Miss Saigon Movie

[Dave19]

Posted: 3/28/16 at 6:56pm

I am really excited about this project. Here are some casting ideas. I think this film needs great singers and great actors. I think the roles of Kim and Chris benefit from actors who are not too well known, but I understand the film needs names too.

 

My ideas at the moment:

Tanya Manalang (Kim)


B.D Wong (Engineer):


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbo-snzC3g0



Nicole Scherzinger (Gigi):


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivOrKizry94



Lady Gaga (Ellen):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-tkWrjdRKU



Jeremy Jordan (Chris):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TppJMa8apkc



Are there any great black young (pop) singers and actors for John?

Updated On: 3/28/16 at 06:56 PM

[JM226]

Posted: 3/28/16 at 7:01pm

you would permit black performers to appear in your version of SAIGON? wow. i'm shocked 

[Wildcard]

Posted: 3/28/16 at 7:06pm

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1090908

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1072948

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1054888

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1047718

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1005778

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=890884

[Dave19]

Posted: 3/28/16 at 7:10pm

JM226 said: "you would permit black performers to appear in your version of SAIGON? wow. i'm shocked "

 

Strange comment. Of course I would. Why the hell not?

 

And Wildcard, thanks, I couldn't find it, only the rumour one with the question mark. And the one that was only about Les Mis. Let's make a clean slate, any casting ideas?

Updated On: 3/28/16 at 07:10 PM

[Sunny11]

Posted: 3/28/16 at 7:27pm

How adaptable are the characters ages ? Does Chris have to be in his 20s for example. That's obviously affects  casting options. 

[Dave19]

Posted: 3/28/16 at 7:31pm

Sunny11 said: "How adaptable are the characters ages ? Does Chris have to be in his 20s for example. That's obviously affects  casting options."

 

I think the actor/singers for Chris and Ellen can be in their early 30's and look like 20 somethings. The girl playing Kim can be in her 20's too as long as she can pass for a teenager at the beginning too. The ages of the Engineer and Gigi don't really matter.

 

[Dave19]

Posted: 3/28/16 at 8:13pm

Another thing I think about is the approach of the music. I think the film should be sung through, just like the musical, but in a very filmic way. Pre-recorded tracks.

I imagine "I still believe" not as a 5 minute ballad sung to the camera, but as a moment where we see Kim remembering moments of her and Chris, moments we knew that happened, but have never seen, for example when she showed pictures of her parents to him, or when he promises her something (speaking a few lines) while we still hear the song in the background as a voice-over. Not everything has to be mouthed by the character at every moment. Then, the transition to the USA for Ellen's part could be very filmic, we could see Kim hugging Chris and then his silhouette diappears or changes into black smoke or something and the surroundings change, the smoke makes a circling movement around her eye, wich turns into a turning globe/land/sea which takes us to the USA, where the image of Ellen starts in the same way, but reversed. Then at the end, when Ellen and Kim harmonize, Kim stares into the night sky at the moon, and then Ellen stares at the same moon and then back to Chris, who is in bed with her, when her part starts. Some sort of connection about the distance they both feel. 

 

So basically, not a literal approach as the material is per definition not literal. More like a triumph of the fantasy. Many scenes, such as "last night of the world" and "Thuy's death/This is the hour" are meant to show what is in their minds, not what was real. So it should be bigger than life. Filmic and theatrical.

Updated On: 3/29/16 at 08:13 PM