Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
FranzRelax
Leading Actor Joined: 8/4/07
#1Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 8:57pm
Did Miss Saigon really have a 72 piece orchestra in London? That's what someone said on another board. They also said that Sondheim's music sounds like it was written by a child...so I don't know about this person.
#2re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:00pm
We have a 'Miss Saigon' programme in the basement. I find it utterly hilarious that my mother and sister saw people like Naoko Mori and Poppy Tierney in their West End debuts. I'm going to the basement in the morning, I'll fish the programme out and have a count. I know it had what seems like an inordinately huge cast, but can't say I paid that much attention to the orchestra. XD
LePetiteFromage
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
#3re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:01pmMy guess is that the 72 person orchestra was in reference to the Complete Symphonic recording.
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#4re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:03pmThey show the orchestra in The Making of Miss Saigon and it looks huge, but I've never counted.
FranzRelax
Leading Actor Joined: 8/4/07
#5re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:03pm
This was the person's original quote, provoked by discussion of South Pacific's 30 piece orchestra.
and not being funny but 30 piece orchestra isn't much of a big deal really. Miss Saigon opened in London with a 72 piece orch. Over twice the size!
#6re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:05pm
I wish I were holding a hostage down there, I could do with some excitement what with my parents being on holiday and having nothing but YouTube for company. XD It's just our storage area, and I wanted to get some things, but I'm too scared of the dark to go down there now. :3
SporkGoddess
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
#7re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:05pm
I've started leafing through The Story of Miss Saigon, but I don't even know where to begin looking in it. I'll let you know if I find anything, though.
Unless Weez or someone else beats me to it. 
#8re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:06pmCan 72 people even fit in an orchestra pit?
FranzRelax
Leading Actor Joined: 8/4/07
#9re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:07pmExactly my thought, Brian.
#10re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:09pm
I can confirm 72 musicians on the complete symphonic recording, just to lend a little weight to that explanation. It was the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, wasn't it? Big-ass theatre, but I still don't know if I'd try sticking 72 musicians in a pit there. Unless I spread them WAY out under the stage, but one would assume the turntable mechanics would get in the way and the sound would be rubbish...
#11re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:11pmInto the orchestra pit of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane yes, no problem. The orchestra for Miss Saigon was in the region of 24 if I remember correctly. I saw the show about 8 or 9 times at The Lane
LePetiteFromage
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
#13re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:14pm
Just think, right... imagine going to the theatre to see 'Sweeney Todd'... and having the same orchestra they had for the movie. You would actually crap your pants with glee, wouldn't you? Hell, an orchestra in double figures is exciting enough these days! The 30 for 'South Pacific' sounds absolutely orgasmic!
(WickedBoy, why are you conscious at 2am? O_o)
Smaxie
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/26/05
#14re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:17pm
Saigon was scored for 25, I think both in London and New York. The symphonic recording is another matter. And Franz, that poster from another board sounds like an asshole.
#15re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:19pmWorking!
#16re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/22/08 at 9:27pm
The Lane has one of the biggest pits in the UK and has been home to some of the orchestras of the biggest Broadway and West End productions to be staged in London. I will never, ever forget seeing and hearing the original 'Sweeney Todd' with the most incredible sound rising from that orchestra pit! Not forgetting, of course, the full orchestras for '42nd St', 'Hello! Dolly' with Channing, 'Billy' with Michael Crawford and 'Mame' with Ginger Rogers. The size of the pit is the reason why most of Rogers and Hammersteins musicals were staged in their European premiers at Drury Lane in the 40s to 60s
jsg03jd
Broadway Star Joined: 11/24/04
#17re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/23/08 at 12:21amThe symphonic recording had a huge orchestra, but the Drury Lane production had less than 30 players in the pit.
#18re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/23/08 at 12:28am
I suppose you could check it out where I did:
http://broadwayscoresandsheetmusic.blogspot.com
I nearly died of shock at what is available there.
#19re: Miss Saigon's orchestra in London?
Posted: 7/23/08 at 12:08pm
Three hours in the basement confirm no more than 30 names in the 'Miss Saigon' pit at Drury Lane. Some of those could well have been doubling, but I totally wasn't into checking finer detail by the time I'd shifted enough boxes to get to the programme box. (Craig Horwood also was making his West End debut in this show.)
I also have far more books on the French Revolution than I remember, and I totally saw Lara Pulver in 'Honk!' many many moons ago. Oh teh hilarity!
Sadly, no live hostages in my basement. It's all gone a bit John Fowles. 
Move along, nothing to see here! Back about your business! :P
Updated On: 7/23/08 at 12:08 PM
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