For decades, loyal patrons would endure long lines just to get a seat at Hy Vong. Smack dab in the heart of Little Havana, the Vietnamese restaurant developed a cult following that lives on — first with a memoir, Mangos and Peppercorns, and now with a musical called Soup.
Inspired by the real-life partnership between Kathy Manning and Tung Nguyen, the creators of Soup bring the duo’s story of resilience and found family to the stage.
“It's kind of an American story that I just think is beautifully written in the original memoir, and we felt it really could be brought to life and shown to more people, and that they could experience it — not just read it,” said Gil Kaufman who wrote the musical’s script.
For more than 30 years, Manning and Nguyen helped bring Vietnamese cuisine to South Florida with each helping of pho, bánh cuốn (rolled rice cakes filled with minced meat) and bò bún (cold rice vermicelli noodles).
Jim Camacho, a longtime fan and the production’s composer, wanted to invoke the spirit and atmosphere of his Hy Vong experience. It was a project that was three years in the making.
“There's a moment in the show which has the line, ‘Soup is the soul of the family.’ We sit around a table and we gather together, and it's beautiful. And that's what Hy Vong was all about, the love. I mean, you just felt it when you would go in that place.”
The modern musical, with a rock pop sensibility, chronicles Nguyen’s immigration story from Vietnam and how she built a life here in the United States.
After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Nguyen moved to Miami — alone and pregnant with her daughter. Manning, who had been attending the University of Miami during that time, was taking in Vietnamese refugees, with Nguyen being among them.
READ MORE: Why the legacy of Hy Vong, a Vietnamese restaurant in Little Havana, endures years later
“ Tung's determination is something that we all should emulate because she is amazing,” Camacho said.
Flown in from New York, along with two other actors, Danielle Mendoza came to Miami to play the part of Nguyen. Nguyen’s grit resonated with Mendoza, who had to learn how to adapt to a new role.
“She just does the best she can with what she has. If you can get to a point where she got success in being a part of the community, I think that's really beautiful,” Mendoza said.
To make ends meet, Nguyen prepared dishes for the local Vietnamese community, Manning helped care for Nguyen’s daughter. Over the past 50 years, the two women created a legacy of good food and community.
“I found joy. I found reason to be,” Manning said. “And that to me is the story of Hy Vong. Her value and her teaching me what is valuable … and what is valuable is family. It's not money. It's not, position. It's not even accolades that you get.”
The restaurant closed in 2016 after the building underwent leasing negotiations. Manning, 81, said she and Nguyen, 78, the principal chef, have been getting older, and they’ve since downsized their operations. Today, they still host occasional food pick ups.
Born and raised in Miami, Thiana Barrick who plays Kathy said she did not get the chance to visit Hy Vong growing up, but the story, she said, is a universal one.
“There's issues happening in other countries, there's issues happening here, and we all should have each other's best interest in mind. That's what the reminder of the show is — that it doesn't matter where you're from, you can always find connection with people,” Barrick said.
