Miss Saigon auditions: Where you should be, what you should bring

Details of the auditions for Kim, The Engineer, Thuy, Gigi and all Asian roles in various global productions of Miss Saigon have been announced by Cameron Mackintosh on Wednesday, alerting aspiring Broadway stars to a chance of a lifetime.

The registration and auditions will be held at the Opera Haus (3657 Bautista St., Makati City), facilitated by Bobby Garcia and Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group (ATEG).

Registration is on March 11 and 12, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., while the auditions are on March 15 and 16, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Applicants must be 16 to 40 years old with strong singing voices (all vocal ranges) and proficient in the English language. Some dance movement experience preferred.

For the registration, applicants should bring photos and portfolio/CV.

For the auditions, prepare 16 bars of a song from "Miss Saigon." A pianist will provide accompaniment during the audition, but you may bring your own music scores or CD.

"We are looking for leads and ensemble, as well as acrobatic dancers. We encourage performers throughout the Asian region to come to Manila and audition for Miss Saigon," said Garcia.

Trevor Jackson, head of casting for Cameron Mackintosh, said, "Since casting for Miss Saigon began in the mid 1980's, the Philippines has been integral to the show as a place to find exceptional Asian performers of World Class ability. Our teams have been returning regularly ever since. Filipino artists are the heart and soul of this show.”

Written by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil and based on Puccini's Madame Butterfly, Miss Saigon was first staged in West End in 1989, starring Lea Salonga and Simon Bowman as Kim and Chris. Miss Saigon propelled Salonga into international stardom after she picked up the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

In 2014, Rachelle Ann Go followed in Salonga's footsteps, landing the role of Gigi Van Tranh.

“Miss Saigon’s producing and creative team will be flying in from London to hold auditions for various upcoming global productions of the hit musical. I look forward to working with them in discovering a new generation of Filipino talent to shine on the international stage in Miss Saigon the way Lea Salonga, Leo Valdez, JonJon Briones, Joanna Ampil and Rachelle Ann Go, among many others, have in the past,” Garcia said. 

For more information, contact (0995) 534-8371 or visit the official Facebook page. — Aya Tantiangco/BM, GMA News