[.ca] Schönberg: Miss Saigon

Recording of the third version of Miss Saigon:
TWO revisions have already been done in the music of Miss Saigon, so the one in this 1995 recording is actually the third version -- the one contained in the Original London Recording (1989) is the first version, while the second version is the one that opened on Broadway (1991). It would have been interesting to listen to the complete first and second versions and compare the songs added and deleted over the years, but it would have been MORE interesting if Miss Saigon had done a recording of all three versions because Lea Salonga has done ALL three versions and it still amazes me remembering her adapt to all the changes in the different versions (I saw Miss Saigon twice in London, three times on Broadway, and twice in Manila) and consistently show outstanding performances, as her voice kept getting more powerful and more beautiful over the years (and as the music and the orchestra kept sounding fuller with each revision). Joanna Ampil was great in this recording, but I can understand the disappointment that those who are familiar with Ms. Salonga's performances get upon listening to this recording because Ms. Salonga has set a very high standard for Kim that's just difficult to match. (Although she received much critical acclaim for her performances as Eponine in Les Miserables, I still say she should have taken a few days off from her Les Mis' stint in London in 1995 and returned to the US to do Kim's part during the recording of this album.) But this is still a worthwhile recording to get (despite some annoying numbers such as Hinton Battle's "Bui Doi") and is definitely a must-buy for those who want to hear a "complete" version.

Not a swing and a miss, but certainly no homerun either:
I reviewed the highlights of this a while ago (mistakenly) and figured it was time to review the complete. Well, by now I've honestly warmed up to this recording, so I hope that I can give a nice, unbiased review. Yes, the cast is sub-par. The more that I hear Joanna Ampil, the more I like her, though. Lea Salonga's Kim is beautiful and emotional, but Joanna Ampil gives it a certain edge, too. She sings everything with this extremely determined manner (not that Lea wasn't determined, but Joanna is on a whole other scale). Sometimes it makes for an amazing performance--the best example of this would be her renditions of the Ho Chi Minh City songs (such as Back in Town, I'd Give My Life for You, etc) which are so emotional and heart-rending they almost bring tears to my eyes. However, yes, Kim does not always need to sound so determined and therefore Joanna is less than desirable in the love songs. It's as if she knows what her fate is going to be, unlike Lea who sounds like she's caught in the moment--exactly like Kim should sound. The other castmember whose portrayal is worth listening to repeatedly is Charles Azulay. He put his heart and soul into his performance as Thuy, and it shows. Sometimes he comes on as too-over-the-top, but considering how overzealous Thuy is this isn't much of a problem. I disagree that he himself gave Thuy a new look, it's just that this time Thuy had more songs and more development. I think that Keith Burns would have been just as sympathetic had they kept in all of Thuy's songs in the OBC. Ruthie Henshall and Keith Burns I do not feel are that spectacular, but they are good in their own right and strive to keep up with their predecessors, and certainly at least come close if not succeed. I also prefer this recording's Gigi, not that I don't like Isay but her rendition of The Movie in My Mind isn't as whiney. Now, for the people who make me unable to relisten to this soundtrack like I can the OBC: Coussens, and Battle. Peter Coussens being cast as Chris is honestly something I do not understand. Simon Bowman, for all of his faults (though I happen to love that vibretto) could do circles around this guy. Peter not only has an annoying accent, he seems like he doesn't know how to sing. He tries, he certainly does, but falls terribly short. And he has no chemistry with ANYONE. It feels to me like they recorded their parts separately and just mixed them together. As a result, it ruins the rest of the recording. Since let's face it, who cares if they're apart if you didn't like them together? And even if he's trying to sing, that's just all he's trying to do. Not act. Why God Why is one of my favorite songs, and his version makes me want to gouge out my ears. And Hinton Battle... oh god. Let's just stick that boy in RENT. I can see him cross-dressing and dancing around with Tom Collins onstage, but I cannot see him as a Marine or giving a serious conference on Bui Doi. I have heard wonderful soulful portrayals of John, and they worked beautifully, but Hinton's did not. Waaaaay too much energy, definitely not the calm, level-headed thinker who's always trying to make the emotional-ridden characters think clearly and see logic. Now, as for the music. The extra songs are incredible, and this recording on a whole makes you feel like you're there. Any true Miss Saigon fan can like it in its own right just because it's almost as if they packaged a version of the musical into a CD. It doesn't own up to the original Broadway cast, but neither did the performances that I saw live. So I can appreciate it for that. I do agree that the Asian influences in the music did not sound as raw and real as it did in the OBC, but on a whole the instrumentals were better. The saxophone in The Last Night of the World, for example... incredible. I feel that the OBC tried more for beauty, and this recording tried more for restlessness, which is why the more restless songs (especially those around the end of Act I, in Ho Chi Minh City) are the best songs in this version. The OBC, however, managed to accomplish both, which is why I can listen to all of it over and over and love every minute. This complete recording, while it got the restlessness thing downpat, just kind of forgot about beauty. This version, though, is more similar to what you'd see onstage, not just in the extra songs but in the feel of the music and even the style of the singers (though the ones onstage are a gazillion times better). That's why I listen to it. However, if you are looking to hook someone (or yourself) on this musical, listen to the OBC before listening to this version.

