VIETGONE

[A Director]

Go see Vietgone at the MTC.  It will knock your socks off!  It's wild, funny, sexy and moving!

[abbagirl]

Since I just saw it, I wanna second this! :) So fun, fresh and smart.

[mpkie]

Yes! It is so clever and funny and catches you off guard in wonderful ways. If you were on the fence about seeing it, go see it! If you weren't even thinking about seeing it, go see it!

I recommend it for: younger people, older people, Asian people, American people, people who were around in the 90s, people who come from an immigrant background, people who don't come from an immigrant background, people who speak more than one language, people who only speak one language, etc. :)

[somechrysanthemumtea]

Has anyone sat in the far sides or in the last few rows of the house (Row M) for this show? Any advice? , is there anything you miss? Thanks in advance! 

[abbagirl]

somechrysanthemumtea said: "Has anyone sat in the far sides or in the last few rows of the house (Row M) for this show? Any advice? , is there anything you miss? Thanks in advance! "

I was near the back (forget what row, though) on the very far left (my sister was on the aisle, I think) and still had a great view! 

[somechrysanthemumtea]

abbagirl said: "somechrysanthemumtea said: "Has anyone sat in the far sides or in the last few rows of the house (Row M) for this show? Any advice? , is there anything you miss? Thanks in advance! "

I was near the back (forget what row, though) on the very far left (my sister was on the aisle, I think) and still had a great view! 

Great to know! Thank you very much.

"

 

[Dancingthrulife2]

Saw it tonight and had a blast. The direction is inspired and the way it reimagines and questions the narrative of the Vietnam War as we know it is quite interesting. I take the show as an exposition of conflicting, or at least different, perspectives, especially the one with which the distanced general public of the United States look at it and the one of the Vietnamese who went through it themselves. As the show culminates in a father-and-son conversations, it questions the legitimacy of the distance with which we look at things. Given today's political climate around the world, this discussion is super relevant and rather urgent. Stylistically, despite some anachronism and the Miss-Saigon-wannabe-ish helicopter scene, it balances style and content really well. The rap goes a long way to expose what the characters have in their mind, and captures the snapping celerity of mental activities. Personally I think the balance between drama and comedy is not quite there yet, but still an amazing production of a fantastic play.

[MX888]

Bumping this thread up because it's a great, must see production! It was my second time and I echo the sentiments of the posters above. 

[Pammylicious]

Saw this today.  Must see theater.  I loved every moment of it.  Was just a notch under Hamilton . This had more humor. 

[mamaleh]

Agree with all the positive reviews. It was original (aside from a score that seemed very "Hamilton"-esque), well-paced, sometimes touching and more often unexpectedly fun with some delightfully anachronistic nods to pop culture thrown in.  I lived through that era but had no idea there were US refugee camps for South Vietnamese people. The performers and direction were all top-notch. And the story gives Americans perhaps a new way of looking at our presence in Vietnam during the war.  All in all, a thought-provoking and pleasant surprise.

[bear88]

Vietgone, or at least the version I saw Tuesday at the ACT's Strand Theater in San Francisco, is an outstanding production with a final scene that elevates a play that was already funny, clever, and thought-provoking about a chapter of American history that Americans like me tend to forget - from a perspective we rarely hear. The cast is first-rate, and Jenelle Chu (as Tong, the female lead) and James Seol (as her love interest Quang) do what's critical in a romantic comedy - they've got chemistry, and the audience is rooting for them even knowing the outcome in advance. Chu has a terrific voice, and Seol undergoes a marvelous transformation at the end of the play. The rest of the small cast does outstanding work too.

It's not exactly a musical, but there are songs (mostly raps) along with way. The playwright, Qui Nguyen, keeps a lot of balls in the air. And if it's a bit confusing in the first act, or every scene doesn't work, his unique voice and barbed humor more than make up for it. The second act pulls a lot of threads together. 

The play has been drawing sellout crowds at the 283-seat theater, and it was packed on a Tuesday night in the midst of a two-month run that's been extended for a week. It will be around through the end of the month. I strongly recommend it.