Review: A Beautiful Love Story that Doesn't Always Flow in Seattle Rep's VIETGONE

The "playwright" of "Vietgone", currently playing at the Seattle Rep, tells us from the beginning that this is not a war story but a love story. Well he also tells us that this is in no way based on his parents and we know that's a lie. But while it's not necessarily a story about war but a love story with a war as it's backdrop, the show does manage some very interesting perspectives on war that the average American might not have.

With elements of love, war, martial arts, hip hop musical and a few dance numbers for good measure, Qui Nguyen's play runs the gamut of genres but what it does have in spades is humor and heart as we meet Quang and Tong (James Ryen and Jeena Yi), both refugees at an American refugee camp after the fall of Saigon. But the difference between them is that Quang, a helicopter pilot who worked with the Americans during the war, desperately wants to go back to Vietnam to find his wife and kids while Tong, a headstrong woman who fled the horrors of Vietnam with her mother (Amy Kim Waschke), wants nothing but to stay in America and build a new life for herself. But, of course, the two of them meet and sparks (and clothes) fly and they begin a relationship of sorts. But will that relationship be enough to satisfy them both?

Let me start by saying the play is hilarious and quite touching with a very interesting storytelling device as all the Vietnamese speaking characters are heard in perfect English while everyone else speaks in either broken English or absolute gibberish to a very funny effect. And while the show is immensely enjoyable there was one thing that kept taking me out of the moment, the hip-hop elements. Sure hip hop and rap were around in the 70's but not in the form they are today and the two main characters repeatedly break into rap numbers to convey their feelings that just sounded a bit too modern. The numbers are not bad by any stretch of the imagination in fact they're quite interesting and elegantly constructed but it was that little bit of anachronism that kept me from immersing myself in the world they had created.

The ensemble is a delight with three of them playing multiple characters orbiting the two leads. Moses Villarama aside from starting off the play with the perfect tone portraying the playwright also turns in some hysterical characters especially the blonde southern soldier who attempts to woo Tong with some very inadequate Vietnamese. Will Dao is wonderful mostly playing Quang's best friend as well as Tong's little brother she left behind where he delivers a truly beautiful moment getting their mother to go with Tong. And speaking of the mother, Waschke pulls in a few amazing characters in the piece but it's her portrayal of Tong's mother that is a thing of beauty. Equal parts hilarious and touching she manages an outrageous character that's completely honest and real. But the show is about the lovers and they are awesome. Yi manages a stunning portrayal of a no holds barred modern girl who just wants to live her own life and she has incredible chemistry with the way too hunky Ryen. I mean distractingly hunky. The characters in the play even comment on it. But if you can get past the hunkiness, what you'll see from Ryen is a real and giving performance filled with heart which only becomes that much more amazing at the end of the play when he adopts a broken English speech pattern and completely disappears into the portrayal of Quang as a present day 70 year old man.

So aside from my one qualm, the show is an absolute winner with a few very clear and poignant messages to take home. I still found myself thinking about this wonderful play all the way home and into the next day which is why with my three letter rating system I give "Vietgone" at the Seattle Rep a truly affected YAY. It's just a very funny play that manages to open up your viewpoints without you even knowing it's happening.

"Vietgone" performs at the Seattle Rep through January 1st. For tickets or information contact the Seattle Rep box office at 206-443-2222 or visit them online at www.seattlerep.org.

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