Miss Saigon

Miss Saigon was inspired by a 95 year old tale of Asian American romance that began with the publication of a story by John Luther Long called "Madame Butterfly" in Century Magazine in 1887. David Belasco adapted it into a play, which the Italian composer Giacomo Puccini adapted into his opera "Madama Butterfly" in 1904. The idea of lovers divided by race, nationality or religion appears throughout the history of literature and drama.

Act I

The action begins on a Friday night in Saigon in April 1975. Backstage at Dreamland, an after-hours club which is frequented by American Marines, a group of bar-girls is preparing to perform. The Engineer, who owns the club, introduces them to a new girl, Kim, a 17-year-old orphan who has fled the countryside after seeing her family destroyed.

Afraid that the enemy forces of the Viet Cong will kill them if they are left behind when Saigon falls, the bar-girls are eager to connect with an American G.I. who can get them out of the country. The Engineer wants to get his hands on a visa so that he can escape when the Americans pull out. He sends the girls on-stage for a sham beauty contest to select a "Miss Saigon."

A group of Marines enters the bar singing "The Heat Is On In Saigon." Among them are two friends, Chris and John. Although Chris is reluctant, John insists that a night at the club is what they need to escape the increasing sense of danger from the approaching enemy, the Viet Cong.

Chris is astounded by Kim's innocence when the Engineer pushes her forward to solicit the crowd. While the other girls offer provocative invitations, she speaks of a "heart like the sea" and "a million dreams are in me." Gigi, one of the experienced bar-girls, is chosen "Miss Saigon." She is "won" by a Marine and begins to dance with him. The scene freezes as Gigi sings "The Movie In My Mind," describing the dream of a new life in America she envisions each time she is in the arms of a G.I. Kim sings of the movie in her mind - a dream of a man who will not kill and will keep her safe.

Sensing that Chris is interested in Kim, John bargains with the Engineer to secure her for his friend. Kim and Chris dance as a Marine plays the saxophone. Chris takes Kim to a tiny room overlooking the moonlit city.

Chris, deeply touched by what he has shared with Kim, quietly leaves the room while she is sleeping. Walking through the street, he sings "Why God Why?" questioning why he has had this profound experience when he is about to leave Saigon. He is drawn back to the room and tries to give Kim money. Kim refuses to take it and tells him that she has seen her parents die in flames. She was betrothed to a man she didn't love before her village was destroyed. Now she has no future except to sell herself at Dreamland.

Chris asks her to live with him and they express their love for each other ("Sun and Moon"). As they part, she says that she will bring friends to bless their room with paper unicorns and perfume in keeping with her traditions.

Chris calls John at the Embassy, where they both work, to tell him that he needs time to spend with Kim. John says that Saigon is falling apart and urges him to come to the Embassy right away. Chris bargains with the Engineer for another night with Kim.

Gigi and the other bar-girls are helping Kim move in with Chris. They set up a small shrine with photos of Kim's parents. Kim leads "Dju Vui Vai," a song which she tells Chris is traditionally sung at weddings.

In the midst of their celebration, the door flies open and Thuy, Kim's fiancee, appears. He has come to claim Kim and save her from the shame of being a bar-girl. When he sees Chris and the shrine to her parents, he is outraged. Kim tells him that her parents' promises died with them. Kim refuses to go with Thuy. He leaves, saying that she is his until she dies. He predicts that "Saigon will fall and so will your G.I."

Chris tells Kim that he has decided to bring her with him to America. They sing "The Last Night of the World," recalling the saxophone that was played at their first meeting. Its lonely sound is now a "cry that tells us love goes on and on." Kim and Chris promise each other that their "lives will change when tomorrow comes."

Three years have passed during which the Viet Cong have taken over Saigon ("The Morning of the Dragon"). The Engineer is brought in by two soldiers. We learn that he was taken prisoner by the Viet Cong and has been forced to work in rice fields. Although his captors attempted to brainwash him, they have been unsuccessful. He is led before Thuy, who is now a Commissar. Thuy demands the Engineer's assistance in finding Kim and gives him 48 hours to accomplish this deed.

Kim is living in a small room which she shares with a group of Vietnamese. She sings "I Still Believe," remembering her nights with Chris. In America, at the same time, Ellen, who is now married to Chris, sits beside her sleeping husband on their bed, singing the same song. Ellen knows that Chris is tormented by secrets that he cannot share with her, but she vows to be his wife for life. A world away, Kim, alone in a room full of strangers, makes the same vow.

The Engineer appears with Thuy. Thuy wants to forget Kim's transgression and marry her as their parents decreed. She says she is still bound to Chris. Thuy calls her a fool and summons his men into the room, where they threaten Kim and the Engineer. Thuy again demands that Kim agree to his wishes. The Engineer is sent out of the room and Kim reveals her secret to Thuy: her two-year-old son, Tam. Thuy says she can't keep the child since he intends to marry her. He calls the child his enemy and draws out his knife to kill the little boy. Kim pulls out a gun and threatens to shoot him. He will not relent. She kills him.

Kim is horrified by her action, but decides that she and Tam must find a way to reach Chris in America. The Engineer is making his way through the city ("If You Want To Die In Bed"). He finds his way to the remains of Dreamland and opens a trap door. There he finds a box of counterfeit watches he had hidden. Planning to sell them in Bangkok and then travel to the United States, he is about to leave when Kim appears. She begs for his help, and he realizes that the baby is their passport to America. He leaves to buy their passage on a boat to Bangkok. Kim consoles Tam and promises him that she will risk anything for him ("I'd Give My Life For You"). The Engineer, Kim, and Tam join a group of Vietnamese boat people who sing "No place, no home. No life, no hope. No chance, no change. No regret, no return, no good-bye."

John now works on behalf of Bui-Doi children, the children of American and Vietnamese conceived during the war. He is showing a film relating the plight of these children at a conference in Atlanta. ("Bui-Doi"). The images in the film of the small forgotten victims reach out to haunt the veterans of the war, including Chris, who has been summoned to the conference by John.

Chris learns that Kim has escaped to Bangkok and that he is the father of her two-year-old son. Chris is distraught. Believing that he would never see Kim again, he has married Ellen. John suggests that Chris tell Ellen the truth. Then they can go to Bangkok together to face the situation.

In Bangkok, the Engineer has landed a job as the doorman and barker at a sleazy nightclub called "Le Moulin Rouge" ("What a Waste"). John arrives, and the Engineer leads him to Kim. John tries to tell her the truth about Chris, but she insists on showing off her son. John is torn between telling her the truth himself and allowing Chris to tell Kim about his marriage ("Please"). He tells her that Chris is in Bangkok and that he will come to see her. When John leaves, the Engineer tells Kim not to wait for Chris to come to her but to go to his hotel at once. She asks her parents' pictures for their blessing, and the Engineer leaves to find out where Chris is staying.

As she waits for the Engineer, Kim falls asleep. Thuy's ghost appears to haunt her. He asks her where Chris was the night Saigon fell. We travel back to the past she remembers. After getting her a visa so that she could return to the United States with him, Chris left her in their room with a gun and went to work at the Embassy. He assures her that they will have plenty of warning when it is time to escape. However, when he reaches the Embassy it is a wild scene, with mobs of Vietnamese pounding at the gates, begging to be evacuated. Kim comes to the gate just as the order is issued that no more Vietnamese can enter the grounds. Although Chris and Kim struggle to reach each other, their efforts are in vain ("The Fall of Saigon"). He is forced to board the last helicopter to leave Saigon. She is left crying at the gate, singing "My heart, against all odds, holds still" as their love affair is swallowed up and the old city disappears forever.

