[MUSIC PLAYING] SPEAKER 1: On behalf of
the Talks at Google team, I would like to welcome you all
to see today's Talks at Google with the cast of the Broadway
revival of "Miss Saigon." For those of you unfamiliar
with "Miss Saigon," this comes from the creators
of "Les Miserables." The musical "Miss
Saigon" is the epic story of a young Vietnamese
woman named Kim. In a bar run by a notorious
character called The Engineer, Kim meets a young American GI. That encounter will change
their lives forever. Featuring stunning spectacle,
a sensational cast of 45, and a soaring score,
including Broadway hits like "Last Night of the
World," "I Still Believe," and "I'd Give my
Life for You," this is a theatrical event
you will never forget. So to whet your
appetite a little bit, we've got a little
sizzle reel from the show to give you a little preview. And then we're going to
have the cast come up and perform a couple of
numbers, after which we'll do a little Q&A.
At the end, we'll open it up to the audience. So if you've got
questions, be sure to hold onto those until the end and
we'll make sure we get to you. All right, thanks so much
and enjoy the performance. [APPLAUSE] [VIDEO PLAYBACK] - [INAUDIBLE] Dreamland. - The epic love
story of our time is sweeping audiences
off their feet. "Miss Saigon" soars
to the rafters. It's sensational in every way. - I'm getting you out. - A passionate production! Brilliantly cast. A dynamite Broadway revival. The new "Miss
Saigon" on Broadway. [END PLAYBACK] [APPLAUSE] ALISTAIR BRAMMER: Hello. EVA NOBLEZADA: Morning. [MUSIC - "LAST NIGHT OF THE
WORLD"] NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER: How's
everybody doing today? Pretty good? Aren't they pretty? So basically, at this
point in the story, my character, John, and a
bunch of the Vietnam Vets start a foundation called
the Bui-Doi Foundation. And what that is, is
that is a foundation to raise money to go
back to Vietnam to help the children that were
basically produced by the war-- American citizens that have
a right to live in America. So this is a song about me
asking you for your money. So play along, you've
got to be an audience. That's your
character, all right? [MUSIC - "BUI-DOI"] [APPLAUSE] EVA NOBLEZADA: Hello, again. This next song is actually
the finale of Act 1. And without giving too much
away, the scene prior to this was very emotional,
very passionate. And I realize in this
moment that nothing is more important
than protecting my child, my son,
Tam, who at this time was around three years old. And the song is called
"I'd Give my Life for You." [MUSIC - "I'D GIVE MY LIFE FOR
YOU"] [APPLAUSE] SPEAKER 1: That was amazing. The singing was stunning. So first of all, thank you
so much for being here. Maybe we can get it started
by just going down the row and introducing
yourself and saying your character in the show. EVA NOBLEZADA: My
name is Eva Noblezada and I play the role of Kim. ALISTAIR BRAMMER: My
name is Alistair Brammer. I play the role of Chris. GRAHAM SCOTT FLEMING:
I'm Graham Scott Fleming and I'm part of the ensemble. BILLY BUSTAMANTE: Hi,
I'm Billy Bustamante. I'm also in the male ensemble. JULIAN DEGUZMAN:
Julian DeGuzman, also in the male ensemble. ANTOINE L. SMITH: Antoine
L. Smith, Captain Shultz, male ensemble. SPEAKER 1: All
right, [INAUDIBLE].. PAUL MILLER: Paul Miller,
I'm in the ensemble as well. JON JON BRIONES: Jon Jon
Briones, I play The Engineer. ROBERT PENDILLA: Robert
Pendilla, in the ensemble. NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER: Nicholas
Christopher, I play John. SPEAKER 1: So I'd love
to kick things off by talking a little bit
about the historical context of the show. So this is obviously a show that
is deeply rooted in history. Clearly, the show
is fiction, but it's set very distinctly
in a specific time period-- basically, the
end of the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon. I can pretty safely
say most of us here probably were
not born at this time and did not have a chance to
experience this firsthand. So how did you guys
go about getting the context of the show? Did you have members
of the creative team brief you on facts and history? And how did you get up to speed? NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER: On
the first day of rehearsal, or the first three days
of rehearsal, all of us together watched documentaries. And we also talked about books. And we talked about
different things that we've learned
about the Vietnam War in terms of the context
and the time period. [CLEARS THROAT] Excuse me. But then also,
