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List Price: $19.98Price: $14.99You Save: $4.99 (25%)Cats - The Musical (Commemorative Edition)
Actors: Elaine Paige, John Mills, Ken Page, Rosemarie Ford, Michael Gruber
ASIN : B00004XMTJ
Sales Rank : 1163
Director : David Mallet
Brand : Universal
Studio : Universal Studios
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0025192111624
UPC : 025192111624
Release Date : December 12, 2000
Publisher : Universal Studios
Manufacturer : Universal Studios
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Universal Studios
Running Time : 120
Product DescriptionStudio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 07/05/2005 Starring: Elaine Paige Run time: 120 minutes Rating: Nr Director: David Mallet Amazon.com essential videoThis pop-cultural phenomenon has been performed on stage for more than 50 million patrons in 26 countries for almost 18 years, churning more than $2 billion in ticket sales. Now that Cats has finally made it to the small screen, attention must be paid not just by fans of this critic-proof show, but also by those entertainment mavens who have somehow avoided Cats until now. The video version has been restaged but, alas, not really reconceived for its new medium. The video cast, assembled from London, Amsterdam, and New York productions, is competent. Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy, Jacob Brent as Mr. Mistoffelees, and Elaine Paige--the original London Grizabella, the Glamour Cat well past her prime--are a great deal more than that. Paige has toned down her theatrical belting of her big number, "Memory," and allowed the faded ruin of her character's soul to prevail in close-up. For all the "covers" of her signature song, Paige's version remains definitive. The video is, by definition, more intimate, not always a good thing: costumes are even more Halloweeny in garish close-up, the cats less cuddly without that all-important interaction, the stage's appropriately midnight lighting transmuted to a Las Vegas neon. And the chorus of cats in production numbers is even clunkier and more amorphous in two- and three-shots. The one complete newcomer to the cast is the 90-year-old icon among English actors John Mills, a delight as Gus the Theatrical Cat. Sir John and his character show the youngsters how it's done in close-up, largely behind the eyes, abetted by a heart-tugging delivery of his one song. Yet virtually all of the songs are lip-synched, further robbing the video Cats of its onstage seeming spontaneity. It's clearer than ever that Lloyd Webber's music is mostly twaddle, with the important exception of "Memory," which instantly and rightly became one of the genuine theater standards not dependent on context, in the vein of Stephen Sondheim's "Send in the Clowns." On the plus side, most of the Cats characters and lyrics, from T.S. Eliot's 14-poem Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, are far better defined and understood from the video version. --Robert Windeler
Reviews for the Cats - The Musical (Commemorative Edition)
List Price: $34.98Price: $25.99You Save: $8.99 (26%)Les Miserables - The 10th Anniversary Dream Cast in Concert at London's Royal Albert Hall
Actors: Colm Wilkinson, Michael Ball, Lea Salonga, Judy Kuhn, Michael Maguire
ASIN : B00110K62U
Sales Rank : 1142
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : BBC Warner
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Collector's Edition, Color, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0883929005949
UPC : 883929005949
Release Date : December 19, 2008
Publisher : BBC Warner
Manufacturer : BBC Warner
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : BBC Warner
Running Time : 148
DescriptionA performance of Les Miserables by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, for a 10th Anniversary Concert celebration. Amazon.comThe 10th anniversary concert video of the international musical sensation Les Misérables might be the best thing to appease fans until a full-fledged movie comes along. Or it might be even better, as feature films are often subject to extramusical casting considerations and this 1995 dream cast is superb. Reprising their roles from the original London company are Colm Wilkinson (Valjean), Michael Ball (Marius), and Alun Armstrong (Thenardier). From Broadway come Judy Kuhn (Cosette), Lea Salonga (Eponine), and Michael Maguire (Enjolras); from a later London production comes Ruthie Henshall (Fantine); and from Australia comes Philip Quast (Javert). Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's score vividly captures the passion of Victor Hugo's epic tale of post-Revolutionary France, combining tear-jerking ballads ("I Dreamed a Dream," "Bring Him Home") and rousing anthems ("Do You Hear the People Sing"). The format of this concert is closer to that of a dramatic cantata rather than a fully staged production; the singers stand at their microphone stands with an orchestra and chorus behind them, but they do wear costumes and participate in some movement. At certain points such as the climax of the barricade scene, the video switches to action from a stage production. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra sounds great, and it can be thrilling when 200 choristers (dressed in logo T-shirts) rise to their feet for a full-company number such as "One Day More." Also, subtitles provide date and scene information and help move the story along. The 147-minute video contains footage not seen when Les Mis was a PBS pledge-drive staple, most notably the encore in which a progression of 17 actors who have played Valjean around the world share "Do You Hear the People Sing?" Each sings a line in his native language, a testament to the enduring power of this show to audiences everywhere. --David Horiuchi DVD features
