Ms. Saigon

"Paradise, sacrifice, mortality, reality. But the magician is quicker and his game is much thicker than blood and blacker than ink. And it's too cold to think."

Pardon moi, squeeze me, but let me see if I have this straight. A group of individuals representing me among many others, is upset with the arrival of the production of "Miss Saigon" in the Twin Cities. The group is protesting the stereotypical portrayal of Asian Americans and women in the play.

So, a musical has one dimensional characters who are more like caricatures than accurate and fleshed out individuals, perpetuating and playing on beliefs already sadly embedded in American culture? On top of that the story stretches believability beyond its breaking point? Hmmmm. Boy, I'd say that's pretty damn unusual for a musical.

"China doll, alcohol, duality, mortality. Mercury rules you and destiny fools you like the plague, with a dangerous wink. And it's too cold to think."

I haven't seen "Miss Saigon", thus have no intellectual, emotional, or philosophical thought on the matter (as if I ever would). I had no interest until, like in many of these situations, all the controversy came to light. Now for the sake of all the brouhaha, I'd like to be able to see what the fuss is about.

"Equality, liberty, humility, simplicity. You glance through the mirror and there's eyes staring clear at the back of your head as you drink. And it's too cold to think."

I'm all for protest and pointing out instances where people just accept what is presented without a second thought (let alone in many cases, a first one). The first rule of journalism is to ask why the person in front of you is lying. Never hurts to question. I even admire the passion this group showed in picketing the opening night of the show in some of the coldest weather of recent memory (and I'd say that even if my sister wasn't one of the protesters). But this is trying to be "art" and on top of that it's a musical. Since when do musicals even pretend to represent reality in any type of believable way?

Musical plays by their nature and history present characters and stories in broad and often times dumb ways. Because of their high brow background ("let's go to the theatre tonight Mervyn") they have become a part of the elite culture. But they don't mean anything that is remotely real to "real" people.

An artist has the freedom to create statements in their own voice whether it be politically correct or not. Dissect most stage plays and you'll come up with characters who lack a lot of development. If they are interpreted as symbols, they will fall flat, like biting into one of those creme filled chocolate Easter eggs- hard on the outside but gooey in the middle. Energy should be conserved during these Arctic times. Skip the play, go to a movie, watch TV, thow dust protest too much. It's probably more effective just to whack your foes across the knee with a crowbar.

"Mercury, gravity, nobility, humility. You know you can't keep her and the water gets deeper that is leading you onto the brink. But it's too cold to think."