Missing our dog Katy who had to be put down on Saturday :-(
Missing our dog Katy who had to be put down on Saturday :-(
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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 fans. It is a "through-composed" musical, which means there is 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. We return to the same city - now renamed Ho Chi Minh City - three years later to pick up
on the story and the first act ends there. The second act begins with a brief number set in the USA in 1978, then most of the action takes place in Bangkok in October 1978 - apart from one flashback section to 1975.
The story (based on Madame Butterfly) is basically a tragic romance. An American G.I. called Chris meets Kim, a Vietnamese prostitute and they fall in love. But the war forces them apart, only to meet again three years later, when their lives have both changed. I don't want to go into any more detail on this, in case it gives too much away. It might lessen the impact, if you already know what happens.
CAST
None of the cast were known to me before going to see this production, but you don't really need a star name - the musical itself is the star. Each cast member was outstanding and it is really quite amazing to see how talented these performers are, yet they do not get the recognition of a Michael Ball or a Ruthie Henshall.
The part of the Engineer (Kim's pimp) is a dream role for any actor and Jon Jon Briones was excellent. He combined perfectly the manipulative, money-making, selfish side of the character with the guile and charm needed to make it believable. He was great to watch, a born entertainer and received the loudest cheers at the end.
The two romantic leads were Ima Castro as Kim and Ramin Karimloo as Chris. Ima was a very sweet Kim, her innocence and love coming across very well, while Ramin was a passionate and strong Chris. They made a very good couple; it was easy to believe they had feelings for each other as the chemistry between them seemed very natural. They both had outstanding voices too, with great texture and range and their vocal skills perfectly complemented each other.
John Partridge was an engaging John - Chris's G.I. friend - radiating the confidence and authority his role demanded and a fair dollop of charisma too.
The only two characters who failed to make much of an impact on me were Thuy (Kim's fiancé from an arranged marriage) and Ellen (John's wife). Both actors did what they could with the role - ChristianReyMarbella was a proud and stoic Thuy, Lara Pulver was a strong and loyal Ellen - but I felt the characters weren't as developed as they could be.
The minor parts and ensemble were of a very high standard. The dancing and singing were excellent throughout and the big production number 'The Morning of the Dragon' was enhanced by some impressive tumbling and martial arts skills.
STAGING AND SET
Miss. Saigon is probably best known for its inclusion of a helicopter coming down onto the stage and taking off again. Rather disappointingly, this production didn't use a real helicopter but instead opted to achieve the effect by using film of a helicopter accompanied by visual and sound effects.
In every other aspect though, the staging and set were excellent. The gaudy and vulgar sets of the seedy bars were an impressive contrast to the dark grey sets of the drab streets. Light and dark, colours and grey were all used effectively. The large red flags of the military parade and the paper dragons provided good 'pointers' to the tone of the scene.
The set I was most impressed with was during the flashback sequence in the second act. The changing position of the high gates to the American Embassy in Saigon were moved around the stage, enabling the audience to feel as though they were inside then outside, emphasizing with the viewpoints of both the American military and the Vietnamese people screaming for help.
TONE
If I had to describe Miss. Saigon in one word, it would be - INTENSE. It is mainly a serious musical, always involving and an emotional journey for audience and performers alike. You quickly come to care for the characters and feel wrapped up in their lives and concerned about their fates. Expect to cry.
But it is well balanced with light-hearted interludes, especially from the Engineer. This is particularly noticeable in the second act, when you get the wonderful number 'The American Dream' before the tragic finale. Without these kinds of 'humour breaks', I feel it would be rather a harrowing experience. I was also surprised how much I felt it taught me about Vietnam, it is a very political musical and does make you think.
The American Dream was a highlight for me. Once again, Jon Jon Briones gets to take the stage and work it. He's a little guy with a huge personality and seemed to relish the chance to shine. Accompanied by the live dancers and animation by the legendary Gerald Scarfe, this is a number you will not forget for a long time after seeing it.
SONGS
The songs from Miss. Saigon seem to be less well-known than those of Les Miserables, for example (another one of Boublil and Schonberg's successes), which is a shame, as they are very good. Some of them don't have the impact on CD that they do on stage - especially The Morning of the Dragon and Bui-Doi - but this is rather due to the strength of the staging, rather than any weakness of the songs.
The Movie In My Mind and Sun and Moon are both beautiful songs in their own right, ones that are able to entice an emotional response from the CD alone. When these are realised on stage, the impact is even stronger.
OVERALL
I would definitely recommend this musical, especially if you have already listened to the CD or are a fan of Les Miserables. It was an amazing experience and one which is well worth the ticket money. My fifteen-year-old daughter wants a career in musical theatre herself and has already been in four musicals herself. She told me this morning that she rates Miss. Saigon as the best musical she has seen.
POSTSCRIPT
Just to crown a lovely evening, we got to meet some of the cast afterwards. Everyone was very friendly (especially Christine Sambeli-Marquez, Ravy Soc Alfonso and Edward Briones), but the highlight of our evening was meeting Ramin Karimloo (Chris). He was gorgeous, charming and happy to chat to us - a real gentleman.
http://www.miss-saigon.com/.
http://www.raminkarimloo.net/
Pictures of Miss Saigon
The lovely Ramin Karimloo
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I went to see the same production in Birmingham a few months ago, it was great. And I really fancied Ramon so am quite jealous you got to meet him!
You should go to see guys and dolls, I went this week, it was fab!
TerryfaeScotland 17.11.2006 22:02
Congrats on the diamond. Just ignore Night_Swimmer's rating and comment. Well done. Another E!
tigswade 12.09.2006 22:15
It's a good production. I preferred this production of it to the old touring and west end production. Much more intimate. Shame it's closed now.
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Advantages: Has Disabled parking outside the theatre & good access Disadvantages: Disabled toilets not supervised for disabled users only during the interval
FriendlyLynn 21.07.2006 (21.07.2006)
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