Alain Boublil - Miss Saigon (Original 1989 London Cast)
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Free Music Notes for Miss Saigon (Original 1989 London Cast)
Free Music Review: Best recording yet...
Hit: 5 Stars
I watched Miss Saigon here in Singapore on the 19th and 24thof August and was I astonished! The sets moved smoothly in and out and I was awe-struck by the quality of the lead's voices namely, Deedee-Lynn Magno and Clifton Hall.
Immediately after the show I rushed to the souvenir shop in the theater and bought this Miss Saigon recording (Original London Cast), not wanting to buy the Complete Recording since I had already heard Lea Salonga's voice and was quite familiar with it.
Lea Salonga shines in this recording as Kim, a frail and naïve vietnamese girl who is suddenly thrown into an uncertain romance with Chris, played convincingly by Simon Bowman although his vibrato sometimes goes out of control and tends to irritate the ear. The ensemble sounds resonant and lively and one can actually recount the show itself in the mind when listening to this little gem.
At first, I was surprised to note that some songs in Miss Saigon were reminiscent of some in Les Misérables especially "Kim's Nightmare" which sounds a bit like the part in Les Mis at the barricades and Kim's little ode to her son, a bell-ringer to Eponine's to Marius in "In My Own".
All in all, I'd give this CD 5 stars due to it's quality orchestrations and top-notch voices.
Go on! Buy it! It's a wonderful CD.
Free Music Review: A Modern Classic
Hit: 5 Stars
I saw Miss Saigon on Broadway and was blown away. I had expected to be entertained and enjoy the theatrical spectacle, what I was not expecting was the power and simplicity of the basic story and score. Yes, it is a modern retelling of Madame Butterfly, but holds even more resonance in it's reflection of Vietnam.
Lea Salonga was everything that was said of her, beguiling and heartbreaking, deserving of all the accolades and awards she received. The rest of the cast were marvelous as well.
True the show was huge, a true spectacle with dazzling effects. I was expecting the infamous helicopter scene to be ridiculous and over the top. What it was, was shattering in it's emotion and raw power, positively effective and necessary.
And while the score is not quite on the same level of Les Miserable, it still contains what I think is one of the most gorgeous and haunting ballads ever written for the theater in Why God? However, I was hugely disappointed in the sped up tempo performed on stage, robbing the song of alot of the power that comes across on the recording. Overall though, the score contains several beautiful ballads, some up tempo songs for Jonathan Pryce and plenty for Salonga's great voice.
Well worth getting the complete CD recording over the highlights.
Free Music Review: The greatest CD ever made
Hit: 5 Stars
Miss Saigon is the most poignant, touching, incredible play on Broadway, and this is the definitive recording. The best aprt about this CD is the star, Lea Salonga. While I must admit her voice was much more "mature" when she reprised the role nine years later, she's still phenomenal here. She has such innocence and beauty in her voice. Simon Bowman is a great Chris with a great deal of emotion in his voice, however he is a little too nasally. His vibrato is also a little out-of-control.
Although the rest of the performers on this CD are excellent, I do not understand the fuss over Jonathon Pryce. He simply doesn't fit the role. He doesn't have that "oily pimp" effect.
Peter Polycarpou has a great voice. Although the character of John has been very much changed over time, I still like the original idea of him.
Keith Burns has a very commanding, cold voice that really fits Thuy. He's perfect for the role.
Claire Moore has an excellent voice and she makes Ellen into such a sympathetic character, whereas most people hate Ellen, and she certainly deserves credit for such an interpretation.
The music and lyrics to Miss Saigon are the best Boublil & Schonberg have ever produced.
Free Music Review: Worthy Follow-Up To Les Miserables
Hit: 5 Stars
After their TransAtlantic smash, "Les Miserables", composers Alain Boublil & Claude-Michel Schonberg labored on a follow-up musical and generated a winner in "Miss Saigon". Again the topic was dramatic, with a lush score containing many memorable songs. Best tracks include:
The Heat Is On In Saigon
The Movie In My Mind [very similar to Le Miz's "I Dreamed A Dream"]
Why God Why?
Sun And Moon
The Last Night Of The World [not one of my favorites, but one of the more well-known songs]
I'd Give My Life For You [Lea Salonga's gut-wrenching song]
The Fall Of Saigon [the famous helicopter scene]
The American Dream [Jonathan Pryce's big production number]
Lead Actor/Actress Tonys were won by the leads who reprised their roles on Broadway (thus they did not record the Broadway company). While the Best Musical Tony should have gone to "Miss Saigon" as well, the surprise winner was "The Will Rogers Follies", an excellent show which more likely won as part of the burgeoning anti-British musical movement.
Maybe the score for "Miss Saigon" is not quite as solid as "Les Miserables", but it's not far behind.
Great to listen to LOUD!
Free Music Review: The Best Musical Ever
Hit: 5 Stars
Simply the most powerful piece of musical theatre in the world. The CD captures the performance quite well, although there's still nothing like seeing it live. Lea personifies the character of Kim, sweet, innocent and strong. Simon is quite good as Chris, although the current Chris in the touring show, Greg Stone, is the best I've seen or heard. Jonathan Pryce certainly is a amusing as the engineer, however on the recording, the accent seems to waver, with him at times sounding quite western. Claire sings with such power and determination, how could one possibly complain. I've just seen the show for the 4th time in 3 weeks and am currently attempting to get two more for this Saturday, which is the last night it is in Fort Worth. Also, earlier this morning I purchased the Studio Cast recording, just to get the full show. I'm sure I'll have to write a review on that one also. Thanks for taking the time to read this rambling, from a most dedicated fan. One more point, a previous review nit picked about breaking out into song during the Viet Nam war. It should be noted that no one breaks out in song during battle, the war is merely a backdrop for the story.