Kim wakes up and sings of her unwavering love for Chris. The Engineer brings the address of the hotel, and Kim runs through the city to find him. At the same time, John is bringing Chris through the streets to find her.

At the hotel, Ellen mistakes Kim for a maid. Kim assumes that Ellen is John's wife. Ellen, realizing who Kim must be, tells her that she is Chris' wife. Kim is stunned. As the truth sinks in, she insists that Ellen and Chris must take Tam back to America with them. Ellen refuses, saying that Tam belongs with Kim. Kim says that Ellen and Chris cannot condemn her child to be part of the dust of life.

Ellen is very upset at having met Kim and feels that part of Chris will always love Kim. Chris and John return, and Ellen confronts Chris with her doubts about his love for her ("Now That I've Seen Her"). He explains that his relationship with Kim happened when he was a different and deeply confused man. Kim put him in touch with his feelings at a very complex time. But only with Ellen did his life begin again. They reaffirm their love for each other.

John reminds them that they must resolve Tam's future. Chris says that Kim and Tam must remain in Bangkok with his financial support because Ellen could not accept the idea of having Kim in the United States. John knows that Kim will not accept the idea of having Tam stay in Bangkok and warns them to reconsider ("The Confrontation").

Outside, Kim is promising Tam that he will have a new life in America. She knows that Chris will come for his son. She goes back to the club and lies to the Engineer, saying that Chris is coming for them that night. She says that the Engineer must pack his things and prepare for the journey to America. The Engineer sings about "The American Dream" and shares his vision of America.

Kim dresses Tam in his best clothes. She tells him that his father is coming to take him home. She kisses Tam and hears Chris and the Engineer approaching. She gives Tam a toy and sends him out to join the Engineer. She takes Chris' gun out of her bedside table and disappears behind the bed curtain. A gunshot is heard. Chris runs into the room. Kim's body falls out from behind the curtain, and Chris cradles her in his arms as she dies, singing "How in the light of one night have we come so far?"

OVERTURE
(A Friday night in April 1975. Backstage at an after-hours club in Saigon. Vietnamese bar-girls are getting into costumes.)

GIRLS
tonight I will be Miss Saigon

GIGI
tonight you'll be miss "jumped upon"

GIRLS
I'll win a GI and be gone

GIGI
he'll screw you with your crown still on

MIMI
what happens when the Cong attack?

GIGI
they'll rip the hot pants off your back

ALL GIRLS
the VC all wear basic black

(a new girl, KIM, is trying to stuff cotton into her bra.)

KIM
is this the way you make a chest?

GIGI
(removes the cotton)
hey, give that virgin act a rest

ALL GIRLS
(mocking the new girl)
"you are my first American"

(they laugh)

(the ENGINEER enters)

ENGINEER
allez! allez! allez!
why does it take all day?
get your asses on stage... I'm raising cash tonight

GIRLS
tonight I will be Miss Saigon

ENGINEER
tell yourself that your passport's standing at the bar

GIRLS
tonight I will be Miss Saigon

ENGINEER
each day these little bums of yours are worth less and less
rake in the dollars now before the market falls too far

(the ENGINEER looks through the door into the club.)

ENGINEER
look who I got out here
I can still engineer

it's like the old days, my little gamines

GIRLS
oh sure!

ENGINEER
you know who's out here? a gang of marines!

GIRLS
they're here?

ENGINEER
we'll clean them out the American way

GIRLS
yes, sir!

ENGINEER
for something free, they don't care what they pay

(turns to KIM)

why are you in that dress?
ah! it's my new princess
ah, yes...

that bridal gown gives you some class
lower your eyelids as you pass
men pay a lot for virgin ass

allez! allez! allez!
get out and do your song!
don't make the show too long

voila'! on stage all! welcome to...
Dreamland!!!

THE HEAT IS ON IN SAIGON

("Dreamland" is a club filled with American Marines, civilians and south Vietnamese officers. The girls parade around and get the crowd to buy raffle tickets: the winner of the "beauty contest" will be the prize.)

AMERICANS
the heat is on in Saigon
the girls are hotter 'n' hell
one of these slits here will be Miss Saigon
God, the tension is high, not to mention the smell

the heat is on in Saigon

ESTEVEZ (A MARINE)
is there a war going on?

AMERICANS
don't ask, I ain't gonna tell

(two friends, CHRIS and JOHN, are among the Marines. JOHN is with one of the girls)

CHRIS
how are you doing there, John?

JOHN
I got the hots for Yvonne
we should get drunk and get laid
since the end is so near

CHRIS
I tell you, buddy, I've had it
I don't want to hear

JOHN
the heat is on in Saigon
but till they tell me I'm gone
I'm gonna buy you a girl

CHRIS
you can buy me a beer

(the girls leave the men and move onto the stage)

MIMI
see my bikini, it's just the right size

YVETTE
don't you enjoy how it rides up my thighs?
look from behind, it'll knock out your eyes

YVONNE
I'll show you: my special trophy of war

MIMI
for a Marine, I'll show more

AMERICANS
you won't get up off the floor

the heat is on in Saigon
don't tell me I'm reassigned, all that chickenshit sucks
tonight I'm out of my mind, not to mention ten bucks

GIGI
if I'm your pin-up, I'll melt all your brass
stuck on your wall, with a pin in my ass
if you get me, you will travel first class
I'll show you, we will make magic, cheri

ENGINEER
you buy more tickets from me
the winner gets her for free

CHRIS
the meat is cheap in Saigon
why can't I just play the game, we lost the war long ago
what is this bug up my ass? You tell me, I don't know

(the ENGINEER pushes KIM forward)

KIM
I'm seventeen, and I'm new here today
the village I come from seems so far away
all of the girls know much more what to say
but I know
I have a heart like the sea
a million dreams are in me

CHRIS
Good Jesus, John, who is she?

AMERICANS (AND CROWD)
the Cong is tight'ning the noose
is it a week or a day or an hour that we got?
tonight could be our last shot got to put it to use

(the GIRLS come off the stage and mingle with the men.)

ALL, INCLUDING GIRLS
tonight I bet that you and I will get along
forget about the threat, forget the Vi-et Cong

ALL MEN
Mimi, Gigi, Yvette or Yvonne
gonna buy me a beer, and elect Miss Saigon

(the ENGINEER holds the election by holding his hand over each girl's head for applause. When KIM is judged, CHRIS claps loudly, which makes her notice him.)

ENGINEER
Yvonne, Yvette, Mimi, Kim, Gigi
(GIGI wins)

ENGINEER
attention, s'il vous plait!
by popular demand
Miss Gigi Van Tranh
is elected Miss Saigon!

(the ENGINEER puts a cheap tiara on GIGI and a ribbon which says "Miss Saigon".)

AMERICANS
the heat is on in Saigon
and things are not going well
but still at midnight, the party goes on
a good-bye party in hell

ENGINEER
and now who wins her?

(the ENGINEER holds a bowl; GIGI picks up a ticket.)

