Miss Saigon Previews Thread- Page 4

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 3/2/17 at 9:58pm

Is the alternate on tonight?

 

Also, is the stage high? To where Row A would be a terrible choice?

[Broadwaystar2]

Posted: 3/2/17 at 10:31pm

oncemorewithfeeling2 said: "Billy Bustamante and Nkrumah Gatling are fabulously talented, so should Briones or Christopher be out, they're in good hands.

Are the characters of Fifi and Dominique the previously unnamed, generic "bar girls"? They're not named in The Heat Is On.

 

"

Antoine L. Smith also covers John. I saw him as Harpo in the revival of The Color Purple and also saw him in Memphis. I'm actually excited to see his take on John. THAT VOICE!!!!!

[HighFlyingAdored97]

Posted: 3/2/17 at 11:02pm

Limelight Mike - Eva performed tonight and the stage is high. Row A is not a good choice.

Can somebody who saw the original Miss Saigon tell me if Lea Salonga got the last bow during curtain call? I left the theatre tonight feeling angry that Jon Jon Briones got the last bow. This is Kim's story, and Eva Noblezada gave the strongest performance. I thought it was so disrespectful to Ms. Noblezada to give her the second to last bow.

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 3/2/17 at 11:17pm

On my way home from tonight's performance. Will give a more detailed post tomorrow but if you're on the fence about this one, GET TICKETS.

[BroadwayGuy12]

Posted: 3/2/17 at 11:44pm

HighFlyingAdored97 said: "Can somebody who saw the original Miss Saigon tell me if Lea Salonga got the last bow during curtain call? I left the theatre tonight feeling angry that Jon Jon Briones got the last bow. This is Kim's story, and Eva Noblezada gave the strongest performance. I thought it was so disrespectful to Ms. Noblezada to give her the second to last bow."

I was also there tonight and also found this odd. I wholeheartedly agree that Noblezada (and any actress playing Kim, for that matter) deserves the final bow.

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 12:10am

BroadwayGuy12 said: "HighFlyingAdored97 said: "Can somebody who saw the original Miss Saigon tell me if Lea Salonga got the last bow during curtain call? I left the theatre tonight feeling angry that Jon Jon Briones got the last bow. This is Kim's story, and Eva Noblezada gave the strongest performance. I thought it was so disrespectful to Ms. Noblezada to give her the second to last bow."

I was also there tonight and also found this odd. I wholeheartedly agree that Noblezada (and any actress playing Kim, for that matter) deserves the final bow."

 

In the original production the engineer took the final bow.

 

[broadwayghost1]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 12:11am

I remember the engineer always getting the final bow in the original. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 12:13am

Yep, always the Engineer. I remember someone on a message board complaining about this back then and saying "It's called Miss Saigon, not Mister Engineer!"

[broadwayghost1]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 12:15am

LimelightMike said: "Is the alternate on tonight?

 

Also, is the stage high? To where Row A would be a terrible choice?

 

"

Yes the stage is very high. I am 5'10 and the stage was above my head. I would recommend front row mezz. I have tickets again for next week in row A center orchestra...great closeups, but you can only focus on what is right in front of you.

[uncageg]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 1:37am

Was there tonight,well last noght now! (Thursday)

I guess you could say Jace Tan took the final bow! I saw the original but don't remember if the child who plays Tam comes out from the side at the end.

As for the show. Overall I enjoyed it. This has been a show that after seeing once I really didn't need to see again.I love the score and was satified with listening to it. The new arrangements/orchestrations are wonderful. My only problem is that they sped up a few songs. Most notably The Last Night of the World. It took away from the passion between the two.

The sets were gorgeous. They have a gritty look that was missing in the original. For me this lent to Chris' side of The Confrontation. And the lighting on the sets is beautiful. It makes it all feel much more imtimate. Even sitting in row E of the rear mezz. The view is perfect from those seats though.

The soumd design is incredible with one fault. (That I hope is fixed). From where we were sitting, you felt far away from what was going on audibly. There was not a full sound to the orchestra and the solos sounded far away. Even the ensemble numbers had a distant sound. However when the ensemble was talking in the background in the bars, it was like surround soumd. I literally turned around during the first 10 minites or so thinking the very large student group behind us were all talking.

Pretty solid performances all around. Broines' engineer is wonderful. However they need to immediately take out the Trump reference he makes. It yanks you right out of the story and time the story takes place. Needless to say the audience went so wild you didn't hear his next line.

Interrmission time is not listed but ours was a half hour. I am assumimg something technical needed to be attended to.

I think I noticed one lyric change (A while since I have listened io it) and am not a fan of Ellen's new song.

With all that said, I would see it again. A beautiful score and a very talented cast. I expect a Tony nomination for Briomes and possibly Noblezada.

A merch note...they don't have magnets yet. The one thing I wanted. They should be in next week or the week after next. I was told they were finally approved.

Updated On: 3/3/17 at 01:37 AM

[sparepart973]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 5:45am

What's the Trump reference?

