Cast Member Of Miss Saigon Showing At OKC Has Personal Connection To Musical
Friday, January 17th 2020, 7:39 am
By: Ashley Holden
One of the performers in the musical Miss Saigon currently showing at the Civic Center Musical Hall has a close personal connection to the story line.
The Broadway Show tells the story of a young Vietnam woman who falls in love with an American GI.
Jackie Nguyen is a part of the female ensemble and serves as a Vietnamese language consultant. One of her roles is to make sure everything is as authentic as possible. A role that fits Nguyen perfectly because of her family history.
"I'm first generation Vietnamese-American," explained Nguyen. "My mom was 17 when the war began, and she met an American GI and they had three kids."
Nguyen's three half brothers and her mom, Minh, ended up immigrating to America in 1984.
The young performer said when her mom watches, Minh feels like she's seeing some of what she lived through.
"There's certain scenes she doesn't really enjoy watching just because they are so real," said Nguyen.
When asked if her mom was proud that she was in this particular show, Nguyen said her mom does get emotional that her daughter is helping share the story of their past.
"I think she just gets kinda choked up," said Nguyen. "Which makes me super proud to be her daughter because I feel like I'm kind of her voice."
Even though she's not as close to the story as her mom, Nguyen said Miss Saigon's plot is still a part of her past.
"Its extremely personal to me because its part of my culture its part of my history," said Nguyen.
For audience members in OKC, she hopes they see the relevance of Miss Saigon, even today.
"You can see the desperation and the heartache a refugee has to go through [in their] life, especially in the midst of a war,"
said Nguyen.
Miss Saigon is in OKC through Sunday, January 19. For ticket information head to OKC Broadway's official website.
