What do people think of Miss Saigon?

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 7:00pm

I'm currently the stage manager for Miss Saigon at school and I LOVE the show. It's rarely talked about on here and I was just wondering what people think of it?

[webcomix]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 7:04pm

I love Miss Saigon. Though my friend and I have also dubbed it as "the saddest musical ever written." (Note: This is opinion.)
Updated On: 4/12/10 at 07:04 PM

[TBone]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 7:08pm

I love the show. I was a little too young to really appreciate it when i saw it on Broadway with Lea Salonga and Will Chase, but last year I had the opportunity to play John and I just completely fell in love with it.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 7:20pm

I adore Miss Saigon! I saw it when it came to Boston in '99. I was way too young to understand what the heck was going on. But I really liked it. Then in '07, I was in the ensemble. I also got a solo. It went something like this:

"Out of my way if that's all that you've got!"

G'night folks!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 7:31pm

I had a solo too!

It went something like this:

"Shut up bi*ch! I don't wanna hear it."

[Q]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 7:33pm

I try not to.

[nealb1]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 7:42pm

I love the show. I first saw it twice back in May of 1991, right after it opened - and, before the Tony nominations were announced.

Remember.....that was back in the day when you had to order your tickets months and months ahead of time, via the US Mail. By the time I saw the show, I had my tickets for over a year. And, then show was cancelled due to Jonathan Pryce's casting. I just knew that the show would still happen. So, I didn't mail my tickets back....NO WAY!

A very dear friend of mine, who has since passed away, saw the very first performance of "Miss Saigon" in London. His ticket was for the 2nd preview. But, the 1st preview was cancelled, so by sheer luck he was in the audience that very first night.
Updated On: 4/12/10 at 07:42 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 7:42pm

I LOVE Miss Saigon. It's my favorite musical of all time. I know objectively that it's not the best musical, but everytime I've seen it I've been blown away.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 7:57pm

Glad to hear that people like it. I can see how it could be an incredible show or an awful one depending on how it's done. Our leads are all incredible but the ensemble is not very good. We had an abnormally small amount of people to audition this year so everyone who auditioned was cast. I think some just audition for the sale of auditioning because their friends were, etc. But hopefully when we get a full set and lights it will all come together.

[Bwaynerd]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 8:04pm

<3<3<3<3 They have to revive this show soon!

[James885]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 8:13pm

I love it. It has some great music.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 10:06pm

i'm addicted to this show it's scary! you know how everyone has that one show, movie, sports team, whatever that they get all crazy about?? well this is definitely what does it for me!!! haha

ever since 1995 after seeing the national tour.. i saw the show about 30 times since.. hell, i once saw it twice in one day because i wanted to see two different KIMS!!! haha... and i have an INSANE amount of you know whats... i can honestly say that i have heard almost EVERY single KIM who performed the show in London, Broadway, and the tours!!! even understudies!!!

and this is definitely one of those shows where the casting is everything... if your leads can't perform the roles right... then the cheesiness of the lyrics will really become apparent...

geez I love this show... and like SporkGoddess said.. it's very imperfect... i will ALWAYS admit that... but dammit I still love it

[iamchanging9]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 10:16pm

def boubil and schoenberg's best work, not to mention one of the greatest musicals of the past 50 years.

[MusicalLover6]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 10:42pm

Miss Saigon is a gritty musical, but it's one that I think you either like it or you don't. For me, I like it, but I don't love it. For me, I can only listen to the London Cast. (Though people compare Simon Bowman to a sheep a lot, but his voice doesn't bother me.)

Glad there are others who enjoy it. :)

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 11:13pm

Miss Saigon was one of the most emotional production I've ever seen. My favorite production!

By the way......Happy anniversary to Miss Saigon and its alumni! Miss Saigon opened on Broadway on April 11, 1991 featuring Lea Salonga (Kim), Jonathan Pryce (The Engineer), Willy Falk (Chris), Hinton Battle (John), Barry Bernal (Thuy), Liz Callaway (Ellen), Marina Chapa (Gigi), Brian Baldomero (Tam) & Company.

Updated On: 4/13/10 at 11:13 PM

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 4/12/10 at 11:17pm

LOVE this musical. LOVE.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 4/13/10 at 12:58am

Prefer the earlier version, than the update newer one.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 4/13/10 at 1:07am

I remember watching Miss Saigon one night and Les Miz the next. I much preferred Miss Saigon. Seeing Lea Salonga as Kim may have influenced my preference, but I think it's better storytelling overall. Of the megamusicals, it's one of the better ones I'd say.

~Steven

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 4/13/10 at 1:32am

I liked this show, way better than Les Miz. Yet, not among my top 20. I love "The Movie in my Mind"

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 4/13/10 at 3:11am

Agree..Lea Salonga was phenomenal as Kim. Price was god too as The Engineer (although I slightly preferred Kevin Grey who played it in Toronto - he brought a seductive sexy quality to balance the character's avaricious side.)

I did think the show was a step down from LES MIZ, which I consider the best of all the big operatic musicals that came along in the 1980s and early 90's. In fact each succeeding Schoenberg-Boublil score impressed me less and less.

[never_has_been]

Posted: 4/13/10 at 4:34am

I love Miss Saigon, it is easily my favorite show ever. Two girls I took voice with sang I Still Believe and I was obsessed from the moment I heard it. I listened to the cast recording nearly daily. It wasn’t until six years later I was finally able to see it performed by a non-equity tour cast, and was not disappointed. Such a beautiful show, I hope it gets a revival someday.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 4/13/10 at 5:03am

It has always struck me as being a bit slow moving, however it has a subtlety and nuance that sets it apart from Les Mis and the like.

If only the music in the second act wasn't so same-ish.

[mallardo]

Posted: 4/13/10 at 2:29pm

How can anyone prefer Miss Saigon to Les Miz? It's not in the same league. It's a BIG step down.

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 4/13/10 at 3:29pm

Les Miserable is one of the best musicals to come out, I saw it a month ago again in the West End and it is still getting full standing ovations after 25 years.

That is not to say Miss Saigon is not a very good show, which it is, to do it justice for a full revival it would need to be fully stages and cast to make it worthy of a West End or Broadway stage again, but this would be fully expensive,

[Cearsgk]

Posted: 4/13/10 at 3:47pm

Re: "gritty", I saw it with friends and their 13 year old. The teenager was MORTIFIED. It's not Mary Poppins.