P-pop DAYDREAM member Kiara Dario to debut as Gigi in ‘Miss Saigon’ PH run

Kiara Dario to debut as Gigi in Miss Saigon PH | Image: Instagram/@kiaramiren

Philippine-born theater actress Kiara Dario is set to make her international debut as Gigi as she joins the principal cast members of the “Miss Saigon” Philippine run.

Dario is one of the three members of the P-pop girl group DAYDREAM. In theater, she has played the roles of Snow White in REP’s staging of “Snow White and the Prince” and as Mrs. Potiphar in Trumpets Inc.’s “Joseph the Dreamer.”

The young musical actress detailed on her Instagram page what drove her love for theater and how she secured the spot in the “Miss Saigon” Manila leg. 

“I first encountered the music of Miss Saigon at 3 years old, and I still remember growing up singing “a song played on a solo sexy phone” (because I didn’t know what a saxophone was) and forcing my sister to be my Ellen for “I Still Believe,” she wrote. 

Dario proved that there’s a right time and place for everything, as she revealed that when she first auditioned for “Miss Saigon,” she didn’t make the cut, but now she is set to perform in her homeland.

“It was a musical that changed my life when I auditioned (and didn’t make it) in 2016, because it got me out of my theater hiatus and made me realize that theater is truly my life’s passion. Miss Saigon is truly the musical that champions so many Asian actors, especially Filipinos, many of whom became my teachers, directors, and legends in the local industry,” she expressed. 

“It’s truly a full-circle moment. What a treat it is to open this tour in my hometown. Handa ka na ba, Manila?” added the theater actress. 

Aside from the DAYDREAM member, Filipino Australian performers Abigail Adriano as Kim and Seann Miley Moore as The Engineer will be returning from the 2023 Australia run to grace the Philippine staging. Additionally, Nigel Huckle, who played Chris in the same run, will also reprise his role.

“Miss Saigon” PH will open at The Theatre at Solaire on March 23.