GIGI
number 66!

(it is one of the Marines. He cheers with his friends. The scene freezes.)

THE MOVIE IN MY MIND

GIGI
they are not nice, they're mostly noise
they swear like men, they screw like boys
I know there's nothing in their hearts
but every time I take one in my arms
it starts:

the movie in my mind
the dream they leave behind
a scene I can't erase
and in a strong GI's embrace
flee this life
flee this place

the movie plays and plays
the screen before me fills
he takes me to New York
he gives me dollar bills

our children laugh all day
and eat too much ice cream
and life is like a dream

dream
the dream I long to find
the movie in my mind

KIM
I will not cry, I will not think
I'll do my dance, I'll make them drink
when I make love, it won't be me
and if they hurt me, I'll just close my eyes

KIM
and see

GIRLS
they are not nice, they're mostly noise

KIM
the movie in my mind

GIRLS
they kill like men, they die like boys

KIM
the dream that fills my head

GIRLS
they give their cash, they keep their hearts

KIM
a man who will not kill

GIRLS
but every night again it starts

KIM
who'll fight for me instead
he'll keep us safe all day
so no one comes at night
to blow the dream away

dream
the dream I have to find
the movie in my mind

ALL GIRLS
and in a strong GI's embrace
flee this life
flee this place

KIM
a world that's far away
where life is not unkind
the movie in my mind

THE DANCE

(JOHN has seen CHRIS'S interest in KIM and goes off to buy her for the night from the ENGINEER as a surprise for his friend.)

(Across the room, the ENGINEER speaks to KIM.)

ENGINEER
see little princess, I was right
you are the first to score tonight
you caught that sergeant by the nose
you stay with him until he goes
call him Chris
he'll like that

KIM
that marine
wants his beer

ENGINEER
you said you needed a job
you said you'd turn a trick
you'd better prove it, and quick!

(he leads KIM to CHRIS)

(A MARINE begins to play the saxophone. CHRIS and KIM start to dance. For a long time they don't speak. Finally:)

KIM
my name is Kim

(trying to do her job)

I like you Chris

ENGINEER
what's going on?
you don't like her?

CHRIS
oh, yes I do

KIM
I like him too

ENGINEER
take her away
KIM
take me away
don't say a word
just come with me

WHY GOD WHY?

(KIM leads CHRIS out of the Club, and into a tiny cubicle, which has in it only a bed, a table, and a small window overlooking the moonlit city. Later in the night, CHRIS is dressed and standing at the window. KIM is asleep. Outside, Saigon still bustles.)

CHRIS
why does Saigon never sleep at night?
why does this girl smell of orange trees?
how can I feel good when nothing's right?
why is she cool when there is no breeze?
Vietnam
you don't give answers, do you friend?
just questions that don't ever end

why God? Why today?
I'm all through here, on my way
there's nothing left here that I'll miss
why send me now a night like this?

who is the girl in this rusty bed?
why am I back in a filthy room?
why is her voice ringing in my head?
why am I high on her cheap perfume?
Vietnam
hey look I mean you no offense
but why does nothing here make sense?

why God? Show your hand
why can't one guy understand?
I've been with girls who knew much more
I never felt confused before

why me? What's your plan?
I can't help her, no one can
I liked my mem'ries as they were
but now I'll leave rememb'ring her

(CHRIS leaves some money on a table and goes out into the street. CHRIS is accosted by Vietnamese who beg for help leaving the country. He pushes them.)

when I went home before
no one talked of the war
what they knew from TV
didn't have a thing to do with me
I went back and re-upped
sure Saigon is corrupt
it felt better to be
here driving for the embassy

'cause here if you can pull a string
a guy like me lives like a king
just as long as you don't believe anything

(CHRIS stops, then goes back into KIM'S room.)

why God? Why this face?
why such beauty in this place?
I liked my mem'ries as they were
but now I'll leave rememb'ring her
just her

THIS MONEY IS YOURS

(KIM wakens. CHRIS hands her the money he had left.)

CHRIS
this money's yours
please take it all
hey, you want more?

KIM
no, no, I don't want anything

CHRIS
hey, what's wrong with you?

KIM
I've not done this before

CHRIS
sure!
that can't be true!

KIM
why would I lie?

CHRIS
look, everyone lies
they just want to get out of here
okay! You're not like that
but I don't know who you are

KIM
do you want one more tale of a Vietnam girl?
want to know I was bound to a man I don't love?
do you want to be told how my village was burned?
want to hear how my family was blasted away?
how I ran from the rice field and saw them in flames?
how my parents were bodies whose faces were gone?

I have had my fill of pain
I will not look back again
I would rather die

(she starts to cry)

CHRIS
can I see you tonight?

KIM
well, I'll be at the club
selling "beaucoup amour"

CHRIS
no! no, you won't

how would you like..

KIM
how would I like...?

CHRIS
how would you like
living with me?
you feel good right here
so that's where you should be

so would you like?

KIM
yes, I would like!

CHRIS
okay, it's set
you're staying near
screw the Engineer
you're the only thing
that I've cared for here

SUN AND MOON

KIM
you are sunlight and I moon
joined by the gods of fortune
midnight and high noon
sharing the sky
we have been blessed, you and I

CHRIS
you are here like a mystery
I'm from a world that's so different
from all that you are
how in the light of one night
did we come so far?

KIM
outside day starts to dawn

CHRIS
your moon still floats on high

KIM
the birds awake

CHRIS
the stars shine too

KIM
my hands still shake

CHRIS
I reach for you

BOTH
and we meet in the sky!

KIM
you are sunlight and I moon
joined here
bright'ning the sky
with the flame
of love

BOTH
made of
sunlight
moonlight

THE TELEPHONE SONG

(It is the middle of the next day. CHRIS is on the telephone.)

CHRIS
John, is that you, buddy? Listen to me
do I sound diff'rent? That's how it should be
last night I spent a whole lifetime in paradise.

hey, tell the CO I'm taking all of my leave
we're gonna play house, oh John, it's like Christmas eve
we have sworn we won't see the sun for forty-eight hours

(JOHN at the Embassy, in the midst of chaos: files being packed or burned, typewriters crated, etc.)

JOHN
what are you saying? Are you out of your mind?
all leaves are cancelled, you could be left behind
Saigon is falling apart, and you'd better be here

here is the news, since you've been on the moon
cities in the boondocks are dropping like flies
wives and civilians will be shipping out soon
crowds around the Embassy have tears in their eyes
Thieu has resigned, the new regime may not hold
people at the place think we'll send the marines
we are sending nothing from what I've been told
buddy, are you there? Do you know what this means?
sure! Time to fall in love!

CHRIS
John, listen fast, you did not get this call
you're the one who bought the girl for me after all
"once you're a friend, you're a friend through and through"
when you are in trouble, then I'll cover for you

JOHN
not this time, the town's too hot
for one Kongai whore
ol' buddy, I will not get you killed

CHRIS
she is no whore, you saw her too
she's really more, like... the April moon
she's been hurt, you see
both her parents died
what else could she be?

JOHN
sweet as that, and she's an orphan too!
how can a guy fight that? You got one day, not two
then be back!

THE DEAL

(At another location, CHRIS and the ENGINEER)

CHRIS
hey, how are you doing?

