How well do you know Miss Saigon, the iconic musical inspired by Puccini’s Madama Butterfly? Test your knowledge of this dramatic story set during the Vietnam War, which premiered in London in 1989 and became a Broadway sensation. From world record ticket sales to award-winning performances, Miss Saigon has captivated audiences for decades. Dive into the trivia and see if you remember all the key moments behind this landmark production!
International Productions
- The musical Miss Saigon has been staged in at least 25 countries and translated into at least twelve languages.
- A notable production of Miss Saigon in Bømlo, Norway, used a Bell helicopter in the show, performed in an outdoor amphitheatre from 5 August to 16 August 2009.
Musical Composition
- Miss Saigon is a musical inspired by Giacomo Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly, but set during the Vietnam War.
- Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, who collaborated on Les Misérables, also created Miss Saigon.
- One of the key inspirations for Miss Saigon was a photograph of a Vietnamese mother leaving her child at an air base, which Schönberg saw in a magazine.
Notable Tours
- Lea Salonga, who played Kim in the original West End production, won the Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award for her performance.
- The West End revival of Miss Saigon began in May 2014 at the Prince Edward Theatre and featured a special 25th anniversary gala performance on 22 September 2014 with appearances by original and current cast members.
- The third UK tour began in 2017 and included notable venues like the Birmingham Hippodrome and the Edinburgh Festival Theatre.
- The second national US tour included a multitude of major U.S. and Canadian cities, running from early 1995 until August 2000.
- After the original London and Broadway productions closed, a UK tour featuring Joanna Ampil kicked off in Manchester in 2004 and ended in 2006, focusing on the six largest venues across Britain and Ireland.
Production Facts
- Artist and activist Mai Neng Moua first protested Miss Saigon in 1994 as a college student, motivated by concerns of racism and sexism portrayed in the play.
- The casting of Jonathan Pryce as The Engineer in yellowface makeup sparked major controversies in 1990 when the show transferred to Broadway from London's West End.
- Miss Saigon has faced controversies including allegations of racism, sexism, and protests over its portrayal of Asians, resulting in casting and production changes over the years.
- Miss Saigon's 2017 Broadway revival marked the show's return to the Broadway Theatre, the same venue where it debuted on Broadway, running from March 1, 2017, to January 14, 2018.
- The musical set a world record for opening day ticket sales prior to its 2014 London revival, with more than £4 million in sales.
- Miss Saigon opened on Broadway in 1991, boasting a record advance ticket sales of over $39 million.
- The show premiered at London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 20 September 1989 and had over 4,000 performances before closing in 1999.