this show is based on "Madame Butterfly" told
through the lens of the Vietnam War. So with those heightened
circumstances, it allows us to take
certain artistic liberties with the show. But for the most
part, we all got on the same page about
how long the war was, what it was like to get out, the
repercussions of the war after. Yeah, we took, like, three,
four days to do dramaturgy. SPEAKER 1: Got it. And I know that many
members of the cast are not actually from
the US or from Vietnam. And I think we've got Bermuda,
Canada, UK, Philippines represented, maybe
even other countries. Do you guys feel-- for those of you born
outside of the US-- do you feel like
you come to this with a different
perspective than, say, the average American who's maybe
been steeped in Vietnam history and what the Vietnam
War represented? ALISTAIR BRAMMER: I feel
more pressure that-- I think I don't know about that. I've never been an American. [CHUCKLES] But I feel a lot-- [CHUCKLING] I feel a lot of pressure
to do the story justice, as someone that wasn't
around during that time and who isn't from
here, because you don't want to do a
disservice to anybody that was involved in the story. So that's how I feel. I feel it's a duty to do it
as truthfully and honestly as possible. JON JON BRIONES: I was born
and raised in the Philippines. And during the
fall of Vietnam, we had a lot of refugees
come to the Philippines-- two boat loads of
refugees, maybe three. So I've lived that. I actually am born and raised
in one of the slums of Manila. So I understand the squalor, the
difficulties, maybe not as much as how they-- what they experience in Vietnam. But I understand it more coming
from a third-world country. SPEAKER 1: Got it. And obviously, I
think what happens in the context of the play has
a lot of resonances with what's going on in the world today. Especially Kim, The Engineer,
Tam become refugees, have to flee their home. This has a lot of
parallels about what's been going on in the Middle
East in the last several years. How much does the current
political context, if at all, shape your performances? EVA NOBLEZADA: I
think, especially now, when things are so easily
triggered and heated, it's important to have these
conversations put on the table so that we can talk about them
and that there is open dialogue about, well, the story. And what's great is
that there's not-- I believe that when you
come and see the show, if you listen with open ears,
there's no way that you cannot be emotionally affected. There's no way that you
can leave the theater without thinking, oh my god,
you know what that reminds me-- you know, the same
thing's going on today. The refugees-- you
know that happened. Oh, look at the natural
disasters happening, all the refugees that-- this story is
legendary and timeless because no matter when
you put it in history, it will be relevant. There is always war. There is always going to be some
kind of devastation happening throughout the
country, politically and with the people. And it's great to
have, like I said, an open dialogue about it. JON JON BRIONES:
And I think as well, as Americans, what
we do-- what we do in other countries in the
past had a lot of effects on the world, our policies. It's not being preachy, but the
story is that, in our story, we talk about what we've
done in that country, what happened to people, the
effects, what we produced there. And all of this is all-- but we have a love story. That is the main point there. SPEAKER 1: Got it. So one of the things-- I guess that's more
general in terms of people who have been
impacted by the war and effects. I was reading a
story in "The Times" where I think one
of your cast mates talked about how a certain
Vietnam Vet would come back. And it was cathartic. They would come once a week. Have you seen any impacts,
or heard from any members of the audience-- either
Vietnam vets or on the flip side of the coin, people who were
in Vietnam and were impacted-- who come to this and have
certain reactions because they were directly impacted? JON JON BRIONES: I-- ALISTAIR BRAMMER: I have, yeah. JON JON BRIONES: Well,
actually, when I was on tour-- I've been doing this
show for a long time. So when I was on tour in
the Midwest, the very first show we did, and one
of our crew guys-- because if you've seen the show,
the very first thing you hear is the sound of a helicopter. And it's rumbling. And it's really strong. And this guy, one of our crew
members, just froze like this. And we found out that he
was a Vietnam Veteran. And he couldn't move. And that was-- it
