[.ca] Miss Saigon Hlts

Just one problem...:
If you can get over the fact that this recording doesn't feature Lea Salonga (who is, of course, *the* Kim) then this CD is for you. The orchestral arrangement is wonderful, and the vocals are -for the most part- phenomenal. My one gripe with this CD is Peter Cousens. After hearing the original London recording with Simon Bowman, I just cannot accept Cousens in the role of Chris. His voice is incredibly whiny, unlike Bowman's full, rich tenor. His performance seemed, to me, to ebb a little on the melodramatic side, and at times fell completely flat. In that way, I was disappointed. Joanna Ampill, however, more than compensates for Cousens' less-than-golden performance with her energy and emotionally-charged voice. Lea Salonga is not an easy act to follow, but Ampill blew me away. She is a brilliant, heartbreaking Kim. Her "Please" with Hinton Battle still brings tears to my eyes. Buy this recording! Buy it! Buy it! Buy it!

Great album!:
But get the Original London Cast Recording - that's THE best recording of this excellent musical!

Good!:
It's just too bad that the actors here -- who are excellent --are inevitably compared with the ones in the Original London Cast (who are WAY better). This album is good, but if you could get only one, get the Original London Cast Recording. If you can get two, get the Original London and the 1995 (Complete) Studio Cast Recording. Bottom line: this should be your fourth choice among all four official English-language recordings.

Extraordinary Theatre!:
I saw this show last summer at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta! After seeing the show, listening to the beautiful music, and really getting into the story, I was hooked. The ending is so tragic and beautiful that not one woman leaves without mascara dripping down her face or even men with tears in their eyes. Some people don't consider this nearly as good as Les Miserables, but I enjoyed it just as much. This cd has a truly talented cast, and the music is beautifully writen and sung! I reccomend it to anyone!

Blah:
This show stinks. I love Lemiz, its wonderful! So when I saw that the writters of Lemiz wrote another musical, I was thrilled, until I got the recording that is. The singing in this show stinks, alot of the music in this show stinks, the lyrics stink, the plot stinks. I think the the writters were just looking to make a fast buck and so they made this. This show prooves that anything with lots of vulgarity, and bikini's is bound to be a success on todays broadway. Waste your money on some other cd.

• Overture/Backstage Dreamland
• Heat Is on in Saigon
• Movie in My Mind
• Why God Why?
• Sun and Moon
• Last Night of the World
• I Still Believe
• Thuy's Death/You Will Not Touch Him
• I'd Give My Life for You
• Bui Doi
• Kim's Nightmare
• Now That I've Seen Her
• American Dream
• Finale