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Post by SamB (was badoerfan) on Feb 15, 2016 22:51:20 GMT
2nd understudy Sooha Kim was on. I thought she was mostly great. Her lack of experience did show but in some ways this enhanced her performance and felt more real than "acted" (much like Bjork in Dancer In The Dark) - the innocence and rawness really shone through. Her accent was strong though - it was the first time I'd heard Kim performed by a non Filipina in all the times I've seen it. SO used to that slightly American twang. Interesting - it made Kim seem more "foreign" - which is a good thing for the story and the perception, but it was sometimes at the cost of diction - especially on the faster and/or more emotionally charged parts of the libretto. This was worse for the Thuy - I could barely understand a word he sung! Why would anyone cast someone who doesn't have clear enough diction to be heard in a highly amplified, sung-through musical?!? It seems ridiculous. His acting carried him well, but honestly, for anyone not knowing the lyrics, it would simply have been guesswork 90% of the time!! Loved the Chris much more than ol' Brammer Balls! Better in every way! Stick to Casualty luvvie! A greater presence, a richer voice and more chemistry with Kim. Understudy was on for Ellen - even she was better than the woefully miscast Tamsin Carroll - nicer costumes too. I saw it on Thursday evening, and totally agree with you on the actor playing Thuy. He's woefully miscast. His accent is so strong you struggle to understand parts of what he is saying, but - worse - he just doesn't play it strong enough. I'm not sure if it's the accent getting in the way, or if it's just his manner, but this Thuy is not scary or intimidating in the slightest. I really don't know what they were thinking in casting him, he's completely wrong for the role. I saw Sooha Kim too, and agree with basically everything you said. She's great, but having seen Eva, she's not in the same league (but then I don't think anyone is). Really liked Chris Peluso as Chris, very strong and self-assured, and a very good actor too, very natural (I think it does help having an American in the role, rather than someone faking an accent). And Claire Parrish, the understudy Ellen, is my favourite of all the Ellens I've seen - she's just excellent, and when I saw her had great chemistry with the understudy Chris, Richard Carson.
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Post by ali973 on Feb 16, 2016 4:59:56 GMT
2nd understudy Sooha Kim was on. I thought she was mostly great. Her lack of experience did show but in some ways this enhanced her performance and felt more real than "acted" (much like Bjork in Dancer In The Dark) - the innocence and rawness really shone through. Her accent was strong though - it was the first time I'd heard Kim performed by a non Filipina in all the times I've seen it. SO used to that slightly American twang. Interesting - it made Kim seem more "foreign" - which is a good thing for the story and the perception, but it was sometimes at the cost of diction - especially on the faster and/or more emotionally charged parts of the libretto. This was worse for the Thuy - I could barely understand a word he sung! Why would anyone cast someone who doesn't have clear enough diction to be heard in a highly amplified, sung-through musical?!? It seems ridiculous. His acting carried him well, but honestly, for anyone not knowing the lyrics, it would simply have been guesswork 90% of the time!! Loved the Chris much more than ol' Brammer Balls! Better in every way! Stick to Casualty luvvie! A greater presence, a richer voice and more chemistry with Kim. Understudy was on for Ellen - even she was better than the woefully miscast Tamsin Carroll - nicer costumes too. I saw it on Thursday evening, and totally agree with you on the actor playing Thug. He's woefully miscast. His accent is so strong you struggle to understand parts of what he is saying, but - worse - he just doesn't play it strong enough. I'm not sure if it's the accent getting in the way, or if it's just his manner, but this Thuy is not scary or intimidating in the slightest. I really don't know what they were thinking in casting him, he's completely wrong for the role. I saw Sooha Kim too, and agree with basically everything you said. She's great, but having seen Eva, she's not in the same league (but then I don't think anyone is). Really liked Chris Peluso as Chris, very strong and self-assured, and a very good actor too, very natural (I think it does help having an American in the role, rather than someone faking an accent). And Claire Parrish, the understudy Ellen, is my favourite of all the Ellens I've seen - she's just excellent, and