Miss Saigon Toronto

[JarrodnGreg]

Wow, the clarity of her voice and her technique is stellar. More ring in her voice than Lea Salonga's (who is also amazing)...exciting and impressive

[rubien44]

Ma-Anne was 19 to be the first KIM for TORONTO Production in early 90's. Then she auditioned again and got the part once again for 2010 production at the age of 37 ( i think) . She got part once again after three kids. She played a 17 year old Kim. Impressive!

[sprdave820]

I just recently saw Ma-Anne as Kim and she was amazing.

[MissSai99]

I LOVE Ma Anne's performance as Kim. You can't compare her to Lea, you just can't. Why? Cause they're two totally different people that's why. Lea was amazing but she was ONE actress out of many who have played the part over the years? Is Lea the best? Probably. However I think Ma Anne's performance while completely different, is a VERY close second.

[aldrinhu]

She's amazing, but indeed, calling her better than Lea Salonga is a stretch. Her vocals, her delivery, her acting, and her presence are still all a step below Lea's.

[mdiamse]

I also saw her on Flower Drum Song. She's good! But yes, don't compare her to Lea Salonga -- Ma-Anne needs more training and experience to match Lea's skills.

[joshgardell]

Um... she is probably the best 'other Kim' around, but to say that she's better than Salonga not only is flase, but invites a comparison that does not favor Dionisio. First, her big round voice is no match for Salonga's refined, crystal-clear voice. Second, her articulation is still studied, at times messy, whereas Salonga has perfected the craft of delivering lines. Third, she's miles behind in stage presence and star aura. She IS amazing, but she's NOT at Lea's level. Not yet.

[archieanders]

She is great, but the balance of her interpretation, diction, vocal control, and more importantly, stage presence, cannot rival that of Salonga's. Some people wallow in exagerration, tsk, tsk...

[shivaree1025]

I honestly never thought I'd hear anyone sing Kim and hold a candle to Lea- but obviously I hadn't yet heard Ma-Anne!

[Leysin11]

Me aged 15 singing ' I'd give my life for you' ..please let me know what you think

[tyetus1010]

Gosh!!!

She really is as good as Lea! Really!

[dasteufelhund]

just when you think you can't fall in love anymore after Lea Salonga, here comes Ma anne Dionisio, what a blessing for us as the audience.

[r2kin2]

i watched the play today, im impressed and thrilled as ma-anne sings. makes me proud to be a filipino.

[FlipGirl1661]

My brother played Tam 16 years ago :]

[angelicapea]

I nearly woke the house when I received an e-mail announcing Miss Saigon's return to Toronto! I'm seeing it this month and I can't wait. I hope all you other Torontonians can see it. :)

[iSNEEZES]

Darn it! I wanna see Miss Saigon! Is it on youtube somewhere?? D<

[rubien44]

MISS SAIGON RETURNS TO TORONTO CANADA JULY 9- AGUST 1, 2010

[pao1233]

this was on cbc....when was this...

[rubien44]

@pao1233 DIONISIO IS DOING MISS SAIGON AGAIN TORONTO CANADA FOR THE SECOND TIME JULY 9-AUGUST 1, 2010

[pao1233]

@rubien44 =DD

[marina14344]

lea's voice is clearer, crystal like, that you can hear word for word what she's singing...

[DieJulia79]

she is almost as touching as lea salonga... I have tears in my eyes!!!

[bryantpark88]

Great to see Ma-anne's doing well. She already sounded great when she was part of a children's comedy/musical TV show in the Philippines.

[rubien44]

TORONTO CANADA is having it back again after many years of absence. JUL9 TO AUGUST 1, 2010. FOR TOW WEEKS ONLY!n NOT TO BE MISSED AGAIN!

[nannaboo96]

really? details?

[ToneEightynine]

i played tam in this production

[MrCouchBanana]

it's not lea, who plays kim here?

[Tenderness6]

It's Ma-Anne Dionisio.

[rharharhu]

Nothing beats the original Kim...Go Lea!!! ;-p

[TRoderick]

Ma-Anne, so, so, so amazing.

[tonkalonestar]

kim's voice is utterly stunning here xxx

[ichigoshoujo]

The original cast is really the best! <3

Go Lea Salonga! :D

[lakme]

Would you be willing to post the entire video? I would love it.

I have a video about the making of the US tour but I'm not sure how to transfer it to YT because it's on VHS, heh.

[nilcaemachej]

i am wondering, why do filipinos always play in miss saigon?? I'm filipino but i'm just curious..

