Photo Flash: MISS SAIGON At Grosse Pointe War Memorial

Miss Saigon opens on Sunday, April 26 with a 2:00 p.m. matinee. Remaining performances are Wednesday, April 26 to Sunday, May 3, and Wednesday May 6 through May 9. Evening performances are at 8:00 p.m. Sunday matinees are at 2:00 p.m. The show will be performed in the Fries Auditorium of the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan 48236. Tickets are $22.00 and group rates are available for groups of 10 or more. Call 313-881-4004 or go to the web at www.gpt.org for tickets and information. Miss Saigon is sponsored by Ed Lazar, Agent, State Farm Insurance Companies.

An international sensation, Miss Saigon is an epic, daring pop opera that is universal in its emotional power even as it deals with controversial, contemporary issues. The show is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, the tragic story of an ill-fated romance between an Asian woman, abandoned by her American lover.

In this stunning theatrical spectacle, Puccini's story is brought to the modern world in a moving testament to the human spirit and a scathing indictment of the tragedies of war. In the turmoil of the Vietnam War, an American soldier and a Vietnamese girl fall in love, only to be separated during the fall of Saigon. Their struggle to find each other over the ensuing years ends in tragedy for her and a fighting chance for the child he never knew he had.

Librettist and composer Claude-Michel Schönberg was reportedly inspired by a magazine photo of a Vietnamese mother leaving her child at Tan Son Nhut Air Base to board a plane for the United States, where the child's father, an ex-GI, could provide a better life for her. Schönberg considered this mother's actions "The Ultimate Sacrifice," an idea central to the plot of Miss Saigon.

Among the show's memorable scenes are
· a portrayal of the evacuation of the last Americans in Saigon from the Embassy roof by helicopter while abandoned Vietnamese scream their despair;
· the victory parade of the new communist regime; and
· the frenzied night club scene on the edge of defeat.

Raw and uncompromising, Miss Saigon is an intensely personal story of the losses we suffer and the sacrifices we make in a world gone mad.

Director Rodel Salazar (of Oak Park) has been fascinated with Miss Saigon for many years, and it has been his dream to direct the show. He has put together an outstanding cast and crew from throughout Metro Detroit.

In the leading roles are Catherine Flores (Warren) as Kim, John Forlini (Mt. Clemens) as the Engineer, Brian K. Welch (Monroe) as Chris, Doug Clark (Royal Oak) as John, Delores Basile (Grosse Pointe Woods) as Ellen, Nathanial Cedroni (Chesterfield) as Thuy, Sophie Leszczynski (Grosse Pointe Woods) as Tam, Allison McClelland (Grosse Pointe Park) as Gigi, Colleen Kay Stano (Grosse Pointe Farms) as Mimi, Megan Breen (Chesterfield) as Yvette, Amy Ricker (Sterling Heights) as Yvonne, Peter Di Sante (St. Clair Shores) as the Club Owner and Jerry Haines (Berkley) as the Assistant Commissar.

The Ensemble includes: Erika Fell and Melissa Schroeder (Sterling Heights), Stephanie Rinderknecht (Grosse Pointe Woods), Rebekah Tiefenbach (St. Clair Shores), Alely Valiente (Shelby Township), Paul Keifer (Allen Park), Kevin Skalecki (Harrison Township), Perry Jenkins-Holmes (Ferndale) and Molly Zaleski (Southgate), who is also the show's choreographer.

Musical director for Miss Saigon is Stan Harr (Grosse Pointe Shores). Grosse Pointe Woods staff includes producer Lyndsey Briggs, technical director Rick Hawley and stage manager John Casey.

The Grosse Pointe War Memorial offers dinners in the Fries Crystal Ball Room (overlooking Lake St. Clair) before performances of Miss Saigon on April 29 & 30 and May 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 & 9 at 6:30 p.m. at a cost of $19.75 per person. Reservations may be made by calling the Grosse Pointe War Memorial at 313-881-7511 after purchasing tickets for the production.

For more information about Grosse Pointe Theatre call 313-881-4004 or go to the website at www.gpt.org.