{"id":375505,"date":"2026-08-19T10:36:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T10:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/375505\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T10:36:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T10:36:10","slug":"from-memoir-to-musical-cult-favorite-miami-restaurant-hy-vong-adapted-for-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/375505\/","title":{"rendered":"From memoir to musical: Cult-favorite Miami restaurant Hy Vong adapted for stage"},"content":{"rendered":"

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 \u2014 first with a memoir, Mangos and Peppercorns, and now with a musical called Soup.<\/p>\n

Inspired by the real-life partnership between Kathy Manning and Tung Nguyen, the creators of Soup bring the duo\u2019s story of resilience and found family to the stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’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 \u2014 not just read it,\u201d said Gil Kaufman who wrote the musical\u2019s script.<\/p>\n

For more than 30 years, Manning and Nguyen helped bring Vietnamese cuisine to South Florida with each helping of pho, b\u00e1nh cu\u1ed1n (rolled rice cakes filled with minced meat) and b\u00f2 b\u00fan (cold rice vermicelli noodles).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Jim Camacho, a longtime fan and the production\u2019s composer, wanted to invoke the spirit and atmosphere of his Hy Vong experience. It was a project that was three years in the making.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s a moment in the show which has the line, \u2018Soup is the soul of the family.\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

The modern musical, with a rock pop sensibility, chronicles Nguyen\u2019s immigration story from Vietnam and how she built a life here in the United States.<\/p>\n

After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Nguyen moved to Miami \u2014 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.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Why the legacy of Hy Vong, a Vietnamese restaurant in Little Havana, endures years later<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201c\u200aTung’s determination is something that we all should emulate because she is amazing,\u201d Camacho said.<\/p>\n

Flown in from New York, along with two other actors, Danielle Mendoza came to Miami to play the part of Nguyen. Nguyen\u2019s grit resonated with Mendoza, who had to learn how to adapt to a new role.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe 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,\u201d Mendoza said.<\/p>\n

To make ends meet, Nguyen prepared dishes for the local Vietnamese community, Manning helped care for Nguyen\u2019s daughter. Over the past 50 years, the two women created a legacy of good food and community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI found joy. I found reason to be,\u201d Manning said. \u201cAnd that to me is the story of Hy Vong. Her value and her teaching me what is valuable \u2026 and what is valuable is family. It’s not money. It’s not, position. It’s not even accolades that you get.\u201d \u200a<\/p>\n

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\u2019ve since downsized their operations. Today, they still host occasional food pick ups.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’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 \u2014 that it doesn’t matter where you’re from, you can always find connection with people,\u201d Barrick said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

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