In early 1997, a friend got tickets to take her parents to the see Miss Saigon at the PPAC. Her mom was from Korea and her dad had been in the United States military. They met when he was stationed abroad, and it was their anniversary. My friend thought they would find it relatable! They were horrified and refused to go. That’s how I randomly got to see my first ever big musical production at the PPAC. It’s also the only time I’ve ever seen Miss Saigon, a show that now exists in a vague haze of fond-ish but totally nonspecific memory. I vaguely know the plot but couldn’t tell you anything about the songs, or for that matter the specific politics of a big splashy musical about the Vietnam War. This is the kickoff run of the show’s national revival.
photo: Johan Persson
