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96-482: Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "the most successful, influential and powerful theatrical producer in the world" by the New York Times . He is the producer of shows including Les Misérables , The Phantom of

192-424: A United States flag that was given to the family after the death of his father, who served in the U.S. Navy for 30 years. Filipino columnist Max Soliven commented on the controversy, writing, "It's sad that some Americans, in a land which has long preached equality of man and equal opportunity, have become such rabid, racial bigots.'' In response to the controversy, Salonga told The Seattle Times , "It's not

288-447: A managing director , and creative decisions fall to the artistic director . In theatres with no managing director , artistic directors often use the title producing artistic director or managing artistic director, to indicate a higher level of responsibility. In the commercial world of Broadway , New York City and West End , London and touring, both nationally and internationally, producers are expected to be active members of

384-731: A short and sharp war . Though Vietnam defeated China, the war pushed anti-Chinese feelings in Vietnam to a hysterical level, leading to most of the Hoa fleeing Vietnam. As Britain had ratified the Vienna convention, the British authorities in Hong Kong had to consider the refugee applications of the "boat people", and many of the "boat people" did end up settling in the United Kingdom. British tabloids stoked fears about

480-613: A " minstrel show ". The American scholar Yutian Wong observed Miss Saigon ' s 1989 premiere in London's West End had uniformly positive reviews in British newspapers such as the Daily Mail , The Times , and the Evening Standard . British theater critics did not perceive anything objectionable about the musical, and the controversy about Miss Saigon only began in 1990 with the prospect of it appearing on Broadway, which Wong argued,

576-413: A London-based producer in the 1970s. His early London productions included Anything Goes in 1969 (which closed after two weeks), The Card (1973), Side by Side by Sondheim (1976), My Fair Lady (1978), and Tomfoolery (1980). In 1981, he produced Andrew Lloyd Webber 's Cats , then considered an unlikely subject for a musical. It became the hit of the season, and went on to become one of

672-497: A child by her, but rather out of a paternalist and implicitly colonialist concern for someone from an inferior Third World country. The character of Chris is inspired by the character of Lieutenant Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly , but unlike the unpleasant and selfish Pinkerton, the character of Chris is shown to be without moral faults as Schönberg commented "We didn't want Chris to be a bastard like Pinkerton". Wong wrote that it

768-479: A chorus that sings: "They're called 'Bui-Doi'/They are living reminders of all the good we failed to do/That's why we know deep in our hearts/That they are all our children too". Shimakawa argued that "the curiously passive lament for 'all the good we failed to do' preempts the question of U.S responsibility or even agency" for the Vietnam war, suggesting that the war was a well-intentioned effort that unfortunately failed to work out as it should have. Shimakawa noted in

864-566: A gala concert featuring songs from shows he had produced during his career. The concert was performed twice, on 7 and 8 June, with proceeds going to the Royal National Institute of Blind People and the Combined Theatrical Charities. Many celebrities took part, and the 8 June performance was attended by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh . Mackintosh produced a revival of Lionel Bart's Oliver! at

960-399: A list of the most influential "out-and-proud" gay men and women. He was also listed 4th in 2005. Mackintosh also topped The Stage 100 list in 2007 for the first time since 2000. The list recognises the most influential members of the performing arts community at the end of each year. He is a patron of The Food Chain , a London-based HIV charity. His younger brother, Robert Mackintosh,

1056-706: A new version of Half a Sixpence at Chichester Festival Theatre before transferring to the Noël Coward Theatre in the West End where it ran for 10 months. Mackintosh produced the London transfer of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway hit musical Hamilton , which premiered on 21 December 2017 at the Victoria Palace Theatre in the West End . In 2019, Mackintosh and Disney's production of Mary Poppins returned to

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1152-663: A place that defines Americanness by way of contrast, observing the song "I'd Give My Life for You" recreates the evacuation of the American embassy in Saigon in April 1975, the South Vietnamese chorus who are unable to board the Marine helicopters sing: "No place, no home/No life, no hope/No change, no chance". Shimakawa argued that in the musical's climax, Kim shoots herself, which she maintained sent

1248-412: A role on Broadway without an American casting call. After pressure from Mackintosh, the general public, and many of its own members, Actors' Equity reversed its decision. Pryce starred alongside Salonga and Willy Falk (as Chris) when the show opened on Broadway. During the production transfer from West End to Broadway, another controversy that made global news erupted over Salonga's citizenship, as she

