduated from the Singapore American School and has performed in shows with Pangdemonium Productions, New Voice Company and Repertory Philippines. Abueva is playing the title role in Cinderella at the Resorts World Manila. Manalang is currently taking theater classes in London. She played 'Liesl' in The Sound of Music and 'Tuptim' in The King and I, both at the Resorts World Manila.

Cameron Mackintosh recently announced principal casting for his forthcoming new production of Miss Saigon. Assembled from around the world, this exciting international cast includes Jon Jon Briones as 'The Engineer', Eva Noblezada as 'Kim', Alistair Brammer as 'Chris', Tamsin Carroll as 'Ellen', Hugh Maynard as 'John' and Rachelle Ann Go as 'Gigi'. Miss Saigon makes its highly anticipated return to the West End in the musical's 25th anniversary year.

The ensemble includes Julia Abueva, Natalie Chua, Jon-Scott Clark, Rob Compton , Callum Francis, Ashley Gilmour, Maria Graciano, Simon Hardwick, Jack Harrison-Cooper, Matthew Jeans, Kurt Kansley, Kittiphun Kittipakapom, David Lee, Mitch Leow, Ela Lisondra, Tanya Manalang, Christian Rey Marbella, Kanako Nakano, Thao Therese Nguyen, Saori Oda, Ariel Reonal, Jon Reynolds, Romeo Salazar, Jordan Shaw, Marsha Songcome, Eloisa Amalia Tan, Christian Tanamal, Thao Vilayvong, Amadeus Williams and Gerald Zarcilla.

When this production went on sale in September this year, it broke the record for the biggest single day of ticket sales in West End and Broadway history.Cameron Mackintosh's new production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's epic musical has played in 300 cities in 15 different languages, winning awards around the world since the sensational record-breaking run at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane 25 years ago. This epic love story tells the tragic tale of young bar girl Kim, orphaned by war, who falls in love with an American GI called Chris--but their lives are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil (the writers of Les Miserables) recently wrote a powerful new song for the role of Ellen to sing in the second act which has been included in the recent Dutch and Japanese productions and will make its UK premiere in London. Miss Saigon has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg with Lyrics by Richard Maltby Jnr and Alain Boublil, adapted from original French lyrics by Alain Boublil with additional lyrics by Michael Malher. This new production will be directed by Laurence Connor with musical staging by Bob Avian and additional choreography by Geoffrey Garratt, production design by Totie Driver and Matt Kinley based on an original concept by Adrian Vaux, costume design by Andreane Neofitou, lighting design by Bruno Poet, sound design by Mick Potter and orchestrations by William David Brohn. Musical supervision is by Stephen Brooker and John Rigby. Musical direction is by Alfonso Casado Trigo. Tickets are available at www.miss-saigon.com and by telephone: 0844 482 5155. Tickets are priced £27.50 - £67.50.