How A Real Vietnam Helicopter Lands Nightly At This Outdoor Miss Saigon

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 7/26/16 at 3:43pm

http://www.playbill.com/article/how-a-real-vietnam-helicopter-lands-nightly-at-the-epic-outdoor-miss-saigon

[lambchop2]

Posted: 7/26/16 at 4:22pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-First-Look-at-Serenbe-Playhouses-MISS-SAIGON-Featuring-Real-Life-Helicopter-20160726

 

The production design for this particular production seems really interesting. Especially the drama shots near the end in the water.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/26/16 at 9:22pm

Friend of mine's company in Atlanta! They do really gorgeous stuff! Look up their Of Mice and Men. Really striking productions. 

[DrMike]

Posted: 7/27/16 at 10:08am

Saw the production last Thursday.  Epic is the only word that can accurately describe the experience.  Even without the helicopter, the playing area is huge.  The production includes a military jeep and a car as well.  Small, intimate scenes are beautifully framed against the shallow reflecting pool.  The photographer has captured some beautiful images, but even those do not completely do justice to the scope of the production.

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/27/16 at 10:23am

Saw the pictures yesterday and this looks jaw dropping. How are the performances DrMike?

[DrMike]

Posted: 7/27/16 at 12:20pm

 Eymard Cabling almost steals the show as the Engineer.   He persuasive enough to be your friend at one moment and slimy enough to be your nemesis in the next.  He pulls focus and captures attention whenever he is present; as he should.  Kim, played beautifully by Niki Badua is just the right amount sweet and innocent, yet completely believable in the depth of her love for both Chris and her son.

Chase Peacock is just as successful as Chris, the GI caught between love in two worlds.  My only problem with Kim and Chris is the amount of time they spent crossing the stage.  With the stage being so wide, there often seemed to be movement without motivation.  "I need to get to the other side of the stage for my scene." The Engineer was able to overcome this limitation of the stage by bold personality; the other two leads, not quite as easily. 

The scope of the stage is something the whole cast has to work against.  It seems that, if the are not onstage, they have quite a jog to get to their next entrance.  This is, in no way a criticism of the scope of the production, it is just an observation that the cast will have dropped some pounds by the end of this run.

Chris Sizemore is John, the GI who pays for Chris’ night with Kim, and later, helps to reunite the couple.   His strong voice and military bearing make him a standout among the supporting cast.

[DrMike]

Posted: 7/27/16 at 3:12pm

Upon re-reading this, I think that I focused a bit too much on criticism.  I did not want to come off as a PR person from the show.  With that said, (and as a non-PR person from the show) this is one amazing production and if your travel plans will allow it, you will not regret the trip!

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 7/27/16 at 3:42pm

Very impressive photographs.  I've always been intrigued by the productions Serenbe puts on.  These pictures, to me, show what could be a great framework for the eventual movie.  I don't think this requires elaborate dream sequences for every song.  The simple reflecting pools and the helicopter landing amidst the smoke and dust are powerful.

[Brian07663NJ]

Posted: 8/15/16 at 8:57am

The moment I read this thread and the linked article about this outdoor production of Miss Saigon I hated all of you for poisoning me into longing to race down to Atlanta to experience this production. I called a friend in Atlanta "Ken, Miss Saigon...did you see it." His direct response was "yes and if you can get your butt down here you certainly should see it. The helicopter does overpower the show but it did on Broadway but the production on a whole is worth it." Ken is 74. He doesn't like musicals. Sold...further frustration because I'm not finding support to avoid going. Called my father, also 74, and said "Dad do you want to go on a crazy fast adventure." Of course I knew his answer would be yes even before I told him because he doesn't travel often.

Thankfully on Friday, August 5th, our flight was not on Delta (because of their problems a few days earlier). The weather in Atlanta was promising. No forecast for rain/lightning. We arrived at LaGuardia and the flight delays began. Then the flight after ours was totally cancelled. Well, we did takeoff and made it to Atlanta by 4:30, the hotel not long after that to drop our overnight bag and we headed over to Serenbe. We figure we would park and find a restaurant to hangout and have a drink. Spotted a Miss Saigon production poster in the window of a bakery. Crossed to check it out and this place appeared to be the location to finally relax before the show. Entered the place and was no more than 3 steps in from the door when someone rushed me. "OMG, I LOVE your t-shirt! Where did you get that?" I smiled and responded "Well, this is Miss Saigon t-shirt is over 20 years old and I decided to give it a vacation from my dresser drawer where it was forgotten." The guy extends his hand to shake, he is looking back to his family at the table while pointing to my t-shirt and says "I'm the Engineer!" HAHAH whoa it was Eymard Cabling! So I asked him if we could take a picture and as soon as we were done he calls out "LOOK! There is Miss Saigon herself, Niki Badua, and he brings me over to meet her while pointing to my t-shirt. We took a few more pictures. They were shocked that I flew in from NYC to see them but also blown away when I told them that their production is being talked about on BWW.

