Miss Saigon Complete Symphonic Recording- Page 2

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 3:43pm

I think you mean Steven Pasquale, and I agree. :) He was fantastic live.

David Campbell auditioned for the Aussie cast, but the director, Matt Ryan, said David "looked about 12," so he wasn't cast -- but he was kept in mind and was later Marius in the 1997 Aussie revival of Les Miz.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 3:45pm

Kevin Gray played the role for comedy on the recording and, honestly, I think it's terrible. Jonathan Pryce had so much smarmy charisma live that the recording doesn't capture so I'm hoping Gray played it better live.

Battle was great onstage and I don't have any major problems with him on the recording either. He was certainly a better actor than that limp Willy Falk that the OBC stuck itself with. I think the Chris on the complete recording is nothing short of horrendous. Just a weak voice and a whiny portrayal of a character that's weak and whiny enough as it is.

I think Paz is competent, a good singer. I never saw her act so I don't know how she is in the role. I thought Keith Burns sang the bejeezus out of Thuy on the London recording but I like the guy on the complete as well.

No one can make Ellen an interesting character: not Claire Moore, not Liz Callaway, not Ruthie Henshall. Just a terrible character given a contrived number for no reason other than the creators wanted to give everyone a big number.

I think 'Saigon' is a show with a mix of wonderful high spots and cringe-worthy moments of bad lyrics and cheesy melodrama. The complete recording gives you more time to fester over the bad parts, in the show they skate by a bit more quickly.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 3:47pm

Lizzie, you're right about the spelling of his last name! But I've seen him credited as "Steve" and "Steven." :)

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 3:55pm

Maybe Gray comes off more comedic on the CD, I dunno. But live he was actually quite slimy, sinister and gave you the willies -- all while making you laugh.

[Justin D]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 4:26pm

I think the CSR is way better than the OLC, i cant stand anything Jonathan Price does, his voice is so annoying and whiney. Kevin Gray is far better.
I love Lea, but i think Joanna nails her high notes much better.
With Ellen, i am split, i love ruthie and clarie as singers, but ruthie has more bite in her role.
yes Battle has to battle with his enounciation and BOTH chris's suck. Will Chase rocks, he is more like a marine than those other 2.
but one thing the oLC has that is the bomb is Keith Burns as Thuy

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 7:32pm

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

That's kinda how he pronounces it, too!


that's how he pronounces what???

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 8:50pm

That's how he pronounces "world." I took your typo and used it as a diction example, that's all!

[Racetrack]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 10:24pm

I would have to agree that David Campbell(were he still doing more theatre) would have made a really good Chris. He has the right voice and everything. I actually saw a guy in the role of Chris kind of recently who in some respects reminds me of David. Just vocally mostly. He was quite good. They said he looked 12? Never heard that one before. Lol.

I like both recordings. Charles I thought was a lot better as Thuy than Keith Burns. Just something about the way Charles uses his voice I liked a lot better than Keith. Both are quite good, but I tend to listen to the Complete Recording for him.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/27/05 at 10:33pm

Yeah, I forgot to mention earlier that the Matt Ryan quote was from a TV segment on David Campbell (and Jimmy Barnes) around the time Les Miz opened there.

Same broadcast where Claude-Michel Schönberg said David was very much Marius in the same way Lea Salonga was Kim. Which is a pretty high compliment if you ask me. :)

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 2:03am

I also wished David Campbell and Lea Salonga had done the CSR. They sounded great together on HEY MISTER PRODUCER. I don't like the Chrises on either recording: Simon Bowman has pitch problems and Peter Cousens was just not pleasant to listen to. If they were going to go with an American Chris at the time of the recording of the CSR, I wish the record producers would have used Sean McDermott, who played opposite Lea at the end of Lea's initial run in New York. Those two were something special live.

To give credit where it's due, Joanna Ampil (whom I saw live as Mary Magdalene in the JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR revival in London back in 1996 and was excellent in the role) makes a very good Kim in the CSR, though her accent is a little thick in her singing; Lea's diction, on the other hand, is much better but, it's true: Joanna has Lea beat on the high notes.

And yes, MISS SAIGON's finale has undergone several changes since its opening in London. And as a bit of trivia, Lea Salonga is the only Kim who got to sing all versions of the show's final song (THE SACRED BIRD, LITTLE GOD OF MY HEART-which was the final song in place when Lea first left in 1992--and the final version simply called FINALE, which was inserted to the show in or about 1994). THE SACRED BIRD remains my favorite.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 2:07am

Interestingly enough, John Barrowman was originally going to be Chris on the CSR...
Scroll to "SAD NEWS"

[Racetrack]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 2:10am

I personally always favored Sacred Bird. Somehow I thought it fit really well with the theme of that scene and worked incredibly well. I also like the combination of the end of Sacred Bird and the one on the Complete Recording. It's a good combination and works pretty well, but my favorite is still Sacred Bird.

I haven't seen as many David Campbell fans before. Yay! Finally people I can relate to. Sorry I've just always enjoyed his and Lea's rendition of Last Night of the World for over two years(got into Miss Saigon two years ago) and haven't looked back since and always thought he would make the perfect Chris because unlike many of the non-American Chris's I've heard he does the accent the best. Plus he's got a wonderful voice.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 2:23am

haha... didn't even realize that i had written world WOLD.. i'm a nerd... lol

and i will add on to the Steve Pasquale thing... i think now he goes by Steven (he's on that show RESCUE ME on FX)... whatever... anyways... saw the guy perform as CHRIS in the tour of Miss Saigon in San Diego and thought he was phenmonal.... he had that roll down perfectly... his acting was emotional, one of the ONLY people to make me have an inkling of emotion during his breakdown scene in Act 2... and his voice was perfect for the role.. in fact, he's the only Chris i have seen (and i have seen about 6 different Chrises) who had the perfect look for Chris... he looked like he was in his early 20s maybe late teens... as opposed to late twenties early thirties that most Chrises seem to be... i'm glad to see he's doing more stuff on TV

[Urban]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 2:50am

A law should be passed forever banning Peter Cousens from within 500 of a Miss Saigon set.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 3:07am

Yeah, I think Steve Pasquale was only about 21 when he first did the show. Amazing as Chris.

[BroomstickBoy]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 3:26am

Alright this may just be me but I'm a little bit curious.....does the original version of "The Last Night of the World" contain a saxophone solo?? I've heard one version that is supposedly from the OLC, but then I heard one that was different. The singing sounded different, as did the orchestration and there was a sax solo. Am I just deaf or what??? LOL

[Racetrack]

Posted: 5/28/05 at 1:20pm

The original recording did not have the solo saxophone near the end. You probably heard the Complete Recording if there was a solo sax playing.

Posted: 5/28/05 at 1:34pm

My boyfriend played the violin in both the original London & Broadway cast recordings. But then I dumped him because he has a massive wart on his face.