Were grateful for this kind of show, that weve been given the opportunity to be involved in it., Nevertheless, he said, Its still a bit of a struggle for Asian actors to be taken seriously. Lea herself admits that she's a singer who acts as opposed to being an actress who sings; Monique is the latter. 4264 perf. Apr 27, 2023 @misssaigonau The actress will be playing the role originated by Tony Award-winner Lea Salonga in the musical's Australian staging beginning this August. Are you a stage/musical actor at all to make a technical assessment on the difference between the two roles? Wilson was a member of the Repertory Philippines when she auditioned in Manila in 1989. Thats why hes called an engineer; hes engineering and instigating and making things happen. Current Eventually, Kim finds her way as a bargirl at a nightclub in Saigon called "Dreamland" working for a man called The Engineer, catering mostly to American GIs stationed in the city. Theater actress Monique Wilson, who played Kim on "Miss Saigon" in London, said her favorite song from the hit musical is "Sun and Moon" because it was "so sweet, poetic and beautiful." She sang a few lines from "Sun and Moon" during an interview with Karen Davila on Friday morning. She has a beautiful voice and is more versatile in her choice of materials. She was originally slated to play the alternate Kim and Mimi in the original staging. In contrast to her glamorous title of 'Miss Saigon', Gigi laments the degredation of her present circumstances and longs for a fantasy world in 'Movie in My Mind'. Casting Take part in our reader survey and help us be better. And its entertaining at the same time., Miss Saigon has opened doors for many Filipino and other Asian actors: Obviously this is life-changing for a lot of Asian actors, Marbella said. "Contentment, it seems, simply happens. 24K followers View more on Instagram Add a comment. Monique is currently playing Rose Vibert in "Aspects of Love" in Manila. She has been a member of Repertory Philippines for almost ten years. One Eponine/Kim similarity: They both died happily in the arms of the object of their affection. Two years after the original London West End production, the play opened in New York, in 1991, with the largest advance sale in Broadway history ($37 million). "That's it. With the help of the re-educated Engineer, Kim is found by Thuy, who has now ascended the ranks and has become a commissar under the Communist government. She was 27 years old when she started playing the role of Kim for "Miss Saigon"'s Broadway run in 1992. She came sooooooo close to winning the role and possibly having Salonga's career. Her most memorable roles are: Frederika in A Little Night Music, Debbie in The Real Thing, Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Maggie in A Chorus Line, Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, Mistress in Evita, Princess Alais in A Lion in Winter, Laura in The Glass Menagerie, Chava in Fiddler on the Roof, Sister Mary Leo in Nunsense, Cecile Volange in Les Liaison Dangereuses, Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, Mollie Ralston in The Mousetrap and Anne in La Cage Aux Folles. Monique Wilson is now based in Manila. Why didn't Norm win a Tony for Porgy & Bess? Monique Wilson has always been a better actress than Lea Salonga. [2] Her films include Bad Boy 2 (1992), for which she received a nomination for the Best Newcomer in Film award at the Star Awards, Kapag Iginuhit Ang Hatol Ng Puso (1992) for which she won Best Supporting Actress Award in the Film Academy of the Philippines (now called LUNA), Ikaw (1993) and SA Isang Sulok Ng Mga Pangarap (1993). In 'The Heat is on in Saigon', what raffle number does Gigi draw, announcing the G.I. Monique revealed that Lea Salonga knew about it ever since their "Miss Saigon" days and that the Salongas weren't just accepting, they were very protective as well. Previews: no date entered yet (preview count not listed yet) Opening September 20, 1989. Length of Run: 4264 perf. Singing voice Kim (replacement: ?) Miss Saigon has been performed in 28 countries and over 300 cities (including Manila) in 15 different languages. It'll never happenhttp://www.lesmis.com/uk/2016/01/cast-changes-for-les-miz-london/, Dancingthrulife2 said: "Well, Eva Noblezada should be playing Epionine in London right now"why the heck are you bringing this up in the ancient thread though. Three years later, Kim is in hiding and living in poverty with her and Chris' child, a boy she had named Tam. Jon Jon Briones has played the Engineer to great acclaim in recent productions of Miss Saigon. And Red Concepcion also has been a successful Engineer in the United Kingdom and Ireland tour. Kim is a Vietnamese girl who falls in love with the American marine Chris Scott during the final days of the Vietnam War. Monique Wilson is one of the Philippines' best-known theatre and film actresses. [1] At age 18, Wilson flew to London where she was cast as alternate Kim to Salonga and as bargirl Mimi. Miss Saigon Original London Cast (1989) . The