Joanna is unbelievable:
Joanna Ampil is the most incredible performer I have ever heard in my entire life. She sings every singe word with emtion. No one can compare with her at all. She is amazing and if anyone wants to truly be touched by music listen to this.

Inferior to the OLC, but still great:
The best thing about this recording is that it's complete. And of course, this is Miss Saigon, one of the best musicals of all time, so nothing can really ruin it. But while the cast here is unquestionably good, there are also certain very annoying items. Among them is Joanna Ampil's very affected (fake)enunciation -- she seems to have forgotten that she's SINGING and not delivering a speech). Hinton Battle's distracting accent and inappropriate singing style (Bui-Doi is not an R & B or gospel number!) is another one. From Jonathan Pryce to Isay Alvarez, everyone in the original recording is leaps and bounds better than the ones here. It's too bad that no complete recording was done with the original cast. Those who've seen Lea Salonga do the London, the Manila, and the different Broadway versions are very, very lucky!

Great, but make sure you have the Original London CD:
What I like about this album is that it includes a lot of the music and numbers not recorded in the original release. What's great about the original album, however, is the topnotch cast (esp. Lea Salonga) that this one unfortunately doesn't match (though they're all really good). Get the OLC if you just want to be introduced to this powerful musical, but get both albums if you want to enjoy it completely.

• Overture/Back Stage Dreamland - Emy Baysic, Sylvia Dohi, Rona Figueroa, Lydia Gatson, Margaret Gates, Kevin Gray, La, Zoie Lam, , Sonia Swaby, Orchestra
• Heat Is on in Saigon - Emy Baysic, Sylvia Dohi, Rona Figueroa, Lydia Gatson, Margaret Gates, Kevin Gray, Zoie Lam, Christine Langner,
• Movie in My Mind - Joanna Ampil, Emy Baysic, Sylvia Dohi, Rona Figueroa, Lydia Gatson, Margaret Gates, Zoie Lam, Christine Langner, Sonia Swaby
• Transaction - Joanna Ampil, Hinton Battle, , Peter Cousens, Kevin Gray, Company
• Dance - Joanna Ampil, Peter Cousens, Kevin Gray
• Why God Why? - Peter Cousens
• This Money's Yours - Joanna Ampil, Peter Cousens
• Sun and Moon - Joanna Ampil, Peter Cousens
• Telephone Song - Hinton Battle, Peter Cousens
• Deal - Peter Cousens, Kevin Gray
• Wedding Ceremony (Dju Vui Vai) - Joanna Ampil, Emy Baysic, Peter Cousens, Sylvia Dohi, Rona Figueroa, Lydia Gatson, Margaret Gates, Zoie Lam, Christine Langner
• Thuy's Arrival - Joanna Ampil, Charles Azulay, Peter Cousens
• Last Night of the World - Joanna Ampil, Peter Cousens
• Morning of the Dragon - Tito Abeleda, Zar Acayan, Alan Ariano, Azoulay, Francis J. Cruz, Kevin Gray, Norman Kauahi, Juan Pineda, Ray Santos
• I Still Believe - Joanna Ampil, Ruthie Henshall
• Back in Town - Tito Abeleda, Joanna Ampil, Alan Ariano, Charles Azulay, Francis J. Cruz, Kevin Gray, Norman Kauahi, Pine, Ray Santos
• Thuy's Death/You Will Not Touch Him - Joanna Ampil, Charles Azulay, , Company
• If You Want to Die in Bed - Kevin Gray
• Kim & Engineer - Joanna Ampil, Kevin Gray
• I'd Give My Life for You - Joanna Ampil, , Company
• Entr'acte - Orchestra
• Bui Doi - Hinton Battle, , Choir
• Revelation - Hinton Battle, Peter Cousens, Ruthie Henshall
• What a Waste - Kevin Gray, Company
• Please - Joanna Ampil, Hinton Battle
• Chris Is Here - Joanna Ampil, Hinton Battle, Kevin Gray
• Kim's Nightmare - Joanna Ampil, Charles Azulay, Hinton Battle, , Peter Cousens, Company
• Room 317 - Joanna Ampil, Ruthie Henshall
• Now That I've Seen Her - Ruthie Henshall
• Confrontation - Hinton Battle, Peter Cousens, Ruthie Henshall
• American Dream - Kevin Gray, Company
• Finale - Joanna Ampil, Peter Cousens