1344-402: A run of over 15 months, failed to replicate the worldwide success of his previous blockbusters. Mackintosh became a co-owner of the theatrical licensing company Music Theatre International in 1990. He started the theatre group Delfont Mackintosh Theatres in 1991. Disney Theatrical Productions president Thomas Schumacher met with Mackintosh in 2001 to discuss making Mary Poppins into

1440-426: A song about Kim that is addressed both to her and Vietnam, suggesting that Kim is Vietnam. In the song "Why, God, Why?", Chris sings: "Who is that girl back in the rusty bed?/Why am I back in this filthy room?/Why is her voice ringing in my head?/Why am I high on her cheap perfume?/Vietnam/Hey look, I mean no offense/But why does nothing here make sense?" Throughout Miss Saigon , both Kim and Vietnam are described by

1536-608: A stage musical. Mackintosh's involvement in the development of the musical adaptation led to his producing both the 2004 West End and 2006 Broadway productions, at the Prince Edward Theatre and the New Amsterdam Theatre , respectively, along with Schumacher. He co-produced the London transfer of Avenue Q , which opened in the West End at the Noël Coward Theatre on 1 June 2006. In 1998, Mackintosh celebrated thirty years in show business with Hey, Mr. Producer! ,

1632-684: A theatre producer after his aunt took him to a matinee of the Julian Slade musical Salad Days when he was eight years old. Mackintosh began his theatre career in his late teens, as a stagehand at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane , and then became an assistant stage manager on several touring productions. In 1967, working with Robin Alexander, he co-produced five plays at the Kenton Theatre , Henley . He began producing his own small tours before becoming

1728-628: A white Western man, but always end up conveniently committing suicide to free up the white man to marry or to stay married to a white woman. Shimakawa further criticized Boublil and Schönberg for using no Vietnamese instruments and music in Miss Saigon , instead using instruments from Japan and Indonesia which she argued represented the attitude that Vietnam was just an exotic locale in Asia that Westerners might have adventures in, not an entity in its own right with its own culture and history. Shimkawa argued that

1824-607: A white man, in this case the American Marine Chris Scott. Every single Vietnamese female character in Miss Saigon is a prostitute, all but one of whom are "Dragon Ladies" who parade their bodies in string bikinis, which was seen as sustaining the Western stereotype of Asian women as being ultra-sexualized. The second act of the play, set in Thailand , portrays Thai women as all engaging in prostitution, which further reinforces

1920-630: Is Australian-born theatre photographer Michael Le Poer Trench. They met at the opening night of a production of Oklahoma! in Adelaide , Australia in 1982. The couple live between homes in London; Stavordale Priory in Charlton Musgrove , Somerset ; and the Nevis Estate, on North Morar in the West Highlands . In 2006, Mackintosh was listed 4th on The Independent on Sunday ' s Pink List ,

2016-405: Is a person who oversees all aspects of mounting a theatre production . The producer is responsible for the overall financial and managerial functions of a production or venue, raises or provides financial backing, and hires personnel for creative positions (writer, director, designers, composer, choreographer—and in some cases, performers). The term "producer" is American in origin, referring to

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2112-461: Is a reasonable enough basis for a love story in which the conditions of Kim's occupation are easily overlooked and viewed as emotionally and economically normative". In 1999, when Miss Saigon was closing in London, a new advertising campaign was launched on the Tube featuring posters reading "You'll miss Saigon" that showed an Asian woman wearing a military jacket showing some cleavage, which Wong felt sent

2208-406: Is also a producer. In 1994, Mackintosh bought the Nevis Estate, on North Morar, to the east of Mallaig in the West Highlands of Scotland, covering around 14,000 acres (5,700 ha). He has since been involved in a long-running dispute with a tenant crofter, over the land use on the estate. As the laird , Mackintosh wants to use the land for building holiday homes, but the crofter says the land

2304-578: Is an affront to the Asian community. The casting choice is especially disturbing when the casting of an Asian actor, in the role, would be an important and significant opportunity to break the usual pattern of casting Asians in minor roles." This ruling on 7 August 1990 led to criticism from many, including the British Actors' Equity Association , citing violations of the principles of artistic integrity and freedom. Producer Cameron Mackintosh threatened to cancel

