The Making of Miss Saigon- Page 2

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 2:37am

LOL, neal that is not acting. That is playing dress up. An actor should make you think they are anyone without make up or costumes. It is just an extra bonus when it is all put together. As for the problem with casting him in an asian role, is that it takes away a role for people of that race that don't get cast because white people get over 75% of the work. Also this whole phrase "playing the race card" is so annoying. Nobody seems to talk about the "white race card". (used since america was stolen from a people, and another race of people were used for free labor)

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 2:09pm

Does this also mean that Kim MUST ONLY be played by a Vietnamese singer/actress? Otherwise, there would be no Lea Salonga today.

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 4:37pm

^ The thing is, Lea Salonga passes to the most audience as Vietnamese since she is Filipino/Asian. We aren't talking about nationality. This is an issue about how the person looks. Surely, you shouldn't have Caucasian or African actresses playing the part.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 5:01pm

Right. This is about race, not nationality.

[KrissySim]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 6:14pm

The thing is, Lea Salonga passes to the most audience as Vietnamese since she is Filipino/Asian.

This may be true for a western audience, but remember the uproar about having Chinese stars in Memoirs of a Geisha?

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 6:27pm

yeah i'm kind of with cooolkid on this one...

there are so many gray areas to this discussion.... that can be debated back and forth... but i think sometimes it all comes down to looks... without makeup or barely any... if someone can pull of being another race that it's prety acceptable... which is why white people can portray scottish, irish, english, etc... whatever... but you can't just have a white person portray a latino/hispanic, black ro asian... and honestly... ugh.. i need to stop... i hate debating this online... it's hard to write all this crap out and i'd rather discuss in person... and i will end with saying that most of this discusson has been really intelligent and not idiotic in anyway...so thanks... but i can't argue anymore...

GO MISS SAIGON REVIVAL! haha

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 6:34pm

KrissySim: The controversy with that was mainly because China and Japan hate each other. People said it was like a Jew portraying Hitler (not that I'm agreeing, just summarizing the argument).

AFAIK, Vietnam and the Philippines don't have such a bad relationship.

Also, I think it's because geishas really are a huge part of and practically represent Japanese culture. It's a lot different with Vietnam and bar girls who are also prostitutes.

If it helps, I also couldn't stand that Thuy in the US non-equity tour was played by a Latino.

Updated On: 9/3/08 at 06:34 PM

[jpbran]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 7:27pm

VERY amusing that the ad at the bottom of the screen just moments ago was for a matchmaking company that helps you "Find your interracial partner."

That combined with the now-deleted thread earlier today about African-American theater audiences has made for an interesting and "colorful" afternoon on the BWW boards.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 7:38pm

Mario Tadeo was his name... Thuy on the non-equity tour... good jeebus he was horrible!

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 7:44pm

He really was.

The Spanish accent was VERY distracting, too. :/

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 9/3/08 at 9:58pm

it wasn't even just that... he just couldn't sing the role and his acting was practically non-existent... ugh..

yancey arias did the role on broadway... he was latino too i believe.. he was actually quite good (from the audios i've heard of him and from what people who saw him told me)

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 9/4/08 at 9:42am

Yeah, he was pretty terrible all-around.

Even if Yancey Arias was good, I still don't like a Latino to play Thuy. It's not that much better than white people like Keith Burns playing him, IMO.

[darkfacegood]

Posted: 9/4/08 at 1:37pm

SporkGoddesss ->>>>> HAHAHAHAHA KEITH BURNS!!!

Anywho...Yancey Arias actually started out in the ensemble and an understudy for Thuy, which he eventually took over the lead role 4 out of the 6 years he was in the show. Really nice guy and I thought he was great...despite the fact that I was terrified of him sometimes.

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 9/4/08 at 4:04pm

Well, wasn't there a black Gigi at one point during the Broadway run?

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 9/4/08 at 4:21pm

Sharon Leal is half black and half filipino... she was Gigi on Broadway... and she sounded FANTASTIC! btw... she is freaking gorgeous!

[Colle]

Posted: 9/4/08 at 4:31pm

Since we are on this subject again. does anyone know what ethnicity Eymard Meneses Cabling is? I saw him play the Engineer when I saw the last tour, and I thought he was terrific in the role. I think he might be Latino, but I am not sure.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 9/4/08 at 5:03pm

Sharon Leal played Gigi? I would love to have heard that!

[Salene]

Posted: 9/4/08 at 5:15pm

Well, wasn't there a black Gigi at one point during the Broadway run?

There was one in London (and on the Complete Symphonic Recording) - Sonia Swaby.

[Buscee]

Posted: 9/4/08 at 5:23pm

It is true that Pryce won the role over Wong, but as a stipulation Pryce was the only "White" actor to play the role. Everyone after him had to be Asian. The other concession was that the role of Chris' John friend had to be played by an African Anerican.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 9/4/08 at 6:17pm

colle... that name sounds filipino to me...

[darkfacegood]

Posted: 9/4/08 at 6:28pm

Here's the link to site where someone has a recording of Sharon Leal as Gigi.
http://www.angelfire.com/ny3/kimsbootlegs/
Sharon Leal was also an understudy for Ellen.


FYI Colle...Eymard Meneses Cabling is Filipino ^_^