Vietgone

Four months earlier, in Saigon, South Vietnam, Tong sits at the edge of a bed, talking to Giai. Giai is inconsolable because Tong refuses to marry him. When he says he doesn’t understand, Tong tells him that the thought of being his wife makes her want to “kill” herself. He offers her a good life, saying he has money, a house, and a Japanese motorcycle, but Tong replies that she values her independence. Confused, believing that as a woman, Tong wants to be taken care of and have kids, Giai makes another plea, and Tong finally agrees to think about it. Excited, he resolves to eventually convince her to say yes. He begins kissing her. She doesn’t respond but eventually asks if he wants to have sex. He says yes but begins crying again, this time from happiness.

At a Saigon military station, Quang waits for someone’s arrival at the gates. Nhan meets him there and suggests that they pay for sex workers. Quang refuses, and Nhan admits that he wants one, saying that the Americans always get them and implying that they should too. Quang still refuses, citing the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and when Nhan asks to borrow money to pay for a sex worker, Quang again refuses. Thu, Quang’s wife, arrives, and when Nhan asks her for money, Quang tells him no and he leaves.

Thu and Quang reunite for the first time in years, but Quang is upset that she didn’t bring their children, Trang and Quyen. She says that they’re with her parents because of rumors that the Viet Cong are close to Saigon. Quang is upset because he wanted to give them his presents, a teething giraffe for four-year-old Trang and a knife for two-year old Quyen. When Thu says that these aren’t appropriate for the children’s ages, Quang tells her that he hasn’t had a chance to know what’s appropriate due to his time away. When Thu again expresses anxiety over the Viet Cong, Quang promises that if Saigon falls, he’ll fly the family out.

Three weeks later, with “White Christmas” playing in the background, the Americans begin pulling out of Saigon as the Viet Cong breach the city. Nhan and Quang run to a helicopter, hoping to get to the USS Midway, off the Vung Tau peninsula. Quang demands that they retrieve his family in Soc Trang, but when they reach their helicopter, it’s full of refugees. Nhan convinces Quang to drop these people off rather than abandon them before circling back for his family.

At Fort Chaffee in Arkansas, Tong sings to the cue of “Gonna Start Again” about being a new refugee in the US. She sings about the death of Vietnam’s dream of democracy and how the refugees spread across the US are the lucky ones. She sings about the feeling of hitting rock bottom and needing to start over, yet she exudes confidence, singing about how she’ll succeed and won’t let anyone mess with her. A soldier named Bobby interrupts her, introducing himself and checking her name off his list. When Tong’s mother, Huong, appears, he checks her name off too. Bobby clearly likes Tong, but Huong warns her about getting close to Bobby and complains that they must share a bunk, expecting America to be nicer. She laments being old and wonders why Tong brought her to the US. Tong reminds her mother that she received only two tickets through her job at the embassy and that her brother, Khue, refused to come.

Khue told Tong that he couldn’t leave Vietnam because he loved his girlfriend, Pham. Tong argued with him, explaining the risk of staying as the Viet Cong closed in. Khue still refused, saying that Pham was the love of his life. He suggested that Tong take their mother, and when Tong told him that she couldn’t lose him or say goodbye, he assured her that they’d see each other again.

On the USS Midway, Quang meets with Captain Chambers and his Translator. Chambers speaks in nonsensical US expressions, making no sense without his Translator’s help. Quang tells Chambers that he must get back to his helicopter to retrieve his family, but Chambers tells Quang through his Translator that he can’t, since his helicopter was pushed off the ship to make room for incoming planes and that Quang must now go to the US. Nhan approaches Quang cautiously, taking the blame for making him come to the ship and leave his family. Quang begins singing to the musical cue of “I’ll Make It Home,” about how, despite their separation, he’ll return to his wife and children. Across the stage, Tong begins singing about the pain of losing her homeland and brother and commits to making the US her homeland. The scenery around Quang changes from the USS Midway to Fort Chaffee, surrounded by protestors with anti-refugee signs. Quang and Tong alternate singing about the struggles of being refugees in the US, each committing to a new future, one in Vietnam, the other in the US.