when I saw her had great chemistry with the understudy Chris, Richard Carson. I agree on the accent. His vocals are fine, but nothing that can't be matched locally. Not sure why they decided with such a far away import. His predocessor, though, despite having an accent, was absolutely phenomenal. His voice was quite unbelievable. In terms of portrayal, Thuy was clearly the "bad guy" antagonist in the 80s version. I think they really needed to box people into categories back then, and he certainly fit the bill as the harsh, Asian baddie. In this version though, it shows you how he truly loves Kim and how conflicted he is about some of his choices (before he attempts to murder Tam, he closes his eyes and is shocked at his own actions, as if he really does not want to do this). This makes the scene even more tragic, as you feel bad for both her and Kim for having gone through this. Thuy is actually by far my favorite character in the show, and has some of the best musical moments in the score. I saw Ethan Le Pong (2nd understudy) as Thuy, who was average, which is a shame because he actually has a great voice in other things I've seen him in, but I think he was holding back here. Christian Ray Marbella was the understudy for a while, and he was absolutely unbelievlby horrible. Like a male sounding Angela Lansbury.
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Post by talkstageytome on Feb 16, 2016 9:32:21 GMT
I agree with what Ali972 said about Thuy. He's absolutely my favourite character. I like the fact that they didn't go with a big scary guy. It's really interesting to see that, like Kim / The Engineer, he's just doing what he has to do to survive. And I really like Sangwoong Jo's acting and voice, though I agree that had I not know his songs already it would be been hard to hear what was being said.
And having seen Eva and Sooha, I much preferred Sooha. Eva has a stunning voice but Sooha felt much more innocent and natural. Both were excellent but Sooha was perfect for me.
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Post by Dave25 on Feb 16, 2016 10:51:19 GMT
This always confuses me a bit. That was exactly Kim's plan. 5 minutes before, Kim asks Ellen: "You must take Tam with you". And the Ellen says "NO, can't you see, it won't work, it can't be". And a minute later, when Chris comes in, she says "If it was only Tam I'd take him". Well, why didn't you say so to Kim? Then she wouldn't have killed herself. True - but then she's heard Chris's side of the story and much he feels he's messed up. Perhaps that helped her change her point of view...! So basically Kim and Ellen agree to take Tam to America, it's only Chris who goes against these 2 ladies
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Post by Dave25 on Feb 16, 2016 11:08:33 GMT
2nd understudy Sooha Kim was on. Her accent was strong though - it was the first time I'd heard Kim performed by a non Filipina in all the times I've seen it. SO used to that slightly American twang. Interesting - it made Kim seem more "foreign" - which is a good thing for the story and the perception, but it was sometimes at the cost of diction - especially on the faster and/or more emotionally charged parts of the libretto. I thought she was ok, and agree she looked more "foreign", which I didn't quite like. It makes the role of Kim a bit more like "typical damsel in distress". Maybe who doesn't speak the same language, language barrier, it almost makes her too "generic" for the role of Kim. Like you can't really understand why Chris falls in love with her or thinks she is so special. She looks more like a Mimi than a Kim to me. You can't quite understand where their "connection" comes from. I love the fact that Eva (and Lea, and Tanya, and most other Kim's) have this aura that connects more. Like you can immediately see why Chris falls head over heels for her. Like they are meant to be together, I don't know how else to explain it.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2016 18:16:14 GMT
Does anyone happen to know if they're still doing day seats? A friend has asked me to check! Many thanks
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Post by daniel on Feb 16, 2016 18:26:21 GMT
Does anyone happen to know if they're still doing day seats? A friend has asked me to check! Many thanks £20 Front Row check Theatre Monkey's page for up to date advice on when to start queuing!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2016 18:49:34 GMT
Does anyone happen to know if they're still doing day seats? A friend has asked me to check! Many thanks £20 Front Row check Theatre Monkey's page for up to date advice on when to stare queuing! Thanks done it before just wasn't sure if they'd stopped with it closing soon.