2400-420: Is important, because of the liability issues mentioned above. All bills, including payroll, must be paid on time, and taxes must be paid. The producer oversees the budget. The theatre owner provides box office services and turns over net ticket sales revenue. If sales fall under a set minimum level, the unprofitable show may close. If ticket sales are good and the show makes a profit, the producer may get 50% of

2496-464: Is like) underlines the musical's point that the Engineer might become an American citizen, but he can never truly become an American. Shimakawa wrote: "'The American Dream' is performed for comic effect, but the message of the song is quite clear; that however much the Engineer wants to be an American, he is not and never can be 'one of us'". In "The American Dream" musical number, all of the lyrics sung by

2592-441: Is needed for grazing. In 1990, Mackintosh responded to criticism of Jonathan Pryce using prosthetics and skin darkening makeup to play a Vietnamese character, "We passionately disapprove of stereotype casting...by choosing to discriminate against Mr. Pryce on the basis of his race, Equity has further violated the fundamental principles of federal and state human rights laws, as well as of federal labor laws." In 1998, Mackintosh

2688-457: Is never criticized in Miss Saigon , and Kim herself comes to accept that it is only right and proper that the United States government exclude someone like herself from ever coming to America. The character of the Engineer who is sexually perverted and depraved in general seems to imply that immigration laws excluding Asians are in fact justified. The question of accepting Vietnamese refugees

2784-420: Is not mentioned in Miss Saigon , and establishments such as the fictional Dreamland brothel are portrayed as the norm in Vietnam. Wong felt that the fact that prostitutes in Miss Saigon are mostly teenagers, which is justified under the grounds that most of the prostitutes in the Vietnam war were also teenagers, sending the message: "Since Asian womanhood is undifferentiated from girlhood, teenage prostitution

2880-480: Is one of the most important roles in a theatrical production. Miss Saigon controversy Miss Saigon received criticism for the perception it contained racist or sexist overtones, including protests regarding its portrayal of Asians and women in general. Originally, Jonathan Pryce and Keith Burns, white actors playing Eurasian/Asian characters, wore eye prostheses and bronzing cream to make themselves look more Asian, which outraged some who drew comparisons to

2976-514: Is portrayed as violent, jealous, cruel and possessive, with an interest in Kim that is purely exploitative - as opposed to Chris's love. Thuy is portrayed as a "violent" and "barbaric" man in contrast to Kim who is "doggedly loyal and grateful to the United States" - this sets up a contrast between the "good" Vietnam that the Americans sought to defend vs. the "bad" Vietnam that rejected them. The character of

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3072-452: Is seen by the former as a mere spectacle for him to enjoy rather representing a binding commitment on his part to Kim, and he is very surprised to learn later on that Kim considers him to be her husband, an aspect of his character that he is not criticized for. Instead, Ellen explains to Kim that under American law she is Chris's wife, and Kim just merely accepts the supremacy of American law over Vietnamese law, which Shimakawa argued represents

3168-641: The Sunday Times Rich List of 2021, Mackintosh was estimated to have a net worth of £1.2 billion. Mackintosh was born in Enfield , London, the son of Diana Gladys (née Tonna), a production secretary, and Ian Robert Mackintosh, a timber merchant and jazz trumpeter. His father was Scottish, and his mother who was a native of Malta , was of Maltese and French descent. Mackintosh was educated at Prior Park College in Bath . Mackintosh first knew that he wanted to become

3264-546: The Prince Edward Theatre in the West End, where it ran until January 2023. In summer 2024, Mackintosh co-produced and revised a new production of Oliver! directed and produced by Matthew Bourne at Chichester Festival Theatre before transferring to the Gielgud Theatre in the West End in December 2024. Mackintosh is notable as a producer for his transformation of the musical into a global and highly profitable brand; he

3360-926: The Royal Shakespeare Company 's Trevor Nunn and Nicholas Hytner ) and technicians to the world of musical theatre. Mackintosh's Delfont Mackintosh group owns eight London theatres, the Prince Edward , the Prince of Wales , the Novello , the Sondheim , the Gielgud , the Wyndham's , the Victoria Palace and the Noël Coward . Mackintosh was knighted during the 1996 New Year Honours for services to musical theatre. His partner