still affected him. They still felt it. EVA NOBLEZADA: We met
somebody in London at backstage who-- it
was a grandmother who didn't speak a word of English. And her granddaughter was
translating everything. And she was one of the boat
people that came across. And that was really
extraordinary to hear from the tales, and another
story about someone my age, or a bit older actually,
who was put in a box to kind of hideaway
on one of the boats. It's just incredible,
the stories you hear. And I think we've gotten a
few bui-dois at the stage door as well. It really does impact everybody,
which I think is quite special. ALISTAIR BRAMMER:
There was a guy who was an American who was there. And with the lighting
and set design, you try and recreate the
world as best as you can. But when you've got three walls,
and a theater of 1,000-plus seats, I always feel
like we must be failing because, of course, it
doesn't look like Vietnam. But this guy said, it does. He said, you guys have really
captured the heat of the place, is what he said to me. He said, it just looks so hot. And my biggest memory of
that place is how hot it was and how busy it was. He said, and it
really does capture-- this is what he said. I'm not-- [CHUCKLES]
he said, it really captures the essence of what
that place was for him, which was a great thing to hear. SPEAKER 1: So let's
actually pivot a little bit from the historical context
to talk a little bit more about this production itself. So obviously, I
think most people will know this is a
revival of a show that was on Broadway in the early '90s. Tremendous success, both
critically, financially. So I'd love to know a little bit
about how the show has changed. My understanding is this is
not a direct carbon copy. There are even a new song,
changes to much of the lyrics. So I don't know if any of
you would feel comfortable talking to that. Jon Jon, I know that you've
been with the show actually the longest and actually
from the original cast. But I would love to
hear your perspective on how things have
changed over time and how this is different
from the previous original production. JON JON BRIONES:
Well, first of all-- [CHUCKLING] --the set is different. It's totally different, right-- SPEAKER 1: Yeah. JON JON BRIONES: --our set. The original set is
beautiful because I think it was the most
high-tech set ever, because things were
just gliding in and out. And the first time you
see it, you go, oh my god. And when you first see the
helicopter going vrr-- like. But this time around,
I think it's grittier. The producers have been
doing this for a long time. So now they know what they want. They want this grittier
because of the new-- for the new audience. And times have changed. It's not as pretty and as-- ANTOINE L. SMITH:
Broadway [INAUDIBLE].. JON JON BRIONES: It
needs to represent what really happened back then. So it is uglier. It's hotter. It's not pretty. Like, for example,
the very first scene, they don't want people to go,
oh my god, that is so fun. I want to be in it. They want you to see
it and go, oh my god. That's disgusting. That's awful. NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER:
From my understanding, I believe the first-- just to piggyback off
of what Jon Jon said, the first production
was much closer, it was much more heightened,
and much closer to an opera. And now, our show really
flows very nicely, almost in a cinematic way. ALISTAIR BRAMMER: Yeah, it
seems to be more high def, doesn't it now, I think? SPEAKER 1: Yeah, got it. ALISTAIR BRAMMER: Sharper. EVA NOBLEZADA: Yeah. SPEAKER 1: And speaking of
changes with the production side, this current production
started out in the West End in 2014, if I'm correct. I believe, Jon
Jon, Alistair, you guys were part of the original
production, and Eva as well, of course. So did you see changes
from the production when you brought it
from the UK to the US? EVA NOBLEZADA: Yes. SPEAKER 1: And is that, like-- EVA NOBLEZADA:
[INAUDIBLE] changes. ALISTAIR BRAMMER: Identical. SPEAKER 1: --is it? [CHUCKLING] ALISTAIR BRAMMER: No. SPEAKER 1: Is it a
response to the audience? Or was it, hey, we figured
out these things didn't work in London, so when
we're making the transfer, we want an overhaul? ALISTAIR BRAMMER:
Yeah, it has changed. There's been certain
lyrical changes. It's funny. Each time you come
and revisit it-- because I did the show
for a year in London and then went away. And then I came back
to it very briefly to-- we did a filmed version. And then we've come here. And each time, it's just--
