“MISS Saigon” Australia theater actors Kiara Dario and Laurence Mossman, who recently returned to the country, are both setting their sights in bigger things to come as far as their respective careers are concerned

Kiara and Laurence had not met personally yet prior to performing together late in 2023. She came as a replacement for a cast in Adelaide, while he was already in the musical as the antagonist Thuy.

They quickly bonded over their shared Filipino roots and common Filipino friends. “Laurence and I both started in Manila’s theater scene,” Kiara said. “But it’s funny because we actually hadn’t crossed paths until Miss Saigon (in Australia).

“I’d heard about him about his roles in the theater musical, Kinky Boots and Dolce Amore on TV (2016). Our mutual theater mom, Carla Guevarra Laforteza, even joked during my auditions that we’d make a good match. I simply laughed it off.

Kiara auditioned for Miss Saigon in Melbourne in November 2023, but officially joined the Miss Saigon tour in January 2024 in Adelaide.

“I began performing as Gigi in February 2024, with shows in Adelaide, Manila, four cities across Taiwan – Kaohsiung, Taichung, Tainan and Taipei – and then finally in Singapore. Altogether, I played the role for about nine months and returned to Manila just last month.”

Admittedly, playing Gigi was such a “whirlwind and honestly a lifelong dream fulfilled” for Kiara.

“One of the most unforgettable moments happened at the Manila gala,” shared Kiara. “During ‘The Heat Is On,’ when The Engineer introduced Gigi and I stepped out for her iconic ‘pin-up’ lap dance, the entire theater just exploded with cheers in the middle of the number.

“The actor playing John leaned over and whispered, ‘That has never happened before’ and it hit me how much support and pride my country had for me in that moment –It was incredibly moving.”

Another memorable moment was the final show in Singapore. When the curtain fell, the cast turned to each other and just burst into tears, as recalled by Dario.

“We stayed on that stage for what felt like forever, hugging, crying and kneeling to touch the floor in gratitude,” she said. “It was such a high-energy, deeply emotional moment – a true testament to how much of ourselves we poured into ‘Miss Saigon.’

“It was exhausting and demanding, but I think that moment captured the love we had for each other and the whole experience. Miss Saigon feels like the start of a new life for me. It opened doors in both my career and my life.”

Another fun coincidence that feels a bit like fate. “Both Laurence and I had separately planned to move to London even before joining Miss Saigon or meeting each other,” granted Kiara.

Romance inevitably bloomed between the two while they were on tour. “It’s amazing how our paths converged on this tour,” Kiara said. “Miss Saigon not only opened so many doors to fulfill those dreams, but also serendipitously led us to find a partner along the way.

“It made the transition feel easier and left me feeling like the universe was guiding us to these moments and opportunities.”

Both Kiara and Laurence are excited to be based in London early next year. “We hope to immerse ourselves in the London musical theater scene and aim to work on the West End and around the globe now that we both have London-based agents,” Laurence said.

“Kiara recently signed with Lowy Hamilton Artists (LHA) and I signed with Creative Artists Management (CAM) after meetings earlier this year in London. CAM has some of the biggest actors in the UK including fellow Miss Saigon alumni Joanna Ampil and Ramin Karimloo.

“Miss Saigon really created opportunities for us to connect with some key people in the international theater world and opened doors for us to continue to grow our careers.”

On December 1, Kiara and Laurence will stage their first musical concert together, Stars of Tomorrow, at Pardon My French along Jupiter st., Barangay Bel-Air, Makati City. Musical direction is by Rony Fortich.

“As we were ending our Miss Saigon tour in Singapore, we were both set on moving to London in 2025,” Laurence granted. “After hundreds of Miss Saigon shows, we wanted to create a fun cabaret-type show together to sing other fun theater repertoire, especially as Miss Saigon is a very heavy and emotional show.

“We created the Stars of Tomorrow not only to fulfil this artistic vision, but to also serve as a fundraiser to get us to London and as a bridging point between the end of our tour and the start of our new life in London.

“We wanted one show in each of our home countries and after a successful Auckland (New Zealand) show, we’re excited to bring it to Manila and share with our supportive audience. It’s just one special night for everyone to gather and support us as we pursue our dreams to get onto the biggest stages in the world.”

The forthcoming concert is a great way to support the couple’s transition to the London theater scene.

“Laurence and I have our eyes on the London theater scene and we’re moving there in January next year,” said Kiara. “I’ve just signed with one of London’s top agencies, LHA, so I’m actively auditioning again.

“Between performances in Manila, concert preparations and sending in audition tapes, I’ve been keeping busy. It’s an exciting time to dive back into the theater grind.”

Concert king Martin Nievera is a big guest in Stars of Tomorrow. He readily gave his nod after Kiara and Laurence invited him.

“During the Manila run of Miss Saigon, we were lucky to have Martin Nievera come to our gala night,” Mossman shared. “I am a huge fan of Martin and was so excited to meet him at the after-function.

“We both were praising each other’s vocals and I was so grateful for the chance to meet him. When Kiara and I were talking about guest artists to join, I immediately thought of Martin, so I reached out to him and he graciously agreed to join in on our show.

“He is such a supportive and generous man and we’re grateful to have him as our guest, as well as the talented Gab Pangilinan, one of the leading ladies of Philippine theater.”

Rony Fortich, who is no stranger to Laurence, agreed to become the musical director of the concert.

“I’ve worked with Rony a few times over the last decade and I always trust him to help bring the best music for our shows,” Laurence offered. “He is a fantastic musical director and pianist.

“Rony will be arranging some of our songs for a full band of keys, guitar, bass and drums, so the audience are definitely going to have a feast for their ears as well as a literal feast, thanks to the chefs at Pardon My French.”

AUTHOR PROFILE

Leah C. Salterio