New song for Ellen in Miss Saigon

[Dave19]

Posted: 1/20/12 at 6:23pm

Boublil and Schonberg wrote a new song for the character Ellen in Miss Saigon. It's called "Maybe". It replaces "Now that I've seen her". The Dutch revival production is the first production to have this song (the song was translated in Dutch of course). I had to get used to it at first, but now I think it's the best song Ellen ever had in the hotelroom scene.

The song is much more about hope then the previous songs. She also sings about how she met Chris, and that she is right for him. This new song makes Ellen much more real and likeable.
The lyrics are just amazing and very emotional. The lyrics are the song's strongest point.


Edit:

2 better versions of the song

Original CD version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWMA7BKD0Ck

Live performance in tv show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oEtCQvi9IQ



Updated On: 1/23/12 at 06:23 PM

[masterwolfie]

Posted: 1/20/12 at 7:09pm

Beautiful! Now I wish they'd add in "Too Much for One Heart"!

[random person 112]

Posted: 1/20/12 at 7:38pm

They will never solve the problem of the ellen song

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 1/20/12 at 7:40pm

Is there a translation or English version?

I think the issue is that the audience has seen what Kim has been through and it's just hard to sympathize with Ellen at that point. At least for me it is, heh.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/20/12 at 7:47pm

What was wrong with "Now That I've Seen Her?"

Also, who's the guy playing Chris in that picture? Yum.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 1/20/12 at 8:30pm

Even though Ellen is Chris's wife, from the audience's point of view, she's the "other woman."

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 1/20/12 at 9:31pm

No thanks. This new song is lacking the sound of the sense of anger and betrayal Ellen feels when she realizes that Kim was a bit more than a one night fling.

[My Oh My]

Posted: 1/20/12 at 10:32pm

That was grating to listen to. Sorry. I don't think the actress sings it very well. She sounds very wobbly, sharp, and way too much head voice. Not doubting the singer's talent but this song does her no favors. Makes me dislike Ellen immensely and wish Kim would just pop up again and give her a good sock in the jaw.

"Now that I've Seen Her" is satisfying and also does not slow the show down musically like this number does. I am not interested in learning details about Chris' and Ellen's touching first meeting. Saigon is partly characterized by its heart wrenching realities and the incredibly difficult decisions that all involved must face. Ellen's spontaneous and emotionally charged "Now That I've Seen Her" should not be dumped over this "deep" moment. Boublil and Schonberg need to quit altering their works decades later. The shows have already proven themselves and then they go in and "improve" them only to disrupt what worked perfectly well before.

I don't consider this new song an improvement and think Ellen doesn't need more character building--she's always actually been one of the more real and fleshed out characters in the show.

Updated On: 1/20/12 at 10:32 PM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 1/20/12 at 10:36pm

That should have just left it at, It's her or me

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 1/20/12 at 11:50pm

"Now That I've Seen Her " is a very satisfying song that conveys a lot of emotion and information about Ellen's conflict. I don't care for the new song at all.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 3:12am

I never really understood all the Ellen hate in this show... but whatever...

although when i took my friend to see the show... my friend had the best reaction... Ellen didn't start singing yet for I STILL BELIEVE.... and the second the lights went up for her part to begin my friend just looked at me and said "that b*tch!"... i thought that was hilarious

[Dave19]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 5:57am

"Ellen's spontaneous and emotionally charged "Now That I've Seen Her" should not be dumped over this "deep" moment."

I disagree. I've always found "Now that I've seen her" a boring moment in the show. Yes, we know that you've seen her, you don't have to repeat it 20 times. Stop singing about how shocked you are and get yourself together.

In this new song, the shock is in the intro (the intro stayed the same). Then a moment of silence. And then the songs starts with "But maybe". And a whole glorious set of lyrics comes afterwards. A song about the next step, about hope.

I think you have to see this song performed in the show and understand the lyrics, that will make you love it. Once you've experienced that, the previous song "Now that I've seen her" won't do it for you anymore.

[allen11375]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 8:43am

Just my opinion, but I don’t know that the overall “tone” of the song matches the rest of the show. So much time has passed between everyone’s initial involvement and other projects have been realized since then that the song feels disjointed somehow.
I think it’s beautiful, musically and I love the way it builds – it’s certainly memorable (found myself humming it in the shower after one listen!).
I remember discussions about how the arrangements for the current ending of the show may not match very much to the rest of the show because too much time had passed since “Sacred Bird” to change it again. Perhaps it’s just knowing that fact that forced this opinion... I, for one, like the song, but don’t think it gels well with the other numbers, stylistically.
Ellen’s characterization will always suffer in this show, anyway (poor thing!). It seemed natural to try and “fix” her story somehow, but maybe the time has passed?

Updated On: 1/21/12 at 08:43 AM

[My Oh My]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 1:04pm

I don't dislike Ellen at all. It was this new song which caused me to want to see Kim sock her in the jaw, lol.