The 2008 two-disc edition presents the concert on a single-sided disc (the original DVD split the concert over two sides) with optional English subtitles. It's also in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1 aspect ratio) comparied to the original's 1.33 full-screen. The second disc has Stage by Stage: Les Miserables, the hourlong documentary from 1988. Unfortunately the sound is only Dolby Digital 2.0, and there's an odd omission (compared to the earlier Sony DVD): the first 10 seconds of Gavroche's "Little People" are missing ("Good evening, dear inspector, lovely evening, my dear..."). --David Horiuchi
Reviews for the Les Miserables - The 10th Anniversary Dream Cast in Concert at London's Royal Albert Hall
List Price: $19.98Price: $14.99You Save: $4.99 (25%)Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Actors: Donny Osmond, Maria Friedman, Richard Attenborough, Joan Collins, Christopher Biggins
ASIN : 0783240287
Sales Rank : 2037
Director : David Mallet
Brand : Universal
Studio : Universal Studios
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780783240282
ISBN : 0783240287
UPC : 025192071423
Release Date : December 28, 2000
Publisher : Universal Studios
Manufacturer : Universal Studios
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Universal Studios
Running Time : 76
Product DescriptionFollows the rags-to-riches story of joseph his eleven brothers and the coat of many colors. Bonus features: both dolby digital and dts audio tracks trailer production notes cast and filmmakers universal web link and go go go joseph the making of joseph and the amazing technicolor dreamcoat. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 03/04/2003 Starring: Donny Osmond Richard Attenborough Run time: 78 minutes Rating: Nr Amazon.com essential videoFollowing the successful 1998 video release of Cats comes another Andrew Lloyd Webber blockbuster musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and it's a savvy choice. It hasn't been represented on film before, it's short enough (78 minutes) to present without cuts, and it has the star power of former teen icon Donny Osmond, who played over 1,800 performances across North America. Rather than record a live performance, Cats director David Mallet conceived Joseph as a film, though one that is based strongly on codirector Steven Pimlott's 1991 London revival and relies more on camerawork than venturing beyond its stagelike sets. Lloyd Webber's first project with lyricist Tim Rice was originally written in 1968 as a school cantata; accordingly, this film uses a framing sequence of a school recital, with an audience of clapping, singing kids and members of the faculty playing the roles. The Old Testament tale of Joseph and his coat of many colors gets a splashy, vigorous treatment with an energetic cast, Las Vegas-style glitz, and catchy, eclectic songs, including "Any Dream Will Do," "Close Every Door," the peppy "Go, Go, Go Joseph," and various bits of country, calypso, and Elvis. Osmond is perfect in the title role, with a strong voice and winning persona, while London stage veteran Maria Friedman performs well in the central role of the narrator. Richard Attenborough appears (and sings a little) as Jacob, and Joan Collins makes a brief, nonsinging cameo. Joseph certainly isn't revolutionary musical theater, but if you view it as a kids' show, it's a silly good time (though there are poignant moments too). Parents should note, however, that this production might warrant a little discretion due to one suggestive scene and some risqué costumes. --David Horiuchi
Reviews for the Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
List Price: $24.98Price: $10.99You Save: $13.99 (56%)Into the Woods
Actors: Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Tom Aldredge, Robert Westenberg
ASIN : B00001PE59
Sales Rank : 642
Director : James Lapine
Brand : Image Entertainment
Studio : Image Entertainment
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0014381596724
UPC : 014381596724
Release Date : December 27, 1997
Publisher : Image Entertainment
Manufacturer : Image Entertainment
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Image Entertainment
Running Time : 153
