The original London production at Drury Lane holds the record for the longest-running show ever to play there, and its subsequent run at Broadway's Broadway Theatre also chalked up a nearly ten-year run. The show has been performed in 28 countries, over 300 cities in 15 different languages, has won over 40 awards including two Olivier Awards, three Tony Awards, and four Drama Desk Awards and been seen by over 35 million people worldwide.
In a press statement, producer Cameron Mackintosh commented, "I find it hard to believe that it is already 25 years since I first premiered Miss Saigon in London… Ten years ago I decided to reconceive the show in a completely re-imagined physical production that could play a far greater number of theatres than the original but still retains Bob Avian's legendary musical staging and the same scale of cast. As well as touring the UK with enormous success the new production directed by Laurence Connor has been seen in numerous countries around the world where it has been embraced by audiences and critics alike with as much enthusiasm as the original."
Mackintosh added, "If anything the tragic love story of Miss Saigon has become even more relevant today. In the last 25 years our country has become involved in similar wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the way we weren’t in Vietnam and the American Dream has been buffeted by the reality of recent history. The new production has taken a more gritty and realistic approach to the design than the operatic original but still delivers the power and epic sweep of Boublil and Schönberg's great score."
He continued, "Of all my shows Miss Saigon is probably the one I have the most requests to bring back. For some years I have been waiting for the perfect theatre to house the new production. These requests are not only from a public who remembers seeing it originally but from a generation of new audiences who were too young (or not even born!) to get to see it. Now that the very successful Jersey Boys has decided to move to a more intimate theatre I now have the perfect theatre – The Prince Edward."
This version of Miss Saigon will include a new song "Maybe" that Schönberg and Boublil wrote for the role of Ellen to sing in the second act, which has been included in the recent Dutch and Japanese productions. London audiences will be the first to hear the song in English. Miss Saigon has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg with lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr. and Alain Boublil, adapted from original French lyrics by Boublil. This new production will be directed by Laurence Connor with musical staging by Bob Avian and additional choreography by Geoffrey Garratt. Production design is by Totie Driver and Matt Kinley from an original concept by Adrian Vaux, with costumes by Andreane Neofitou, orchestrations by William David Brohn, lighting by Bruno Poet and sound by Mick Potter.
No casting has been announced yet.
Priority booking opens Sept. 2, with public booking from Sept. 9. Sign up for priority/groups at miss-saigon.com.
