Miss Saigon-Helicopter MIA

[raw60]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 10:16am

If anyone else was at Miss Saigon last night, can you verify that the helicopter was missing.  What we got instead seemed to be a projection of a helicopter, not an actual one.  Is that correct? They also had to stop the show in the second act for about 10 minutes for technical reasons.  I wonder if this had something to do with the problems.  Except for the scenes with the Engineer, the show felt interminable.  Plus no helicopter.

[nealb1]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 10:37am

That's too bad that there was tech issues.  When it comes to live theatre, you just never know what's going to happen.

When I saw "The Front Page" in October, there was an ill audience member and the show stopped near the end of Act 2 for about 20 minutes.  

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 10:48am

 

Wait. MISS SAIGON is the show with the helicopter, right?

[newintown]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 11:02am

If you're SPOILER sensitive, read no further. Here's how the chopper works in this revival.

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

First, you hear the sound of an approaching helicopter. Then you feel a breeze (supposedly from the rotors, but there are hidden fans somewhere in the house). Then you see a projection of the helicopter flying in and turning to face the audience, with bright headlights in our eyes, then a panel slides away, revealing the three-dimensional helicopter, which is on a platform that extends and rotates. After everyone piles in (or runs through), the platform lifts and turns the thing back to position one and the panel slides back in front of it. Strangely, there is no projection of the thing flying away.

As such things go, it's effective enough to please the easily impressed (like the "magical" Ghost door).

[wonderboynj]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 11:24am

I was there last night also.

You're correct, the helicoptor was completely MIA.

Still a great show overall

[bwaygirl142]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 11:27am

Ditto. Thought they did a great job with the projections. I didn't even realize that there was an issue until at the end of the show I thought "wait a minute where was the helicopter??"

 

Also -- the hold in act 2 was only about 3/4 minutes long. 

Kudos to the cast for an amazing show & keeping up the illusion when things went wrong. 

[haterobics]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 12:41pm

Was it posted on the board in advance that the helicopter wouldn't appear? If so, you could have gotten a refund.

[Tag]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 2:03pm

^At this performance, the role of the Helicopter will be played by the 3rd National's projection.

[bfpjohn22]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 2:20pm

I was there for the matinee and the helicopter came down. It starts as a projection and then you see the helicopter come down with someone flying it. It looks amazing and is everything you want it to be. sorry you didn't get to see it. 

[Famebroadway2]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 2:57pm

Tag said: "^At this performance, the role of the Helicopter will be played by the 3rd National's projection."

^^^^^^ THIS!!!!! ^^^^^^^ Hahahahahah! 

[mp4892]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 10:53pm

I was at the show last night as well.  There was no helicopter. I was disappointed. The people around me were very confused as to what was happening because it was only the projection. It was definitely the helicopter that stopped the show because it was halted right after Kim's nightmare and then the bar signs had trouble flying back in. 

Updated On: 3/30/17 at 10:53 PM

[brdway411]

Posted: 3/30/17 at 11:14pm

Friend saw it tonight and the helicopter was back.