3456-521: The Theatre Royal Drury Lane which ran from 2008–09. The production was cast via the hit BBC television series I'd Do Anything . Jodie Prenger became the winner and was subsequently cast as Nancy in the production, with Rowan Atkinson as Fagin. The publicity and attention surrounding the production was unprecedented on the West End stage, and it was reported in January 2009 that the production

3552-425: The "boat people" were actually Hoa (ethnic Chinese) who suffered severely under Vietnam's Communist government. As was the case with the other nations of Southeast Asia, a disproportionate number of the middle-class people in Vietnam were ethnic Chinese, who were widely disliked on the account of their success in business and the professions. On 17 February 1979, Vietnam's ancient archenemy China invaded, leading to

3648-511: The 1970s to 1980s, the "bui-doi" children were allowed to immigrate to the United States provided that they could prove that their fathers were American while the Vietnamese mothers of these children were excluded from coming to the United States. The perception in the United States that the Vietnamese mothers of the "bui-doi" children were all prostitutes led Congress to exclude them all as "undesirable aliens." This aspect of American immigration law

3744-574: The 1991 book The Story of Miss Saigon by the Anglo-French journalist Edward Behr and the Canadian columnist Mark Steyn , the claim by Boublil and Schönberg as Frenchmen to have a special "insider's knowledge" of the Vietnamese is accepted as a fact, and Miss Saigon is portrayed as a historically accurate picture of the Vietnam war. The American scholar Yutian Wong complained about the first chapter of The Story of Miss Saigon written by Behr who covered

3840-519: The American characters as a "mystery," which the American scholar Karen Shimakawa felt reflected racist and misogynic views about Asians and Asian women in particular. Shimakawa argued that the romance between the Marine Chris with Kim was intended as a message by Boublil and Schönberg about the legitimacy and justice of the Vietnam war with the submissive Kim looking up to Chris to protect and save her from her own people. The wedding between Chris and Kim

3936-402: The Engineer and Tam who are the only ones from Vietnam able to reach the United States, with Kim committing suicide seeming to send the message Americanness is defined in the musical at least partly in racial terms to "the extent that Tam and other biracial children are contemplated as even potentially American, their ties to their Vietnamese mothers are severed". In the song "Bui-Doi", John leads

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4032-489: The Engineer as he fantasizes about American life relate only to his greed as he imagines America to be a land of boundless wealth that will make him very rich and he makes no mention whatsoever of American values like freedom and democracy as a reason to come to America. Wong felt that the message of "The American Dream" song was that Asian immigrants to America are only motivated by avarice and materialism whereas European immigrants are motivated by more idealistic motives such as

4128-457: The Engineer on Broadway. Though there had been a large, well-publicised international search among Asian actresses to play Kim, there had been no equivalent search for Asian actors to play the major Asian male roles—specifically, those of the Engineer (Pryce) and Thuy (Keith Burns). The American scholar Angelica Pao observed the first production of Miss Saigon in London's West End, Macintosh had gone out of his way to cast Asian actresses to play

4224-657: The New York production, which is the longest-running Broadway musical of all time. He produced Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil's next musical Miss Saigon , which opened at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in the West End in September 1989. It was similarly successful, and the 1991 Broadway production had what was then the largest advance ticket sales in theatre history prior to its controversy . Asian American actors protested

4320-462: The Opera , Cats , Miss Saigon , Mary Poppins , Oliver! , and Hamilton . Mackintosh was knighted in 1996 for services to musical theatre. Two of his productions, Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera , are the two longest-running musicals in West End history . In 2008, The Daily Telegraph ranked him number 7 in their list of the "100 most powerful people in British culture". In

4416-687: The Theatre's refurbishment, it was performed in a giant tent 'Theatre in the Park' in July and August. In 2014, the production toured the UK and Ireland starring Brian Conley in the title role. On 27 January 2014, Mackintosh was the first British producer to be inducted into Broadway's American Theater Hall of Fame . On 3 May 2014, Mackintosh relaunched Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre in London, celebrating 25 years since its first launch. In 2016, Mackintosh co-produced

4512-403: The United States. The playwright David Henry Hwang and the actor B.D Wong wrote public letters of protest against Pryce's casting. Both Hwang and Wong had seen Miss Saigon on the West End of London, and felt Pryce's performance as the Engineer was demeaning to Asians. As Alan Eisenberg, executive secretary of Actors' Equity explained: "The casting of a Caucasian actor made up to appear Asian

