My Experience With Seeing "Miss Saigon"
On the 26th January I went to the Empire Theatre in Sunderland to
watch a production of Miss Saigon. To be honest, when I first read an
outline of the story, I imagined it to be quite a dull experience.
However, I thoroughly enjoyed this production, and the musical score
was amazing.
A musical I have seen that could be compared to “Miss Saigon” is “Les
Miserables” as they are both set pre, during and post-war and both
have quite a sad story.
The musical Miss Saigon presents us with powerful ideas about culture
and conflict, history and tradition. It sensitively contrasts
individual relationships with national struggles for political
control. It asks us to consider the nature of sacrifice and our
capacity for selfless love.
The story is set in 1975 during the final days leading up to the
American evacuation of Saigon. Miss Saigon is the story of two young
lovers torn apart by the fortunes of destiny and held together by a
burning passion and the fate of a small child. This musical
masterpiece with its soaring melodies and powerful emotions has
captured hearts – and awards – around the world.
The musical score is a mixture of soaring love ballads, heart-warming
melodies, electrifying marches and more. Unforgettable songs such as
“The Heat is On in Saigon,” “Why God Why?” “The Last Night of the
World,” “The American Dream” and most of all “I Would Give My Life for
You” where the child stood rigid throughout looking petrified.
The story begins in 1975, backstage of a bar called Dreamland. The
dancers are getting ready to go on stage. This is where we meet Kim.
She looks lost and does not fit in with the other girls. They go on
stage and sing their songs ...
... middle of paper ...
...Chris sobbing and asking why Kim did it. The set goes dark as Kim
dies.
The acting skills of the actors in the production where superb. I
especially enjoyed the scenes that included “The Engineer” because he
was extremely funny and his gestures really pulled off the part. The
woman who played Kim was exceptional, the emotion and feeling she put
into her acting was phenomenal and was very convincing.
I would recommend this show to anyone, although it is not suitable for
a young audience. Your heart would be gripped by the sorrow the
characters are feeling, your senses would be ensnared by the excellent
on stage graphics, set, lighting, and most of all the power put into
each song and the heartfelt lyrics. If you have time and some spare
cash, I would really urge you to make the effort to go and see this
“Madame Butterfly” type theatrical set in Saigon.
In both Things and Forrest Gump the main character goes to the Vietnam War and leaves their family. In both of the stories the main character creates a strong bond with their fellow soldiers. Tim O’Brien, in Things, becomes friends with Jimmy Cross, Mitchell Sanders, Kiowa, Norman Bowker, Henry Dobbins, and Rat Kiley. In Vietnam, Forrest Gump becomes friends with Bubba and Lieutenant Dan. Both stories tell how close friends died and how the main character reacts. Along with the sad memories there are happy memories as well. O’Brien says that in their free time they played checkers and told stories to get their minds off the war. In Forrest Gump, Forrest played ping-pong and would play in front of his friends to entertain them. Him and Bubba
She goes to a salon not too far away from school, where Paulette, a hair dresser, convinces her that brunette is not the way to go. Paulette sings “Ireland” to Elle to convince her that she is beautiful as she is and does not need to chang...
I carry the memories of the ghosts of a place called Vietnam-the people of Vietnam, my fellow soldiers- Tim O’Brien
Eventually, the store had to close down. The Anticommunist movement is extreme to the point that anyone who even appeared to be sympathetic to the current government of Vietnam was branded a traitor. For instance, the community claimed that one of the Vietnamese American politicians, Tony Lam, did not support the community in forcing this video store to close down. In addition, Tony Lam took part in requesting the council of the city of Westminster to change the name Little Saigon into Asian town (Collet, & Furuya, 2010). His rationale was that “Little Saigon” negatively reminded of the pain in Vietnamese history, which needed to be forgotten. His political career soon ended, since his attitude and belief was viewed as an offense toward Vietnamese immigrants. Vietnamese immigrants believe that the term Saigon is sacred and beloved, therefore replacing the name Little Saigon is equivalent to neglecting the dramatic historical background and disconnecting their origin. In away, Anticommunist movement creates cohesion among Vietnamese immigrant.
