Olivier Awards 2015 – Finally Miss Saigon’s Year?
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| By
Jake Samson
The time is 1990. Cameron Mackintosh’s latest critical and commercial West End hit Miss Saigon is now in its second year at The Theatre Royal Drury Lane, playing to packed audiences night after night. Lea Salonga has well and truly been discovered, Jonathan Pryce is securing the title ‘Legend’ and Simon Bowman is continuing to break the hearts of lady theatregoers everywhere. The Olivier Awards arrive, and the buzz is high.
“…and the winner for Best New Musical is…
...Return To The Forbidden Planet”?
The time is now 1991. We have moved to New York City, and after much controversy Miss Saigon has finally landed at The Broadway Theatre. Whilst left Olivier-less for Best New Musical, winners Salonga and Pryce have transferred with the production and have harnessed up stellar reviews. The Tony Awards arrive, and the buzz is even higher.
“…and the winner for Best New Musical is…The Will Rogers Follies”?
We are finally back in 2015, and after being revived for its 25th anniversary last year Miss Saigon is back, better than ever at The Prince Edward Theatre. With a phenomenal cast, stunning direction and a beautiful set and lighting design, the question arises as to whether this gem of a show will finally get its hands on the prestigious award come Sunday the 12th of April.
However, seeing as this production is a revival it is not eligible for the Best New Musical category anymore. Instead it faces competition in the Best Musical Revival category, in a year filled with many blockbuster musicals returning to London’s West End. Cats and Evita both returned to Theatreland last year, with Gypsy beginning previews on March 28th. Although Evita was strictly a limited run, Cats looks like it’s here to stay with Gypsy transferring from Chichester after tremendous reviews.
So who will win? Only time will tell. With nominations arriving Monday the 9th of March, I for one feel confident that Miss Saigon will finally win the many awards it deserves.
@JakeLSamson