[latinhands]

Probably because of strong musicality in their culture... Filipinos can sing the sh*t out of the music and aesthetically they are the closest to pure asian decent with all of talent to back it up.

[12slow]

The phrase "as long as I can keep believing" just really strikes me when she sings it.

[Gmhao01]

wohoo pinoy pride

[alexmluu7]

A great Canadian cast! Bravo! And she's from Winnipeg! Yeah!

[sk8phan]

How old was Ma Anne when she did this?

[NomiMalone4]

this kim is great

[LisaFreemontStreet]

Wow, I really love her voice. I think it has a vulnerability that Salonga doesnt have, actually.

[fernandosmyng]

Equally talented as the original KIM. Nice voice too. Love it.

[Eikinkloster]

I saw the Brazilian production this Saturday. The Engineer was great, very funny. But the singing, oh my, the singing... not ONE could sing for shit!

[gtgrajo]

chris is hotter in canada. lol...

[lauricecatalan]

LEA SALONGA is the best! the original one is the greatest!

[nowbekind]

St. Louis is so fortunate to welcome Ma Anne,,,,her voice is incredible. I am not sure everyone realizes how lucky we at the St.louis muny! Thank you to the director who introduced us to her...hopin' she'll be back to our beautiful forest park...................hope she is enjoying ted drewes and toasted ravioli.............

[Hurleyboy2011]

I saw it Friday!

I thought that the Engineer was just plain amazing.

As well as the rest of the cast.

My friend was actually in it, he was the dragon butt, Haha.

[Mikeeee09]

Ma Anne is PHENOMENAL as Kim. Just saw her tonight in the St. Louis Muny's production of Miss Saigon. I was blown away!

[BroadwayBabe78]

Ma-Anne Dionisio is incredible! She is reprising her role as Kim in St. Louis at The Muny...and I get to see her! I have never heard of her before and that's a shame because she is extremely talented.

[passionsfanNBC]

yeah even though you have 'favorites' when it

comes to theatre its fun to see things done w

ith different people it makes you pay attenti

on to something youve heard hundreds of times

and refreshes it.

[sheilaunderscoremay]

I am just AMAZED! her voice is absolutely WONDERFUL! this is the first time i heard from her Ma-Anne Dionisio and i am VERY IMPRESSED!

[lecai1027]

I still like Lea...

[oPeRa1923]

Ma-Ann Dionisio was just Lea Salonga's understudy... Lea Salonga was and still is the original Kim...

[nobase]

She wasn't Lea Salonga understudy.

[Marackis]

This girl Ma-Anne Dionisio is a better vocalist than Lea Salonga. Her voice is stronger and richer.

[awldchild2004]

This girl Ma-Anne Dionisio is my aunt lol (: shes really doll in person

[jsg03jd]

I never saw Ma-Anne Dionisio as Kim, but I did see her in the ensemble of the revival of FLOWER DRUM SONG. From the clips I've seen, she sounds like one of the best sung Kims out there.

[rowverts]

Maan You ROCK!!!You guys should see and hear Maan as Eponine too...extremely brilliant!!!

[awldchild2004]

yeah ma anne is really talented even when shes at home [ shes my aunt]

[wildinyou]

10000dresses - you're absolutely right. This video was done 16yrs ago...does not show Ma-Anne at her best. I saw her heaps of times in the Toronto production, again at Drury Lane in London in '97 and randomly now.

I also saw Lea do Kim in Manila in 2000. Then Joanna Ampil in London in 2000 too.

Joanna Ampil & Ma-Anne are...brilliant Kim's, not to mention their acting is effortless... and they sound extreamly similar. These 3 ladies are my top Kim's.

[wildinyou]

oh... and ALL their rendition's of Eponine are top notch too.... just saying

does anyone have a video of Joanna Ampil and/or Ma-Anne as Kim in the original Sydney premier in 1995?

**i would love to see Ma-Anne do Mimi in Rent!

[scollin5]

Please please please post the rest of this video! I must have watched this special a million times when I was younger. Saw this production twice and it was fantastic.

[summitmountain]

(\__/)

(='.'=)

(")_(")

[alexmz123]

Sorry... Ma-anne was an excellent Kim. Why do we need to have a debate about which actress played the best Kim?!!! I saw Ma-anne here in Toronto and she was truly good!

[pangetka911]

No one compares to Lea as Kim...definitely.

[10000dresses]

this video doesn't give her justice, she is very pretty in person.

[10000dresses]

if ma-anne were the original Kim, people would be as 2x crazy to her. Too bad she was born later than lea.

