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 | | Miss Saigon |
Miss Saigonby Stephen Garner
Written by the duo behind Les Miserables, Miss Saigon tells the story of Kim, a Vietnamese girl, who has lost her parents in the war ravaging the country, and has turned to prostitution as her only means of survival. |
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| Miss Saigon | - Palace Theatre, Oxford St, Manchester, M1 6FT
- Until 7 January 2006
- Tickets: 0870 401 3000 or www.getlive.co.uk
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She is rescued from the control of a seedy club owner by Chris, an American soldier. They fall in love and Chris pledges to take Kim out of Vietnam when the US evacuates. But inevitably there are problems and the romance appears doomed. Visually, the show is excellent. This is underlined by the new video recreation of the famous helicopter scene. The sets are immense and provide a fitting backdrop to an impressive cast that were all in good voice supported by an energetic Orchestra. Powerful use is made of the duets sung across long distances, with one very moving moment when Kim and Ellen sing two halves of a duet from opposite sides of the globe. The performance by Ima Castro in the title role was tremendous, but Jon Jon Briones almost stole the show with an outstanding performance as the Engineer, an opportunistic, unapologetic rogue. It is a role he knows well, having played it in the original London cast, and he brings the house down in the second half with an infectious Sammy Davis Jnr-style performance of the song ‘The American Dream’. In conclusion ‘Miss Saigon’ is a spectacular show, full of passion and energy - but remember this is a tragic tale, based on the story of ‘Madame Butterfly’. So for those who enjoy a good cry, don’t forget to take plenty of tissues. There were heaps of tears at the opening night and not just from the women. | | | last updated: 22/12/05 | | | Have Your Say | | |
caroline rivers
wonderful show. totally absorbing, incredibly well performed. I left absolutely stunned.
TR
JonJon wasnt the original London Engineer, Jonathan Pryce was. JonJon was however part of the Broadway cast and the tour, but certainly not any of the original cast Engineers.
Kirsty
OH MY GOD!!! This production was the best I've seen so far of this show.
Ima Castro blew me away as Kim she had such a superb voice. she's the first Kim to make me cry.
Also Ramin Karimloo as Chris was fabulous. He is pretty hot too. John Partridge and Lara Pulver also put in really good performances as John and Ellen.
But the biggest joy was Jon Jon Briones as the engineer. He was so funny and in a way I really wanted his character to go to America.
When I saw Christian Rey Marbella in Sunderland he was just the barman but in Manchester he is Thuy and this role was perfect for him and I think he gave Thuy a really mean edge. The set design wa fabulous an the costumes looked great. I was disappointed by the helicopter - I can see what some people were onabout when they said it wasn't as good as the London production. Go and see Miss Saigon it will not disappoint!!
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