[Lot666]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 8:05am

MichelleCraig said: "Question for anyone who has seen the London revival, or the DVD or Blu-ray of said revival: From a production standpoint, does this seem like the London production has come here in tact, or is it scaled back?"

I saw the London production and the anniversary performance cinema screening. I'll be seeing it on Broadway in April and my understanding is that it's essentially the same show.

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 8:32am

Why is there a Trump reference in a show that takes place four decades ago???

[icecreambenjamin]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 8:43am

^Because Trump exsisted before 2017 and was always an a**hole   ????

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 8:52am

BroadwayConcierge said: "Why is there a Trump reference in a show that takes place four decades ago???"

You sound young.

 

(Although, for a character like The Engineer to have heard of him back in the '70s does seem like a stretch.)

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 8:55am

Allow me to clarify: why is there a Trump reference in a show that takes place in wartime Saigon??

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 9:16am

BroadwayConcierge said: "Allow me to clarify: why is there a Trump reference in a show that takes place in wartime Saigon??"

 

It's cleverly stated but a distraction. At the end of American Dream when the dream begins to dissipate he says, "Come on! We can make it great again!" 

Even though the audience goes nuts, I think it's out of place. The song and it's staging alone should already be communicating the ridiculousness of American culture, policitics, capitalism and populism, etc.

 

[Dave28282]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 9:26am

BroadwayConcierge said: "Allow me to clarify: why is there a Trump reference in a show that takes place in wartime Saigon??"

The same reason why Flounder in The Little Mermaid says about Ariel: "She treats me like shashimi left over from last week". It's hip and happening to not take your own show seriously and make a fool out of your audience. 

If any show does this (deliberately taking your audience out of the show/deliberate distraction to make fun of something current) I find that extremely disrespectful and I can't help but wonder what the hell the creators must be thinking. I feel like they are doubting the power of their own show or don't take it seriously at all.

Updated On: 3/3/17 at 09:26 AM

[Dave28282]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 9:29am

LizzieCurry said: "BroadwayConcierge said: "Why is there a Trump reference in a show that takes place four decades ago???"

You sound young.

 

(Although, for a character like The Engineer to have heard of him back in the '70s does seem like a stretch.)

 

"

Lizzie, you sound like a frustrated belittling sad person. BroadwayConcierge asks a normal question, so please answer in a normal way too. 

Updated On: 3/3/17 at 09:29 AM

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 9:29am

WhizzerMarvin said: "It was only the first preview so I'll say I didn't care for Alistair Brammer's acting and leave it at that."

How is his accent? I can't listen to Simon Bowman. I can put my story issues aside to listen to the music but he keeps that album from being in heavy rotation.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 10:03am

Dave28282 said: "BroadwayConcierge said: "Allow me to clarify: why is there a Trump reference in a show that takes place in wartime Saigon??"

The same reason why Flounder in The Little Mermaid says about Ariel: "She treats me like shashimi left over from last week". It's hip and happening to not take your own show seriously and make a fool out of your audience. 

If any show does this (deliberately taking your audience out of the show/deliberate distraction to make fun of something current) I find that extremely disrespectful and I can't help but wonder what the hell the creators must be thinking. I feel like they are doubting the power of their own show or don't take it seriously at all."

I agree with this post as much as I disagree with your other! 

[sparepart973]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 10:06am

That's a lame line. I think in London it was something like, "wasn't that fabulous?", which was a bit clunky to begin with. 

[Mister Matt]

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

At the end of American Dream when the dream begins to dissipate he says, "Come on! We can make it great again!" 

Ugh.  The number is the only fantasy sequence in the story and already way too long, why take the audience further away from the plot ad libbing current references?  Leave that to something like Avenue Q.  Terrible idea, Jon Jon.  And I've also found it strange that the Engineer gets the final bow.  It just doesn't make sense.  Someone was speculating about Jon Jon being nominated for the Tony, which would be an interesting situation, considering he's been playing the role for well over a decade.  It just happens that this time will be his Broadway debut.  I remember seeing him play the role in Chicago in 2003.

[holdyourbatboy]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 10:39am

I LOVED this revival.  It's a sweeping, romantic, epic, almost old-school show with beautiful melodies and some phenomenal singing, especially from Eva Noblezada.  Is it sophisticated?  No, it's almost like a Rodgers and Hammerstein show (don't laugh).  

I remember Frank Rich's review - and he thought it was the strongest of the big 80's / early 90's London imports.  There was just fatigue over them from the theatre community, but clearly not general audiences.

A NOTE TO PRODUCERS (Since I'm sure they are all reading BWW right now - haha):

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

1) Please please please take out "make America great again".  While "The American Dream" is lots of fun, it's also a fairly powerful number that speaks for itself.  You don't have to spell it out ("it relevant today!", but more importantly - it completely takes you out of time and place, which is so important to the show.  You get that "oh yeah I'm watching a Broadway show and it's 2017".

2) TURN UP EVA'S MICROPHONE.  

Okay I'm done.

Go - you'll have a fantastic time.

[Lot666]

Posted: 3/3/17 at 10:39am

icecreambenjamin said: "^Because Trump exsisted before 2017 and was always an a**hole   ????"