SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A City Heights native is returning to San Diego as part of the Broadway tour of Miss Saigon.
Jackie Nguyen is a member of the ensemble, but says this show has always had a special place in her heart.
"It was the very first musical that I saw, ever," says Nguyen.
Getting the chance to perform in her home town is a thrill for Nguyen, who says about 20 family members and friends will be at each show throughout the weekend.
"I've always wanted to play the Civic Theater because this is where I first saw my big Broadway musicals in high school," she says. "It's a full circle moment for me."
The show also has significance for her family, as Nguyen's mother is from Vietnam and has a similar story to the main character, Kim.
"When you are introduced to Kim at the beginning of the show, she's 17 and she meets and American GI. My mom, in the midst of the war, when she was 17, she also met an American GI. And they got married and had children from that. And eventually went to America," says Nguyen.
That connection makes performing in Miss Saigon even more meaningful every time Nguyen steps on stage.
"Every night, i know that I am trying to give my family and my mom some type of honor in some way," she says. "It propels me to do better."
Miss Saigon runs through Sunday at the Civic Theater. Tickets are available through Broadway San Diego.