4608-550: The Vietnam war for Newsweek , where Behr confessed to sleeping with hundreds of Vietnamese prostitutes during his time in Saigon, experiences that convinced him that Miss Saigon was a realistic and accurate picture of Vietnam. Wong charged that Behr made very sweeping claims about Vietnamese women, a subject which he claimed to be an expert, based solely upon his experiences with the prostitutes, which she felt to be very misleading perspective on Vietnam. Wong wrote that Behr's nostalgic and romanticized account of prostitution in Saigon

4704-470: The Vietnamese women, arguing that this was necessary to provide authenticity, but he was content to cast white actors as Vietnamese men. However, others mentioned the Engineer was Eurasian (French-Vietnamese), arguing Pryce was being discriminated against on the basis that he was Caucasian. Also, Pryce was considered by many in Europe to have "star status," a clause that allows a well-known foreign actor to recreate

4800-455: The box office and a lukewarm critical reception before becoming a massive hit, largely by word-of-mouth and is now the longest running musical and second longest running London production. In 1986, Mackintosh produced Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera , which is one of the most commercially successful musicals of all time. The original London production is still running and is the 3rd longest running production in London, along with

4896-404: The business and legal end of employing staff, as in any business entity. Hiring creative staff and teams generally involves the director and playwright's approval. The producer hires the production team, including the general manager, production manager , house manager, stage manager , etc., at their discretion. In many cases, contracts require that the producer use front of house staff (such as

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4992-403: The casting of a Caucasian actor and the use of yellowface in the role of the pimp. Mackintosh has produced several other successful musicals, including Five Guys Named Moe (both in London in 1990 and on Broadway) and a revised London production of Stephen Sondheim 's Follies in 1987. In 1995, Mackintosh produced the 10th anniversary concert of Les Misérables in London. Additionally he

5088-497: The claim by Boublil and Schönberg as Frenchmen to have a special understanding of Vietnam because Vietnam is a former French colony went largely unchallenged by the British media when Miss Saigon premiered in London in 1989 and likewise by the American media when Miss Saigon made its debut in New York in 1991, which she argued reflected the tendency in the West to place a premium on white views of Asians over Asian views of themselves. In

5184-446: The cruel world of Saigon. Wong wrote that even when Kim complains about her situation that: "Chris is her savior from Asian-style patriarchy, a fate far worse than prostitution. Imperialist discourse locates the fantasy of sex with white men-and not feminism-as a liberatory ideology. Justifying prostitution justifies colonization in the service of rescuing Asian women from the cultural backwardness (Asian men)". At one point, Chris sings

5280-468: The desire for freedom and democracy. The Engineer is a man who wants to escape from a Communist nation to the United States, yet the only motive that Miss Saigon gives him for wanting to flee is his greed, which was not how a man who wanted to escape from one of the Communist nations of Eastern Europe to the United States would have been portrayed. Shimakawa wrote that in the musical, Vietnam only exists as

5376-451: The end of the world. If Broadway does happen, then fine, it's great. If it doesn't, I'm not going to be a sourpuss. I'll probably go back to school or continue doing Kim in London. It's really up to me what I want to do.'' In the same interview, she also noted that reprising the role on Broadway "would mean another chance for the Filipino to get a foot in the door, and hopefully push it open all

5472-474: The first song "The Heat is On in Saigon" begins with the lines: "The heat is on in Saigon/The girls are hotter 'n hell/Tonight one of these slits will be Miss Saigon/God the tension is high/Not to mention the smell". The prostitute heroine Kim is portrayed as the “Lotus Blossom” archetype, the innocent but sexually available, frail, mysterious, demure and submissive Asian beauty whose life is defined by her love for

5568-472: The girls concerned. Wong wrote that as a woman, she found this statement to be very offensive. As part of their defense of Miss Saigon , Steyn in one of his chapters accused the Asian-American activists who protested against Miss Saigon of racism, whom he accused of a "new tribalism" that threatened "a new era of conformity and sanctimoniousness". Most of the Asian actresses and dancers that appeared in

5664-535: The gods of fortune/Midnight and high noon/Sharing the sky" is meant to emphasize the opposing nature of the East as embodied by Kim and the West as embodied by Chris. That the high noon and midnight by definition cannot share the same sky illustrates the musical's point that Chris and Kim, however deep their love may be, cannot be together as a couple as they are from different worlds that do not belong together. Schönberg stated when he and Boublil were writing Miss Saigon that

