Miss Saigon

Miss Saigon is a tragic story of love that is set in 1970’s Saigon during the Vietnam War. It is based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly. The story begins in a shady Vietnamese club called “Dreamland”. The audience is introduced to Kim who is on her first day as a bargirl. Upon entering the stage, she is greeted by the Engineer who owns the club. In the back, the audience can see the other bargirls getting ready for that night and laughing at Kim’s inexperience. It goes back to the front to show U.S. Marines spending time with some prostitutes. The audience is then introduced to Chris Scott and his friend John Thomas who tries very hard to persuade Chris to spend some “quality time” with one of the girls. In this bar, there is a Miss Saigon title that all of the bar girls vie for, and the winner is given to a soldier for the night. This is the chance for the bar girls to make an American fall in love with them and take them away from Saigon. It is during this contest that Chris first sees Kim. He perceives innocence in her that all of the other girls don’t have. Although a different girl is crowned Miss Saigon, John sees that his friend liked Kim, and so he buys a room from the engineer for Chris and Kim. After some reluctance, they both enter the room. After spending a night together, Chris realizes that he has fallen in love with Kim. It is apparent that she has fallen in love with him too because when he tries to give her money, she refuses it. They both promise their love to each other and Chris tells her that he will take care of her. Chris takes some time off to spend with Kim. They get married, but during the wedding Thuy who is Kim’s cousin comes in and is very angry because he was engaged since they were thirteen. She lets him know that she does not have any feelings for him and that their arranged marriage no longer exists because her parents are dead. Chris then promises Kim to take her with him when he leaves to return to America.
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