ENGINEER
we had a deal for Kim, but that's on ice
I'm sorry, sergeant, but I've changed the price

CHRIS
what d' you mean?

ENGINEER
I need a visa from your embassy
you get me that, you get the girl for free

CHRIS
stop the crap, this money's all I got
I don't give visas out, is this a deal or not?
you tell me

(CHRIS draws his revolver and aims at the ENGINEER)

ENGINEER
okay, okay, the money...it will do
too bad, I had a Rolex watch for you

CHRIS
OK, I'm sorry

ENGINEER
I'll get my papers in another way
I'll make a rich man of some attache'

(CHRIS leaves)

with little shits like him, you take the bucks and run
he gave me six weeks income, I'll be gone in one

THE CEREMONY
(the bar-girls are helping KIM to move into the new room she is to share with CHRIS. They set up a small shrine and photos of KIM'S parents. KIM and CHRIS appear.)

GIRLS
dju vui vay

KIM (echoing)
dju vui vay

GIRLS
yu doi my

KIM
yu doi my

GIRLS
dju vui vay

KIM
dju vui vay

GIRLS
vao nyay moy

KIM
will you give me life smile today
look with favouring eyes on this man
show your daughter's heart your forgiveness
and send to us
from your home above
your blessing on our love

GIRLS
dju vui vay

KIM (echoing)
dju vui vay

GIRLS
yu doi my

KIM
yu doi my

GIRLS
dju vui vay

KIM
dju vui vay

GIRLS
vao nyay moy

GIRLS
dju vui vay

CHRIS
it's pretty but what does it mean?

GIRLS
yu doi my

KIM
it's what all the girls sing at weddings

(CHRIS looks up, startled)

GIRLS
dju vui vay

KIM
they didn't know what else to sing

GIRLS
vao nyay moy

CHRIS
it's the prettiest thing that I've ever heard

(friends arrive carrying beer and a platter of food. The party gathers around the bed, and GIGI leads a toast to KIM.)

GIGI
Miss Saigon!

GUESTS
Miss Saigon!

WHAT'S THIS I FIND

(the door opens. A stranger enters.)

THUY
you're here. It's true
it is as I was told
this man, and you
for how much were you sold?
our vows! Our name!
you squander them on swine
and worse! The shame!
before your family's shrine

CHRIS
this girl is mine!

THUY
yours?

CHRIS
now

THUY
what!

TOGETHER
who are you?

KIM
stop!

THUY
what's this I find?
you have joined with the blind
and do none of you see what's ahead?
what's this I find?
I see losers and whores
who will soon all be gone or be dead

CHRIS
get out!

KIM
you have no right to be here
I'm not a prize you can claim
we were promised at thirteen
the woman I've become is not the same

THUY
that promise made by your father I will claim when we win
to break a vow of your parents is worse than a sin

KIM
my parents got themselves killed in the week you changed side
if there were promises all of them died when they died

(CHRIS and THUY pull guns. The girls scream.)

GIGI
he's got a gun!

(GIGI and the GIRLS leave quickly)

THUY
Kim, leave this man behind

KIM
go on!
and shoot!
I will not change my mind!

THUY
you're still mine!

KIM
not anymore!

THUY
you're mine until we die!

CHRIS
get out of here!

THUY
Saigon
will fall
and so will your GI

CHRIS
she'll leave with me

THUY
you broke your father's word
this is your curse!

(THUY runs out and down the stairs. CHRIS runs out after him but he's gone. CHRIS returns to the room and takes KIM in his arms.)

THE LAST NIGHT OF THE WORLD

CHRIS
in a place that won't let us feel
in a life where nothing seems real
I have found you
I have found you

KIM
in a world that's moving too fast
in a world where nothing can last
I will hold you
I will hold you

CHRIS
our lives will change, when tomorrow comes

KIM
tonight our hearts drown the distant drums

CHRIS
and we have music all right
tearing the night

BOTH
a song
played on a solo saxophone
a crazy sound
a lonely sound
a cry that tells us love goes on and on
played on a solo saxophone
it's telling me
to hold you tight
and dance like it's the last night of the world

CHRIS
on the other side of the earth
there's a place where life still has worth
I will take you

KIM
I'll go with you

CHRIS
you won't believe all the things you'll see
I know 'cause you'll see them all with me

BOTH
if we're together that's when
we'll hear it again

a song
played on a solo saxophone
a crazy sound
a lonely sound
a cry that tells us love goes on and on
played on a solo saxophone
it's telling me
to hold you tight
and dance like it's the last night of the world

KIM
dreams
were all I ever knew

CHRIS
dreams
you won't need when I'm through

BOTH
anywhere
we may be
I will sing with you
a song...

(they dance together in the balcony)

BOTH
so stay with me
and hold me tight
and dance
like it's the last night of the world

THE MORNING OF THE DRAGON

(It is three years later. Saigon has been renamed Ho Chi Minh City. A street pageant is celebrating the glorious victory of North Vietnam and the Third Anniversary of Reunification.)

FIRST GROUP
on silent feet it came
breathing a sheet of flame, it came
closing in on its rightful prey
burning a hundred years away

the morning of the dragon truth lit up the street
the tiger we were stalking walked on paper feet
and in the clear white heat of dawn
was gone

FIRST GROUP
from every door they came
these children born of war, they came
sharing a secret word, which they
waited a hundred years to say

SECOND GROUP
victory
victory
victory

FIRST GROUP
the morning of the dragon truth lit up the street
the tiger we were stalking walked on paper feet
and in the clear white heat of dawn
it's gone

SECOND GROUP
the morning of the dragon all the walls fell down
brother greeted brother in a sudden light
and in the endless night
was gone

FIRST GROUP
on silent feet it came
breathing a sheet of flame, it came
closing in on its rightful prey
burning a hundred years away

SECOND GROUP
victory
victory
victory

THIRD GROUP
may all our children learn
the tide of night will turn

FIRST GROUP
the morning of the dragon truth lit up the street
the tiger we were stalking walked on paper feet
and in the clear white heat of dawn
was gone

I STILL BELIEVE

KIM
last night I watched him sleeping
my body pressed to him
and then he started speaking
the name I heard him speak...was Kim
yes I know that this was years ago
but when moonlight fills my room I know
you are here... still

I still
I still believe
you will return
I know you will
my heart
against all odds
holds still

yes, still
I still believe
I know as long as I can keep believing, I'll live
I'll live
love cannot die
you will return
you will return
and I alone know why

(in a bedroom on the other side of the world, in America. A woman is sitting beside CHRIS who is sleeping. She is ELLEN, CHRIS' s wife)

ELLEN
last night I watched you sleeping
once more, the nightmare came
I heard you cry out something
a word that sounded like... a name
and it hurts me more than I can bear
knowing part of you I'll never share
never know

but still
I still believe
the time will come
when nothing keeps us apart
my heart, forever more
holds still

(CHRIS wakes up from his sleep with a cry. ELLEN takes him in her arms and calms him)

ELLEN
it' s all over, I' m here
there is nothing to fear
Chris, what' s haunting you?
won' t you let me inside
what you so want to hide!
I need you too!