5760-454: The governing principle was that "the show is about East/West, male/female/, materialistic/fatalistic". Shimakawa criticized this aspect of Miss Saigon with its suggestion that the divisions between "East/West" are mutually exclusive and always will be with the apparent message that Asians can never truly become citizens of Western nations. Shimakawa wrote that it was the Eurasian characters of

5856-414: The house manager, box office , ushers, etc.) and backstage personnel ( stage hands , electrician, carpenter, etc.) supplied by the theatre. The producer creates, builds on and oversees the budget, sets ticket prices, chooses performance dates and times, and develops a marketing and advertising strategy for the production. Hiring a publicist and marketing team is one of the most important responsibilities of

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5952-462: The logic of the play suggests, is hereditary: it is the direct result of his racially and nationally mixed beginnings in prostitution and sexual debauchery”. Chris's best friend, the aptly named John, who is usually played by black actors as the character of John was envisioned by Boublil and Schönberg as African American, is an enthusiastic patron of the women of the Dreamland brothel, thereby playing to

6048-616: The longest running musicals on both sides of the Atlantic. After the success of Cats , he approached the French writing team Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil about bringing their musical Les Misérables (then a successful French concept album) to the London stage. The musical opened in 1985 at the Barbican before transferring to the Palace Theatre . Les Misérables had a shaky start at

6144-461: The material might actually be racially and sexually offensive to Asian women". The Trinidadian-Canadian critic Richard Fung wrote in 1994: "If Miss Saigon were the only show about sexually available Asian women and money-grubbing Asian men, it wouldn't be a stereotype and there would be no protest-negative portrayals per se are not a problem". Fung argued that the way in which films, television and plays repeated such stereotypes ad nauseam had

6240-452: The message that "Asia equals prostitution". The passivity and moral purity of Kim, who is utterly faithful towards Chris despite his abandonment of her and their son in Vietnam and marriage to an American woman, Ellen, seems to suggest that the proper place of an Asian woman is to be subservient towards a white man. Despite her profession as a prostitute, the 17-year-old Kim is portrayed as a virginal innocent, in need of Chris's protection from

6336-416: The message that Kim, unlike her half-American son Tam, never could become an American citizen because as a Vietnamese woman she does not belong in the United States. Shimakawa further maintained that the way that Chris has a passionate romance with Kim, but ends up marrying the white woman Ellen, causing Kim to commit suicide, reflects a long-standing Western trope where Asian women serve as a love interest for

6432-461: The musical is to support Chris and to be jealous of Kim-serves to allow Chris to "signify his Americanness as male, heterosexual, and unavailable to Kim as an avenue to U.S. citizenship (through marriage)". The idealized and passive character of Kim, who is portrayed as being the true Vietnam, stands in marked contrast to the male Vietnamese characters. Thuy, the Viet Cong man who wants to marry Kim

6528-451: The musical's logo, a painting of a helicopter done in a manner highly evocative of Chinese calligraphy, reflected the musical's perspective that all Asian cultures were just "mysterious aesthetics" for Westerners as the viewpoint in Miss Saigon is that all of Asia, not just Vietnam, is "inscrutable and/or incomprehensible (although potentially aesthetically and sexually pleasurable), defining Americaness in opposition". Finally, Shimakawa said

6624-411: The net profit, the other 50% going to the investors. Statistically, highly successful shows with big profits are the exception. Independent commercial production is a high risk business. Another kind of producer is the non-independent, or line producer , who facilitates other people's projects. A repertory or repertoire or festival or non-profit or amateur organization, in most cases, uses

6720-475: The original West End production of Miss Saigon in 1989 were Filipina and many were uncomfortable about the costumes they were expected to wear on stage together with the sexually explicit dance numbers they were expected to perform. Steyn and Behr argued that the reluctance of the Filipina performers was due to their Roman Catholicism, leading Wong to write that it seemed not to interest either Behr or Steyn "...that

6816-399: The original theatrical production enhances the value of an artistic property. This right to further options may be included in the royalty agreement. In other duties, the producer may work with theatrical agents, negotiate with unions, find other staff, secure the theatre and rehearsal hall, obtain liability and workers' compensation insurance, and post bonds with unions. The producer handles

