Leading Actor Joined: 8/4/07
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.
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
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
My guess is that the 72 person orchestra was in reference to the Complete Symphonic recording.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
They show the orchestra in The Making of Miss Saigon and it looks huge, but I've never counted.
Leading Actor Joined: 8/4/07
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!
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
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/27/05
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.
Can 72 people even fit in an orchestra pit?
Leading Actor Joined: 8/4/07
Exactly my thought, Brian.
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...
Into 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
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
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)
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.
Working!
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
The symphonic recording had a huge orchestra, but the Drury Lane production had less than 30 players in the pit.
I suppose you could check it out where I did:
http://broadwayscoresandsheetmusic.blogspot.com
I nearly died of shock at what is available there.
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
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