Interview: Marsha Songcome of MISS SAIGON at Prince Edward Theatre

If you read my earlier article you already know that Swedish West End performer, Marsha Songcome is taking over the role of Gigi Van Tranh in Claude-Michel Schonberg & Alain Boublil's MISS SAIGON from 14 December 2015 until the closing date 27 February 2016 at the Prince Edward Theatre in London. She succeeds Australian actress Natalie Mendoza.

I was very lucky to get an interview with Marsha who recently also got a role in the West End production of ALADDIN and won Broadwayworld.com's Understudy of the year.

Such amazing news! Congratulations!

- Thank you so much! It's crazy. I've been involved in the show since the beginning as a cover and now I get to finish it, tie up the sack (Swedish expression) and play Gigi. That is what I'm most grateful for, and pleased that they even wanted to give me the chance in the first place, they might as well have asked any other celebrity. Yes, I was really happy.

You have been an understudy for almost two years now, what a promotion!

-Yes absolutely. There aren't many understudys who get the chance to play the lead role. I never had any expectations that they would even have me in mind to let me do it full time. So I was thrilled when they asked me!

How did you receive the news? Were you at home or?

- I was warming up before the show and Claude Michel's (Claude-Michel Schonberg, the composer) son came up to me and said "May I speak with you? And I thought "What have I done now?". He took me to the side of the stage and gave me the news and I was completely stunned. I remember that he said "Are you happy?". I just stood there with my mouth open and thought "Is he kidding me?". I was thrilled, but I was also very shocked when he asked me. When I went back, I said nothing. So yes, I was very shocked, but happy.

That's so wonderful! I'm going to talk a little bit about the role of Gigi in MISS SAIGON. She has a big number in the show called "The Movie In My Mind". It's a very emotional song and also my personal favourite number. I think it's so beautiful when the bar girls are taking care of each other. A lot of emotions are there. Anger, hope. There are lower notes, higher notes. Will it be a challenge for you to sing it night after night?

- Well not really. It's indeed important that one must sing well and so, but for me, the most important thing is to tell the story. It won't be a problem vocally. But telling the story every night, the same story again and really feeling it. It must be authentic, it must be true. I'm supposed to be Gigi who has just been beaten and exposed to the war, that is what I'm most exahletarad over. Telling the story every day will probably be tough, I believe. But that's easy to say now, but we'll see how that actually goes later.

You taking over the role of Gigi is indeed big news, but it was also recently official that you got a role in the new West End production of Disney's ALADDIN this spring.

- Yes exactly! I have barely talked about it so it's very new to me as well. But the news came out a few days ago and I'm really excited to get open Aladdin in the West End. It feels really fun!

Yes it is indeed a "cherry on top"!

-Yeah right!? But especially since both MISS SAIGON and ALADDIN have big, international casts and I know that the audition processes for both shows are long, and the casting of Aladdin took a very long time. I was auditioning for 3 months and did around 10 auditions in total which is very unusual in Sweden, Denmark and Germany, where you do maybe one audition and then you get a call back. I have never been part of an audition process that long before. So it was with relief and joy. I was so happy. Because the longer the time, the more you invest your feelings and you know that there aren't many spots left, and you want one so badly. I'm so happy to get one. I was thrilled when I got the news.

Just like with MISS SAIGON, where you had a role in the Swedish Malmö production, you have been involved in another European version of ALADDIN. Is that the same official Disney production or are there any noticeable differences?

- With MISS SAIGON, it was two completely different productions, I was in the original here in the West End and Malmö had its own production with the same songs but with another director. But with ALADDIN, Disney had try-outs. Disney choose five theatres around the world to preview the show before making the new Broadway version. So now when I do the West End, I will do the Broadway version and it is a completely different production. It's more lavish, a bigger cast. I love Disney, I love the music, it's a wonderful show so I'm super happy that I'll get to do it.

ALADDIN is taking over the theater where Miss Saigon is playing right now. The Prince Edward Theatre. Which I thought was a bit fun. It must feel so comfortable. You might even get to keep your old dressing room!

- Yes I love Prince Edward Theatre! It's a big theater. It's fresh, it's newly renovated. I have received many questions with people asking how it feels to stay in the same theater, to stay in the dressing room and I have no problem with that. I think it is such a nice theatre. I could stay there forever. I've been there for nearly two years now, and I will be there for a while but I'm looking forward to it. Other theatres in London tend to be a bit old.

I saw Aladdin on Broadway this summer and I was really fascinated with all the fantastic arabic costumes. There was a lot of "glitz and glamour" on stage and especially in comparison to MISS SAIGON's 70s-war theme. There are many contrasts between the two shows. Are you looking forward to the transition to a happy Disney Production instead?

- Yes absolutely! It's two completely different shows. A musical theatre artist should be able to do everything from the tragic and dark MISS SAIGON but also a Disney show which is very happy and colourful, with joyful music. They are totally different. It is the same with Princess Jasmine and Gigi, who I have been understudying. They are two different roles, but I look forward to telling their stories. It will certainly be a challenge, but it will be fun. I had my first costume fitting last week, where I got to try on a few costumes and it was quite insane. They fit well, but I mostly took clothing measurements. All of our costumes are sewn in India.

I got to go backstage and see it on Broadway and check out their clothes and see how it looked. It was so nice, with great quality clothes. Very glittery and glamorous.

Were you in New York recently?

- I was there last year and saw the show. I thought it was so different from the version I did in Denmark. So I thought: If it comes to London, I want to be in it. And I promised myself that I would be if everything went well

Is Aladdin your favorite Disney movie?

- Yes definitely. When you and I met earlier this year, I told you that Jasmine in ALADDIN was my dream role. Afterwards I thought "Oh god why did I say that?" What if I don't get to be in production. But I couldn't lie, it is one of my dream roles!

So who is your favorite Disney princess. Is it princess Jasmine or someone else?

- No it's definitely Jasmine. When I was little, I always thought I would be Jasmine because she was dark-haired. But I like Jasmine because she has her own thoughts and opinions. She is a little bit of a feminist. She stands up for herself and wants to find true love. That's what I like about Jasmine, she stands up for herself.

Yes that I noticed that when I saw the show on Broadway. I thought she was even more...

- Thick skinned?

Exactly!

-I like it!

Marsha would also like to thank everyone who voted for her in 2015 BroadwayWorld UK / West End Awards!

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