BRIDGEPORT - A cast of thirty young adults, most of whom are Newtown residents, will perform Miss Saigon at Klein Memorial Auditorium, July 26-28.

Set during and after the Vietnam War, Miss Saigon is the tragic love story between young American US Marine Sargent Chris Scott and Kim, the Vietnamese woman who lifts his heart during a time of great strife. Their love blossoms before being torn apart when the war ends and Chris is forced to go home.

He is heartbroken but eventually makes peace and marries an American woman, Ellen. Back in Vietnam a forlorn Kim carries on, giving birth to his son (a fact Chris does not know at first) and waiting for the day Chris will return.

Three years later, he does go back to see Kim and meet his son, which leads to a poignant series of events and a gut-wrenching finale. Many characters, including Chris's best friend, John Thomas; the "Engineer," a pimp; Kim's cousin Thuy, to whom she is intended; and Ellen interrelate to create a compelling story that transports audiences to a difficult time in history and pulls at the heartstrings on many levels.

Sabrina Post, founder of Sabrina's Encore Productions (SEP) and the director of the production, said a lot of thought went into choosing Miss Saigon for the Newtown-based performing arts center.

"My goal as a director and a teacher is to expose young actors to every genre of theater," Ms Post said. "This is a big show with a riveting storyline, major staging, and beautiful music. It is rich material that requires actors to dig deep, and these kids are really delivering."

Many of the lead actors in Miss Saigon appeared in Newtown High School's recent production of Les Miserables. The role of Chris is double-cast between Jack Armstrong (Marius, Les Miserables) and Aidan Moulder (Jean Valjean, Les Miserables); Kim is portrayed by Kayla Verga (Rouge Ensemble, Les Miserables) and Elizabeth La Rosa of Monroe.

Brooks Petershack (Javert, Les Miserables) is playing John Thomas, while Phoebe Doscher (Madame Thenardier, Les Miserables) appears as Chris's American wife, Ellen.

The Engineer is played by Quinn Fitzgerald, an NHS student who attended the Educational Center for the Arts Theater program. Will Crebbin (Rouge Ensemble, Les Miserables) depicts Kim's cousin Thuy, the man whom Kim's parents intend for her to marry.

The entire cast is comprised of talented actors and dancers who have appeared in a number of SEP and NHS musicals through the years.

Klein Memorial Auditorium is a 1,447-seat performing arts center built in 1940 and designed by local architect Leonard Asheim, featuring bronze doors, a marble lobby, inlaid wood, and geometric motifs. It is only one of seven Broadway-sized stages remaining in Connecticut, providing these young actors an ideal venue to perform such an epic show, which will be enhanced by a 15-piece professional orchestra. The set for Miss Saigon was built by Newtown residents Duane Lagenwalter and Jennifer O'Connell Reid.

Performances of Miss Saigon are Thursday, July 26, at 7:30 pm; Friday, July 27, at 8 pm; and Saturday, July 28, at 2 and 8 pm.

Tickets are $28 for adults and $23 for children under age 12. Group rates are available by request.

Visit theklein.org for tickets or visit the box office within the theater at 910 Fairfield Avenue to purchase tickets. The box office is open Monday through Friday, 10 am to 4 pm.

Additional information is available by contacting the theater at 800-424-0160, extension 2.

Parking is available in a lot opposite the theater for $5 per car.

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-330443" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Sabrinas-Encore-staging-Miss-Saigon-cast-photo.jpg" alt="Sabrina's Encore staging Miss Saigon -- cast photo" width="800" height="534" /]

Thirty young adults, many from Newtown, will offer four performances at Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport, where Sabrina's Encore Productions is offering a summer production of Miss Saigon. Among those cast in the show are, front row from left, Michael Killean (playing Assistant Commissioner), Kayla Verga (Kim), Elizabeth LaRosa (Kim), and Phoebe Doscher (Ellen); and back row also from left, Will Crebbin (Thuy), Quinn Fitzgerald (Engineer), Aidan Moulder (Chris), Brooks Petershack (John), Jack Armstrong (Chris). 

-Kristie Bell Petershack photos

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-330446" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Sabrinas-Encore-staging-Miss-Saigon-Moulder-La-Rosa.jpg" alt="Sabrina's Encore staging Miss Saigon -- Moulder & La Rosa" width="800" height="534" /]

The lead roles of Chris and Kim are double-cast. Aidan Moulder and Elizabeth LaRosa, above center, will be playing Chris and Kim, respectively, for the Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon performances; Kayla Verga and Jack Armstrong, below, will perform Friday and Saturday evenings. On the alternate performances, the actors will be part of the ensemble.

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-330448" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Sabrinas-Encore-staging-Miss-Saigon-Verga-Armstrong.jpg" alt="Sabrina's Encore staging Miss Saigon -- Verga & Armstrong" width="600" height="899" /]

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