DescriptionA baker and his wife journey into the woods in search of a cow, a red cape, a pair of golden slippers and some magic beans to lift a curse that has kept them childless. Tony Award winners Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason and the rest of the original Broadway cast weave their magic spell over you in Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece, directed by James Lapine, a seamless fusion of fairy tale characters and what happens after "happily ever after. "With oft-recorded songs such as "Children Will Listen" and "No One is Alone," "Into the Woods" is a music lover's delight from start to finish--and will forever cement Stephen Sondheim's unparalleled position as the giant of the American musical theater. Amazon.com essential videoFractured fairy tales of a darker hue provide the remarkable context for Into the Woods, which deconstructs the Brothers Grimm by way of Rod Serling. While the faces and names are familiar, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and company inhabit a sylvan neighborhood in which witches and bakers are next-door neighbors, handsome princes from once-parallel fables are competitive (and equally vain) brothers, and all the stories intersect through unexpected new plot twists. Stephen Sondheim's Tony-winning score favors intricate ensemble numbers that present the characters' divergent, then overlapping fears and desires. And it's the latter category that provides a primary thread to James Lapine's ingenious puzzle of a book, which coheres around the inevitability--and treachery--of our innermost wishes. That theme is given farcical energy in the first act, which offers enough comic invention, tart dialogue, and witty music for a satisfying evening of theater as is. Instead, Sondheim and Lapine offer a bold, darker second act that takes a look at what happens after "happily ever after," elevating the work beyond inspired parody toward allegorical gravity. By the final scenes, with the one-two punch of the score's two most enduring songs, "No One Is Alone" and "Children Will Listen," what began as a clever diversion has touched deeper nerves and primed some tear ducts. This video production by the original Broadway cast gets its marquee shimmer from Bernadette Peters's wonderful witch, but the standout (and Tony winner as Best Actress) is Joanna Gleason, who gives the Baker's Wife a mixture of warmth, pragmatism, and sudden, poignantly romantic radiance. The DVD version is comparatively no-frills, given its American Playhouse origins, but multiformat digital audio renders the musical performances in immaculate detail. --Sam Sutherland Amazon.comFractured fairy tales of a darker hue provide the remarkable context for Into the Woods, which deconstructs the Brothers Grimm by way of Rod Serling. While the faces and names are familiar, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and company inhabit a sylvan neighborhood in which witches and bakers are next-door neighbors, handsome princes from once-parallel fables are competitive (and equally vain) brothers, and all the stories intersect through unexpected new plot twists. Stephen Sondheim's Tony-winning score favors intricate ensemble numbers that present the characters' divergent, then overlapping fears and desires. And it's the latter category that provides a primary thread to James Lapine's ingenious puzzle of a book, which coheres around the inevitability--and treachery--of our innermost wishes. That theme is given farcical energy in the first act, which offers enough comic invention, tart dialogue, and witty music for a satisfying evening of theater as is. Instead, Sondheim and Lapine offer a bold, darker second act that takes a look at what happens after "happily ever after," elevating the work beyond inspired parody toward allegorical gravity. By the final scenes, with the one-two punch of the score's two most enduring songs, "No One Is Alone" and "Children Will Listen," what began as a clever diversion has touched deeper nerves and primed some tear ducts. This video production by the original Broadway cast gets its marquee shimmer from Bernadette Peters's wonderful witch, but the standout (and Tony winner as Best Actress) is Joanna Gleason, who gives the Baker's Wife a mixture of warmth, pragmatism, and sudden, poignantly romantic radiance. The DVD version is comparatively no-frills, given its American Playhouse origins, but multiformat digital audio renders the musical performances in immaculate detail. --Sam Sutherland
Reviews for the Into the Woods
List Price: $24.99Price: $10.99You Save: $14 (56%)Company
Actor: Raul Esparza
ASIN : B0014IC31G
Sales Rank : 1228
Director : John Doyle
Brand : Image Entertainment
Studio : IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Enhanced, NTSC, Widescreen
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0014381448023
UPC : 014381448023
Release Date : December 20, 2008
Publisher : IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
Manufacturer : IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
Running Time : 132
Product DescriptionWinner of the 2007 Tony Award! Sweeping all the major theater awards for Best Revival of a Musical, a beloved era-defining classic is stunningly reinvented in this powerful Broadway production, featuring an explosive starring performance by Raul Esparza. Set in modern upper-crust Manhattan, Company is a funny, sophisticated exploration of love and commitment as seen through the eyes of a charming perpetual bachelor questioning his single state and his enthusiastically married, slightly envious friends. With a wise and witty Stephen Sondheim score including "Another Hundred People," "Side by Side by Side," "The Ladies Who Lunch" and "Being Alive," Company offers musical comedy at its finest.