they just try and delete any of the things that are
considered to be unrealistic. There's just a few little
single syllables and ohs that are quite musical
theater, like (SINGING) oh, that they've gone, we
don't need that anymore. So it seems to be coming
more and more real and more and more
conversational, I think, each time you revisit it. EVA NOBLEZADA: I feel like it
trims the fat off of it a bit. Like when Nick was saying,
it started off kind of like an opera, I feel
like now, almost, you could consider it a play with
song, because it's so smooth, the way the production goes. From my understanding, you
bring in different actors who are all frickin' outstanding. And the whole dynamic changes. You have different chemistry
between different people. And you have different stories
and different perspectives of, like, say, Ellen. She is a critical
role in the show and one of the
hardest in the show. She comes on stage and
she has very little time. But every single second,
millisecond counts. And it's worth weight, just as
much as Kim and The Engineer. And with that, like, you have
different people playing it, you're going to have
different staging. You're going to have
different ways of storytelling through the songs and reacting
with the other performers. SPEAKER 1: Cool. Speaking about the
impact of individuals, I would love to talk a
little bit about some of your individual
journeys because I think we've got some really
fascinating stories in terms of your backgrounds. So, Eva, you have a
really interesting journey in terms of how your path to
the professional theater world. My understanding is that
when you were in the West End production, that was your
first professional performance. EVA NOBLEZADA: Yeah,
that was the first time ever getting paid. SPEAKER 1: OK. Would you mind-- JON JON BRIONES: She was 17. SPEAKER 1: Which is
crazy and amazing. Would you talk a little
bit about your journey, and how you were
discovered, and what it was like to be 17 and be the
lead in a major epic musical? EVA NOBLEZADA: It wasn't mental. It wasn't, like, all fun. It was like the most difficult
thing I've ever done. [CHUCKLES] So a long story short, I was
plucked from a musical theater competition here in New
York, at the Minskoff, called the Jimmy Awards,
the National High School Musical Theatre Awards. And from Tara Rubin, who's
a casting director here, knew that "Saigon" was casting. I had no idea. [WHISTLES] I literally had
no experience before that. And we drove up to New
York from North Carolina. And I auditioned a few times. And yeah, it really
went quickly. It was so difficult because,
I mean, I left high school. I left everything. But it was all worth
it and then some because this show
has, like, changed me. It's been incredible. But there's so many incredible
stories, like, in the cast, definitely. JON JON BRIONES: I heard
that Tara Rubin, the casting director, was there
when she was singing. And she went-- pulled out her
phone and started recording and sent it to Cameron. SPEAKER 1: Wow. EVA NOBLEZADA: Really? Oh. SPEAKER 1: Cameron
is the producer. [CHUCKLING] Cameron is the producer
of the musical, for those who aren't familiar. That's pretty amazing. And for those of
you who don't know, Eva was actually nominated
for a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical-- [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] --which is pretty amazing-- ANTOINE L. SMITH:
Against Bette Midler-- SPEAKER 1:
--considering your age. So I wanted to ask-- ANTOINE L. SMITH: [INAUDIBLE]. [CHUCKLING] SPEAKER 1: You were nominated
against some pretty heavy hitters. I have it down here. Let's see-- Bette Midler, Patti
LuPone, Christine Ebersole. What is it like to
be, like, your age and against these people? Like, were these your idols? I'm sure you knew who
these people were. What was it like to
be sitting there? EVA NOBLEZADA: It was surreal. [CHUCKLING] It was surreal. But the same time, like,
it was just a good time, because I don't really base
my career off getting awards. But obviously,
duh, what an honor. SPEAKER 1: Yeah. EVA NOBLEZADA: So it
was just a fun night. Like, the biggest
highlight for me was getting to perform with the
cast and knowing we kicked ass. Like, we killed it. Like, it was amazing. So that was the
big thing for me. And just the recognition
for the show-- that's all that matters. SPEAKER 1: Got it. So pivoting to you,
Jon Jon, you mentioned how you have a very--
we've talked a little bit about your long history. Like I said, you were
part of the original cast. Can you talk about