roles are waaayyyy different.Appealing the decision is futile. Kim (London) . Kim dies in Chris' arms after they share one last kiss. MANILA, Philippines - It's hard to separate the words 'Filipino' and 'Miss Saigon' especially after the hit musical launched the international careers of some of the country's singers. On the days she wasn't performing the role of Kim, Monique played the role of a bar girl. The story of Miss Saigon is happening and did happen. . And in the plum role of the scheming, sneering Engineer is Christian Rey Chuck Marbella of Cebu, who has a history of playing the Engineer as well as Thuy (the disgruntled suitor of Kim) in past productions of Miss Saigon in English. As they celebrate, Kim's betrothed Thuy hears about the wedding and confronts her, accusing her of betraying her father's word and that she will be cursed for it. I don't think it's any coincidence that pretty much all the Asian Eponines (outside of Asian countries, of course) have played Kim at one point or another. The Board's resident stage/musical actor has rendered his verdict in this case. During the war, Kim's family were killed by a bomb during a raid and as she ran from the rice field to escape, she saw their burning bodies. Monique Wilson is a Filipino singer, actress and activist who played Kim during the Original West End production of Miss Saigon after being an understudy, taking over the role when Lea Salonga left for the Broadway production . How remarkable that all three who performed the role of KIM ( Frances on the demo, Linzi on the concept album, and Lea who originated the role at the West End) all performed the role of EPONINE in LES MISERABLES. Kim is too innocent and vulnerable as she finds herself in the middle of a war. She is the founder and artistic director of a local theater company called New Voice Company. INQUIRER.net wants to hear from you! -. She sang a few lines from "Sun and Moon" during an interview with Karen Davila on Friday morning. Or maybe I'm just jaded. The play has won over 40 awards, including two Olivier Awards, three Tony Awards and four Drama Desk Awards, and has been seen by over 35 million people worldwide. 2022 Mega Global Licensing Inc. is a subsidiary of, Front and Center: Arielle Jacobs To Star In, Actress Ginger Gonzaga On Self-Love And The Importance Of Being Seen, Ruby Ibarra Uses Music As A Tool To Unpack Diasporic Life, Meet Andrea Macasaet, The Broadway Star Paving The Way For Filipinos. All Rights Reserved. Jerry Zaks was initially tapped to direct, but ultimately did not. Leila-Florentino-88 Filipinas Who Played Kim in "Miss Saigon". Before Chris could jump back into the crowd to be with Kim, John knocks him unconscious and she is left behind, neither of them aware that she is pregnant with their child. As the evening goes on, Chris grows more fond of Kim especially after learning that she is not like the other bargirls who would lie to get what they want. Closing: She also recently played Sally Bowles in a production of "Cabaret" there as well. [3], From 2009 to 2014, Wilson was the head of the MA/MFA Acting International course for the East 15 Acting School of the University of Essex. (Talk about non-traditional casting!) (preview count not listed yet) I think Monique played Kim full-time when Lea became ill during the early part of the London run of MISS SAIGON, and Monique stayed in the show for a total of 3 years. April 11, 2023. She began her professional career at the age of nine. All rights reserved. Kim Miss Saigon is a stage musical by Claude-Michel Schnberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. I felt amazing, I felt everything all at once. Youll be able to sympathize with him even though hes bad. Monique is quite an actress and a singer in her own right. Search for Miss Saigon - Lea Salonga and Monique Wilson - YouTube, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. CONTRIBUTED INQUIRER.net wants to hear from you! She began her professional career at the age of nine. Monica Anne Esteva Wilson (born May 4, 1970), usually credited as Monique Wilson, is a Filipina singer, actress, and women's rights activist. The Parent Trap actress shared a photo via her Instagram Stories a mirror selfie where a. [3] She has continued her acting and music recording careers, splitting her time between Manila and London. . Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Casting note for Kim in 2016 reads "She is a Vietnamese girl who is just about to turn eighteen. London, England. Capable of good movement Monique started acting professional at the age of nine. Story In the last days of the Vietnam War, 17-year-old Kim is forced to work in a Saigon bar run by a notorious character known as the Engineer. Monique Wilson - Miss Saigon Audition - YouTube AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy & SafetyHow YouTube worksTest new features 2022 Google LLC The former "Miss Saigon" actress made the announcement during a press conference held Friday, November 23, as reported by. http://www.essencecard.com/pages/Magazine/pages/nov-dec/monique.htm, http://www.vaginamonologuesjapan.com/html/director.htm, http://www.newvoicecompany.com/html/cabaret_gallery.htm, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW9ZTSQF6l8, http://www.lesmis.com/uk/2016/01/cast-changes-for-les-miz-london/. Monique Wilson Length of Run: After Chris arranges a deal with The Engineer to trade for Kim, the bargirls hold a wedding ceremony for the couple with Gigi toasting Kim as the "real" Miss Saigon. [2] In 1991, Wilson took over the role on the West End until 1993 when she was succeeded by alternate Joanna Ampil. As they leave, Kim vows that she would give everything including her life to give Tam a better life. Kim refuses and reveals that she and Chris have a child together. Its all about survival for this man. As Kim goes to Chris' hotel room, she finds Ellen instead and there she finally learns of his new family. Completing the cast were British actors Jonathan Pryce, Simon Bowman, Claire Moore, Keith Burns, and Peter Polycarpou. You think hes annoying but you also kind of understand where hes coming from. [3] She also began directing plays and musicals and continued acting and recording music. "They're similar enough in age and vocal requirements. Casting Wilson was a member of the Repertory Philippines when she auditioned in Manila in 1989. Thirty-two years ago yesterday, on 11 April 1991, the musical Miss Saigon opened on Broadway, following its acclaimed run at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London beginning in September 1989.. Lea Salonga, who was catapulted to international stardom as the original Kim in Miss Saigon, looked back on that momentous time with a Facebook post on Tuesday featuring the original poster art for the . Her biggest dream is to open a dream/performing arts school in the Philippines . Closing: October 30, 1999. Its a cool gig! She later reprised therole of Kim during Miss Saigons Australian premiere, original UK and Ireland Tour and Tenth Anniversary Performance at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. She enrolled at the University of the Philippines and majored in theater but had to cut her education short when she was asked to join the 1989 production. Her biggest dream is to open a dream/performing arts school in the Philippines for Filipino artists. At 18 she played the lead role in the original London West End production of Miss Saigon. all Asiam Kims have played Eponines, and they are of same age, and vocal requirements? Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Monique Wilson is a Filipino singer, actress and activist who played Kim during the Original West End production of Miss Saigon after being an understudy, taking over the role when Lea Salonga left for the Broadway production. I'm kind of surprised how Frances Ruffelle was Kim in the workshop of Miss Saigon. She began her professional career at the age of nine. In Miss Saigon it is the Vietnam War which looms over the tale, like a pall of doom. But its different strokes for different folks. "10 Pinays who played Kim in 'Miss Saigon' after Lea" Jude Cartalaba. The company will mount Aspects of Love at the Republic of Malate in Manila this November. Presently she is a Theatre Arts sophomore at The University of the Philippines. Kim is left behind during The Fall of Saigon. Opening Monica Anne Esteva Wilson (born May 4, 1970), usually credited as Monique Wilson, is a Filipina theater and film actress and women's rights activist. She was 17 (turned 18 before the premiere) when she was cast as Kim, and her childhood friend Monique Wilson (who incidentally sang the same audition song) was cast as her understudy and as Mimi. Dance She was seven when she landed her first job, in a Manila production of The King and I. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera Madama Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover.The setting of the plot is relocated to 1970s Saigon during the Vietnam War, and Madame Butterfly . We Dont Live in that World Yet, Fossil announces next generation of wearables the first powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100+ Platform, Dont look down: Vietnam glass-bottomed bridge targets thrill-seekers. I know she made some comments about Miss Saigon later on that many construed as sour grapes but how is her career going? For her audition, Wilson sang "On My Own" from another Schnberg and Boublil musical, Les Misrables (which incidentally was also the audition piece sang by fellow Repertory member Lea Salonga). 