KIM
for still
I still believe
as long as I
can keep believing, I'll live

I'll live
you will return
and I know why
I'm yours
until we die

ELLEN
I will hold you all night, I will make it alright
you are safe with me
and I wish you could tell what you don't want to tell
what your hell must be

you can sleep now
you can cry now
I'm your wife now
for life
until we die

(In America, CHRIS holds ELLEN; in Vietnam, KIM is alone in her room.)

THIS IS THE HOUR

(The ENGINEER, in peasant clothes, is brought back to the city from a re-education camp by THUY'S soldiers. THUY instructs him to find KIM in exchange for its freedom. The ENGINEER tracks down KIM and leads THUY to her. Once more, she rejects his love, declaring that she's sworn herself to CHRIS. The enraged THUY, now the people's commissar, orders his soldiers to attack. They wreck the room and beat up the ENGINEER.)

ENGINEER
are you waiting for them to kill me?
did you not get what he said?
there's a big screw loose inside you
I will rip it out of your head

that's a mad dog on the rampage
if you think he'll change, save your breath
just say "yes", I don't care if you love him
Princess, life has it all over death!

KIM
I have a husband I love
real as the sun in the sky
I cannot live with a lie

THUY
do you see now who has the power?
do you still think crazy things?

KIM
Chris will come to me like the Phoenix
and he'll take me off on his wings

THUY
you're a traitor to your country

KIM
if I am, then let it be

KIM, THUY and the ENGINEER
I am talking of life or death now
I am talking of staying free

ENGINEER
so there it is now, it's time to move on
if you don't need me, I'd rather be gone
two kids in love don't need strangers around

THUY
you just get out!

ENGINEER
right! I won't make a sound

(grabs his sack and exits)

THUY
and as for you, come with me

KIM
no!
there is a secret
that you don't know
there is a force here
I never show
you say it's treason
to keep my vow
season after season
I survived somehow
if you want the reason
I will show you now

(KIM pulls back the curtain and out runs a scared two-year old boy. KIM hugs him.)

look, Thuy, this is my son
he has kept me alive
now you see why
I must tell you "no"

THUY
no one must ever see
this thing you're showing me
that bastard fouls our name

KIM
my baby's not to blame
for what I've done

THUY
you must decide upon
which side you're really on
you whored to make this kid

KIM
that isn't what I did
don't touch my son

THUY
you must seem how it is when you're my wife
having that child of his brands us for life
no alternative! This child cannot live!

(THUY pulls a knife, threatening the boy.)

KIM
no!
you will not touch him
don't touch my boy
he's what I live for
he's my only joy

KIM
you will not touch him

THUY
he is my enemy
it's he turns you from me

KIM
don't touch my boy

THUY
erase him from your life
even your memory

KIM
he's what I live for

THUY
he's one drop in a flood left here to taint our blood

KIM
he's my only joy

THUY
our marriage bond was sworn
forget that he was born

(KIM pulls out a gun)

KIM

THUY
of course you have a gun

KIM
don't touch my little boy

THUY
and now you'll shoot your cousin'
and it's a U.S. gun

KIM
and do not test my will

THUY
a gun that lost the war
you're the corrupted one

KIM
I'm warning you, for him I'll kill

THUY
go on and shoot! Don't wait
to save your bastard son
you must not hesitate

KIM
the earth moves where I stand
I feel the turning of a wheel
I feel nothing in my hand
not even the feel of steel
you will not take my child...

THUY
you don't know how to kill

KIM
I have no other choice
what I must do I will

(she shoots THUY and, at the same moment, the street pageant continues in the street outside.)

CROWD
this is the hour
this is our land
we found the power
in our brother's hand
and from a storm
pierced with life
fierce and white
the lightning came
a bright'ning flame
to end the night

(a gigantic statue of Ho Chi Minh is raised in the square outside.)

one man to heed us
each girl, each boy
one voice to lead us
in a song of joy

this is the hour
this is the land

(in the room, KIM stares at THUY'S body.)
(KIM puts the gun, her family shrine and a few valuables in a sack and, taking TAM by the hand, escapes.)

IF YOU WANT TO DIE IN BED

(The ENGINEER is making his way furtively through the city. SOLDIERS seem to be everywhere.)

ENGINEER
if you want to die in bed
follow my example
when you see a cloud ahead
it's time to show your class
hit the door before
they make a target of your ass

if you want to die in bed
in times of revolution
when the flag they fly is red
let pride fill up your chest
meanwhile pack a sack
and take the first boat heading west

(he enters the abandoned backroom of what was once "Dreamland", opens a trapdoor in the floor and removes a tin box. He opens it.)

my precious souvenirs
of all the golden years
Rolex watches in steel
that look practically real
I'll need a little stock
to start me in Bangkok!

if you want to die in bed
forget about your karma
when your life hangs by a thread
don't cry about the fates
grab a stash of cash
and plan a rest'rant in the States

let me stop for a bit
this was my greatest hit
Miss Saigon in her crown
I made queen of the town
I got 'em paying more
for just another whore

here I come
U.S.A.
your next champ's
on his way

for men will always be men
the rules are the same
for kings or for clerks

give me Francs, or Dollars or Yen
I'll set up a game
I know how it works

why was I born of a race
that thinks only of rice
and hates entrepreneurs?
me I belong in a place
where a man sets his price
and you pay, and he's yours

I should be... American!
where every promise lands
and every businessman knows where he stands

first stop Bangkok then I roam
cross that ocean white with foam
to the place that's my heart's true home

if you want to die in bed
en route to your nirvana
you grab a chance and plunge ahead
and go where people win

heaven's there... oh, shit!
you need a visa to get in!

LET ME SEE HIS WESTERN NOSE

(KIM bursts into the ENGINEER'S shack, carrying TAM)

KIM
Engineer!
Thuy is dead!
he was going to kill my baby and I shot

ENGINEER
you did what?
who is that?
you'll be followed! Get him out of here! Good-bye!

KIM
we must leave!
Tam and I!
we must set off for America tonight

ENGINEER
oh right!
just like that!
tell me how, and while you're at it, tell me why

KIM
I hear the voice of my soldier
telling me to bring... his son

ENGINEER
you're telling me this half-breed brat
is born the son of a marine?

let me see his western nose
this bastard is... the most beautiful sight I've ever seen!
a passport in my hand
my new life can begin
your brat's American
so they must let us in!
in!
the playground of mankind!
the movie in my mind!

I'm your dear brother from now on
and all our family is gone
boy, kiss your brand-new uncle Tran
this kid is okay
he is our entree
to the U.S.A.

with these two little diamonds to bait my hooks
I'll book us on a cruise "boat-people" deluxe
don't worry 'bout the sharks out in the Mekong bay
the pirates taking us are more scary any day

you just stay here and hide
don't show your face outside
take care of our little dear
I will go "engineer"

(He runs out.)

(In the street)

ENGINEER
if you want to die in bed
don't care too much for country
hit the open sea instead
and float there like a cork
uncle ho, ho ho ho ho!
I'll have to call you from New York

I' D GIVE MY LIFE FOR YOU

KIM
you who I cradled in my arms, you
asking as little as you can
little snip of a little man
I know I'd give my life for you

you didn't ask me to be born, you
why should you learn of war or pain
to make sure you're not hurt again
I swear I'd give my life for you

I've tasted love beyond all fear
and you should know it's love that brought you here
and in one perfect night
when the stars burned like new
I knew what I must do

I'll give you a million things I'll never own
I'll give you a world to conquer when you're grown

you will be who you want to be, you
can choose whatever heaven grants
as long as you can have your chance
I swear I'll give my life for you

sometimes I wake up
reaching for him
I feel his shadow brush my head
but there's just moonlight on my bed

was he a ghost? was he a lie
that made my body laugh and cry?
then, by my side, the proof I see:
his little one, gods of the sun, bring him to me!

you will be who you want to be, you
can choose whatever heaven grants
as long as you can have your chance
I swear I'll give my life for you

no one can stop what I must do
I swear I'll give my life for you.

