non-asian kim in Miss Saigon?

[KristinChenowethFan]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 7:33pm

This is probably a really REALLY stupid question, so please don't post and leave rude remarks...I was just wondering if any non-asian actress has played Kim in Miss Saigon. Thanks

[leon1489]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 8:05pm

It's not necessarily a stupid question...Considering Lea Salonga and Joana Ampil (both asian) played Eponine and Fantine respectively (both supposedly French). And can I just say Lea Salonga as Eponine is amazing?

But back on topic, while I love Miss Saigon, I don't know the replacement history.

[Derech2]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 8:08pm

I'm not positive, but I don't think so.

[Bret]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 8:33pm

In America? No, and I don't think it will ever happen. However in some other country(the Netherlands maybe?), I recall seeing a blonde white girl playing it(in publicity photos). I could be wrong...

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 8:48pm

It's no less bizarre than an Asian woman playing Ellen, as Margaret Ann-Gates did late in the show's run. In fact, I believe she was the final Ellen before Ruthie came in to close the show.

[Calvin]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 9:02pm

I don't think so either, but a lot of the "Vietnamese" cast members were anything but (many of them were Latinos, in fact). If you remember, it was kind of controversial when Jonathan Pryce was playing the Engineer, since he's supposed to be half Asian, so I doubt they'd want to do that with Kim.

But...if Lou Diamond Phillips can play the King of Siam...

Oh, and I don't think an Asian Ellen is that bizarre at all. In fact, I think it's kind of inspired, especially if they could find an actress who looked like the actress playing Kim. Perhaps Chris came back and ended up marrying a woman who reminded him of Kim?

[jo]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 9:14pm

Lou Diamond Philips has some Asian ancestry ( Filipino).

[Fosse76]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 10:35pm

Two years ago in the non-equity tour, the Kim alternate was hispanic. I don't have the program with me (I left a lot of stuff in Chicago when I moved to New York) but she was most definitely not Asian...and sadly, it was distracting. She was a great singer (a very good cast, for the most part), but I just couldn't get past her non-asian features. I used to work at the Auditorium in Chicago, so I sat through over 100 performances of the original Miss Saigon, otherwise I probably wouldn't have been bothered as much.

[movieinmymind]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 10:40pm

i agree, i'd rather have kim be asian. or at least, LOOK asian. tape back the actress's eyes if you have to! lol, jk.

it's just that there are not a gagillion parts made for asians out there, so i think that it should stay true to the character's race, because this is one of the best asian roles i can think of. but, that's just me.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 10:43pm

Linzi Hately and Frances Ruffelle sang Kim on the demo recordings, and the creative team seriously considered Hately for the role, when during the audition process, they weren't finding their Kim among the Asian actresses coming in. Then of course, they went to the Philipines.

[Jon]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 10:57pm

Oh, it WILL happen - when the show is released for amatuer groups, just as sure as there have been literally THOUSANDS of productions of THE KING AND I and FLOWER DRUM SONG over the past 50 years with not one single Asian in the cast!

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 11:02pm

Actually, it's not a REALLY, really stupid question to ask if there's been a non-Asian Kim in 'Miss Saigon.' After all, a recent national tour of 'The King and I' starred a Caucasian as the king of Siam. The Signature Theatre in Virginia produced 'Pacific Overtures,' a musical set in Japan, with an all-Caucasian cast. And the 'South Pacific' Carnegie concert, starring Reba McIntyre and Brian Stokes Mitchell, featured non-Asians as Bloody Mary and Liat. It's hard enough for any minority actor to land a role, but sadly, Asians can't even be assured they get a shot at playing themselves in the theater.

There seems to be a double standard when it comes to race. Everyone agrees that it would be offensive and racist for a Caucasian actor to put on makeup and pass for a black person. So why isn't it equally offensive and racist for a Caucasian actor to put on makeup and pass for an Asian person?

To quote a song from 'The King and I,' 'is a puzzlement.'

[Jon]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 11:14pm

Hell - the original SOUITH PACIFIC and FLOWER DRUM SONG had a black actress - Juanita Hall - playing Asian!

Let's not even get started on such travesties as Mickey Rooney in BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S, Marlon Brando in TEAHOUSE OF THE AUGUST MOON, Joel Grey in REMO WILLIAMS, the various white Charlie Chans, etc. etc, etc. (spoken a la Yul Brynner.

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 11:17pm

Linzi actually sung Kim?! OMG! OMG! *running around the room screaming!!!*

[DemonBarberofBroadway]

Posted: 8/8/05 at 11:24pm

i remember kristin saying something about having played tuptim (sp?) once..

i found that mental visual amusing.

[Calvin]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 12:20am

OK, does anyone here watch Strangers with Candy? Suddenly I'm reminded of the one where Jerri Blank gets cast as the mother in Raisin in the Sun.

[Jimmyojimmy]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 12:42am

Yeah Calvin and her mom becomes an alcoholic. hahahaha. That show is awesome

[Pinguin]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 3:34am

I hope that never happens; I'm sorry, but Kim is one of those roles that is race specific. She's asian, he's not, they have a half-breed child, blah blah blah; race plays a very important role in the show and I think casting a non-asian Kim would hurt the integrity of the show and amount to YELLOWFACE, which is just as offensive as blackface, thank you very much.

As much as I would LOVE to play Kim, I'm only half asian darn it and that would not be cool!

[Racetrack]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 6:31pm

I remember from the old messege Miss Saigon board that isn't around anymore that there was an Asian Ellen, but to my recollection there hasn't been a non-asian Kim.

[movieinmymind]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 6:32pm

pinguin, i agree. she has to be asian. otherwise, the show wouldn't be authentic at all, no matter how good the kim may be.

[Beergoggles]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 6:32pm

they were considering Linzy Hatley (sp) originating the role in London... i'm sure it was her!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 8:32pm

"I remember from the old messege Miss Saigon board that isn't around anymore that there was an Asian Ellen, but to my recollection there hasn't been a non-asian Kim."

There was. Her name was Margaret Ann Gates. She was the last Broadway Ellen before Ruthie Henshall came in to close the show.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 10:47pm

Margaret Ann Gates was a phenomenal Ellen -- her performance greatly impressed my friends and me. After 8 years of being on Broadway, having an Asian Ellen added a new and inspired twist to the show.

[Kev]

Posted: 8/9/05 at 11:50pm

incidental, but Margaret Ann Gates was actually not the second to last Ellen. The final Ellen order went Margaret (pretty strong) -> Jacqui Piro (who was awful) -> Christine Allocca (mediocre) -> Ruthie Henshall (who was stunning).

Kev, whose fav Ellen was Anastasia Barzee

[Racetrack]

Posted: 8/10/05 at 12:16am

Thanks for telling me who it was. The old Miss Saigon board got killed off when they only made it to be for the UK and took away the messege board.