6912-413: The person responsible for the financial aspects of producing a play, including acquiring the rights to produce it; renting a theatre; hiring actors and staff; and selling tickets. In Britain, these functions were carried out by the manager, while the person responsible for staging the play (now called the "director") was traditionally referred to as the producer. The independent producer usually initiates

7008-420: The possibility of the "Vietnamese boat people" overwhelming Britain, and falsely stated that most of them were infected with leprosy , prompting a popular outcry to stop the "boat people" from coming to the United Kingdom. Shimakawa observed the song "The American Dream" (where the Engineer fantasizes about life in the United States and where he is shown as having clearly absurd notions about what American life

7104-451: The producer. These teams are generally in place before the show is cast. The producer collaborates with the director and all staff to plan a production timeline and deadlines for various aspects of the production to ensure a successful show opening and run. The producer and director oversee this timeline, with periodic re-assessment and modifications as needed. The producer hires accountants, and perhaps already has legal representation. This

7200-401: The production in a limited partnership agreement. In this business structure, the producer becomes the general partner with unlimited liability, and because of this, often brings in other general partners. The producer probably has optioned the play from the playwright , which includes rights to future production for film and television. The producer earns the right to future ventures because

7296-433: The production—finding the script and starting the process. The producer finds the director and pursues the primary goals, to balance and coordinate business and financial aspects in the service of the creative realization of the playwright's vision. This may include casting, but often only includes casting approval. The producer may secure funds for the production, either through their own company or by bringing investors into

7392-412: The same way that Chris does. In contrast to these examples of flawed masculinity, the white Chris is portrayed as a kind, gentle man with a genuine love and concern for Kim. At one point, he sings: “I wanted to save her, protect her/Christ, I’m an American/How could I fail to do good?” Chris explains his relationship with Kim to Ellen not in terms of love despite the fact that he married her and fathered

7488-547: The show, despite massive advance ticket sales. The Miss Saigon casting controversy was the source of much public interest in 1990 as the Miss Saigon debate made it to the front pages of The New York Times 8 times in August 1990. Editorials in the Los Angeles Times , The Washington Post , USA Today , and The Wall Street Journal published over the course of one week in August 1990 insisted Pryce should be cast as

7584-464: The slurs applied by the Marines to the prostitutes in Miss Saigon were merely "realistic", stating that the Marines in Vietnam did talk that way about Vietnamese women. In The Story of Miss Saigon , Behr wrote about the "extreme youth" of the prostitutes whose services he used, which led him to portray teenage prostitution in Vietnam as a charming coming-of-age ritual that led to moments of "pure joy" for

7680-410: The song "Bui-Doi" there is no mention of the Vietnamese mothers of these children who are portrayed as being the exclusive responsibility of their American fathers, which appears to suggest that to become American, the Vietnamese heritage of the "bui-doi" children must be suppressed as the musical seems to be arguing that a dual American-Vietnamese identity is impossible. Under American immigration law in

7776-408: The stereotype of black men as having an unrestrained, lascivious sexuality. Unlike the romantic Chris, John sees the women of the Dreamland brothel only as sex objects, and is much given to crude, macho boosting about his sexual prowess. Shimakawa argued that the way that John is portrayed as Chris's sidekick is meant to suggest that, although he is an American, he does not embody the ideal American in

7872-415: The stereotype. Kim is the only woman at the Dreamland brothel who does not walk around all the time in a string bikini. The American scholar Wong Yutian described Miss Saigon as promoting the image of "an effeminzed and infantized Asia serving as a low-budget whorehouse for the West". That the Vietnam war impoverished many Vietnamese people, and forced many women to turn to prostitution in order to survive,

7968-538: The successful Conservative candidate for Somerton and Frome , David Warburton . In the 2016 European Union membership referendum , Mackintosh voted for the UK to leave the EU, stating that it was "not because I don't love Europe - I do huge amount of work in Europe and love Europeans - but there is something wrong with a system where the Fat Controller is not accountable". Theatrical producer A theatrical producer

8064-475: The team, and their names appear above the show title. However, many "producers" are really investors or the theatre owner, and claim no say in running the production. A producer credit occasionally applies to people who perform special important services, such as finding a theatre or a star—but normally, the credit for such roles is associate producer . The producer works closely with the production team and cast to make all final decisions. The producer, ultimately,

