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Amazon.co.uk Review
Miss Saigon rather surprisingly turns out to be a tour de force for its star, Jonathan Pryce. In the midst of Boubil and Schönberg's "girl-meets-boy-with confused-emotions-in-Vietnam" rewrite of Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Pryce's Engineer's bright tenor provides a nasty yet humanely pragmatical focal point for more logically tuned minds. Daring to tackle the controversial theme of doomed lovers during the misguided American war efforts, Miss Saigon was a thematic and stylistic breakthrough of the 1980s, just like Jesus Christ Superstar had been in the previous decade. But the lyricist, Richard Maltby, previously a young man with alleged off-off-Broadway street cred, could only do so much with Boubil's French original platitudes--it is Schönberg's music paired with producer Cameron Macintosh's storyboard vision that secured the deserved success of Miss Saigon. On this complete recording, an orchestra on form shows off William D. Brohn's skilful orchestrations, and a fine ensemble supports Lea Salonga's tender yet determined Kim. And in the male camp, apart from the prancing Pryce, Peter Polycarpou (John) is crystal clear as the struggling American marine soldier, curbing all tendencies to over-emotionality. --Yngvil V.G.
From Amazon.com
It's probably best known for raising the stakes for 1980s blockbuster shows by landing a helicopter on stage, but Miss Saigon is also a good show with good music. As a follow-up to their international smash Les Misérables, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg (with an assist from Richard Maltby Jr.) adapted the tale of Madame Butterfly to the Vietnam War, realized here by the original 1989 London cast. While it may seem overheated at times, the despair and passion fit the tragic story, and Schönberg's pop-flavored style receives its most appropriate setting. Leading the cast are Jonathan Pryce as the Engineer (a Eurasian character whose casting generated some controversy when the producers wanted to have Pryce, a Caucasian, reprise the role on Broadway), Lea Salonga (in her first major role) as the young Vietnamese bride, Simon Bowman as her beau, and Claire Moore as his American wife (and a young Ruthie Henshall as one of the sweaty bargirls). The songs include the bawdy opener "The Heat Is on in Saigon," "The Movie in My Mind," "Why God Why," the romantic duet "The Last Night of the World," the female duet "I Still Believe," the male chorus number "Bui-Doi," and the Engineer's mocking "The American Dream." The booklet includes photographs and full lyrics. It's also available in a 58-minute highlights version. --David Horiuchi
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Two words.... LEA SALONGA! The origional London and Broadway Kim is the star of this fantastic album! Miss Saigon is set during the fall of Saigon and the evacuation of American Troups. When Chris (Simon Bowman) see's young bar girl (Lea Salonga) it is love at first sight that takes tragic twists and turns until a heartbreaking climax! Salonga is one of the most talented singer/actresses in the world and Saigon was the role that made the public notice her. She sings with such heartwrenching passion and talent it is impossable not to fall in love with her! Simon Bowman is unbelievable in the role of Chris, the misguided G.I, and Jonathan pryce is well Jonathon Pryce, superb as always. Also this is the album with the origional finale "The Sacred Bird" that was changed a few months into the run, get this album as it is truely brilliant certainly one for ANY one who has ever liked a musical! Great tracks are "Why God Why" "Sun and Moon" "You Will Not Touch Him" "Please" "I'd Give my life for you" and basically the whole album"!
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
have seen "Miss Saigon" twice and have come to the definite conclusion that I like the "original" story contained on this two-disc set a lot more than I like the revised version I have seen on stage. The genesis for this Alain Boubil and Claude-Michel Schonberg musical was two-fold, the well known Puccini opera "Madame Butterfly" (the main theme of which sounds briefly in the Finale and a haunting photograph of a Vietnamese woman seeing her daughter for the last time before the child goes to America to live with her ex-GI father (the photo is included in the libretto). In performance the return has been to the Puccini story line, where the woman kills herself BECAUSE her American lover has taken her child away. However, I maintain that what you have in this version is much more powerful: Kim kills herself to FORCE Chris and his wife to take Tam to the United States. In this latter context Kim's song "I'd Give My Life For You" makes sense and is more powerful. The change also resulted in an awkward and almost complete revision of Ellen's big solo number "Her or Me," which also loses a great deal of power. Fortunately, that song survives on this disc.
