The Bristol Hippodrome is currently home to Cameron Mackintosh's new production of the hit musical Miss. Saigon. Being a big fan of this genre, my daughter and I really wanted to see it, so I bought the tickets through Ticketmaster - £35 for mine, £30 for hers - and we saw it last night, fourth ... Read review
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Miss Saigon
The highlights version of the two-disc set of Miss Saigon's 1989 London cast gives you 58
... more
minutes (out of the original 107) and most of the best moments of the score. Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's setting of Madame Butterfly in the Vietnam War includes beautiful and passionate music, most notably the bawdy opener "The Heat Is on in Saigon," "Why God Why," the romantic duet "The Last Night of the World," the female duet "I Still Believe," the male chorus number "Bui-Doi," and the Engineer's mocking "The American Dream." Time constraints, though, forced the elimination of "The Movie in My Mind," the wedding ceremony ("Dju Vui Vai"), and the revealing "Now That I've Seen Her," as well as much of the music that carries the plot forward. Casual listeners, therefore, might be satisfied with these highlights, while those who want to relive the show will need the complete recording. The booklet includes production photos and full lyrics. --David Horiuchi
Miss Saigon - Various
The highlights version of the two-disc set of Miss Saigon's 1989 London cast gives you 58
... more
minutes (out of the original 107) and most of the best moments of the score. Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's setting of Madame Butterfly in the Vietnam War includes beautiful and passionate music, most notably the bawdy opener "The Heat Is on in Saigon," "Why God Why," the romantic duet "The Last Night of the World," the female duet "I Still Believe," the male chorus number "Bui-Doi," and the Engineer's mocking "The American Dream." Time constraints, though, forced the elimination of "The Movie in My Mind," the wedding ceremony ("Dju Vui Vai"), and the revealing "Now That I've Seen Her," as well as much of the music that carries the plot forward. Casual listeners, therefore, might be satisfied with these highlights, while those who want to relive the show will need the complete recording. The booklet includes production photos and full lyrics. --David Horiuchi
Pryce. In the midst of Boubil and Schönberg's "girl-meets-boy-with confused-emotions-in-Vietnam" rewrite of Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Pryce's Engineer's bright tenor provides a nasty yet humanely pragmatical focal point for more logically tuned minds. Daring to tackle the controversial theme of doomed lovers during the misguided American war efforts, Miss Saigon was a thematic and stylistic breakthrough of the 1980s, just like Jesus Christ Superstar had been in the previous decade. But the lyricist, Richard Maltby, previously a young man with alleged off-off-Broadway street cred, could only do so much with Boubil's French original platitudes--it is Schönberg's music paired with producer Cameron Macintosh's storyboard vision that secured the deserved success of Miss Saigon. On this complete recording, an orchestra on form shows off William D. Brohn's skilful orchestrations, and a fine ensemble supports Lea Salonga's tender yet determined Kim. And in the male camp, apart from the prancing Pryce, Peter Polycarpou (John) is crystal clear as the struggling American marine soldier, curbing all tendencies to over-emotionality. --Yngvil V.G.
Pryce. In the midst of Boubil and Schönberg's "girl-meets-boy-with confused-emotions-in-Vietnam" rewrite of Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Pryce's Engineer's bright tenor provides a nasty yet humanely pragmatical focal point for more logically tuned minds. Daring to tackle the controversial theme of doomed lovers during the misguided American war efforts, Miss Saigon was a thematic and stylistic breakthrough of the 1980s, just like Jesus Christ Superstar had been in the previous decade. But the lyricist, Richard Maltby, previously a young man with alleged off-off-Broadway street cred, could only do so much with Boubil's French original platitudes--it is Schönberg's music paired with producer Cameron Macintosh's storyboard vision that secured the deserved success of Miss Saigon. On this complete recording, an orchestra on form shows off William D. Brohn's skilful orchestrations, and a fine ensemble supports Lea Salonga's tender yet determined Kim. And in the male camp, apart from the prancing Pryce, Peter Polycarpou (John) is crystal clear as the struggling American marine soldier, curbing all tendencies to over-emotionality. --Yngvil V.G.
Advantages: An excellent show, high quality throughout Disadvantages: No helicopter!