Reviews for the Company
List Price: $14.97Price: $10.99You Save: $3.98 (27%)Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Broadway) (Keepcase)
Actors: Angela Lansbury, George Hearn
ASIN : B0013Z7RUC
Sales Rank : 2354
Brand : Warner Brothers
Studio : Warner Home Video
Region Code : 1
Format : AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0883929017683
UPC : 883929017683
Release Date : December 15, 2008
Publisher : Warner Home Video
Manufacturer : Warner Home Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Warner Home Video
Running Time : 140
DescriptionTimes are hard in 1846 London and one must make do. So Nellie Lovett adds something extra to the meat pies she peddles on Fleet Street. The secret ingredient: freshly murdered victims of her partner in crime, barber Sweeney Todd. Composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim refashions a macabre tale into a musical masterwork in this dazzling performance of the 1979 Broadway hit originally staged by Harold Prince. In her Tony-winning role (one of eight the show earned, including Best Musical), Angela Lansbury plays Nellie. George Hearn turns his stage role of twisted Sweeney into an Emmy-winning triumph. The score coils around itself in ever-tightening spirals. The lines ripple with black humor and madness. Enter Sweeney's tonsorial parlor. Attend the tale. Amazon.com essential videoStephen Sondheim's Victorian horror thriller Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is generally considered his greatest work, macabre but darkly humorous with a viscerally powerful score that has found a home both on Broadway and in opera houses. George Hearn (who replaced Len Cariou of the original Broadway cast) plays the title character, a wronged man whose lust for revenge drives him to murder (an 18th-century legend who has been traced to a real-life barber), and Angela Lansbury plays his partner in crime, Mrs. Lovett, who finds a practical business use for Todd's victims. This combination of horror and humor is echoed in Sondheim's score: brooding menace ("The Ballad of Sweeney Todd," "My Friend"), achingly beautiful ballads ("Johanna," "Not While I'm Around"), clever puns ("A Little Priest"), coloratura arias ("Green Finch and Linnet Bird"), and intricate choral and ensemble numbers. Continuing a fortuitous tradition of capturing the Sondheim legacy on video recordings, this performance was filmed before a live audience in Los Angeles during the 1982 national tour. Almost 20 years later, Hearn returned to the role opposite Patti LuPone in an acclaimed concert production. But Sweeney Todd is an especially compelling experience in this 1982 version, complete with the clever staging tricks (e.g., the barber's chair) and as close to the original cast as we're likely to see. --David Horiuchi
Reviews for the Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Broadway) (Keepcase)
List Price: $19.98Price: $14.99You Save: $4.99 (25%)Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Royal Albert Hall Celebration
Actors: Tina Arena, Michael Ball, Antonio Banderas, Keith Duffy, Stephen Gately
ASIN : B00005NGAE
Sales Rank : 5191
Director : David Mallet
Brand : Universal
Studio : Universal Studios
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Soundtrack, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780783246062
ISBN : 0783246064
UPC : 025192093128
Release Date : December 30, 2001
Publisher : Universal Studios
Manufacturer : Universal Studios
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Universal Studios
Running Time : 127
Product DescriptionStudio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 03/04/2003 Run time: 89 minutes Rating: Nr Amazon.com essential videoIn 1998 a concert at the Royal Albert Hall celebrated Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday and featured more than two hours of hits from a body of work spanning almost three decades. In this keepsake of a memorable night, star after star steps on to a massive, Eurovision-style set to revisit golden moments in their long association with Britain's most successful composer of musicals. Elaine Paige in big frocks and an even bigger voice delivers "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" and "Memory" with her usual power; Michael Ball and Donny Osmond stretch the last vestiges of boyish charm to the very limits but still sound great; and Boyzone gets the youth vote. Then there are Kiri Te Kanawa, Bonnie Tyler, Tina Arena, and, of course, another encore for brother Julian Lloyd Webber and those Variations on the cello. But the stars are Sir Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Brightman in an outstanding selection from The Phantom of the Opera (probably his best work), Antonio Banderas (who really can sing), and Glenn Close, a stupendous, moving Norma Desmond in songs from Sunset Boulevard. All in all, a deserved celebration for someone who has given so many people a great deal of pleasure, and a treat for musicals fans of all ages. --Piers Ford
Reviews for the Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Royal Albert Hall Celebration
List Price: $24.99Price: $22.49You Save: $2.5 (10%)Gilbert & Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance / Kline, Ronstadt, Smith, Routledge, Delacorte Theater (Broadway Theatre Archive)
Actors: Kevin Kline, George Rose, Linda Ronstadt, Rex Smith, Patricia Routledge
ASIN : B00006RCMW
Sales Rank : 4239
Director : Joshua White (II), Wilford Leach
Studio : Kultur Video
Region Code : 1
Format : Color, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 9780769796420
ISBN : 0769796427
UPC : 032031264298
Release Date : December 22, 2002
Publisher : Kultur Video
Manufacturer : Kultur Video
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Kultur Video
Running Time : 120
DescriptionGilbert and Sullivan's raucous operatic tale is captured in all its fun and glory in this production, recorded live at Central Park's Delacorte Theater. Kevin Kline sparkles as the swashbuckling and libidinous Pirate King while Linda Ronstadt makes her theatrical debut as the lovely and virginal Mabel. When Mabel and Frederic, a young pirate bound to serve the Pirate King, fall in love, complications arise and high spirited antics ensue. The incomparable cast offers the best in this boisterous romp. END Amazon.comThis Pirates of Penzance is primarily a historical document, part of the Broadway Theater Archive television series. It presents, with some inevitable, tiny technical shortcomings, a live 1980 performance in Central Park, not the 1983 movie of the same name that also starred Linda Ronstadt and Kevin Kline. Those who remember that film, which had the benefit of retakes and editing, a lavish production budget, and the spaciousness of a Hollywood studio, may find this video less polished. On its own terms, it is nonetheless thoroughly enjoyable. Advantages of this live performance include a sense of spontaneity, and the feeling of being part of a theatrical audience that is visibly and audibly having a very good time. The (reduced and partly electronic) orchestra is also visible; scenery is minimal; the onstage pirate boat, excellent for a live production, is no match for what a movie can offer. The voices are uneven, and some of them evoke Broadway more than London. But the performance is well styled, lively, and energetic. Gilbert and Sullivan's witty sparkle comes through clearly. --Joe McLellan
Reviews for the Gilbert & Sullivan - The Pirates of Penzance / Kline, Ronstadt, Smith, Routledge, Delacorte Theater (Broadway Theatre Archive)
List Price: $24.99Price: $19.99You Save: $5 (20%)Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! (London Stage Revival)
Actors: Hugh Jackman, Josefina Gabrielle, Shuler Hensley, Jimmy Johnston, Maureen Lipman
ASIN : B0000C23HY
Sales Rank : 4610
Director : Trevor Nunn
Studio : Image Entertainment
Region Code : 1
Format : Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0014381105728
UPC : 014381105728
Release Date : December 18, 2003
Publisher : Image Entertainment
Manufacturer : Image Entertainment
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Image Entertainment
Running Time : 180