Vocally the women stand out much stronger than the men, from Lea Salonga's exquisite performance throughout ("I'd Give My Life for You", "The Revelation"), to Clare Moore's impassioned duet and solo work ("I Still Believe" and "Her or Me"), to the chorus of bar girls ("The Movie in My Mind"). The male singers are surely adequate, but not especially memorable, except of course for Jonathan Pryce's star turn as the Engineer ("The American Dream"). My favorite pieces in the show tend to be the duets: Kim and Chris in "The Last Night of the World," Kim and Ellen in "I Still Believe," Kim and John in "Please." Emotionally the show contains more punch than the more celebrated "Les Miserable" by Boubill and Schonberg, made all the more effective because of the way a key chunk of the story (how Kim and Chris got seprated during "The Fall of Saigon") is not revealed until Act 2 when it comes in between the soaring optimism of Kim finding out Chris is in Bangkok ("Please") and the shattering revelation of his marriage to Ellen ("Room 317"). Even without seeing the famous helicopter scene on stage, this is an emotionally draining sequence of songs. "Miss Saigon" is closing on Broadway soon, but even if you never get to see it on stage, just listening to it will still give you chills and drive you to tears.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
You dont have to see this show to apreciate its music. Each song is as unique as the next with some heart renching ballads, to some immensley powerful numbers that will literally send chills down your spine. ok so its not the kind of show that will be to everyones taste as it is 'thru-sung' (no speaking), but those who are fans of the great genre of 'musical', this is a must for your collection. Its hard to imagine that the same people who wrote this stunning score were also behind the daddy of musicals; Les Miserables, (if you loved that, you'll love miss saigon).
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great album
Bought this for my mum for her birthday as its her favourite musical and she loved it. Delivery was fast, so absalutly no problems.
Published 17 months ago by Jess
very very happy
this item was being sold for half the price of any one else's on amazon, i dont know why, it was in new condition and im a happy man singing the wonderful songs to my new baby... Read more
Published 18 months ago by jelly jim
A CD YOU'LL JUST ADORE
This CD is one of the musicals you learn the story of as further the music go's forward!!! Lea Salonga and Simon Bowman make a great couple Kim and Chris in vietnam during the war... Read more
Published 20 months ago by D. L. Shand
beautiful score!
I bought this as i have always liked the song Movie In My Mind but i've never heard the rest of the music, and i'm a big fan of Les Miserables aswell so I thought i'd finally get... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Ms. K. M. Allison
Miss Saigon
Absolutely brilliant sound track - can't wait for it to show again either in the West End or on tour.
Published on 31 Dec 2009 by Wendy J. Davis
breath taking
i think i was 14 years old when my parents took to see the show in london and i can remember not wanting to go, but from the moment the overture began i was absolutely mesmerised. Read more
Published on 2 April 2009 by A. Steed
review not really applicable
Unfortunately I had to return this item as I mistook it for a DVD when in fact it was a CD.
I found numerous products of this title were being offered but it was very... Read more
I found numerous products of this title were being offered but it was very... Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2009 by S. West
The Making of Miss Saigon
I enjoyed this DVD and found it interesting. However, I would much rather have had one of the actual stage production, but it appears that one was never made. Read more
Published on 8 Feb 2009 by Gill with a 'g'
A repeat of the original and the latest tour
Having seen the original show with Jonathan Pryce and Lea Salonga, I also saw it a year later when the understudy was playing Kim and was not disappointed. Read more
Published on 17 April 2006 by Debs
Bit Slushy
This was the first show I saw in London, and to my husbands shock I wasn't blown away. The special effects make this show(you hear the helicopter on the CD)but the lyrics are... Read more
Published on 22 Mar 2006 by Ek Stewart
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