2023 ABS-CBN Corporation. CONTRIBUTED. Emily Bautista (US Tour) She is currently the global director of the One Billion Rising Revolution and director of international affairs at the Gabriela Women's Party in the Philippines, I have blood cancer and continue to isolate, living without touch, hugs, intimacy or love. Chris' friend John notices his fascination with the new girl so he pays The Engineer $50 for Kim and Chris to spend the night together. Miss Saigon Wiki is a FANDOM Music Community. I dunno; the roles aren't that different (it's like Christine/Cosette and Radames/Roger), so it doesn't seem "remarkable" to me. AboutCareersPrivacyTermsContact UsAdvertise With Us. Kim was born in a village in Vietnam around 1958, three years after the war started. Mezzo soprano They become refugees and he takes them with him to Bangkok to escape. Monique Wilson is one of the Philippines' best-known theatre and film actresses. morning, Available for everyone, funded by readers. In that masterwork by Boublil and Schnberg, Les Miserables, it was the 1832 revolution in Paris which occupied center stage. Mister Matt. ANC Headstart, March 30, 2012, 7 NCR cities to impose single ticketing system on May 2, 'It's Showtime' returns to 12 noon timeslot, Largest yet Balikatan exercises 'successful': AFP. BargirlDancer 4. From there, she went on to become an international stage superstar in the lead role of Kim in Miss Saigon Origin Realizing that she and Tam are now fugitives, Kim rushes to the Engineer, asking for help so they can sail to the US right away. Anyone know what she's been up to? He, Lindsay Lohan shows off her baby bump. Sometime after seeking refuge in Bangkok, Kim starts working as a dancer in a night club to survive. She later pursued masters studies in Applied Drama and Theater Education at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London, graduating in 2003. For a lot of people, two names are synonymous with Miss Saigon: Lea Salonga and Monique Wilson. Joanna Ampil I thought her voice was just as good as Salonga's but she didn't project the wholesome look as much. Production Info. Click on this image to answer. Monica Anne Esteva Wilson Theres not a lot of material out there for us in the UK but its slowly getting there at the end of the day it wont matterAsian, Black or any minoritywho is playing the character.. Monique Wilson. Open-ended, Market: Leila Florentino was born in the Philippines but has been living in New York since 1984. Applicants for this role must have a strong voice which should be able to touch up to E, and fall low to G.", Carla Guevara-Laforteza (West End understudy), Cezarah Campos (West End, Australia and Manila alternate), Sooha Kim (West End understudy) (also 2016-2017 Japan and 2017-2019 UK Tour), Emily Bautista (understudy) (also 2018-2020 US Tour), Dee Dee Magno (also US Tour and Asian Tour), Melinda Chua (also US Tour and Stuttgart), Ma-Anne Dionisio (also Toronto (original cast), and Australia (alternate)), Miriam Valmores Marasigan (alternate, also Australia, 2003-2007 UK Tour), Sooha Kim (2016-2017) (also 2015-2016 West End Revival Understudy and 2017-2019 UK Tour), Divina Sarkany, Michelle Nigalan (Sweden), Nele-Liis Vaiksoo, Meribel Mrsepp (Tallinn), Michelle Nigalan (Broadway, US National Tour and 2004-2005 Gothenburg), Ima Castro (Manila, Asian Tour, 2004-2007 UK Tour), Jennifer Hubilla (US National Tour, 2003-2007 UK Tour), Sanna Majuri, Jennie Storbacka (Finland, 2004 Helsinki), Laurie Cadevida and Jennifer Trijo (Australia), Lissah Martins, Cristina Candido (2008 Brazil), Na-Young Jeon, Laiying Wang (2011-2012 Dutch Revival), Kanda Witthayanuparpyuenyong, Kulkornpat Phothongnak (2012 Bangkok), Kim Ah Sun, Lim Hye Young and Lee Ha Na (2012 Korean Revival), Sooha Kim (2015West End revival understudy, 2016 Japanese Tour and 2017 UK Tour), Joreen Bautista (2017 UK Tour - alternate), Aynrand Ferrer (2017 UK Tour understudy and 2021-2022 Vienna Production - alternate), Christine Heesun Hwang (2018 US Tour - alternate), Francesca Nong (2019 US Tour - understudy, first Vietnamese American Kim), Vanessa Heinz (2021-2022 Vienna Production), Rachel Chan (2021-2022 Vienna Production understudy), Abigail Adriano (2023 Australian Production). The Engineer, who has been waiting for a "passport" to the US, learns that Tam is half-American so he resolves to help by posing as Kim's brother and Tam's uncle. Kim's character is based on the character Cho-Cho-San from the opera and short story Madam Butterfly. Her parents have both been involved in the entertainment industry. As the time and setting of the story was changed, Kim's character was also changed from being a geisha in Japan to a bargirl in Vietnam. At the end of the day, its not just about the characteryou have to convey a message to the audience. Kim is touched and the two profess their affections for each other, believing they were "blessed" to be together despite coming from entirely different worlds. Role [1] She later earned a BA in Theatre from the University of the Philippines in Diliman and studied at the London Academy of Dramatic Arts (LAMDA), receiving its postgraduate certificate in classical acting. We had a little bit of a workshop when we started. Monica Anne Esteva Wilson (born May 4, 1970), usually credited as Monique Wilson, is a Filipino theater and film actress and women's rights activist. Miss Saigon Original London Production (1989). Coo-coo Princess He realizes that Kim is the "one good thing" he has found in Vietnam and offers to take her to the US with him to start a new life.