8160-543: The vicious, sleazy pimp Tran Van Dinh aka the Engineer is a Eurasian man whose sexuality is “simply incomprehensible, illegible, indeterminate, even as it is spectacularly displayed”. Shimakawa described the Engineer as "simultaneously lascivious, sexually exploitative, pansexual and desexualized". The Engineer had a French father and a Vietnamese mother, but throughout the musical it is always his "orientalness" that he displays. Shimakawa wrote "the Engineer embodies an uncategorizable yet spectacular perversity-a condition that,

8256-411: The viewpoint that Vietnam is merely a place that provides exotic spectacles for Chris and other Americans to enjoy. For Chris, his marriage to Ellen is his "real" marriage because American law is the legitimate social regulatory force; his marriage to Kim is a "pretty" spectacle for him as he phrases it and he does not consider Kim to be his wife. Shimakawa argued that the character of Ellen-whose role in

8352-472: The way." On January 7, 1991, arbitrator Daniel Gerald Collins, a law professor at New York University , reversed the AEA ruling to allow Salonga to star. Five months later, Salonga thanked the labor union during her winning speech at the 45th Tony Awards . In Miss Saigon , Vietnam is portrayed as a mysterious, exotic, sensuous place yet full of incomprehensible savagery and incredible “filth”. The opening chorus of

8448-488: Was Filipina . The Actors' Equity Association (AEA) initially prevented her from reprising her role, wishing to give priority to Asian-American performers. However, Cameron Mackintosh claimed that he was unable to find a satisfactory replacement for Salonga despite the extensive search in which 1,200 candidates auditioned. Government officials in the Philippines expressed support for her, and her father threatened to return

8544-407: Was "emptied of the violence, disease, abuse and humiliations suffered by the prostitutes themselves" that made the brothels of Saigon sound positively benign and indeed romantic. Wong also argued that Behr's claim that Miss Saigon was not racist and sexist because in real life the U.S. servicemen had a profound respect for the prostitutes whose services they used is contradicted by his statement that

8640-466: Was because the United States has a much larger Asian population than the United Kingdom. In the London production of Miss Saigon , Lea Salonga originally starred as Kim, with Jonathan Pryce as the Engineer. When the production transferred from London to New York City , the Actors' Equity Association (AEA) refused to allow Pryce, a white actor, to portray the role of the Engineer, a Eurasian pimp , in

8736-466: Was just as relevant in 1980s Britain as it was in the United States. Beginning in 1978, a vast exodus of people known as the "boat people" fled from Vietnam via boat, and many of them crossed the South China Sea to apply for asylum in the British colony of Hong Kong . British newspapers commonly called the refugees " Vietnamese boat people ", but the term was something of a misnomer as the majority of

8832-477: Was named in a list of the biggest private financial donors to the Labour Party , a decision he later regretted, saying in 2010, "Labour really fucked it up. They were profligate at a time when we were doing well. That's why we have the problems we have now. They didn't save any money for a rainy day. It couldn't have been worse these last 12 years." In the 2015 British general election , Mackintosh donated £25,000 to

8928-506: Was responsible for presenting the West End transfers of the National Theatre revivals of Oklahoma! (1999), My Fair Lady (2001), and Carousel (1993). Mackintosh's less successful London productions include Moby Dick (1993) and Martin Guerre (1996). He produced the stage adaptation of John Updike 's The Witches of Eastwick (2000) which despite some positive reviews and

9024-449: Was telling that Boublil in an interview stated that the principal problem for him with Madame Butterfly was the callous and cruel nature of Pinkerton, which he "fixed" by making Chris into a far more likeable and sympathetic character than Pinkerton. Shimakawa maintained that the "Sun and the Moon" theme song of Chris and Kim, which features the lyrics "You are sunlight and I, the moon/Joined by

9120-492: Was the fastest-selling show in West End history, with £15 million of pre-opening sales. In April 2010, Mackintosh staged a West End revival of the musical Hair in London's Gielgud Theatre . This production was transferred from Broadway, where a revival production was staged in 2009. In 2013, he worked with the Chichester Festival Theatre on a revival of Barnum , starring Christopher Fitzgerald . Due to

9216-465: Was the first theatrical producer to recognise that both touring productions and worldwide productions (often in countries where musicals were seldom seen such as the former eastern bloc countries in the early 90s) were potentially highly lucrative markets which could collectively, match and even surpass the revenues generated from New York and London productions. Mackintosh has also had considerable success in bringing legitimate theatre directors (such as

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