We always knew it would happen. The famous helicopter in the musical (actually, it's a through-sung rock opera, but let's not quibble) Miss Saigon is set to land again in London--along with the rest of the show, in a new production. The occasion is the 25th anniversary of the original and will reunite several of the original team, notably producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh, and composer and lyricist Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil. The cast is mostly new, with one or two returnees and promotions.
As with the original production, Mackintosh undertook an international search for someone to play the hugely demanding title role. They found the 17-year-old Eva Noblezada and will no doubt be hoping for a similar "Kim effect" as happened with Lea Salonga, their first Kim, who went on to musical theater stardom.
The new Kim is an American of Philippino extraction, resident in North Carolina and, according to a just-released promotional film, her audition video blew the creative team away. From the Philippines themselves, Rachel Ann Go was selected to play the supporting role of Gigi (it's a disproportionately important role relative to its size, because Gigi has the first verse of the show's first solo number, the haunting "Movie in My Mind.") And Go is a star, herself, in the Philippines, having won a TV talent competition.
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