'Miss Saigon' tour!!!

It is wonderful, isn't it? I too had never heard of it, but my mom got me tickits, and I was blown away. The music is incredible, the actors were brillent, and I thought the helicopter was amazing -- I could pratically feel the wind from it!

My favorite number was probably "Why God?" but I love "Movie in my mind" as well.

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BroadwayBoy - glad you enjoyed the show! Who was the Engineer/Kim/Chris for your performance? I saw the show last summer and I gotta admit I was less than blown away (although the sets and costumes were beautiful.).

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OMG, the Engineer I saw absolutely stole the show. He is such a great actor!!!!!! Anyway, Chris was played by Alan Gillespie (hottie!), Kim was played by Jennifer Hubilla, and the Engineer was played by Mel Sagrado Maghuyop- I think. Before the show, a voice-over came on and announced that the roles of Kim and Engineer would be played by their understudies, whom I just named.

There was one point in the show, right when Act I is ending and the curtain/screen is about to fall, where Engineer, Kim, and Tam are all leaving Saigon for Bangkok. Did anyone else who saw it just love that part? I dunno, I guess the music and the drama in that just got to me!

If I must choose a favorite song, it would have to be is "I Still Believe" because it's where Kim still thinks Chris is coming back, but she doesn't know that he is now married. But during that scene, the bed Chris and Ellen are on are on top of the shack that Kim, Tam, and other Saigonians(sp?) are in. I looked for bars and wires to hold up the bed, but I couldn't see a thing. How did they do that?

As for the helicopter, I too could feel the wind from it. But like I said, all it came down to being was a projection of a moving helicopter on a black screen. It was so poorly done because I could see when the helicopter was moving around that sometimes it would go off of the screen and parts of the helicopter were cut off.

Anyway, the FINALE!!!!! OMG, I didn't see that coming!!!! When the shot fired, I almost screamed out loud! And the show ending with Kim's lifeless body in Chris' arms- well,by that point I was practically sobbing!

And Tam, when the whole cast had finished taking bows, he ran out to take his in front of everyone. It was so adorable!!!!

P.S.: Sorry for the spoiler!

Updated On: 5/25/04 at 09:57 AM

I thought this was one of the strongest non-equity tours this year, at least. Briones was a very good Engineer. He's no Jonathan Pryce or Kevin Gray,,but he pulled it off quite well, didn't he? I forget who played Kim when it was in Philly last year (too lazy to look for my playbill) but she was cast very well and also did justice to the part.

I was most impressed with the chorus, the choreog. and the staging. For a tour that hits and runs every week, it's good quality.

My friend Craig Laurie was in the ensamble for a long time. Wondering if he's still with Saigon. Anyone willing to pull out a recent playbill?

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I'm so glad you saw Mel as the Engineer. He's an old friend of mine from Houston. Last time I saw the show he was the understudy for the Engineer. I was delighted to see him in the show, though he wasn't on as the Engineer when I saw it, but he was in the chorus. He's a great guy and incredibly talented. I went out for drinks with him and some of the cast when they were in town.

I liked the helicopter on tour. I thought it worked well. I guess it depends on the theatre and how well they can set up the projection, but it was very effective when I saw it. Much more so than the slow-moving prop on a hydraulic arm on Broadway. But I must say The American Dream was much better on Broadway. I took my boss at the time to see the show. She's a middle-aged South Chicago black lady who had never been to a musical in her life. She loved every minute of it. When Kim shot Thuy, I heard her say out loud, "She is da BOMB!" It was a wonderful experience.

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I looked in my playbill, but I couldn't find anyone who is an understudy for Chris, but there has to be somewhere.

Speaking of the helicopter scene, did anyone else just love the chorus at that particular moment when they are all up on the fence trying to get out of Saigon? That is pure drama, people!!!

But something I didn't understand, why did Chris try calling Kim to see where she was right then? I wouldn't exactly think many people in Saigon would have phones, but that's just my opinion....

I love that scene when the gate goes up, and the strobes flash in people's eyes, and next thing you know, you're on the other side of the fence, and then back again! It was so awesome.

As for the phone... no clue. Maybe he was calling the club where she worked?

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"But something I didn't understand, why did Chris try calling Kim to see where she was right then? I wouldn't exactly think many people in Saigon would have phones, but that's just my opinion...."

Yeah, but he didn't know she was there. Thus: "Please be home..."

They're in the same place, but neither of them know it. So he calls the only contact number he has for her. That's always been my theory, anyway.

(Seen the show three times, but not since 1999.)

Hey ya'll!
Has anyone seen the tour recently? I was just cast in the tour and I go in soon and wanted to know how this tour was. What was the stageing like? Do the sets move by themselves or does the cast do the changes? I saw Jen Paz as Kim when I was in the 8th grade and LOVED her.....anyone see her performance in this production? Love to hear your reviews!

I just saw it last night, and thought it was fantastic! I saw Jennifer Paz as Kim, and she was absolutely fantastic! The cast does move the sets, but it does not look bad. I'll post a full review later.

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Danny-This is Katie Pierce, how are you babe? Anyways I never said congrats and so here it is!!!!!!!

Love,
Katie

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Updated On: 10/6/04 at 06:50 PM