(a CHORUS of VIETNAMESE gathering to leave the country)

FIRST GROUP
no place, no home
no life, no hope
no chance, no change

SECOND GROUP
no regret, no return
no good-bye, no regret
no return, no good-bye

FIRST GROUP
no place, no home
no life, no hope
no chance, no change

SECOND GROUP
no regret, no return
no good-bye, no regret
no return, no good-bye
no regret...

FIRST GROUP
no place, no home
no life, no hope
no chance, no change
no...

THIRD GROUP
one day, one night
one day, one night
one day, one night
one day...

(the ENGINEER, KIM and TAM join the boat people)

End of act I

BUI-DOI

(In September 1978 JOHN is addressing a conference in Atlanta that CHRIS and his wife ELLEN are attending at JOHN'S request.)

CHOIR
they're called bui-doi
the dust of life
conceived in hell
and born in strife
they are the living reminders
of all the good we failed to do
we can't forget
must not forget
that they are all our children too

JOHN
like all survivors, I once thought
when I'm home I won't give a damn
but now I know I'm caught
I'll never leave Vietnam

war isn't over when it ends
some pictures never leave your mind
they are the faces of the children
the ones we left behind

they're called bui-doi
the dust of life
conceived in hell
and born in strife
they are the living reminders
of all the good we failed to do
that's why we know
deep in our hearts
that they are all our children too

these kids hit walls on every side
they don't belong in any place
their secret they can't hide
it's printed on their face

I never thought one day I'd plead
for half-breeds from a land that's torn
but then I saw a camp for children
whose crime was being born

they're called bui-doi
the dust of life
conceived in hell
and born in strife
we owe them fathers, and a family
and loving homes they never knew
because we know
deep in our hearts
that they are all our children too

these are souls in need
they need us to give
someone has to pay
for their chance to live
help me try

CHORUS
they're called bui-doi
the dust of life
conceived in hell

JOHN AND CHORUS
and born in strife
they are the living reminders
of all the good we failed to do

CHORUS
that's why we know

JOHN
that's why we know

CHORUS
deep in our hearts

JOHN
deep in our hearts

CHORUS
that's why we know

JOHN
that they are all our children...

JOHN AND CHORUS
...too

THE REVELATION

(After the conference, JOHN introduces CHRIS and ELLEN to his co-workers. CHRIS draws JOHN aside.)

CHRIS
John, you were great. Can I see you alone
I gotta know what you meant on the phone
what is this news you received you could only tell me

JOHN
a lot of groups use my Bangkok staff
to process problems on their behalf
we got this in from the embassy
it's not easy to tell you, it's best that you see

CHRIS
It's about Kim, isn't it?
ev'ry day for a year how I tried to get word
tell me first, nothing else, tell me: did she survive?

JOHN
you must read the report, Chris, but yes, she's alive

CHRIS
you don't know, John, these nightmares, the things that I've seen
I have seen her face burned, seen her shot with my gun
I have chased her through streets and heard nothing but screams
what's wrong? Come on. There is still something more

JOHN
she has a child
you have a son

(shows CHRIS the report)

CHRIS
you won't believe me but I dreamed this, John
it's in the nightmare when I see Saigon
Jesus, John, I am married
is this story for real?

JOHN
I'm only telling you what I received
but our reports can usually be believed
Kim's a bar-girl in Bangkok
pal, I know how you feel

CHRIS
It's too late! I have a whole new life
I was in love with Kim, but now I have a wife

JOHN
listen, Chris, I know the shock you've had
there are solutions here, it isn't always bad

CHRIS
oh John, I never told her
my wife, how can I tell her?
a child, what do I do?
I shattered Kim
now Ellen too

WHAT A WASTE

(A street filled with vendors in Patpong in Bangkok, outside a sleazy night-club called "Le Moulin Rouge" where the ENGINEER is doorman and barker. Other DOORMEN compete with him for the attention of crowds of TOURISTS.)

ENGINEER
check it out, hey!
yo! check it out!
hey, boy! You want to try my girls?
try my girls, eh? etc...

DOORMEN
girls! I got girls!

DOORMEN
gorgeous girls!

DOORMEN
very nice!

TOURISTS
hey, wow! Oh look! We gotta see!

VENDORS
bags! Gucci bags!

VENDORS
cultured pearls!
VENDORS
shrimp and rice!

TOURISTS
I'm glad my wife's not here with me!

ENGINEER
what a waste!
to pay for my keep
I'm rounding up sheep
to fleece here in Bangkok

I'm disgraced
I can't get ahead
there's nothing as dead
as peace here in Bangkok

ten cents an hour, and I stand all day
I could sell Kim for ten times my pay

(to some TOURISTS)

if you're looking for fun
original sin
if you want to put out
then you gotta come in

(TOURISTS pass. He tries to make them take his leaflets.)

DOORMEN
girls! I got girls!

DOORMEN
gorgeous girls!

DOORMEN
very nice!

DOORMEN
girls!

ENGINEER (to TOURISTS)

gee, isn't Bangkok really neat?

DOORMEN
I got girls!

ENGINEER
the things they're selling on the street

DOORMEN
girls!

ENGINEER
fresh dog, if that's what you'd enjoy

DOORMEN
worth the price

ENGINEER
a girl, or if you want a boy

DOORMEN and the ENGINEER
come, come to me
first drink is free

ENGINEER
to two Japanese TOURISTS)
don't be a lump, you can hump
for a small extra fee

ENGINEER
I'm depressed
for hustling amours
to Japanese tours
is no treat in Bangkok

I'm the best
but where's a Marine
with fistfuls of green
I'd cheat him in Bangkok

ten cents an hour...

(The CLUB OWNER, the ENGINEER'S boss, passes.)

evening, Boss

...screw the Siamese
look how they're ripping off... refugees

(to another PASSER-BY)

ENGINEER
if you're looking for fun
original sin
if you want to put out
then you gotta come in

DOORMEN
girls!

ENGINEER
hey boys, don't stand around like wimps

DOORMEN
I got girls!

ENGINEER
watch out, those guys, they're really pimps

DOORMEN
girls!

ENGINEER
you want some thrills, I'll guarantee some

DOORMEN
half the price!

ENGINEER tonight, a twosome or a threesome

DOORMEN
hey, come to me!

(unfolding folders of photos)

DOORMEN
look what you'll see!

ENGINEER
hey, that's a joke, mine blow smoke
for a small extra fee

VENDORS
acid, marijuana and hash

DOORMEN
we'll get you high in a flash

TOURISTS
let's go and see what they mean

VENDORS
chicken, lemon grass and bamboo

TOURISTS
we want to try something new

DOORMEN
come do the ping pong routine!

ENGINEER
hey, Joe, try taking a little excursion
you'll all feel good from a little perversion

TOURISTS
oh yeah!

