Estate / Collection: Property of Technical Production Manager Jake Bell

MISS SAIGON

An original script, and a group of promotional items. A large group of items relating to the earliest productions and tours of Miss Saigon. Comprising:

Script: The script dated 4/15/1988 and identified as "Second Draft" in type, in pencil Jake Bell has written in pencil "London Pre-Broadway/used for Bway Production revised accordingly", 76 pp., not annotated within, the cover and edges spotted.

Posters: Four framed posters including a poster signed by Jonathan Pryce, Lea Salonga Billy Porter, and the rest of the cast, 22 x 14 inches; the poster from the opening of Miss Saigon in Hong Kong, 30 x 20; and the show poster from the Broadway Theatre opening, 22 x 14 inches; and the London Theatre Royal Drury Lane opening, 20 x 12 inches.

Masks: one stage worn mask with padding inside and the name "Gates," another mask was an opening night gift.

Ephemera: including programs, playbills, Jake Bell's National Tour dog-tags, pins, a framed photograph of the cast and crew with the helipcopter, a small framed watercolor of the Broadway theater, a magazine with articles on the show, etc.

Letter on diversity issues in the casting of Miss Saigon: present is a letter dated 1990 from producer Cameron Mackintosh to Jake Bell thanking him for his support in the diversity issues plaguing Miss Saigon upon its opening in New York (see note below).

A wonderful group of items relating to technical producer Jake Bell's work on Miss Saigon, a complicated show that grappled with the American war in Vietnam. The show featured one of Broadway's greatest technical achievements, the lowering of a helicopter onto the stage, as is discussed below in Jake Bell's note on the musical.

Technical Production Manager Jake Bell's memories of Miss Saigon:

Miss Saigon, partly inspired by Puccini's Madame Butterfly, was the first modern-day musical theater production centered on the Vietnam War. The plot, set in the aftermath of America’s bloody war in Vietnam, was emotionally raw, telling the sensitive story of an American GI who falls in love with, and is later forced to leave behind, a Vietnamese girl. Unknown to him at the time, she was pregnant. The musical featured one of the most legendary technical achievements in Broadway history, the helicopter airlift scene, in which the American GIs are evacuated from Saigon via a helicopter that lowers from the rafters to the stage, onboards the soldiers, then noisily departs in what became one of the most immersive moments in theater history. The escape of the helicopter was amplified through a surround sound system, creating vibrations that made audience members feel as if the aircraft was flying directly overhead. The illusion was so realistic that some theatergoers instinctively ducked as the helicopter appeared to swoop over their heads before landing on stage.

The level of automation in Miss Saigon was groundbreaking, featuring 94 effects. It was the first production to use six automated effects in unison to create a single seamless visual, most notably, the helicopter’s landing and takeoff. Despite this automation, one of the most surprising low-tech effects involved the helicopter’s rotors. Instead of real blades, weighted tennis balls were tied to the ends of nylon straps and attached to a rotating motor. As the motor spun, centrifugal force extended the straps and balls, mimicking the movement of helicopter rotors. When the motor slowed, the straps retracted, completing the illusion. The helicopter itself was supported by two vertical beams welded into the stage, extending from the grid to the basement. Rather than being removed when not in use, it was lifted above the stage trim height and suspended out of sight, overhead of the actors, throughout the performance. The helicopter pilot, a dummy named Virgil, became an unexpected legend in the show. The name originated when a journalist mistakenly believed the pilot was a real person. Virgil was designed to turn his head, creating an eerily lifelike effect. The pilot endeared himself to the crew and they decided give him a name. Miss Saigon featured three Virgils—one on Broadway and two for national tours. Despite his long tenure, Virgil never received credit in the program.

The Broadway Theatre also presented unique spatial challenges. While it lacked wing space, it had ample storage upstage, though the ceiling height was lower in the rear. The crew referred to this backstage storage area as “The Garage.” Due to the massive set pieces, storage was meticulously planned. The Ho Chi Minh statue, approximately 14 feet tall, was designed to fit within this confined space when not in use. Other large set pieces, including a full-size 1959 Cadillac, were also stored there in a highly organized manner.

Besides the nature of the plot, the production also sparked significant controversy in casting. In the move from London to New York, there was a heated debate surrounding the decision to have Jonathan Pryce, a white British actor, portray a Eurasian character on the Broadway stage. This led to fierce opposition from Actors’ Equity and various advocacy groups. As a member of Actor’s Equity, Jake Bell attended the union meetings regarding the controversy, gaining an inside perspective. As the production manager of Miss Saigon, he witnessed firsthand the tensions that unfolded.

Producer Cameron Mackintosh threatened to cancel the show entirely, which ultimately led Actors’ Equity to back down. Mackintosh argued that the issue wasn’t about one actor’s casting but about the integrity of theater as an art form, stating that professional theater "can only thrive if talent is always the paramount criterion."

In London, Miss Saigon premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 20 September 1989 and closed after 4,264 performances on 30 October 1999. On Broadway, the musical debuted at the Broadway Theatre on 11 April 1991 and closed on 28 January 2001 after 4,092 performances.