Amazon.comWhen Mary Rodgers, daughter of the composer Richard Rodgers, was reported as saying she never wanted to see another Oklahoma!, it was her way of paying the highest tribute to Trevor Nunn's production at the Royal National Theatre which was subsequently taken into the studio and filmed. The camera follows the playgoers into the auditorium of the Olivier where in their company we watch the show and applaud the numbers as the real thing. Nunn treats Rodgers and Hammerstein's first collaboration with the utmost seriousness, restoring the full text so that it comes across as a drama indebted to Eugene O'Neill. Although Oklahoma! unfolds at a leisurely pace, it is extraordinary how one is drawn into the drama under Nunn's direction. There's seldom a wish for true locations as the pace picks up and we move into the claustrophobic company of Judd Fry in his riveting encounter with the cowboy Curly. The close-up camera work affords an experience the theatre can't bring and also pays handsome dividends in appreciating Susan Stroman's intricate and lively choreography. Her dancers are a fine team, notably Jimmy Johnston who is outstanding as Will Parker leading the Kansas City ensemble. Hugh Jackman (X-Men) as Curly matches him in vocal prowess and looks, and Shuler Hensley sings the tricky role of Judd Fry very well. It's harder to place Peter Polycarpou's Pedlar, a considerably larger role than in the film version, whose accent strays from London's East End to the plains of Europe. Maureen Lipman, rightly deemed the lynchpin of the musical by Nunn, is a joy to watch as Aunt Eller. Laurey (Josefina Gabrielle) and Ado Annie (Vicki Simon) are good but not special. Aside from an abrupt start to Act Two and the occasional voice off microphone, the production sounds good with a larger orchestra present than in the theatre. An Oklahoma! on an epic scale. --Adrian Edwards
Reviews for the Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! (London Stage Revival)
List Price: $19.95Price: $14.99You Save: $4.96 (25%)Show Business - The Road to Broadway
Actors: Boy George, Alan Cumming, John Lahr, Joe Mantello, Jason Moore
ASIN : B000UAE7NG
Sales Rank : 5571
Brand : WELLSPRING/GENIUS
Studio : Liberation Ent
Region Code : 1
Format : Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Binding : DVD
EAN : 0796019805438
UPC : 796019805438
Release Date : December 16, 2007
Publisher : Liberation Ent
Manufacturer : Liberation Ent
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours
Label : Liberation Ent
Running Time : 104
DescriptionThe real drama happens behind the curtain in this fascinating and rare look at four high-profile Broadway musicals (Wicked, Taboo, Caroline, Or Change, and Avenue Q) and their fearless journey to the Tony Awards®. Including a star-studded cast, this entertaining film takes viewers on an unprecedented behind-the-scenes view of the creative process that captures all the heartbreak and hilarity of trying make it big in Show Business! Amazon.comThe playful but intense and vastly informative Show Business: The Road to Broadway is a documentary about four musicals that were contenders for top Tony Awards prizes in the 2004 Broadway season. Following the parallel action between the quartet--"Wicked," "Avenue Q," "Taboo," and "Caroline, or Change"--from concept through casting, rewrites, rehearsals, opening nights and the relative box-office fortunes of each, the film dazzles a viewer by seeming to be everywhere at once. Along the way, one encounters cascades of neuroses and anxieties from the creative community involved in these shows, but there is also tremendous insight shared by the various playwrights, composers, lyricists, producers, directors, and stars who get these productions up and running. There's sundry drama, too, especially concerning the brief run of "Taboo," the financially disastrous musical about Boy George that was largely bankrolled by Rosie O’Donnell and ran into a variety of problems. Excellent fly-on-the-wall moments include a dinner sequence involving a handful of well-known theatre critics, whose tastes vary and who often champion shows no one else seems to like. Everything leads to highlights from the 2004 Tony Awards show, which was full of surprises. A final sequence in which one catches up with the many talents involved says everything about how success and failure is often a mere roll of the cosmic dice. --Tom Keogh
Reviews for the Show Business - The Road to Broadway
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