WHAT MAKES 'MISS SAIGON' STILL RELEVANT TODAY

You’d think it would be hard to keep a 35-year-old musical set in the 1970s during the Vietnam War relevant.

- SCOTT GARCEAU

Turns out Miss Saigon couldn’t be any more current. Turn on any news source: Wars. Immigrants. Refugees. Uprooted families. Starvation. In the Ukraine, or Gaza, Syria, Africa or dozens of other hotspots, it’s still there every day. So Miss Saigon, now returning to Manila after 24 years, manages not only to stay up to date with the tumultuous times, but adds a new Asian-centric spin to things.

Brought by GMG Productions, the Australian company bringing this staging to The Theatre at Solaire (opening gala night on March 26) includes the young Fil-Aussie talent Abigail Adriano making her professional lead role debut as Kim. Australian-American Nigel Huckle plays American soldier Chris, tortured by the US role in Vietnam. Joining them for the press call were FilipinoKiwi actor Laurence Mossman (playing Thuy) and Filipino actress Kiara Dario (playing Gigi). But it’s probably Seann Miley Moore’s completely revamped take on ‘‘The EnginQUEER’’ that will get heads turning.

A special treat was a visit from composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, who sat down with hostess Yanah Laurel to discuss how Miss Saigon continues to stay relevant.

As Schönberg pointed out, the same problems of war that plagued the characters in Miss Saigon remain today: destruction, displacement and degradation.