Union High School Performing Arts Company’s Cast of Miss Saigon Visits New Jersey Veterans Memorial in Holmdel, NJ; Miss Saigon: School Edition Opens Friday, March 28th, 2014 at the Theatre at Union High School
To help give an honest portrayal of the Vietnam War as told in their upcoming production of Miss Saigon, the Union High School Performing Arts Company immersed themselves in all things Vietnam with a visit to the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Holmdel, New Jersey on Friday, February 21st. It was an emotional journey, led by two Vietnam veterans, that helped further expand the student’s knowledge of the War and gave them a first hand account of the hardships and heartache the soldiers experienced. Both veterans were 19 at the time and recounted the moment when they received their draft cards, one veteran shared his experience living within the jungle, the other shared his experience being stationed outside of Saigon. It was moments like these that were shared all day as the students toured the facilities looking at statues representing different scenarios of the war, as well as photographs and videos. The men shared how much they had missed the little things in life and stressed the importance of cherishing those little moments to the students. “There was a statue of a wounded white soldier being treated by a Hispanic nurse while his African American comrade watched on. It was one that stood out to me because it showed the unity amongst the soldiers and those there to help them. While back at home there was lots of turmoil regarding this topic, it didn’t matter to them what color you were, when you were on a team together you stood by each other no matter what” said junior Jazmine Ramos. Sophomore Jonathan Duvelson added, “While exploring the memorial I came across an area where dates were listed when veterans were killed in the war. It came as a shock and crazy coincidence to me that on my birthday two people by the name of John were killed. It was very emotional for me because the character I play in the show is John, I go by the name of John and it just really hit home and helped me almost put a face to my character.”
Each year the production team, under the direction of James Mosser, tries to pick shows that will introduce the students to new styles and genres. Taking on a show with such an honest and truthful story behind it like Miss Saigon hasn’t been easy, and the trip to the memorial helped the cast to learn more about the history of war, what was going on in America in the late 60’s and early 70’s during that time and the impact and effect it had to those involved. Mosser states “Miss Saigon is an emotionally complex musical, exploring some events at the far reaches of the human experience like war and death. It has been difficult for the students to relate to the story and connect to something that is far removed from their daily lives. We have been providing them with tons of resources in the form of photos, books and videos; but having the chance to speak to people who lived through it was invaluable. It is important to remember the effect that war has on the people who were involved in it, ultimately that is what Miss Saigon is about.”
Miss Saigon: School Edition opens Friday, March 28th, 2014 with performances running March 28th, 29th, April 3rd, 4th, and 5th at 7:30pm and March 30th and April 6th at 2pm in the Theatre at Union High School located on 2350 North Third Street, Union, NJ. Regular tickets are $14.50; for groups of 10 or more tickets are available for $10.50 (this rate applies to tickets sold prior to the performance you are attending ;). Student night for Township of Union residents will be on Thursday, April 3rd, tickets will be $8.50 for students with a valid Township of Union Student ID. Tickets are available by visiting www.uhspac.com or by directly going to the showtix4u website at http://bit.ly/1dcFkZc. It is encouraged to purchase tickets prior to the performance to avoid long lines at the door. You can also purchase tickets by calling 866.967.8167. Take an emotional journey with the amazing young cast which includes Emma Magbanua in the lead role of Kim, Calvin Orallo as the Engineer, James Fraizer as Chris, Duvelson as John, Raquel Martinez as Ellen and Christian Rodriguez as Thuy. Battle Hill Elementary Third Grader Patrick Quintos will take on the role of Tam. Don’t miss this talented group of students, which also includes an ensemble of over 25 high school and elementary students, take on this challenging show which will take you through the story of Miss Saigon, based on the famous opera Madame Butterfly with music by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain boublil with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.
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