It seems as though Opera Australia’s decision to stage Miss Saigon was one of the more controversial decisions in recent Australian musical theatre. Given the allegations of racism, orientalism, colonialism and misogyny that have been levelled against the musical and its chequered casting history, it was certainly a bold choice to stage the musical in Australia once again. While it would take an entire article to discuss this topic in detail, I would recommend reading these two articles from The Age and Arts Hub which provide some useful context. Given the extensive discussion about this, this will focus on the performance rather than the above context. 

A retelling of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, the musical is a smorgasbord of superb music and sound, with possibly more great songs back-to-back than any other musical. However, perhaps it was illness, but some energy was missing from the start of the performance. One of the most gorgeous songs in the musical “The Movie in My Mind” did not connect in this performance but it definitely sounded as though there was some illness at play. Nigel Huckle and Louisa Vilinne were immediately superb as Chris and Kim, bringing a great deal of passion, nuance and soaring vocals to their roles. While Vilinne is an alternate for Kim generally, you wouldn’t have been able to tell based on this performance as her vocal talent stood up tremendously for what is a notoriously challenging role. The chemistry between Huckle and Vilinne felt genuine and was especially apparent in songs like “Sun and Moon” which was absolutely gorgeous. 

Laurence Mossman was incredibly strong as Thuy, giving a steadfast but emotional performance. Thuy is a difficult role to make something out of and so Mossman’s power in his vocals and presence were especially commendable. Lewis Francis as John and Kerrie Anne Greenland as Ellen were also very strong. 

But the real star of the show was Seann Miley Moore as the Engineer. I was surprised to see Moore having the top billing in the program given that the Engineer is not necessarily the most iconic character in the musical but after watching the show, it was clear why. While I was concerned that his portrayal might be too much initially, those fears were allayed almost immediately as he brought charisma, humour and incredible stage presence to the role. He managed to take a joking role and give it some substance while still playing up the humour which was particularly impressive. It was a masterful performance from start to finish. 

This was a very strong vocal performance with an incredible set and smart choreography to back it up. With that said, I felt there was a slight emotional disconnect at times which meant that true connection with the meaning of the text was lacking. This was subtle but ultimately, impacted believability at some points. 

With that said, overall, this was a stunning performance. Miss Saigon is one of the most challenging scores in musical theatre and this cast delivered it with power and gusto. While there were some elements lacking at times that would have made the performance truly magical, the sheer power of the music and talent of the cast (as well as Miley Moore’s pulsating performance) made the show one to remember. 

Rating: ★★★★ 1/2

Miss Saigon plays in Adelaide until 3rd February. For more information, click here.

Photo credit: Daniel Boud