what it's like? And I understand
that you've performed this all over the world,
and in a variety of roles and a variety of countries. What has it been like
being so involved in one show for such
a long period of time? And do you have a
favorite country and role that you've done
in your journey? JON JON BRIONES: America. [CHUCKLING] Yes, I'm old. I've been with the show
on and off since 1989. This show means so much to me. Because of this show, I was
able to leave the Philippines. I was able to have a better
life for myself and my family. I learned to speak English. I'm still learning. And it brought me to so many
places, so many countries. I met my wife doing the
show in Germany, in German. Both my kids were born in
England because of the show. And they were born for
free because it was London. [CHUCKLING] ALISTAIR BRAMMER:
Woo, woo, woo, woo. JON JON BRIONES: And-- [APPLAUSE] --and actually, a lot of
us former "Saigon" actors, we call the show the show that
keeps on giving because, not to be-- it's one of the few shows
that employs Asian actors. And it's so important to us that
we get a platform to be seen and to see us, and people go,
oh, yeah, they can do that. I totally believe that
because of this show, Asian actors are seen
in a different light now, since it opened. Suddenly, more Asian
actors are being employed. More Asian people
want to go into arts, because they've seen themselves
on stage, and they can do it. And it means so much-- much, much, so much, much, much. Thank you. [CHUCKLING] [APPLAUSE] SPEAKER 1: So I
want to make sure that I get a little bit of
representation from everybody. So I know many of you
in the ensemble also understudy roles in the show. I think for a lot of people
here, we're not in theater. I know, Billy, I
think you're a swing. Is that right? BILLY BUSTAMANTE: Oh, I'm sorry. SPEAKER 1: You're-- sorry. Billy, you're a
swing, as well, right? BILLY BUSTAMANTE: I'm in
the ensemble of the show, so I have a role in
the show every night. SPEAKER 1: OK. BILLY BUSTAMANTE: But then
every now and then, I go on for this lovely gentleman. SPEAKER 1: Oh, OK. Wow. So would all of you guys
who are understudies, could you speak a
little bit to what it's like to be an understudy
on Broadway, what it's like to be on the ensemble? How often do you get to go on? Are you rehearsing your roles
that you're understudying for-- is that something you do
frequently to stay up to speed? BILLY BUSTAMANTE:
You know what, I think we have quite a
few understudies here. Do we all want to say
who we cover real quick? ANTOINE L. SMITH: I understudy
the incomparable Nick Chris as John. BILLY BUSTAMANTE: Paul. PAUL MILLER: I recently started
understudying the role of Thuy. JULIAN DEGUZMAN: I
also understudy Thuy. GRAHAM SCOTT FLEMING: I
understudy Alistair, so Chris. NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER:
I understudy Kim. [LAUGHING] SPEAKER 1: I would
pay to see that one. ROBERT PENDILLA: When Billy
has to go on for The Engineer, then I have to understudy Billy. So I just cover ensemble people. BILLY BUSTAMANTE: It's a
circle of life, really. I don't know if you
guys feel the same way. I feel like understudying in
this show is very special. I feel like the creative
team from the get-go was not interested
in, like, plugging us into very constrained
parts, where, like, I feel like
as understudies, we're allowed to play and bring
ourselves to the role as much as possible. So for me, I think it's a
really special experience. ANTOINE L. SMITH: And we
get to rehearse quite often. I, myself, I enjoy the
understudy rehearsal process because it gives you time
to play in the room and-- I mean, not necessarily
play in that matter, but to kind of figure
out the character. And you get to work
with different people during different rehearsals. Like, we just added two
new people to the ensemble. So getting to work with
the new people that come in is very exciting. SPEAKER 1: And how often
would you have the opportunity to get to step in? ANTOINE L. SMITH:
I think I've been on maybe seven or eight times. JULIAN DEGUZMAN: Yeah,
it really varies. ANTOINE L. SMITH:
It just varies. SPEAKER 1: OK. JULIAN DEGUZMAN:
Like, ultimately, our jobs as
understudies or swings, we're insurance policies. So we're in place so
the audience still gets to know the
narrative of the show. So the story is
still told to them. But it's special
every time you go on because we have a very, very
supportive cast in every way. It's kind of rare, like how
well we get along, actually. It's really cool because