The Bristol Hippodrome is currently home to Cameron Mackintosh's new production of the hit musical Miss. Saigon. Being a big fan of this genre, my daughter and I really wanted to see it, so I bought the tickets through Ticketmaster - £35 for mine, £30 for hers - and we saw it last night, fourth row of the stalls. Miss. Saigon is quite a 'heavy' musical, not one I would recommend for young kids (swearing, murder, suicide, skimpy costumes) or for casual ... ...no spoken dialogue, everything is conveyed through song. I know some people don't like this. I don't think my husband would have enjoyed it much.
But my daughter and I loved it. We have the CD and already knew the songs and the gist of the story, although I found the plot much clearer watching it come to life on stage. STORY
The musical is set in the 1970s Vietnam war, beginning in Saigon April 1975, just before the American forces leave the country. ...
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...entire performance again… Miss Saigon is a remarkable musical/opera – I have never experienced a show quite like it. The passion, the drive, the energy, the simple nightmarish consequences of actions we make – this was a first for me. Normally, I am quite reserved with my emotions – I’ve seen Les Mis and managed to hold back the sniffles ‘till half way through the first act but Miss Saigon caught me unaware in the sixth song of the show and me, a ... ...This is a review of Miss Saigon when I saw it at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. The Palace Theatre itself has undergone and overhaul, both backstage and front of house and looks fantastic. The Theatre itself is easy to get to both by car, follow signs for the G-MEX and then the NCP Palace car park, and by train – Oxford Road Station is just a short walk away. Long since moved on from Manchester, it has plaeyed in Edinburgh and will be in Bristol ...
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...in Manchester. At the moment, Miss Saigon is showing there about 8 times a week (6 x evenings and 2 matinees). It’s been on since last November, and will continue to show until June, and I saw it for the first time last weekend. Not the first time here, you understand, but the first time ever. I’ve seen a lot of musicals in my time, and danced a handful or so, but Miss Saigon has never appeared in that list. The most I know is one song ... ...is based on Madame Chrysantheme, Miss Saigon is a love story with a difference. Kim, our lead, is the latest to be added to the sleazy Engineer’s bar-girl dancer troupe at his Dreamland club, frequented mainly by American Marines. At 17, she’s the youngest performer, and the one who feels most out of place. As an orphan who has fled her home town, however, it’s one of the few options open to her. During a mock beauty pageant to ...
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Advantages: great musical Disadvantages: don't presume you don't like musicals until you;ve seen this one
I went to see Miss Saigon on Saturday 19th January 2002, at the palace theatre in Manchester. We had to go to the matinee because all of the evening performances were sold out. The palace theatre itself has recently undergone a development costing in excess of 300,000. There is a modern box office, different signage and front façade, new canopy, another kiosk and merchandise positions and a fully re-fitted pit bar. The surroundings looked and felt ... ...on sale just as you walk through the entrance. The bar prices were a little steeper than I’d imagined them to be charging £1.00 for a small bottle of coca-cola. We sat in the stalls, which made us fairly level with the stage and suitably seated to see the performance at its best angle. The people behind the stage and responsible for the technical side of things are as follows: Alain Boublil – Book, lyrics and original French lyrics Claude-Michel ...
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Advantages: Powerfull, moving and dramatic. Disadvantages: Expensive tickets.
One word to summarise Miss Siagon? I would certainly say Intense, intense and intense. I went to the Apollo theatre in Manchetser (after paying a tear jerking amount for my ticket) with no idea of the story, form, style or critical response to the play. Thankfully for me (and my empty purse) I was actually very surprised at the brilliance of the whole affair. Yes, it was heavy and the constant operatic form did, in parts become quite tiring. But ... ...of roses. Miss Saigon is a love story set in Vietnam in 1975. Kim is a 17-year-old orphan who flees the countryside after seeing her family destroyed. Chris is an American Marine officer who visits the sordid strip club called Dreamland where Kim works. He eventually falls for the victimised Kim and they both fall in love with each other. Their relationship progress and he becomes increasingly fond of her son as they move in together. Chris returns ...
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Author/Illustrator: David Melling
Publisher:Hodder Children's Books
Publish Date: 2003
Pages: 32
Age Suitability: 3-6 (although Amazon says 9-12???)
Price: RRP £ 5.99 I got mine for £7.99 as part of a 3-4-2 deal at Waterstones as it included a CD... more
Production Year: 1984 - Action/Adventure - Director: Joseph Zito - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Chuck Norris, M. Emmet Walsh, Lenore Kasdorf, James Hong
![Miss Saigon [Original London Cast]](http://picnic.ciao.com/uk/65436016.jpg)
