‘Dance like it’s the last night of the world’

Direct from a triumphant run in Sydney, Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed new production of Miss Saigon arrives in Manila for the first time ever in March 2024

BY MANILA BULLETIN

  

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AT A GLANCE

• ‘The production has given talents like Lea Salonga, Jon Jon Briones, Joanna Ampil, Rachelle Ann Go, and countless others a platform to showcase their extraordinary skills and passion.’

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I'D GIVE MY LIFE FOR YOU Miss Saigon centers around the tragic romance of American GI Chris and Vietnamese bar girl Kim

The heat is on in Manila as GMG Productions, in association with GWB Entertainment, has announced that Cameron Mackintosh’s globally acclaimed production of Boublil & Schönberg’s Miss Saigon is heading to The Theatre at Solaire in March 2024. 

 

The internationally acclaimed new production of Miss Saigon opened in London in May 2014 to record-breaking advance sales and critical acclaim, winning an unprecedented nine Whatsonstage Awards. It then opened on Broadway and a hugely successful US Tour followed with The New Yorker calling it “A dynamite Broadway revival.” UK’s The Daily Telegraph wrote, “This thrilling new production spills out beyond theater and speaks directly to the times we live in—magnificent performances.” The Daily Mail said, “The greatest musical of all time just got even better!” It has just completed a hugely successful run at Sydney Opera House and, following limited seasons in Melbourne and Adelaide, the show will land in Manila, a city that has a deep connection with this musical, in March 2024.  

 

Sir Cameron Mackintosh has shared his enthusiasm for bringing the title to the Philippines. “I’m absolutely thrilled to be bringing my spectacular new production of Miss Saigon to Manila,” he said. “Without a doubt, it is the best production of Saigon I have ever produced, with one of the most brilliant casts that have ever performed the show around the world. I can’t envisage another show of this scale being done in Manila for the foreseeable future.” 

 

Carlos Candal, GMG Productions’ CEO added that “Following the incredible success of Hamilton, and continuing with GMGP’s commitment to bringing the absolute pinnacle of musical entertainment to Manila, I could not be more excited to be presenting Miss Saigon at the Theater at Solaire. Filipinos have a deep connection with Miss Saigon because it has been the stage where countless Filipino artists have had their moment to shine. The production has given talents like Lea Salonga, Jon Jon Briones, Joanna Ampil, Rachelle Ann Go, and countless others a platform to showcase their extraordinary skills and passion, and we’re excited to welcome a new company of world-class performers to share the new staging of this phenomenal production.”  

 

A retelling of Giacomo Puccini’s classic opera, Madame Butterfly, Miss Saigon moves the love story to 1970s Vietnam. The audience follows a young Vietnamese woman named Kim as she navigates the chaos of Saigon during the Vietnam War, falls in love with an American G.I. named Chris, and embarks on an extraordinary three-year quest for reunion, all while harboring a heart-wrenching secret. 

 

Miss Saigon has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg with lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. and Alain Boublil, adapted from original French lyrics by Alain Boublil, with additional lyrics by Michael Mahler. The new production is directed by Laurence Connor with musical staging by Bob Avian and additional choreography by Geoffrey Garratt. The production design is by Totie Driver and Matt Kinley based on an original concept by Adrian Vaux; costume design by Andreane Neofitou; lighting design by Bruno Poet; projections by Luke Halls; sound design by Mick Potter; and orchestrations by William David Brohn. Music supervision is by Alfonso Casado Trigo and Guy Simpson.

 

The Manila season is presented at The Theatre at Solaire by GMG Productions, with tickets on sale on Nov. 6 only through TicketWorld. Theatre fans can also enjoy exclusive first access to the show with UnionBank of the Philippines as the show’s official sponsor and pre-sale partner or through the GMG Miss Saigon waitlist at www.gmg-productions.com. Pre-sale period is ongoing until Nov. 3. www.gmg-productions.com

Caring for healthcare: Celebrating Philippine Nurses’ Week

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Oct 28, 2023 00:05 AM

  

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It was Oct. 17, 1958 that then President Carlos P. Garcia signed Proclamation No. 539, which designated the last week of October to be Nurses’ Week in the Philippines. The observance of this has since then been entrusted to what used to be known as the Filipino Nurses Association, now called the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA). Incidentally, the PNA has also celebrated its 101st anniversary this year, with a gathering held at the Iloilo Convention Center from Oct. 24 to 26. 

Nurses have always been important contributors in the world’s healthcare industry. They provide immediate attention to those who are in need of medical aid, as partners of doctors and other medical professionals. They are the forward-facing or client-facing, to borrow terms from modern business parlance, players of any medical institution, often the first to deal with clients (a.k.a. patients). The difference is, nurses go beyond just the “business” of healthcare. They embody, in almost every sense of the word, “care” in the medical profession. 

Together with physicians and other medical practitioners, nurses have played pivotal roles in the country’s struggle against Covid-19. Their contribution has undoubtedly been one of the most significant. Many Filipino nurses have been recognized for their work, not just in the country but also overseas. One such example was the story of that Filipino nurse working in the UK, who gave the world’s first Covid jab in 2020. 

Yet even before the Covid-19 era, nurses have also been one of the major contributors in the Philippine economy, with many of them working abroad as overseas Filipinos. Their contributions have been so recognized that for a great number of foreign nationals, it was quite common for their experience with Filipinos to be one of the medical kind, with nurses leading the way. 

The PNA, as part of its 2030 Roadmap, recognizes this and wishes to improve this culture of excellence among Filipino nurses. It seeks to continually develop and train “globally competitive Filipino nurses providing quality and excellent care,” whether in the country or elsewhere. This will be done primarily by providing and sustaining “relevant and responsive continuing education for nurses.” 

Past the surge of nursing graduates in the early 2000s, there seems to have been no shortage of the need for nurses. This is, of course, not surprising especially in a post-pandemic world, where healthcare remains to be one of the most crucial aspects of any functioning society. Nurses play a crucial role in this society and the Philippines can and should always be proud that, whether here or abroad, Filipino nurses are at the forefront of providing genuine care for those who are in need of any medical help.