every time you go on, you see the excitement
in everyone's faces, like, oh, you're on. SPEAKER 1: Yeah. JULIAN DEGUZMAN:
And it just makes it that much more worth it when
you have people behind you and supporting you and
nurturing you in the role. I mean, it varies how
many times you go on. Like, some of us have
been on 10, 15, 20 times. Others have only been like
once or twice or whatever. But it's always a special
experience anytime we have an understudy
go on because it's like you're on alert. As an ensemble member or whoever
in the show, you're always-- you're like in tune with the
difference, the subtleties, the nuances that change
the show because you have someone new into a role. GRAHAM SCOTT FLEMING: It's also
kind of cool as an understudy-- this is my first time
being understudy-- but you get to see the show
from a different light. There's obviously the stories
and the main characters, who have a story
that you can follow. But ensemble members all
have their own stories, too. So to go from that to also
getting to do this story and see his light
through the show is quite a cool experience. NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER: And
it's also rare for the show not to suffer. Like if you ever
come to see the show, and you see that there's
an understudy on, the show is just as strong. And sometimes, it's a little bit
stronger because you're right. It puts us all on alert. And we're all on our toes. And we're all really listening. And we're all really reacting. So the show is just
as good, if not better sometimes, when there
are understudies on. JON JON BRIONES: And to
add to that, sometimes they find out they're on
that night late morning or early afternoon. Or, you know. NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER: And
one time I had a stomach bug, and Antoine had to go on
in the middle of the show. SPEAKER 1: Oh, wow. [CHUCKLING] EVA NOBLEZADA: [INAUDIBLE]. ANTOINE L. SMITH: But-- NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER: Yeah. ANTOINE L. SMITH: --the cast
is so supportive in everybody. So great. They really were. NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER:
Ladies and gentlemen, for the remainder of the
performance, the role of John will be played by-- EVA NOBLEZADA: Yeah. ANTOINE L. SMITH: It
was very exciting. I will say that the
first time you ever go on as an understudy, like,
sometimes it's just, it's a blur. Like, you don't
even remember what you've done because
you're concentrating on being at the right place
and saying the right words at the right time. And I often think that those are
the best shows because you're so concentrated on doing it. But you just don't
remember it until-- [CHUCKLING] --the next day. SPEAKER 1: So I
want to make sure that we have time to open up
to some audience questions. I've got some more
questions for you. But if anybody has a
question, I believe we have a mic-- yep,
over at that table that has a little red box. ANTOINE L. SMITH: Ooh. SPEAKER 1: If you
approach the box-- BILLY BUSTAMANTE: [INAUDIBLE]. NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER:
Ain't that fancy. ANTOINE L. SMITH: And the
light came up on it as it-- [CHUCKLING] SPEAKER 1: But while we're
waiting for audience questions, if there are any, so I
overheard a little bit while you were in the green
room talking about Tam. So Tam is the son. And if I understand, there's
four little boys who play-- EVA NOBLEZADA:
There's actually-- ANTOINE L. SMITH:
Three boys, one girl. SPEAKER 1: Three boys, one girl? EVA NOBLEZADA: Yeah, one girl. SPEAKER 1: OK-- who
play the role of Tam. So I would imagine having
a young child on the stage always makes things interesting. NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER: Mm-hm. EVA NOBLEZADA: What
are you talking about? SPEAKER 1: Can you tell us
some interesting stories about what it's like
[? during ?] many of them? EVA NOBLEZADA: I
love this story. [CHUCKLING] I will never-- so in London-- stop it. So in London, we had just the
cutest, cutest little boy. And in the finale, obviously,
without giving anything away-- come see the show-- it's very still. It's like moving through
honey, it seems like. So if anything happens
that's out of place, it's easily spotted. And obviously,
with a small child, that needs to be kept
under [INAUDIBLE].. So he needed to
go to the restroom as soon as the curtains opened. And I can see it in his-- he was kind of going
back and forth. And he looked
really, really angry that he needed to go
at the wrong time. And I hold him. And I'm-- something else