ENGINEER
massage requiring total immersion

TOURISTS
oh wow!

ENGINEER
some strange positions they say are Persian

TOURISTS
oh no!

ENGINEER
drinks are on me
first girl is free
what can I say? You get me
for a small extra fee!

VENDORS
acid, marijuana and hash

DOORMEN
we'll get you high in a flash

TOURISTS
let's go and see what he means

VENDORS
chicken, lemon grass and bamboo

TOURISTS
we want to try something new

DOORMEN
come do the ping pong routine!

PLEASE

JOHN
I'm not here as a friend
I have a job to do
it's strange to find my work
should lead me here to you
Chris knows all about you
I have shown him all this
but I think that it's time
you know all about Chris

KIM
please, don't you see that's all I live for?
I have him and nothing more
at night, everything that's not him
disappears behind my door

JOHN
please, he went crazy when he lost you
spoke to no one for a year
then he finally said "I'm home now,
my life has to go on here"

please, let me finish talking, please
this was three whole years ago

KIM
yes, yes I know
I know how pain can grow
when the rock you hold onto
is a love miles away, listen:

please, I already know the story
take us to the U.S.A.

JOHN
when we've finished here, you'll see him
Chris arrived with me today!

KIM
oh Tam! He's here!
he is here, he's so near
we might breathe the same air tonight!
your father's here

KIM
oh Tam, it's true
my dream was right
you'll see him soon!

JOHN
I can't tell her like this
I should not be the one
Chris must come see his son

KIM
please,
don't you see we've been
watched over?
as we crossed
the wildest seas?
even god wants us together
can I end this journey,
please?

JOHN
they don't say
in the files
there's a woman in love here
what sustained her for miles
Chris still knows nothing of
can I end this journey
please?

(JOHN, unable to tell KIM the truth, returns to the hotel to inform CHRIS and ELLEN of the impossible situation. The ENGINEER doesn't trust any of them, least of all an American GI who has fathered a bui-doi son, and goes in search of CHRIS'S hotel address so that he can send KIM there directly. )

THE FALL OF SAIGON

(KIM overwhelmed at the prospect of finally being reunited with CHRIS, recalls the horrifying moments when they were separated during The Fall of Saigon.)

AN OFFICER
sorry, sergeant, we must accelerate
state department says we evacuate
the word is, we must be out by dawn

ANOTHER OFFICER
sorry, sergeant, it's straight from Washington
no one leaves the grounds now, not anyone
as fast as we load the planes, we're gone

CHRIS
but my girl is out there!

(a huge crowd of VIETNAMESE is pushing at the Embassy gates)

A MARINE CAPTAIN
(to the crowd)
okay! Keep quiet! don't shout!
the Ambassador won't leave till everyone's out
the choppers're on their way, there's room for you all

ANOTHER MARINE
they're climbing over the wall!
get back!

MORE MARINES
get back! I tell you, don't shout
the Ambassador won't leave till everyone's out

A MARINE
(entering)
th'Ambassador just sent an order to freeze

THE MARINE CAPTAIN
that's it! No more Vietnamese! Get in!

CHRIS
but my girl is out there!

(in the streets outside the Embassy, KIM can't get through the guards.)

KIM
I'm the wife of a soldier
please, let me through!
help me, who must I pay?
tell me what I must do

CHRIS
(to an OFFICER)
let me out, I got to go back for my bride!

KIM
listen, someone! My husband is waiting inside!

CHRIS
(telephoning, inside the Embassy yard)
please Kim
hear the phone
I can't get there
please be home

KIM
(in the street)
please Chris
no one sees
I am lost here
find me please

BOTH
please, get me through, I don't care how
don't take my love away, not now

KIM
oh, Chris

CHRIS
oh Kim

KIM
I can't get free

CHRIS
please get free

KIM
still I'm with you

CHRIS
I am with you

KIM
wait for me

CHRIS
wait for me

THE MARINE CAPTAIN (to CHRIS)
sorry sergeant, inside the Embassy!
we are pulling out now and there will be
no more reprieves

CHRIS
I got till the old man leaves!

JOHN
Chris, don't be a schmuck
th'Ambassador is leaving now

(CHRIS is forced inside the Embassy, whose doors are then barricaded. The VIETNAMESE are now yelling through the Embassy gates.)

ONE VIETNAMESE
take me with you!
take my children!

ANOTHER
I have a letter, look!

ANOTHER
I helped the C.I.A.!

CROWD
they'll kill who they find here!
don't leave us behind here!

A VIETNAMESE
I've a wife who left already!

ANOTHER
I have an aunt in New York!

ANOTHER
I have gold, I can pay!

CROWD
there is no one to find here!
they have left us behind here!

(KIM has pushed her way through the gate.)

KIM
I must get in there, listen, anyone!
please tell my husband... look! I have his gun!

A VIETNAMESE
out of my way, if that's all that you've got!

CROWD
if I am here when they come, I'll be shot!

(inside the compound: MARINES guard the roof helipad.)

CHRIS
let me go, John, I can't leave her
why in the world should I be saved instead of her?

CROWD
they'll kill who they find here!
don't leave us behind here!

JOHN
it's not you, it's the war that's cruel
and if some dreams get smashed, perhaps it's best they were

CROWD and KIM
there is no one to find here!
they have left us behind here!

JOHN
wake up, my friend, your mercy trip has failed
there's nothing you can do, that ship has sailed
she's not the only one we'll have betrayed

CROWD
get to the roof, or else we are betrayed!

(the CROWD tries to batter down the fences.)

KIM
(in the yard)
oh, Chris
I still believe
the heart of you
is here with me
my heart, against all odds
holds still

(on the Embassy roof, the last helicopter lands. CHRIS runs up and down the wall, shouting for KIM. Finally he is forced to board the helicopter, which takes off. The nightmare passes. KIM is in her little room with TAM.)

ROOM 317

(The ENGINEER arrives with CHRIS'S hotel address. KIM runs through the city of Bangkok to CHRIS'S hotel, as CHRIS and JOHN travel throughout the city to find her.)

(A hotel room)

KIM
good evening, maam

ELLEN
don't turn the bed yet

KIM
I'm not the maid

ELLEN
what do you want then?

KIM
they must have written the room number wrong
I am looking for someone named Christopher Scott
three-seventeen, I am sorry... unless
well, you must be, of course, you're John's wife, are you not?

ELLEN
oh God, I see
it had to happen
you must be Kim
Chris went to find you
please come inside
no one will hurt you
I'm Chris's wife
my name is Ellen

(KIM doesn't move)

ELLEN
in a way, I am glad I am meeting you first
understand, you were only a name till tonight
I don't know how I'd feel if our roles were reversed
won't you please sit down

KIM
tell me you are lying

ELLEN
we've been married two years, I am sorry, it's true

KIM
he said he'd come to get me

ELLEN
he says he tried to reach you, but what could he do?

