Miss Saigon Launches National Tour at PPAC

Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) is hosting the launch of a new national touring production of the Broadway smash “Miss Saigon” from September 21-30. In the turmoil of the Vietnam War, an American soldier and a Vietnamese girl fall in love, only to be separated during the fall of Saigon. Their struggles to find each other over the ensuing years ends in tragedy for her and a fighting chance for the child he never knew he had.

The show debuted on September 20, 1989, in London, closing on October 30, 1999, after 4,092 performances. It opened on Broadway on April 11, 1991, and subsequently played in many other cities and embarked on tours.

The score from composers Alain Boublil and Claude-Michael Schönberg (the creators of Les Misérables), along with Richard Maltby, Jr., features show-stopping numbers like “I Still Believe,” “Why God Why?” and “The American Dream.”

Emily Bautista will play Kim, having also performed the role in the most recent Broadway production, and Anthony Festa will play Chris.

Red Concepcion, who plays the Engineer, notes the production is a “darker, grittier” version of the story.

“Unlike a lot of other musicals, this is actually based on truth,” Concepcion explained. “We really want to honor the memory of the people who went through it.”

The Engineer is “very charming,” Concepcion noted. “He’s kind of a villain. There are so many layers to him.”

Concepcion also played the role in the show’s tour of the United Kingdom. Concepcion’s theater credits in his native Philippines include Adam/Felicia in Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Tommy in The Normal Heart and Alan Strang in Equus, as well as the musicals West Side Story and Hairspray.

“What I like about Miss Saigon is it has such a message of love and survival,” Concepcion said. “I find it very compelling to be a part (of the story).”

Miss Saigon runs September 21- 30 at Providence Performing Arts Center. To purchase tickets, visit ppacri.org, call (401) 421-ARTS (2787) or visit the PPAC Box Office at 220 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence. Summer Box Office Hours are currently in effect: Monday – Thursday, 10A – 3P and two hours prior to curtain time(s) on performance days. Regular Box Office Hours resume Tuesday, September 4: Monday – Friday, 10A – 5P; Saturday, 10A – 2P and two hours prior to curtain time(s) on performance days.