in april 1975 at "dreamland," a saigon bar and brothel, shortly before the end of the vietnam war, it is kim's first day as a bargirl. the seventeen-year-old peasant girl is hauled in by the engineer, a french-vietnamese hustler who owns the joint. backstage, the girls ready themselves for the night's show, jeering at kim's inexperience ("overture / backstage dreamland"). the u.s. marines, aware that they will be leaving vietnam soon, party with the vietnamese sex workers ("the heat is on in saigon"). chris scott, a sergeant disenchanted by the club scene, is encouraged by his friend john thomas to go with a girl. the girls compete for the title of "miss saigon," and the winner is raffled to a marine. kim's guilelessness strikes chris. gigi van tranh wins the crown for the evening and begs the marine who won the raffle to take her back to america, annoying him. the showgirls reflect on their dreams of a better life ("movie in my mind"). john buys a room for chris and the virgin kim ("the transaction"). kim is reluctant and shy, but dances with chris. chris tries to pay her to leave the nightclub. when the engineer interferes, thinking that chris does not like kim, chris allows himself to be led to her room ("the dance").