"Sun and Moon" from Miss Saigon

February 6, 2009 (CHICAGO) The Tony award winning musical Miss Saigon is the story of a romance between Chris, an American Marine serving as an Embassy guard in the days before the American evacuation of Saigon, and Kim, a young Vietnamese woman orphaned by the war and forced to work in a Saigon night club. In this modern adaptation of Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, Kim and Chris have a brief but passionate affair and he vows to take her out of Saigon. On the evening of the largest helicopter evacuation in history, the two are separated and Chris is forced leave Vietnam without his love. Three years after the war's end the two struggle to deal with the emotional aftermath of their affair while moving on with new lives. Chris, now married, discovers that he has a young son with Kim, while Kim clings to the hope that she and Chris will be reunited and raise their son together as an American boy. The score of Miss Saigon includes the songs "The Heat is On in Saigon", "Why God, Why?," "Bui Doi," "The American Dream," and "Sun and Moon"

Miss Saigon premiered at Theatre Royal (Drury Lane) in London on September 20, 1989. It closed after an amazing 4,264 performances on October 30, 1999. On April 11, 1991, the production opened at the Broadway Theatre in New York, and closed on January 28, 2001 after another great run of 4,092 performances. Miss Saigon led the 1991 Tony Awards with 11 nominations and remains Broadway's 10th longest running musical.

Joining Kevin Vortmann, Melinda Chua Smith and Katie Boren in this amazing cast of Chicago's top actors includes Joseph Foronda, Melissa Dye, John Sanders, Evan D'Angeles, Jillian Jocson, Audrey Billings, Christine Bunuan, Natalie Chung, Adrian Fontanilla, Freddy Franklin, Michael Glazer, Kent Haina, Chie Isobe, Scott Alan Jones, George Keating, Christina Luzwick, Richard Manera, J.P. Moraga, Mayumi Omagari, Allison Orobia, Joshua Park, Matt Raftery, Billy Sarna, Erin Thompson and Christopher Yee.

For ticket information and reservations, call the box office at 630.530-0111 or TicketMaster at 312.559-1212. You may also visit www.ticketmaster.com or www.drurylaneoakbrook.com.

ABOUT THE ACTORS

Melinda Chua Smith returns to her childhood home of Chicago and to the role of "Kim," which she previously played in the Broadway, German and US National touring productions of MISS SAIGON. Melinda was born in suburban Palos Heights where she lived until the age of 5. She moved to the Philippines with her family for several years and then settled in California where she was raised. She currently is a resident of Las Vegas. Melinda studied music and theatre at New York University at Tisch School of the Arts in 1994, but she left before earning her degree to tour with Miss Saigon. Incidentally, she is also a licensed massage therapist.

Kevin Vortmann, a familiar face at several local theaters, returns to Chicago in Miss Saigon after New York appearances in Face the Music (Uncle Sam- cast recording), Juno (Ira Man), Stairway to Paradise (soldier soloist), On the Town and Applause. He appeared in Bernstein's Mass as a soloist at the Kennedy center and Baltimore symphony, and appeared in the national tour of Camelot (starring Robert Goulet). Regional credits: North Shore Musical Theatre, Chautauqua Opera, Sacramento Music Circus, Marriott Theatre, Theatre at the center, Drury Lane Evergreen Park, Blumenthal Pac, Westchester Broadway Theatre and Stages St. Louis. Pre-Broadway and workshops: Angels, the Musical (Joab), Metropolis, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Willie), and Nice Work if You Can Get It (starring Harry Connick Jr.).