Chinatown is regarded by many as one of the best films ever created. In 2007, The American Film Institute named “Chinatown” as #21 on their list of 100 greatest films! Chinatown is a great film because it is able to show how far people are willing to go to obtain riches and how a detective is willing to go to great lengths to solve the mysteries in front of him. The movie has been talked about in abundance and has even been influenced by real life events from the water company in Los Angeles. It is closely related to corruption and the 1% which people still talk about till this day. In the movie “Chinatown” directed by Roman Polanski, a private detective hired to expose an adulterer finds that he is caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder. Somewhat relating to this is the article “Of the 1%, by the 1%, for the 1%” written by Joseph E. Stiglitz. In the article Stiglitz writes about how democracy in America is a mirage and that the rich
Fifty-eight thousand were killed, a pair of thousand captured, and three hundred fifty thousand; maimed and wounded, just about everyone throughout this country still feels the results of this conflict. Today, the kids in the country rest uneasy in response to the senselessness of this struggle. A different generation of school students, staff and young parents bring a singular perspective to the analysis of the implications of this specific war. These square measure the sons and daughters of the boys that fought to their death inside the jungles of South East Asia..
These days, many migrants gather together and make their own small place to hold their cultures. Because their cultures are more a blend of multiple cultures rather than a traditional, they are different each other. However, even though a mixed culture seems like a unique non-traditional, it is as same as one strong culture. In the story, Culture is Ordinary, Raymond William says, “every human society has its own shape, its own purposes, its own meanings. Every human society expresses these, in institutions, and in arts and learning” (93). I have visited Little Saigon, Westminster where was a little town for Vietnamese immigrants. This little society has built unexpected strong identities by creating many Vietnamese business stores and other cultural materials. Little Saigon people have built and shaped their own strong mixed cultures and identities by accepting new observation and learning of American and other Asian different cultures.
was the first time that the media were able to get a glimpse of it. As
Counterculture During the Vietnam Era With a country in shambles as a result of the Vietnam War, thousands of young men and women took their stand through rallies, protests, and concerts. A large number of young Americans opposed the war; with a common feeling of anti-war, thousands of youths united as one. This new culture of opposition spread like wild fire with alternative lifestyles blossoming, people coming together and reviving their communal efforts, demonstrated at the Woodstock Art and Music festival. The use of drugs, mainly marijuana, has become a staple in the community of anti-war youths. The countercultures’ radical views and actions caused American society to turn its head and look to the young.
Oliver Stone is best known from his portrayals of Vietnam in film. His movies “Platoon” and “Born on the Fourth of July” have won him Academy Awards for best director. These movies not only depicted the violence of war, but also the cultural and psychological issues that the soldiers in these wars had to endure. The majority of his earliest and best known movies center around the Vietnam War. Oliver Stone’s experience in the military gave him a special insight that made his movies feel more authentic and convincing to audiences. These movies portray the struggles that soldiers and veterans of the Vietnam War had to face on and off the battlefield.
The other night I had a dream. I dreamed of a boy whom I had known a long time ago, but since then he had disappeared completely from my life. In my dream, I saw him sitting beside my bed and talking to me. He told me about the trip that he had taken with his parents, his two older brothers, and his sister when he was seven years old. He told me how his parents had been victimized by a man who knew about his parents’ desperate attempt to flee from Vietnam, so he took advantage of them.
In the poem, “Saigon is Gone” Lai sets an overall depressing tone and reveals that the fall of Saigon was difficult for Ha and her family. One example of this tone is when she uses the words “Then he adds what no one wants to hear: it’s over; Saigon is gone”(69). to describe the bleakness of the situation. The word choice demonstrates hopelessness and sends the message that they are upset about their home being invaded. Another example of this tone is when the author uses the words “I hope TiTi got out”(67). to describe the feeling of anxiety . This shows she is still concerned about Saigon and her friend and sends the message that probably everyone on the ship is as well. Overall the word choice the author uses conveys a depressing and anxious
“Forman’s movie without Bromden’s perspective is empty and devoid.” (Shmoop Inc.). Ken Kesey’s novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, has been adapted into a film version, directed by Milos Forman. It has won numerous Oscar awards including “Best Picture”, “Best Director”, and “Best Actors”. However, many readers of Kesey’s original novel agree that it did not capture the essence and intent of the story. After reading the novel and watching the movie, I also feel the movie version did not accurately renovate the original novel. With various important scenes missing, confusion about the main character, and an indistinct recreation of the plot, Forman did not precisely revive the authentic purpose into his film.
Vietnam is actually three parts, the North, Middle and South and is located in Southeastern Asia. There are about fifty four different ethnic groups within Vietnam, and the population is in the millions. The Vietnam Culture is much different than that of the United States. Every aspect of their culture has a meaning, and a purpose, from birth’s to grieving they take very seriously. The Vietnamese people who have migrated to the United States still live in much of the cultural ways, if not they may be ousted by their families although this is rare, it does happen.
...s herself and her true identity. She realizes that she isn't always going to be the girl that everyone wants her to be but as long as she is true to herself that all that really matters (MTV, 2011).