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Post by ali973 on Feb 17, 2016 3:31:45 GMT
For at least the last two shows they have sold the first row for £20 when the tickets went on sale. They will continue selling day seats even on the last day and evening, not sure where they've allocated their day seats for that date.
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Post by SamB (was badoerfan) on Feb 17, 2016 13:53:58 GMT
They were selling day seats last week, but if you want front row, be prepared to get there seriously early. But it seems they'll continue selling what's left (generally side stalls) once the front row is gone, for £20.
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Post by tsxmitw on Feb 20, 2016 2:28:37 GMT
Too tired for full review, but Miss Saigon was AMAZING last night (Friday). Full of energy close to end of run, instant standing ovation and applause for the finale started before the curtain fell
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Post by HereForTheatre on Feb 20, 2016 8:29:17 GMT
Seeing this FINALLY this afternoon (i have been trying to see it every Saturday for about the last month but things happened). Looking forward to it.
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Post by macksennett on Feb 20, 2016 8:34:58 GMT
Great to hear that Miss Saigon is still in great shape at the end of the run. Hugely looking forward to seeing the final performance. There was talk on the old board of members meeting up - is this still going ahead? (Though will hopefully be a two show day for some of us!). This show should not be closing, such a quality production.
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Post by infofreako on Feb 20, 2016 9:38:41 GMT
Great to hear that Miss Saigon is still in great shape at the end of the run. Hugely looking forward to seeing the final performance. There was talk on the old board of members meeting up - is this still going ahead? (Though will hopefully be a two show day for some of us!). This show should not be closing, such a quality production. Still hoping to get a ticket for the matinee and happy to meet up before or after
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Post by hitmewithurbethshot on Feb 20, 2016 12:39:39 GMT
Me and my friend are going to the final matinee & would be happy to meet up too
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Post by HereForTheatre on Feb 20, 2016 13:08:28 GMT
Seems I'll see Sooha Kim (sorry if that's not how you spell it) as Kim in today's matinee. Its my first time seeing the show so was hoping to see Tanya but I'm sure she will be great.
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Post by tsxmitw on Feb 20, 2016 14:17:18 GMT
Seems I'll see Sooha Kim (sorry if that's not how you spell it) as Kim in today's matinee. Its my first time seeing the show so was hoping to see Tanya but I'm sure she will be great. She is very good.
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Post by HereForTheatre on Feb 20, 2016 15:59:16 GMT
Interval and there is a problem Me understanding half they are singing tbh. Sooha is good but id like her voice to be more powerful. Whoever plays Gigi though has a voice.
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Post by d'James on Feb 20, 2016 16:10:29 GMT
Interval and there is a problem Me understanding half they are singing tbh. Sooha is good but id like her voice to be more powerful. Whoever plays Gigi though has a voice. I know what you mean. I did struggle a bit the other night. At least I had somewhere there who knew it to explain it to me in the interval. I'd got the gist I think.
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Post by HereForTheatre on Feb 20, 2016 18:37:06 GMT
In the scene at the engineers club in Bangkok is there supposed to be a Mormon character? I was trying to work out of it was part of the show or some weird random cross over or muck up or something? Haha.
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Post by richey on Feb 20, 2016 18:41:00 GMT
In the scene at the engineers club in Bangkok is there supposed to be a Mormon character? I was trying to work out of it was part of the show or some weird random cross over or muck up or something? Haha. Yes he's always there. I was sat right at the end of the row under the pole dancer last time and could hear the conversation between the two of them
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Post by HereForTheatre on Feb 20, 2016 18:50:51 GMT
In the scene at the engineers club in Bangkok is there supposed to be a Mormon character? I was trying to work out of it was part of the show or some weird random cross over or muck up or something? Haha. Yes he's always there. I was sat right at the end of the row under the pole dancer last time and could hear the conversation between the two of them The male or female pole dancer? I must admit if in knew what I know now I'd have bought seats in the front left hand corner of the stalls.....
