Caught last night's preview and love, love, loved it. Miss Saigon was one of the first shows I was in as a young performer and has held a very special place in my heart all these years. With the chance to finally see it on Broadway, i was understandably pumped.
First and foremost, the score is just absolutely gorgeous. And a huge round of applause has to go to the orchestra which sounds phenomenal. With Sunset, this, and the recent Lincoln Center R&H shows, it is so wonderful to have big lush orchestras back on Broadway! I have always been so impressed with how "right" the musical feel of the show is. I think the writers had to have been extremely moved by and impassioned by their inspiration and the story they wanted to tell and it just soars through in the music. For me, it's easily one of the best scores of the 90s, and in the conversation of the top of the last 4 decades. The only problem I've had with this show is that the beginning has always felt rushed, they really drop you right in the story at an emotional 10, and it just takes a moment to get your bearings. It's only been a couple minutes and suddenly we're at a moment as intense and dramatic as "The Movie In My Mind" and we just don't know enough about any of the characters yet. Fortunately MIMM has always been stunning and with singing this gorgeous, you just get right on board.
Alright. Eva. Noblezada. I was so captured by the nuance in her voice. She has such a great grasp on the range of this (incredibly demanding) role and sings and acts with genuine and affecting passion. In a show that can often be loud, loud, loud, she is never afraid of softness. There's a moment when she appears on the SL stairwell and sings "I still taste your kisses...your voice sings in my ear. You can betray what we were yesterday, but you'll come back tonight for him" that she infuses with such tenderness and dreamy remberance wrapped in a shell of weary despair that is breathtaking. I could not take my eyes off her and this is a performance that will stick with me for some time.
The rest of the cast succeeds in varying degrees. Christopher and Go equip themselves well and deliver strong performances, him especially resisting the temptation to oversing, which I appreciated. Brammer has a lovely lost little boy quality that serves him well and his chemistry with Noblezada makes their romance in the first act really lovely. His singing is hit or miss with an occasional throaty tone and reliance on vibrato that can be off-putting. But he has legitimately gorgeous moments and has a really wonderful earnest quality about him. Briones is just fantastic and is just so right in this role. Just a bit too much ad-libbing for me, but he is menacing, mischevious, and charismatic throughout. I was really impressed with Katie Rose Clarke as Ellen, which has got to be just one of the most thankless roles in the musical theatre. I just believed every second with her and she made Ellen seem fully fleshed, it made me look at the character with fresh eyes. She sounded great on a re-tooled "Maybe" which, though not as melodic as previous versions of this moment, was effective in portraying the bewilderment, doubt, fear, and determination this woman might be feeling. Her moments with Brammer in the hotel were a highlight. Great acting.
I came away really enjoying the staging and set design. The helicopter is even more shocking and exciting than I could have imagined it and the two large production numbers are thrilling. The ensemble, throughout, is fantastic.
The night distills itself down to one thing for me. A moment with lyrics as boldly and brilliantly passionate as "You will be who you want to be. You can choose whatever heaven grants. As long as you can have your chance, I swear I'd give my life for you" coupled with music and orchestration so heart-poundingly beautiful is a moment as transcendent as any ever on Broadway, for me. I am so glad Miss Saigon is home.
"...and in a bed."
Updated On: 3/4/17 at 04:46 PM
