Where did this come from?

solo_saxophone · Where did this come from?

Hey everyone,

I have a full piano/vocal score from Miss Saigon that is the entire show - not just the piano/vocal selections released by Hal Leonard - it's the whole show in piano/conductor score format, with seperate staves for each character and instrumental notations in the piano part. There are some weird things about it, though, and I was hoping that someone here could help me shed some light on it.

First of all, it's all "handwritten"! It's not printed traditionally - in many places, it's literally written in in pen and ink, with chord names and all the rest, and some songs have harmonies crossed out and re-written. Why is this? Secondly, there are several portions that I've never seen performed in the show before - a piece called "Escape of Kim" just before "If You Want to Die in Bed", a longer "Bangkok" scene and an entirely different ending called "Finale Ultimo" where Kim and Chris meet one final time - musically, it's a reprise of "This Money's Yours" and "Sun and Moon" before "Little God of My Heart".

I got this from a friend who was in the touring production in Canada several years ago. The thing is, why is it so different from what was performed? Is this sort of thing common? I imagine it must be, but then again, I really have no idea. Any thought? If anyone would like any scans of this document for verification, just let me know. I'm really curious here and would love to learn more.

Thanks!

Joseph

The Very Angry Woman

Does "Escape of Kim" go something like, "He's dead, Thuy's dead, I have killed with these hands," etc...? Because although I'm not sure if this was used for much of the run in Canada, they did use it for a while in London.

I've never heard of that "Finale Ultimo." Very intriguing.

Jordan

Don't take this the wrong way, but something that sounds as rare as that unless you're massively attached to it, I'd ebay it. Raise some much needed funds to buy that car, get through college, etc etc.

Colle

Speaking of "Kim's Escape" (or whatever it is called), does any video or audio of that part exist? I am curious to hear how it sounds.

solo_saxophone	Where did this come from? Hey everyone, I have a full piano/vocal score from Miss Saigon that is the entire show - not just the piano/vocal selections released by Hal Leonard - it's the whole show in piano/conductor score format, with seperate staves for each character and instrumental notations in the piano part. There are some weird things about it, though, and I was hoping that someone here could help me shed some light on it. First of all, it's all "handwritten"! It's not printed traditionally - in many places, it's literally written in in pen and ink, with chord names and all the rest, and some songs have harmonies crossed out and re-written. Why is this? Secondly, there are several portions that I've never seen performed in the show before - a piece called "Escape of Kim" just before "If You Want to Die in Bed", a longer "Bangkok" scene and an entirely different ending called "Finale Ultimo" where Kim and Chris meet one final time - musically, it's a reprise of "This Money's Yours" and "Sun and Moon" before "Little God of My Heart". I got this from a friend who was in the touring production in Canada several years ago. The thing is, why is it so different from what was performed? Is this sort of thing common? I imagine it must be, but then again, I really have no idea. Any thought? If anyone would like any scans of this document for verification, just let me know. I'm really curious here and would love to learn more. Thanks! Joseph
The Very Angry Woman	Does "Escape of Kim" go something like, "He's dead, Thuy's dead, I have killed with these hands," etc...? Because although I'm not sure if this was used for much of the run in Canada, they did use it for a while in London. I've never heard of that "Finale Ultimo." Very intriguing.
Jordan	Don't take this the wrong way, but something that sounds as rare as that unless you're massively attached to it, I'd ebay it. Raise some much needed funds to buy that car, get through college, etc etc.
Colle	Speaking of "Kim's Escape" (or whatever it is called), does any video or audio of that part exist? I am curious to hear how it sounds.

The Resource For Musicals

Where did this come from?