[mcpheeever]

i have heard ma-anne sing and she sings great. her voice is rounder and richer than lea. unlike lea, her voice is more on the "disney" side which never became round as she matures. I was hoping lea's voice would become more like kuh ledesma's as she grows up but it remained the same. I go for rounder voices.

[cainam2002]

my god! kuh ledesma? she's not even a belter! she doesn't have the range of lea salonga let alone the lung power! to even compare lea to kuh is a crime. god!!!

[mcpheeever]

Ok, if you hate kuh, i respect your opinion but range doesn't matter in any singer. Look at mariah carey, she has the widest range, as known on the newspapers, even wider than cristina aguilera, but it doesn't mean that Mariah Carey is the best and greatest singer.

[digimuso]

enewville, you are absolutly right about the vibrato thing lol.

[enewville73]

i've been looking for her vid here! thanks. saw her first on abs cbn discovery 88 stars. she was great!

[rachellegerodias]

ma-anne? i thought she grew up in canada?

[enewville73]

she may have but she was in the philippines then. along with cute guy kenneth and maybe rudolph yaptinchay.

[icecandy101]

LEA SALONGA 4 evr!!!!! she rocks!

[brail12]

She is great as other Kims

[tanudko]

I saw MaAnne Dionisio in 1996 performed as Kim in Sydney,as was blown away by her acting there,of course vocally si Lea S. pa rin talaga,she is the ORIGINAL at pattern ng mga nag succeed sa kanya

[CCBaby]

I adore Lea, but I prefer Ma-Anne's voice. It was more powerful and emmotive. She blew me away when I saw her perform live.

[vanessapastor]

i agree. it's more powerful and richer. lea's voice is also powerful but more on the disney style (thin) but also nice

[boyett5]

Lea's voice can be larger. you probably have not observed the way she sing "Last Night of the World"

[vanessapastor]

boyett5,

i know what you mean, however i was talking about other Kims whose voice are rounder than lea like joanna ampil or in tagalog "mas bilog" ang boses. don't get me wrong, i also love lea's voice but not the "bilog" or roundness i love to listen more to other singers.

[cainam2002]

have you heard her sing on my own? or i dreamed a dream? i suggest you listen to that and then let's see if you still say that her voice is on the disney style only.

[vanessapastor]

yes, i also love lea's voice but no matter what, it will stay thin compare to katharine mcphee or aretha franklin. I was talking about the timbre of her voice, not the voice quality.

[vanessapastor]

lea has a great quality, technique and expression to her voice but her timbre is thin compare to other full and rounded voiced singers. hope you understand what i mean. If talking only about the quality of the voice, lea has a great quality but the timbre remains thin compare to others.

[abique]

If you notice Broadway voices almost have the same "timbre" both male and female. Broadway type of singing has this unique recognizable style. Don't you think? Aretha and McPhee's style is very different from each other and more so from Lea. CAN"T compare otanges with apple or LUMPIA... LOL

[digimuso]

I wrkd with Ma Ann in Lon at Drury Lane in Lon 97 and w/ Joanna Ampil in 1998. To me they are both the best Kims. although she is less reconised I think Ma Ann tips it for me. She brought a more innocent and purer sound to the part. Cameron McIntosh, Schonberg, Boublil loved her too because she also stared in Martin Guerre same time as playing Kim. she did 4 eves as Kim then at Prince Edward 2 do Guerre 2 eves and 2 matinees...

She never hit one bad note the whole time i heard her sing...

[enewville73]

i like ma-anne more than joanna. joanna's pronunciation sucks. in jc superstar, she says "hahrry up" instead of "hurry up." and her vibrato occurs in the middle of a phrase, followed by a smooth finish. most, like lea and maanne, sing the note smooth and finish with a vibrato.

[summitmountain]

i agree with you about praising ma-anne. i just don't understand why filipinos would stick to lea and consider her as the best singer in the world. She is just one of the best in her style of singing but not the best in the world. There are different styles of singing such as mariah's, poppera, opera etc. which require even fuller tones.

[lilkalanadiangirl31]

I got to see ma-anne as Kim. She is awesome.

[wirsindhelden0]

she is incredible

[Marackis]

I actually prefer her voice to Lea. Ma ann Dionisio is one great singer

[aobni002]

i've never heard of ma-anne before. she plays kim really well from what i see in this video. thanks for posting!

[escallerhotmail]

i wish a clearer picture and sound

[mkandyunafan4]

I got to see Ma-Anne Dionisio in "Les Miserables" (as Eponine)and I thought she was amazing in that role. Thanks for this video, it was good to hear more of Ma-Anne as Kim.

[awldchild2004]

yeah and she does it all for you guys! [the fans]