We eventually left the bakery and followed the directions down the road, thru the wooded trail and entered the field. Wow...this is where it is being performed? It was a field...a slightly hilly field surrounded by trees. Then I spotted the location the show would be performed. We approached from the side. Center "stage" was a giant tractor trailer container with a mound of dirt/clay ramping up so a performer could go up to be on top of it. The "wings" were scaffolds covered with black plastic. Center stage were the boardwalks with ~6 inch deep pool of water. The house was composed of about 8 rows of chairs starting to incline about row 3. This was rustic!

A small bar was decorated with red lanterns in keeping with the theme of the show. Castmembers wandered the set and occasional gunfire erupted from speakers out in the distance. The only mood reducing element was the loud music emanating from the bar. If I ever wondered what it woudl have been like to attend a U.S.O. production for servicemen - this would be it. As we sat in our seats we heard some grumbling from the sky and we all prayed that the clouds were accurate that it was moving away from us. 

The show started 20 minutes late but in hindsight I wish it would have started even later. By 8:20 pm the daylight had not gone away enough for my liking. The multitude of sins that darkness conceals had not yet enveloped enough for me. The beginning of the show felt a bit amateurish but once it was completely dark outside I realized that daylight was my complaint. Once darkness allowed the stage lights and smoke to transport me to Saigon I was snapped out of Atlanta.

Kim, played by Niki Badua, and Chris, played by Chase Peacock, had amazing chemistry. From the moment they met on stage you were sold on their love for each other. For me this is super important. A previous viewing of Miss Saigon on Broadway, years ago, I was not sold on the love between Kim/Chris. The show that night was a failure for me. I was thrilled by their performance, singing, acting, look etc.

The Engineer, played by Eymard Cabling, was cunning, devious and a snake...perfect. He completely threw himself into this role and it was obvious. His "American Dream", complete with a car driving from the darkness center 'stage' was dynamic. Kudos to Eymard for making the Engineer his own and not even slightly pulling my thoughts to compare his performance to Jonathan Pryce. 

John, played by Chris Sizemore, was fantastic and that was obvious when he sang "Bui Doi" in act 2. I was very happy to hear how much love the audience gave him with their applause because it was well deserved.

Ellen, played by Courtney Chappelle, needs a big shout out. What a beautiful voice for an an actress with not enough to sing. I know she doesn't have a bigger role but her voice was so pleasant I wished she had more for me to hear!

The finale of the show was spectacular. The water pool was effectively used in so many ways throughout the production (eg, to float flowers in "The Wedding Ceremony" but most effectively for Kim's death. Niki sang her heart out, and ripped our out in the process, to her small son. Then she crossed the entire length of the stage by walking through the water. Her eyes staring directly ahead. No emotion on her face but determination that she would follow through with her goal. As she made it to the other end of the stage she picked up the gun. By this time Chris and Ellen appeared on the other side of the stage with the child. The gun fired and Kim dropped. Chris immediately RAN through all the water making giant splashes the entire length. That direction was more powerful than I think I can effective convey. He scooped Kim up into his arms and carried her center stage, in the water still, and as she went limp Chris collapsed into the water while holding her. WOW! Fantastic!

The show on a whole was a giant AWESOME. I am SO glad I made this crazy 24 hour trip from NYC specifically to witness this outdoor performance.

OH - the helicopter...I purposefully left that out to explain that the helicopter scene wasn't THE only reason that this production was worthy of high praise. However, the live helicopter scene WAS a gigantic highlight of the entire production. I was SO emotionally involved I was physically shaking from emotion. 

The soldiers pulled the planks up that crossed the water. That revealed the yellow and black diagonal stripes that these would be the barricades to block the people of Saigon from storming the airport. The soldiers ran up the clay ramp to block the city people at the top of the cargo container. This is where the begging and pleading began. Out in the field the lights of the runway were light. Tow rows of about 9 lights on each side formed a runway and in the distance you started to hear the thump-thump of the approaching helicopter. The orchestra started to swell and the people of the city broke through the barricades. The raced towards the audience and within 5 feet of the front row another row of soldiers blocked them as they sang/screamed "Take me with you, take my children" - the hearts of the audience were being smashed. The helicopter swooped down and dirt from the stage started to blow in the air as it landed out in the field. The direction of the panic shifted and they ran away from the audience towards the field leaving Kim with us. Now that the planks crossing the water were removed she moved left to right to left without being able to find a way to the helicopter because the water blocked her way. Chris sang his heart out for her to pickup the phone...the helicopter lifted, the people screamed and away went their hopes. I couldn't release a tear from my eye I was that tense from the drama I was witnessing. I was there in Saigon at that moment. The helicopter circled over our heads and away into the distance it left. Wow, simply WOW...this by far will be one of those moments in theater that I will hold as a highlight. This one scene was an entire emotional experience even if it were pulled as a standalone from the show.

Great job to Serenbe, the cast, crew and all involved. This was a crazy adventure to travel all the way for just this but it was entirely so well worth it!