Miss Saigon and the Quixotic Quest

Does anyone remember the Quixotic Quest?  Sigh.

Early on in this quest, I was inspired by Michael Jackson.  For instance, he wrote or co-wrote 3 songs: We are the World, Heal the World, and Cry, that he hoped would provoke the musical chain reaction that would make the whole world sing together.  He hoped that this chain reaction would bring peace. 

I still think it would at least help.

One thing I noticed was that in 2010 Josh Groban, who became my next obsession after Michael Jackson, participated in a re-singing of "We Are the World" to raise money after the Haiti earthquake.  Then, only about a month later, a group of pop singers in China used that same song to open the World Expo in Shanghai.  This seemed like an example to me of the possibility of this chain reaction.

The lead singer in that second performance was Kris Philips, a Taiwanese-American performer, who mostly performs in China.  I really admire this man.  He went alone into China in 1987, armed only with his beautiful voice, his handsome face, and his disco dancing skills -- and he took the country by storm.  He became a sort of ambassador of Western style pop music in China, a Michael Jackson like figure.  His mixed parentage and striking appearance provoked fascination in China.

Though Kris became a household name in China, he remained obscure in the USA.  He attributed this to race -- that most Americans were not as fascinated with mixed race Asian performers as Asians were.  I do find it sad that this extraordinary American, who allegedly lives in NY, is not more well known here.

He did do a stint on Broadway in the ensemble of Miss Saigon.  I didn't originally know what role he played, but I found an explanation of this recently.

Being in a Broadway ensemble is not to be sneezed at.  These people are very talented and work very hard.  They have to be able to sing and dance extremely well; and they have to be athletic and energetic.  Still, realizing that his role was "only" ensemble, made clearer the remarkable difference between how Kris was greeted in China and how he was greeted in the USA.

Still, for several months now, I've been seeing the signs for Miss Saigon on Broadway, and, I felt, from nostalgia for the Quixotic Quest and the extraordinary Kris Philips, that I ought to go see the show.

I have to say it was excellent.  The singing was amazing, the acting, the music, the dancing.  It was very sad -- very sad indeed -- but totally believable -- very affecting.

I was struck, watching this show, at the transformation from chaos to totalitarianism in Vietnam -- and horrendous suffering of the people whose country was destroyed by our evil intervention there -- as well as the interventions of the French.  Many of those people dreamed of escaping the hell they were living in and coming to the USA.

I see the chaos rising now.  The totalitarian influences in our country, the accumulation of destruction from natural disaster.  This isn't such a great place to come now.  We could be going the way of Vietnam. 

For me that was an unexpected sad undertone of this musical.

I was also struck at the amazing female lead: Eva Noblezada.  She was recruited right out of high school for the London performance, after a National High School Music Theater award in the USA.  She really is awesome. I just can't emphasize that enough.  The other people are great -- but she's just above and beyond.  I hope she has a long musical theater career.