Miss Saigon Complete Symphonic Recording

[baddadnpa]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 11:36am

Hinton Battle's Bui Doi came up on my Ipod and his version is truly cringe-worthy. Was anyone listening to this when it was recorded, approved and released.

This guy may move well, but a singer he is not. Must my opinion.

Unfortunately, none of the performances on this recording can hold a candle to the Original London Cast. It is nice to have the complete show recorded, but the performances are just not as good as the original cast.

Anyone else.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 12:16pm

Agreed. The Original Cast Recording is simply divine, and complete enough for me not to need a symphonic one with a mediocre cast. Besides, the CSR is no longer complete; I believe they made a few changes to show after it came out (I know Kim's last song has been reworked several times).

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 1:25pm

This CSR actually IS complete; that was the finale used in 1995 -- the other two were The Sacred Bird and Little God of My Heart. The reprise of This is the Hour was the final change.

I'm not keen on the CSR, but I prefer the CSR's overall sound as well as Kevin Gray and Charles Azulay. :) And no obviously fake American accent on the part of John!

[baddadnpa]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 1:40pm

How Hinton Battle won a Tony for this performance, I will never know. Who was he up against?

[jam_man]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 1:41pm

Personally, I think his Bui Doi is one of the highlights of the recording, though that's really not saying much.

By the way, I don't know if the complete Miss Saigon was actually a 'symphonic' recording like Les Miz, since I've never seen it actually said it was 'symphonic,' but not like that actually means anything.

[baddadnpa]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 1:43pm

You are right, it is not symphonic, just complete. My mistake.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 1:43pm

When I saw Miss Saigon in 1995, both Kevin Gray and Charles Azulay called it "symphonic" in their bios.

[NCGuy]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 1:50pm

I love Kevin Gray as The Engineer on the Complete Recording, but the guy playing Chris sounds like the biggest queen in the world (dude, you're playing a marine...butch it up a little).

[EVIE]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 2:06pm

The CSR is the one w/Jo Ampil right? I think I might enjoy her more than Lea. I have the OLC and haven't heard all of the CSR but I've heard snippets on I think Amazon and Tower. I just love Jo.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 2:09pm

Joanna is really not at her best on the CSR, unfortunately.

[EVIE]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 2:13pm

Really? She does tend to over enunciate, more so than Lea even.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 2:19pm

The reprise of This is the Hour was the final change.

Why DID they change the finale so much? I always loved the reprise of "I'll Give My Life For You" -- so much more powerful and appropriate for the moment. The "This is the Hour" reprise never did anything for me.

[Beergoggles]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 2:22pm

I enjoy the album but i prefer the olc. Simon Bowman is phenomonal and lets face it... Lea owns that role, she is perfect!

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 2:22pm

Hinton Battle is beyond hideous on that recording. He may have won a Tony for it, but that doesn't mean that his performance is desirable to listen to. How anyone thought that was acceptable is beyond me. His voice sounds like kittens fighting on a chalk board.

There are things about the complete recording that I find preferable to the OLC though -- Ruthie Henshall and Kevin Gray.

[baddadnpa]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 2:28pm

No one sings it like Lea. Why she wasn't approached really amazes me. I'd give anything to have a full recording with her as Kim.

[Beergoggles]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 2:29pm

i second that motion

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 2:36pm

I believe Lea was asked, but was filming "Redwood Curtain" at the time. (The TV-movie where she plays an Amerasian teenage piano prodigy.)

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 2:54pm

I'm always in the minority on this one. first and foremost I enjoy the symphonic recording over the original because it is more complete. and then I enjoy the performances over the original because I suppose having listened to the original so many times the symphonic recording was a breath of fresh air and I think that everyone on the recording while not necessarily "better" than the original cast can definitely hold their own. I especially love Kevin Gray's performance as the Engineer. it's almost as if he completely reinvented the role where as Joanna seems to be, at times, channeling Lea's vocal style. but still she sounds younger, and more innocent which I love. and I adore Peter Cousens. must be the Australian thing. and it goes without saying that Ruthie Henshal is the most capable Ellen vocally and Ruthie and Joanna's "I Still Believe" is just fantastic. but like I said, if I really had to choose between the two I'd always pick the symphonic recording for its completeness.

[baddadnpa]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 2:58pm

I would've enjoyed a recording with Liz Callaway playing Ellen.

Updated On: 5/28/05 at 02:58 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 3:08pm

"I would've enjoyed a recording with Liz Callaway playing Helen."

Or Ellen, even!

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 3:09pm

Though the Original London cast is better I prefer Kevin Gray. Not only are his songs more up tempo which I liked more but he just sounded better.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 3:23pm

seeing Kevin Gray live is different then the CSR... he gave a phenomonal performance as the Engineer when I saw him in 95 at the Ahmanson here in LA... i prefer listening to the Engineer songs on the CSR because it's more upbeat whereas the OLC is kinda too slow for me... anyways... i only listen to the CSR because i love hearing the entire show... i prefer the OLC because Lea Salonga just owns that role (like many of you have said)... i love Joanna's voice but you need to hear her as she did the role longer... her voice by the end of the shows run... it was simply beautiful... i HATE Peter Counsens as Chris... his voice was all wrong and i can't picture him in the role... i heard they originally wanted John Barrowman but he couldn't do it... and i also heard that by the time the recording was made, Peter Cousens had yet to even play Chris on stage yet and he just sang it for the CSR to get a more international cast... but that might be a rumor... and something that also irks me... is that at the end of NOW THAT I'VE SEEN HER... Ruthie sings "who's the man that i've trusted" but it should have bee "who's the man that i've ALWAYS trusted.." that kinda irks me but whatever... also some things... the SUN AND MOON sequence sounds so quiet on the CD, well the instruments that is... and moves kinda fast... i much prefer the OLC version... and LAST NIGHT OF THE WOLD is killed by Peter Cousens... I STILL BELIEVE is a STUNNING version... Joanna and Ruthie's voices blend so well together and it makes the song more haunting... and I'D GIVE MY LIFE FOR YOU is one of the most touching versions of the song I've heard...


anywhoo... GO MISS SAIGON! haha

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 3:33pm

Ya know? Even though the OLC is better all-around vocally, I still listen almost exclusively to the CSR. I'm such a "completest" -- I like to know that what I'm hearing is the most current, complete version of the show. Almost no matter what. Weird, huh?

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 3:39pm

"and LAST NIGHT OF THE WOLD is killed by Peter Cousens..."

That's kinda how he pronounces it, too!

Another memo: Don't cast and then record a non-American actor in a role in which he plays an American, when he hasn't had sufficient time to improve the American accent.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 3:41pm

Good point! Except that the Australian (and drop-dead-delicious) David Campbell did very well on the Hey Mr. Producer concert. Where the hell was he when the CSR was being made??

My favorite Chris ever was in the US National Tour in SF -- Steve Pascal. Hot, passionate, stellar voice, and VERY American.