Will Anna Maria play Kim in Miss Saigon film version?

As Funfare reported in a scoop several issues ago, it’s all systems go for the film adaptation of Broadway’s musical hit Rock of Ages, with New Line Cinema set to hold auditions on March 26 in Los Angeles for some roles still up for grabs.

Said Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre, the source of that scoop, “It’s probably safe to say that Fil-Aussie rocker MiG Ayesa is out of the running for the movie version since his coveted role of Stacee Jaxx is going to no less than Tom Cruise who reportedly wants the part badly.”

The Mission Impossible star, who recently watched the L. A. staging of the musical currently on US tour and caught up with MiG and the whole cast afterwards, will be joined by Alec Baldwin (as Dennis), Mary J. Blige (as Justice) and Julianne Hough (as Sherrie Christian).

But there’s no bitterness on the part of MiG, we heard from the grapevine. From the ongoing US tour of the smash-hit musical, MiG is heading to Broadway to play Stacee Jaxx (and where he could be a Broadway sensation) night after night beginning March 24 at Helen Hayes Theater on Times Square. Funfare will cover MiG’s premiere night that is expected to draw film and theater luminaries.

... at San Diego Zoo Safari Park last month...

With more Broadway musicals finding their way onto the silver screen in recent years (Les Miserables, Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, Rent, The Producers, Sweeney Todd, Hairspray, Mamma Mia, Dreamgirls, Nine), another long-running musical is said to be in the planning stage. It’s the megahit Miss Saigon which ran for a decade on Broadway (after opening on London’s West End) and made a then Filipina teenage singer/actress — Lea Salonga, who else! — an internationally-renowned Tony-winning stage performer and a Best Actress grand slam winner at that!

Edmund noted that, for the record, Miss Saigon is the 10th longest-running show on the Great White Way topped by The Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Les Miserables — all produced by Sir Cameron Mackintosh.

 It’s been over 10 years now since Sir Cameron first revealed his desire to make a film version of Miss Saigon that also introduced to theater world numerous Filipino talents like, among others, Monique Wilson, Joanna Ampil, Jamie Rivera, Leila Florentino and Jenine Desiderio, who all played Kim; and Cocoy Laurel and Leo Valdez as The Engineer. (Mackintosh said in an interview that Leo is his favorite Engineer.)

As a reminder, Edmund added that Miss Saigon is, of course, a retelling of Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly about an American soldier who falls in love with a Vietnamese bar girl during the Vietnam War in the 1970s and then abandons her. “Hands down, it’s our most favorite Broadway musical of all time what with its breathtaking set designs (the helicopter drama scene is phenomenal), captivating songs and scores, and show-stopping performances by a cast of mostly Asian artists, many of them Filipinos, who only reaffirmed the world-class talents of the Pinoy.”

The long overdue plan, or dream, of bringing Miss Saigon to Hollywood resurfaced late 2009.

“That was when news came out that Lee Daniels, who helmed the Oscar-nominated drama Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, expressed interest in directing the Cameron Mackintosh magnum opus, with Hollywood hotshot Paula Wagner — yes, Tom Cruise’s producing partner — as producer. Paula was the executive producer of movies like Mission: Impossible (II and III), War of the Worlds, Vanilla Sky and The Last Samurai, among others. She’s currently the founder of Chestnut Ridge Productions and Miss Saigon could be her company’s first production, according to her bio in Wikipedia.”

According to previous reports, the shooting for Miss Saigon was to start in 2010 with a target release date for 2011. It even has production credits in the movie archive of The New York Times with Daniels as director, Wagner and Cameron Mackintosh as producers, and Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boubil as source material.

But to date, no production date or casting has been announced. Some big names in Hollywood have earlier been floated for the roles of the American G.I. Christopher “Chris” Scott, and the scene-stealing engineer (aka Tran Van Dinh) — the character that gave the legendary English star Jonathan Pryce a Tony Award and made Filipino Leo Valdez a stage phenomenon overseas.

...with two of her co-stars in the TV show Camp Rock...

According to Edmund, among the A-Listers mentioned for the movie version were James Franco as Chris, and Hugh Jackman as The Engineer. One of the Jonas Brothers was also being eyed as Chris, according to sources.

As for the young, and innocent bar girl Kim (a role that also gave Lea Laurence Olivier Best Actress honors, and several New York theater acting trophies), a few young Asian and Asian-American actresses are reportedly being considered for the role.

At her age now, Lea would be too old to play Kim, a role tailor-made for her when she was discovered (at age 17) by Mackintosh and his team, who were spellbound by her flawless, angelic voice and beauty oozing with innocence and fierceness during an arduous worldwide search that ended in Manila.

According to the grapevine, Sir Cameron may have found his new Kim who could give justice to the demanding role.

Fil-Am Disney star Anna Maria Perez de Tagle (Hannah Montana, Camp Rock, Fame) is said to be in Sir Cameron’s very short list — possibly on top of that list — if and when cameras start rolling for Miss Saigon The Movie. Anna Maria is the daughter of Archie Perez de Tagle (son of Sylvia La Torre who came home in December last year to guest-perform in a concert at the CCP produced by Irene Marcos-Araneta and to take a month-long vacation with her husband, Dr. Celso Perez de Tagle, a dentist).

Revealed Edmund, “Unknown to many, Anna Maria was flown to London (all expenses paid!) in the middle of last year after Sir Cameron requested to meet her.

“During that trip, Anna Maria and her party, which included her manager Papa Jonas (real-life dad of the famous Jonas Brothers), were reportedly given VIP treatment by Sir Cameron and his people. Sources said Sir Cameron squeezed out Anna Maria’s raw emotions as she belted cuts from Les Miserables and Miss Saigon.”

Lo and behold, Sir Cameron was said to have fallen in love with Anna Maria. He and his people were reportedly blown away by what they saw and heard that he was quoted as saying, “Lea Salonga is reborn.”

The compliment came as no surprise given that Anna Maria is an ardent fan of Lea, not only for Lea’s talent and career path, but also for her squeaky-clean image and reputation as an international artist.

Ask anyone in Disney and they have nothing but praises and admiration for Anna Maria’s extraordinary talent and passion for work, as well as her demeanor and deep respect for her parents and peers.

“She’s the ultimate Disney star,” Edmund quoted a Disney insider as saying. “It’s like you always want to root for her because she’s the nicest kid on the block with great talent and beautiful personality. She’s the real deal.”

...and with the cast of Fame (she’s the girl at left, seated on the floor).

Edmund said that Anna Maria’s camp declined to comment about the London meeting, saying that nothing is final yet and that they wouldn’t want to preempt any plan Sir Cameron may have for Anna Maria.

  Sources, however, said that movie or no movie, the multi-millionaire British producer is bent on bringing back to Broadway or West End the tragic story of Kim.

“And Anna Maria surely is in Sir Cameron’s radar,” concluded Edmund.

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