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Post by HereForTheatre on Feb 20, 2016 20:35:00 GMT
I enjoyed this. I had major issues understanding practically anything to start off with but it seemed to improve over the show. Sooha Kim was Kim and i enjoyed her performance, she had quite a high pitched singing voice, which seemed to suit the innocence of the character but left me wanting a bit more power and stronger tones but overall she was great and it was her last scheduled performance. I can't off hand remember the name of the actress who played Gigi, but she is the main one, and she had a belter of a voice. I think she is set to be cover Jasmine in Aladdin and i think she would be very good. The Chris was fine, i don't have much to say about him to be honest. Jon Jon Briones (sp??? sorry) was the Engineer which i was pleased about as i wanted to see him and he definitely delivered. The John character played by Hugh Maynard annoyed me (or Hugh Maynard annoyed me....his voice didn't sit well with me). I don't think i had the normal Ellen. i think it was a cover but she had a great voice. It's just that i personally found those scenes of Chris and Ellen a bit uninteresting, i didn't really enjoy them and wanted it to move on. The sets were great, the helicopter was a great spectacle as was American Dream. I most enjoyed the scenes were there was a mass of the ensemble singing as a chorus, it really filled the place. Gave me goosebumps every time there was all those voices coming together. This was my first live example of a sung through musical and i didn't even notice it most of the time as the songs were so great but there were time some bits of dialogue were sung and i just though...quite why? Just you know...say them? Sometimes it grated me, but only very occasionally. As for the songs, all very good but the ones i'm coming away with are the ones i'd already heard like Movie In My Mind, American Dream and I'd Give My life For You. The orchestra sounded brilliant. Overall i enjoyed it, thought it was good. I don't think i'd rush back and so not gutted it's closing but i was pleased to see and experience it. Btw what i nice theatre, it was my first visit. I looke forward to go back to see Aladdin there.
Highlight of the whole thing goes to male pole dancer though, sorry.
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Post by richey on Feb 20, 2016 20:59:25 GMT
Yes he's always there. I was sat right at the end of the row under the pole dancer last time and could hear the conversation between the two of them The male or female pole dancer? I must admit if in knew what I know now I'd have bought seats in the front left hand corner of the stalls..... The male one.
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Post by HereForTheatre on Feb 21, 2016 15:36:53 GMT
It generally happens as i tend to go to Matinee's because i live outside London, but i don't seem to have much luck seeing the leads in things. I do wish i had seen Eva or Tanya when i saw this, nothing against Sooha, it's just i do like to see a lead where possible and i think their voices would enhanced a bit for me based on recordings. This happened with Wicked on tour too, i went and ended up seeing the 3rd cover!! so went back again hoping to see the lead....guess what.... same person!
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Post by richey on Feb 21, 2016 19:34:45 GMT
2017 Tour confirmed on the official website. No dates yet though.
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Post by HereForTheatre on Feb 21, 2016 19:38:25 GMT
Oh that's good news. I did want to see it again but there would be no chance me getting ticks for London now with it being last week.
Edit: I just looked and can't see anything. Wher does it say?
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Post by richey on Feb 21, 2016 20:01:22 GMT
Oh that's good news. I did want to see it again but there would be no chance me getting ticks for London now with it being last week. Edit: I just looked and can't see anything. Wher does it say? miss-saigon.com/tour/
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Post by raiseitup on Feb 22, 2016 11:55:42 GMT
Do we think there's going to be overnight campers for the final show? I'm considering attempting to dayseat but have no idea how early/late at night I should get there...
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Post by infofreako on Feb 22, 2016 12:03:28 GMT
Ive been contemplating the same for the matinee
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