DOUGLAS Choral Union has received the personal approval of Sir Cameron Mackintosh to perform the British Isles' amateur premiere of Miss Saigon.
It will be staging the production, which is set in 1970s Saigon during the Vietnam War, in February 2012.
It follows the success of DCU's 2009 production of Les Misérables and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in February this year.
Miss Saigon is the second major success - following Les Misérables - for its writers Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil.
The musical is based on Giacomo Puccini’s Madam Butterfly and tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance between a Vietnamese bar girl and her American GI lover.
The musical premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in London on September 20 1989, closing after 4,264 performances, on October 30 1999.
Douglas Choral Union chairman Alex Toohey, said: "To receive the personal approval of the most successful and influential theatrical producer in the world goes to highlight the growing reputation of the DCU.
"This is yet another coup for the DCU and the Isle of Man. As a society, each year we set ourselves high standards and to be recognised and afforded such shows as this is very humbling and makes me very proud.
"To be given this privilege is a once in a lifetime opportunity for those who will perform on stage in this production but it is also testament to the fantastic team we have backstage too.
"Without the commitment and dedication of everyone associated with the DCU we would not be able to bring our shows to life."
Miss Saigon will be the third DCU production to be sponsored by Dougherty Quinn Advocates.
Giles Hill, director of the law firm, said: "We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to become the principal sponsors of DCU’s 2012 production of Miss Saigon.
"The outstanding success of previous productions such as Les Misérables and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, highlights the quality of the Island’s amateur dramatic scene and the need for the local business community to support such wonderful productions.
"DQ's dedication and commitment to the DCU reflects the importance of the arts in the Isle of Man’s culture, it's importance to the current and emerging generations, and its role at the heart of communities throughout the Island."
Meanwhile Douglas Choral Union is in rehearsals for its forthcoming production of My Fair Lady which will be staged at the Gaiety from January 29 to February 5 2011.
