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9.16.2013

Bao Phi's lessons from Miss Saigon

In which a poet tells me everything I need to know about the hit musical



Just want to point you to this powerful, thoughtful personal essay by poet/community activist Bao Phi, who speaks about his personal history of protest against the musical Miss Saigon: War Before Memory: a Vietnamese American protest organizer's history against Miss Saigon.

Miss Saigon is scheduled for a one-week engagement in St. Paul's Ordway theater next month, and has already been met with considerable objections from the community because, well, it's a really friggin' racist show. And dude, this ain't the first time: Twin Cities is home to long legacy of protest of 'Miss Saigon'

I'm going to be completely honest: I've never had the opportunity to see Miss Saigon. I heard there's a helicopter on stage. Yay. But I'll take Bao's word for it. I definitely don't need to see this show.