I've always felt extremely bad for Ellen. A lot of people think she's an a-hole because of her reservations about adopting a child that isn't her flesh and blood into her family, but all of this happens so quickly and the show portrays their reactions as they happen at the heat of the moment. It doesn't make it right but it is understandable the torn feelings involved.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 1:20pm

Hi Quique. Still looking for a little Gavroche in your life?

[My Oh My]

Posted: 1/21/12 at 1:22pm

A little Gavroche? Huh? Who goes there??????

[Dave19]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 2:21pm

I added 2 better clips of the song.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 2:29pm

Updated On: 1/31/12 at 02:29 PM

[Wildcard]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 2:33pm

Hoping La Mirada uses this song in their production

[Dave19]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 2:42pm

Sorry, can't find the English lyrics yet.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 3:28pm

Can't you translate them? You said they were amazing and emotional, so I just assume you understand them.

[Tom_sthlm]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 5:43pm

I saw this production in December and it is a real gem. It is quite small without the big, spectacular scenery and thus more focused on the characters.

I did not know then that Ellen had a new song. I was really sceptical when I heard the first lines of the new song since I am quite fond of 'Now that I've seen her' but all doubts quickly disappeared. This song makes Ellen more human and it helps to understand her feelings. She loves Chris with all her heart and she is frightened to death that she will loose him. She is panicking and a lot crosses her mind (that is why the song mainly consists of short lines that stop abruptly. Will she have to fight for his love, and if she fights, will she win or will she loose him to Kim again? For me it was not really easy to translate the lyrics from the recording but I guess these will be clear enough


I don’t want this,
I don’t want to fight with this woman who loves my husband
I came to help but what do I now?
What in God’s name am I doing here?

And after all…
I believe I will not loose him to her.
Because of this love back then, he will now have to choose.
She turns up here in person after all.
He was never really mine but all over again I still hope
That he knows and realizes that I can offer him more.
That not she but that I give him happiness in life
I still hope… I still hope he chooses for me.

He stole my heart, yes, the moment I saw him
with that gentle face and that sad smile.
How lost he was, how alone he was,
I knew I love that man - Forever.
But still…that I share in that dream that could drag him along at night.
When I saw her, I understood everything completely.
Do I conquer that dark past after all? Do I win his heart again?
Do i win in the end after all? Does he still compares her love with me?
Does he after all feel that he belongs to that woman who really loves him,
who through thick and thin shares his happiness and sadness?

My love… If I risk everything, yes everything, will I win after all?
It is up to him, will he choose for me? Will I win after all? Will our love conquer in the end after all?

[Dave19]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 6:38pm

This is my translation:

I don’t want this,
I don’t want to fight with this woman who loves my husband
I came here to help.....what do I do now?
What in God's name am I doing here?

But still/Maybe
I have hope that I won't lose him to her
Because of the love from back then he has to make a choice now
She appears just like that/in the flesh
And maybe, he was never really mine......

But time and again I still hope that he knows and realizes that I can give him more...
That it's not her, but me that can give him happiness in life
I still have hope that he chooses me

He stole my heart from the moment I saw him. With his gentle/sweet face and that sad/sorrowful smile
How displaced he was, how alone he was
I knew I will love this man/hold on to this man forever

But still, I was part of that dream that used to carry him away at night
When I saw her I understood everything completely for the first time
Can I overcome that dark past and maybe can I win his heart anew

Am I the one who will win it eventually?
Is he comparing her love to me?
Does he feel maybe.......that he belongs to the woman that truly cherishes/loves him
The woman that shares his laughter and tears through thick and thin

my love
If I risk absolutely everything
It's up to him but I still want to
Can our love still/maybe overcome all of this in the end
























Updated On: 1/23/12 at 06:38 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 1/23/12 at 6:54pm

Thanks to both of you!

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 1/24/12 at 2:28am

I really appreciate you posting this Dave--I admit all the changes to Miss Saigon fascinate me. (I actually have never gotten them straight - didn't early editions of the London recording actually have some different music that was re-recorded later? I have only seen the show once--its closing week in 1999 in London and remember being surprised by some other changes to the cast album I had listened to growing up for nearly 10 minutes but can't remember them at all now or what edning they used by then--What's the aforementioned "Too Much for One Heart"?).

Anyway in this examplke--without having seen this new song in performance or English, I still have to side with those who find Now That I've Seen Her more appropriate. While I think the original "Her or Me" is ridiculously unsympathetic for Ellen--and while I have always loved the character and understood her, I think, I agree with those who say she's already a character many audiences might find hard to sympathize with and that song didn't help) I think Now That I've Seen Her is a good compromise.

Musically, I think it's more driving and better suited to that late in the show. But lyrically (and MS's lyrics have never been my favorite or particularly subtle I admit, though I prefer them to Kretzmer's awful Miz ones) I think it makes sense that Ellen WOULDN"T be as hopeful as this new song makes her seem. Some might complain that she repeats Now That I've Seen Her too much, but to me it makes sense that she has a sudden reaction like that when the reality of the situation suddenly hits. I hope the option will remain to use the song.