is happening on the side of the stage. And I just say, go ahead. [CHUCKLING] Go ahead. Because it would
have been easier for him to do in then than-- JON JON BRIONES:
He was on your lap. EVA NOBLEZADA: Yes,
he was on my lap. He was cradling my lap-- sorry. And yeah, so I did
the curtain call with the beautiful
stain of just piss. [GROANS AND CHUCKLING] Yeah, but you know
what, he said sorry. And he looked
really, really upset. JON JON BRIONES: Yeah. SPEAKER 1: Aw. EVA NOBLEZADA: But it happens. It's one for the kids. ALISTAIR BRAMMER: You just
said, sorry, but it happens. Sorry. One of the [INAUDIBLE]
in here-- and mine's not as funny as that. But Jace-- one of the
kids, Jace, who plays Tam, he walked over to me. His job is to hand
me a photograph. And that's what he's told
to do in that moment. And he decided to say, he went,
you're a (LISPING) thlithering thnake-- [LAUGHING] --just for no reason. SPEAKER 1: Was this on stage? ALISTAIR BRAMMER:
Yeah, on stage, yeah. EVA NOBLEZADA: He told our
Thuy at the Tony Awards-- ALISTAIR BRAMMER:
Yeah, just for-- EVA NOBLEZADA: --at rehearsals,
he just looked at him and goes, I hate you. [LAUGHING] ALISTAIR BRAMMER:
So I was like, OK. I was like, [? ah, ?] in it. JULIAN DEGUZMAN: But he's
a wonderful little boy. ALISTAIR BRAMMER:
Yeah, he's great. EVA NOBLEZADA: Oh, yeah. GRAHAM SCOTT FLEMING:
Actually, they'll let you know if you
made a mistake, too. Because I remember going
on for my first time, I guess I forgot the whole
grab the photo thing-- what he's talking about. And he was waiting to do it. And I was just trying to
focus on plugging his ears. And anyway, we got offstage. And he comes up to me. And he's like, you
didn't take the photo. [LAUGHING] I was like,
(CHUCKLING) I'm sorry. Thanks for the note. SPEAKER 1: Thanks
for the note, sir. All right, looks like we have
a question from the audience. AUDIENCE: Hi, I'm Melina. EVA NOBLEZADA: Hi. AUDIENCE: Thank you all so much. It was amazing. I'm curious about your
experience as actors of color on Broadway. Outside of "Miss
Saigon," have you found that there have been
more opportunities in the past? Do you find that
actors of color are being cast more in
lead roles instead of, like, you know, the
Asian friend, sort of supporting
role, sort of deal? And so I'm just curious
about your experience as performers in New
York and internationally. NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER:
Well, for me, I've noticed a huge difference
since "Hamilton," really, since "Hamilton," being
such a big hit, that now it seems like the fad is
to have actors of color be in lead roles. That's the new kind
of phase that's happening right now, which
is great because it opens up doors for alternative casting
and having casting directors and creative teams think
outside the box, or their box. And so I've noticed the
rooms that I get in, and the attention that I get
once I get into those audition rooms, and how seriously
they take me, which is nice. EVA NOBLEZADA: There's still
a lot of work to be done. NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER: Yeah. EVA NOBLEZADA: I
think it definitely opened a massive door. But at the same
time, it's also, it's not just having them
in the production. It's the way that the
light is shone on them. It's not just having
them as a token anything. They're just as
heavily influenced. I mean, this cast, you can see,
is a sucker punch to the gut with people of color and who
we represent as a people. And to see people at the stage
door going, you look like me. Thank you. And that is literally
the best, isn't it? ANTOINE L. SMITH: Yeah,
and I have to say, it's definitely not the lack of
talent in the people of color. I think it's the fear of
people putting people of color in roles because of the fear
of their monies or people coming to see the show. But I think that times are now
proving that you can definitely put people of color in roles-- of leading roles--
and people will still come and see the show. People will come and
see what you give them. If you're not afraid
to give them that, they're going to come, no
matter what color you are. NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER:
And also one of my least favorite
excuses is, is like, well, then why aren't people
of color creating roles for other people of color? And I was a part of a
great show about prison. And it was like six
black guys on a stage playing a myriad
of different parts and different cultures
and everything like that. And there are so
many more hurdles that are put in place that I had
