Miss Saigon - Theatre Royal / Prince Edward / UK Tour

I'm thinking about going to see this in Bristol tomorrow evening. Are there any last minute offers available?

I saw this in Bristol (my hometown!) last night. Another fabulous performance and remains the best thing IMO currently on tour by a mile.
Got a cheaper ticket (when I logged on with my ATG card they had an option for "engineer offer - £35" for top price non premium. They clearly haven't advertised this though!) Upper Circle closed but stalls full pretty much. Grand Circle maybe half full.

I was on a Stalls side aisle row P, further back than I normally sit. The sound seemed quiet at first but I got used to it. I did also think, though the lighting looked gorgeous as ever, overall it was very dark and was often hard to see people's faces! Is this me getting older or could it be a bit brighter?

Have seen the old cast so much that I missed them a bit - that's not a criticism of the new ensemble who were wonderful, I just have a soft spot through familiarity for the old guys.

One thing I will say though as that Christian Rey Marbella I really don't think is right for Engineer. No doubt he is an accomplished MT performer with a great voice but he really doesn't have the presence and character that the Engineer needs - he carries the show and should be such a larger than life character. Maybe it's just after Jon Jon and Red and it's a tough act to follow, but it doesn't work for me.

Anyway, an amazing time once again. Wondering if to go to the last night of the tour in Sunderland. It's a long way from home though and not a place I have ever wanted to visit!!

Saw Monday night in Bristol. Everyone moved to the stalls, maybe 500 in the audience. Looked to be understudy Kim and Engineer, possibly Gigi.
The production was pretty flawless. Lights and effects, choreo and costumes etc. Absolutely spectacular stuff.

I felt let down by the sound which seemed pretty quiet throughout. This affected all of the principals which often lessened the impact of their vocals as they got lost in the orchestra.
Engineer was electric. Some parts were a little understated but it was always unique.
Kim did well, shocked to read she was only 17. A definite Lea clone - one gets the impression she grew up singing this and only this. Still needs some vocal polishing but really sold it in the action scenes.
Unfortunately I found our Americans to be less than inspiring. Chris seemed unimpressed by anything throughout the show. No love, no despair and a distinct lack of urgency and shock when he is finally reunited with Kim. Likewise his bromance with John was not convincing who lacked intensity and conviction. Vocally these two had all the notes, but none of the soul. Ellen seemed to be badly directed. She was extraordinarily cavalier when first confronted by Kim and had little chemistry with her husband. Whether this is reflective of a somber cast facing disappointing houses is anyone's guess.
But, backed by a committed and energetic company, it is certainly an unforgettable theatrical event.

I don’t think it has the recognition factor. You don’t hear songs from MS performed in reality talent shows and yes, sadly, that’s what you need to get a show into peoples field of vision. Also I think people may not actually know what it’s about and what to expect. Is it about a beauty pageant? What is Saigon anyway? What’s the helicopter in the poster for?

Yes, sadly some people are a bit thick sometimes. But in the era of Fat Friends and The Band you have to ram it down people’s throats.

Unfortunately agree. The alarming thought occurred to me that if this is the era we have transgressed to, what comes next? Where will we be in 20-30 years looking at where we've descended from in the same period of time? 
20-30 years ago lush, big spectacle, romanticism and intelligence all had broad mass appeal. Now people need shovel feeding with obtuse content. Where will we end up?
It's perturbing.

Full average cast list for a Saturday matinee?

In advance, they'll juggle so Joreen does Sooha's show, and the u/s does Joreen's. Depending on how last minute the illness is, I'd imagine they would offer it to Joreen, but apply no pressure if she didn't feel up to a two show day.

Saw this again last night - packed house at the Bristol Hippodrome. It was excellent, just as good as when I saw it in September and December last year.

I’ve seen all the casts since the 2014 London revival and I have to say, Elana Martin is the best Ellen I’ve watched. Great actress and powerful vocals.

So I went to both shows in Bristol yesterday (and saw both equally sensational Kims!). Looked and sounded glorious as ever.

God I love this show - best thing on tour by a mile IMO.

Trying to decided if to go to the last day of the tour in Sunderland. Erring towards it as I think will be a very long time before we see Saigon in the UK again sadly. Is a very long way from my home in Brighton though!

I really don't think these notes are optional. These soft, angelic high notes are essential for the part, it gives Kim an angelic quality as a beautiful contrast to all her louder scenes where she is fighting and belting.

What makes this show an artistic masterpiece to me, is that every word written exactly matches the melody and notes in terms of emotion and conviction. If you would hear one line instrumentally (any line in the show), the notes and pacing and dynamic of the music will make you feel the exact right emotion for the moment already, and the words fill in in perfectly. Miss Saigon does this better than any show I have ever heard or seen.

I could dissect the whole show in this post to give you examples, but that would make a very long post. But one scene worth mentioning is between Kim and Thuy, where he sings "I knew in time...", his lines are hopeful yet dejected, and almost urbane with pride, yet a little pushy. The dynamics of the melody are exactly that. Which is stunning. Then Kim replies to him in the exact same manner. "My father's vow, I can't honor today...." When he treats her with this subdued respect, this is how she replies to him too. As an audience, we respect Kim's standpoint a little more over his, so the melody rises a bit, as if what she says overrules what he says without showing any disrespect. Which makes his ego snap, which is then perfectly portrayed in the music too.

I don't think most people realize what kind of masterpiece this show really is.

Also, because this show is written in such a refined way, they have to be really careful with overemoting. There is no need for putting an extra, 3rd. layer on top of it by acting out every syllable too. I call this the Hugh Jackman approach. He always makes the material very insincere by overemoting. Speaking 3 words and then use a long vibrato on the 4th. This does not only make the first 3 words insincere by disrespecting the notes, but the disconnect by switching between speaking and singing in 1 line makes people wonder why he is singing the last syllable. Basically apologizing for the artform. Acting in spite of song instead of acting through song.

I see this happening in Miss Saigon lately too. Katie Rose Clarke could be a fantastic Ellen, but she overemotes and separates the acting from singing too much. Which makes the singing feel out if place and insincere. What Eva does in the scenes mentioned above, is the same thing. The scenes don't really make sense anymore. Which really is a pity. This show is more written like an opera, apologizing for it by making it soap-opera is not really the way to an emotional experience for the audience.

Very weak compared to Red - I really hope he isn't leaving!