KIM
please tell me you're not married
you don't know, you can't know what I've done to be here

ELLEN
you don't know how he needed a new start
KIM
I feel walls in my heart
closing in
I can't breathe
I can't win

ELLEN
as for the child
you say it's Chris's

KIM
oh yes, Madame
my son is Chris's

ELLEN
of course we'll help

KIM
please keep your pity

ELLEN
it's not a gift
it is our duty

KIM
I had a dream for my son to belong
and not live all his life in the streets like a rat

ELLEN
we aren't rich, but we'll shoulder our load
Chris and I stand completely together on that

KIM
then you must take Tam with you

ELLEN
take a child from his mother, impossible Kim

KIM
you will take Tam with you
then he'll get what I wanted for him

ELLEN
but Kim, your child needs you
Chris is married to me, we want kids of our own

KIM
Tam's chance lies with you now, not with me

BOTH
no!
can't you see
it won't work
it can't be

KIM
if you're saying that because you've made him change his mind
Chris must go away and leave me and his son behind
if you're saying that because my husband has another wife
my child has no future, like the dust of life
he must come tonight to my place
tell me so to my face

(KIM exits)

NOW THAT I'VE SEEN HER

ELLEN
I don't want this
don't want to fight her
what did I do
I didn't come here
to meet a girl
who loves my husband
Chris has a son
he has to see him
but if he does
she'll be there with him

I came here to help, but what do I do?
now, after this, what can I do?

there are days
there are days when your life clouds over
and the world gets so dark
that all at once you can't tell night from day

there are times
when your heart cries this isn't happening
but the truth is cold and real
and I know this storm won't go away

it's her or me
now there's no way to hide
she is not some fling
from long ago
it's her or me
now I know why he lied
and I think it was better when I didn't know

in her eyes, in her voice
in the heat that filled the air
part of him still lingers there
I know what pain her life today must be
but if it all comes down to her or me
I won't wait, I swear, I'll fight

it's her or me
and it's me he must choose
I don't hate this girl even so
it's her or me
it's a fight I can't lose
I can't live wondering where his heart is
now I have to know

THE CONFRONTATION

(CHRIS and JOHN enter)

CHRIS
we could not find her anywhere
honey, what's wrong?

ELLEN
Kim was here
the one who had to tell her was me

JOHN
oh, my God, it's my fault

CHRIS
I knew we were gone too long!

ELLEN
no, I think it's exactly what I had to see
there are some things that you left out all right
she wants her husband to go to her place tonight

CHRIS
that's not how things were, I just promised her

JOHN
it's the same to her

ELLEN
don't explain
there's nothing you can say
it's like she went insane
she tried to give away
her own child
JOHN
she wants her son to be an American boy

ELLEN
don't you see, she still thinks she's married to you
you must tell her she's not, she must hear it from you
'course it only depends if it's true

CHRIS
please don't doubt me Ellen: you're my wife
lots of guys came back and had no life
I had you

ELLEN
you can say what you want but she's borne you a son
in your nightmares the name that you shouted was hers
you've been with me two years and not shared things you've done
don't hold back
let me see
is it her now
or me?

CHRIS
let me tell you the way it was
back when I was a different man
back when I didn't have a clue who I am
the feelings locked behind a dam
that kept me there in Vietnam

there in the shambles of a war
I found what I was looking for
Saigon was crazed, but she was real
and for one moment, I could feel

I saw a world I never knew
and through her eyes I suffered too
in spite of all the things that were
I started to believe in her

so I wanted to save her, protect her
Christ, I'm American, how could I fail to do good?
all I made was a mess, just like everyone else
in a place full of mystery that I never once understood!
I wanted back a world I knew
the story of my life began again
with you

ELLEN
it's all right now, I'm with you
we'll get through this, we'll pull through

CHRIS
oh Ellen, I should've told you
will you ever trust me again?

ELLEN
all I want
in my life
is you

CHRIS
all I have
in my life
is you

(CHRIS and ELLEN decide, against JOHN'S advice, to go to KIM'S club to convince her that their only possible choice is to support her and TAM in Bangkok. KIM has returned to the Club and lies to the ENGINEER, telling him that CHRIS is overjoyed and will arrive later that evening to take them all to America.)

THE AMERICAN DREAM

ENGINEER
my father was a tattoo artist in Haiphong
but his designs on mother didn't last too long
my mother sold her body, high on Betel nuts
my job was bringing red-faced monsieurs to our huts
selling your mom is a wrench
perfume can cover a stench
that's what I learned from the French

then it all changed with Dien Bien Phu
the frogs went home. Who came? Guess who?
are you surprised we went insane
with dollars pouring down like rain?
businessmen never rob banks
you can sell shit and get thanks
that's what I learned from the Yanks

I'm fed up with small-time hustles
I'm too good to waste my talent for greed
I need room to flex my muscles
in an ocean where the big sharks feed
make me Yankee, they're my fam'ly
they're selling what people need

what's that I smell in the air
the American dream
sweet as a new millionaire
the American dream
pre-packed, ready-to-wear
the American dream
fat, like a chocolate eclair
as you suck out the cream

luck by the tail
how can you fail?
and best of all, it's for sale
the American dream

greasy chinks make life so sleazy
in the States I'll have a club that's four-starred
men like me there have things easy
they have a lawyer and a body-guard
to the Johns there I'll sell blondes there
that they can charge on a card

what's that I smell in the air?
the American dream
sweet as a suite in Bel-air
the American dream
girls can buy tits by the pair
the American dream
bald people think they'll grow hair
the American dream

call girls are lining time square
the American dream
bums there have money to spare
the American dream
cars that have bars take you there
the American dream
on stage each night: Fred Astaire
the American dream

shlitz down the drain!
pop the Champagne!
it's time we all entertain
my American dream!

ENGINEER and CROWD
busboys can buy the hotel
the American dream
Wall Street is ready to sell
the American dream
come make a life from thin air
the American dream
come and get more than your share
the American dream

ENGINEER
there I will crown
Miss Chinatown
all yours for ten percent down
the American dream

THE SACRED BIRD

(In KIM'S room she has dressed TAM in his best clothes. She lights candles at her family's shrine, then picks up the photo of her parents.)
KIM
from this picture I keep
you, my parents, look out
and your smiles show no scorn
I am happy today
for I know what to do
and my heart is not torn
spirits know when to fly
when it's time
there's no reason to mourn
for the great sacred bird is reborn

from the ashes he'll rise
and upon his wide wings
I'll watch you from above
I will never be far
but my son, it's your turn
to know your father's love
I know now why I came to this earth
it's so you find your place
but for that I must leave your embrace

you will be with your father now
give all your love to him when I am gone
take one last look at me
don't forget what you see
for now you must move on

you will be who you want to be, you
can choose whatever heaven grants
as long as you can have your chance
I swear I'll give my life for you
no one will stop what I must do
my son, I'll give my life for you

(she kisses TAM, prays before the shrine, hears people approaching, blows out the candles. She checks that it is CHRIS coming. She gives TAM a toy, and disappears behind the bed curtain. The ENGINEER leads CHRIS, JOHN and ELLEN into the little room where TAM is playing on the bed. A gunshot. KIM'S body falls out from behind the curtain.)

FINALE

CHRIS
Kim! Kim!

(CHRIS picks up KIM and cradles her in his arms.)

CHRIS
what have you done, Kim? Why?

KIM
the gods have guided you to your son

CHRIS
please don't die

KIM
hold me one more time

(CHRIS holds her)

KIM
how in one night have we come... so far

(KIM'S embrace becomes lifeless. CHRIS sobs, holding her.)

THE CURTAIN FALLS