no idea realizing because it's about getting the money. It's about getting
the right producers. But then once you have
the right producers, you also have to find a theater. And these theater
owners have to be willing to gamble if they're
going to have people come, and gamble their
money and their space on either they're going to
do this prison show with six black actors, or they're
going to do "Annie." And that's like,
there are so many more hurdles than I
even knew before I got into this business. SPEAKER 1: So I
think we could-- oh-- ALISTAIR BRAMMER: Sorry. SPEAKER 1: Yeah, go ahead. ALISTAIR BRAMMER: I know
this isn't my question. [CHUCKLES] But-- [LAUGHING] --you were talking to me, right? Yeah. No, but I think, well,
I remember a friend-- not a friend, a person I don't
like very much back home-- once, he had a
problem with the fact that Javert in "Les
Miserables" was black. And I said, what's the problem? And he said, well, a
police officer back then wouldn't have been black. And I just thought,
the fact that you think that modern casting
should be defined by what the past has said is absurd. Just because someone back
then wouldn't have been, that's irrelevant now. So that was the most
closed-minded thing I've ever heard, to say that. SPEAKER 1: So this will
be the last question. But I definitely
want to get to you. And then we'll wrap it up. AUDIENCE: All right,
well, thanks for coming. So as someone new to New
York, never been to Broadway or seen a show, any tips
to make my first experience at the theater a
really good one? [CHUCKLING] ALISTAIR BRAMMER: Get drunk. AUDIENCE: Yeah? NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER:
"Miss Saigon" is a great first show to see. [LAUGHING] Bring your friends. Go out for dinner. Get a little tipsy. EVA NOBLEZADA: Wear
your waterproof mascara. NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER: Yeah,
wear your waterproof mascara. EVA NOBLEZADA: It's a
good first-date musical. I recommend it. [CHUCKLING] JON JON BRIONES:
Yeah, it is because-- ALISTAIR BRAMMER: It really is. JON JON BRIONES: --you
get that really good grip. [LAUGHING] ANTOINE L. SMITH: No, but it-- EVA NOBLEZADA: But don't stare
too long at what's on stage. You might get in trouble. NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER:
And people always talk about the price of tickets. But there are discounted
tickets everywhere. If you just walk up
to the box office, you can ask them if
they have any discounts. Or you can go to, on 47th
Street, right in Times Square, there's TKTS, where that
has discounted tickets. Or there's even
Tickets Today, which is an app, where it's that
day, you can go on that app. And you can find
discounted tickets. SPEAKER 1: Available
on Google Play. EVA NOBLEZADA: I'm also
going to be cheesy, sorry. Can I-- NICHOLAS CHRISTOPHER:
Available on Google Play. SPEAKER 1: Exactly. ANTOINE L. SMITH: Right,
and I was going to say, you can Google just about
any musical you can-- [CHUCKLING] JULIAN DEGUZMAN: But
after you Google, please, please put your phone away
because sometimes we can see-- EVA NOBLEZADA: Amen. JULIAN DEGUZMAN: --phones. So the light is shining. Like, it's dark in the theater,
but we see the light shining. ANTOINE L. SMITH: Those
damn Apple Watches. JULIAN DEGUZMAN: It's like,
yo, B, just, like, turn it off. Like, focus. Just focus on what's
happening in front of you. Be present. ANTOINE L. SMITH: But,
no, I was going to say, you can Google any musical
and read any review or any synopsis of a show that
will pique your interest, that will make you want to sit
there and watch an entire two and a half or three-hour show. EVA NOBLEZADA: 2:40. SPEAKER 1: And-- ANTOINE L. SMITH: 2:40. SPEAKER 1: --on the
note of discounts, for those of you
in the audience, we actually have a dedicated
discount for Googlers at-- [MURMURS] EVA NOBLEZADA: Ooh. SPEAKER 1: Yeah. Go/misssaigon-discount. I want to say a major thank you
to the cast of "Miss Saigon." Thank you guys so
much for being here. You were all wonderful. You can give them a
round of applause. [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE] Just so everybody knows,
the final performance of "Miss Saigon" will
be on January 14, 2018. You can visit the "Saigon" show
online at SaigonBroadway.com You can follow them on Twitter
and Instagram @MissSaigonUS. Or you can get tickets
at the box office, which is the Broadway Theatre,
1681 Broadway, at 53rd Street. Thank you guys so
much for being here. And thank you all
for coming today. [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
