Broadway's Lost Treasures

Rating:
Summary: An Imperfect Look at Great Performances
Review: This a very good DVD. There are some low points though. One of them is "The Worst Pies in London". If you try to sing this song to yourself you will see why they had it Lip-synched in front of a live audience. The rest of the Dvd for the most part is excellent. The appluase number in the extra is great. Buy this DVD , But with some caution.

Rating:
Summary: Dissapointed
Review: To be honest, the only reason I ordered this DVD was that I thought Jennifer Holliday was on it. Living in the UK I never got to see the PBS broadcast and have never seen the Grammy award winning 'powerhouse' of her performing. This begs the question as to why if you type her name in the search engine this dvd comes up under her name. That said it was great to see Robert Preston (even if he was miming), Joh Raitt, Gwen Verdon & Chita Rivera. It was good to see Zero Mostel singing from Fiddler having only seen Topol on the London stage performing the role. All in all I give this 2 stars for those performances but would have given it 5 stars plus for Jennifer Holliday. Hopefully a continuation DVD will be released and I will finally get a chance to see her.

Rating:
Summary: Too Greedy!
Review: To everyone who gave this a bad review because of the lip-syncing, please answer this question....Where else could you see this many performers???? You people should feel lucky that you are seeing the actual Broadway performers.
I really hope they release all of the performances from the 25th aniversary of the Tony's. I remember 1776 and many other performers.
Bring on a second volume PLEASE!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Too Greedy!
Review: To everyone who gave this a bad review because of the lip-syncing, please answer this question....Where else could you see this many performers???? You people should feel lucky that you are seeing the actual Broadway performers.
I really hope they release all of the performances from the 25th aniversary of the Tony's. I remember 1776 and many other performers.
Bring on a second volume PLEASE!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Be Happy For What Is On The Disc
Review: Viewers should be happy for what is on the DVD, not complaining about what is not there. The reason many numbers are not included is that the material was taken only from those Tony Award shows produced by Alexander Cohen and his wife. It was put together by their people. If a number is not included, it came from a telecast produced by someone else and was not available for this recording.

As it is, many of the numbers lack their original staging and settings, but at least the stars who first introduced the numbers are seen.

So much as there are numbers we would all like to see that are not included, be thankful for what is there.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Collection of Stellar Performances
Review: We saw this on PBS and almost made an outrageous donation to obtain a DVD, then held out for its public release. (The price was far more reasonable buying it through Amazon!) Our family enjoys American muscial theater and this DVD serves up plenty of great performances. The production is well-done, with four segments: Broadway Divas, Leading Men, Dancin', and Record Breakers. Angela Lansbury introduces the show, then each part is hosted by Joel Grey, Tommy Tune, Jerry Orbach and Chita Rivera, each of whom has at least one terrific performance during the show. Many of the scenes were clearly taken from a special that aired on TV in the late seventies. The singers and dancers---some of them getting a bit up there in years---deliver wonderful performances. There isn't a single bad one in the roster. It's difficult to choose a favorite, but our family really loved Betty Buckley's awesome version of "Memory" from Cats, Andrea McArdle belting out "Tomorrow" from Annie and the great hoofing and singing by Jerry Orbach and company in "42nd Street" from the musical of the same name. We also found Angela Lansbury creepily funny in Sweeney Todd and Joel Grey just plain creepy in Cabaret, as his character was intended to be. Chita Rivera and Gwen Verdon also prove the old gals still have it in their song-and-dance number "All That Jazz" from Chicago. Yul Brynner also is light on his feet in "Shall We Dance?" from his signature musical The King And I. Paul Lynde vents wonderfully as a frustrated parent in his part from Bye, Bye Birdie; both Robert Preston as The Music Man and Zero Mostel as the poor man from Fiddler On The Roof display remarkable energy and zest for their longtime roles. As for the ladies, Carol Channing croaks and squeaks delightfully in Hello, Dolly!, Julie Andrew is elegant and wistful singing "Send In The Clowns", and Patti Lupone is great as Evita. The DVD is nicely done, and includes five bonus acts not shown on the PBS version. We highly recommend this for fans of American musical theater or those curious about this almost-lost art form.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Collection of Stellar Performances
Review: We saw this on PBS and almost made an outrageous donation to obtain a DVD, then held out for its public release. (The price was far more reasonable buying it through Amazon!) Our family enjoys American muscial theater and this DVD serves up plenty of great performances. The production is well-done, with four segments: Broadway Divas, Leading Men, Dancin', and Record Breakers. Angela Lansbury introduces the show, then each part is hosted by Joel Grey, Tommy Tune, Jerry Orbach and Chita Rivera, each of whom has at least one terrific performance during the show. Many of the scenes were clearly taken from a special that aired on TV in the late seventies. The singers and dancers---some of them getting a bit up there in years---deliver wonderful performances. There isn't a single bad one in the roster. It's difficult to choose a favorite, but our family really loved Betty Buckley's awesome version of "Memory" from Cats, Andrea McArdle belting out "Tomorrow" from Annie and the great hoofing and singing by Jerry Orbach and company in "42nd Street" from the musical of the same name. We also found Angela Lansbury creepily funny in Sweeney Todd and Joel Grey just plain creepy in Cabaret, as his character was intended to be. Chita Rivera and Gwen Verdon also prove the old gals still have it in their song-and-dance number "All That Jazz" from Chicago. Yul Brynner also is light on his feet in "Shall We Dance?" from his signature musical The King And I. Paul Lynde vents wonderfully as a frustrated parent in his part from Bye, Bye Birdie; both Robert Preston as The Music Man and Zero Mostel as the poor man from Fiddler On The Roof display remarkable energy and zest for their longtime roles. As for the ladies, Carol Channing croaks and squeaks delightfully in Hello, Dolly!, Julie Andrew is elegant and wistful singing "Send In The Clowns", and Patti Lupone is great as Evita. The DVD is nicely done, and includes five bonus acts not shown on the PBS version. We highly recommend this for fans of American musical theater or those curious about this almost-lost art form.

Rating:
Summary: A must for any show music fan -- but less than perfect
Review: We should be thankful for what we get on this DVD, so by all means, get it. By doing so, hopefully you'll encourage similar Broadway DVDs to be released in the future. (By the way, also consider getting "The Best of Broadway Musicals: Original Cast Performances from the Ed Sullivan Show," which captures some great 1950s-1960s performances.)

However, I have to agree with those who say this set is lopsided, even considering that the producers didn't have the rights to release other footage from the Tonys.

The saddest thing about some of the footage is that, while it claims to capture "sung" performances, in fact a few of the numbers are lip-synched. These include two of the numbers that I was most looking forward to seeing: Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd and Robert Preston in The Music Man. While it's great to see these performers in action, the lip-synching makes it an artificial experience.

But enough caveats. These aside, there's still plenty to enjoy.

The great John Raitt sings a definitive "Hey There" from The Pajama Game a couple of decades after its original run. He sounds just as exciting as ever. The song is shortened, but again, let's be thankful for what we have. And there's also a scene from 42nd Street with pre-"Law and Order" Jerry Orbach singing his heart out.

Some of the most enjoyable segments are in the DVD's "bonus extras" section. For example, in what seems the oldest segment on the DVD, the utterly charming Barbara Harris performs a number from The Apple Tree, a 1960s musical that is now essentially forgotten by all but fervent show fans. And to watch those ever-young old troopers Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller singing and dancing in Sugar Babies is a joy.

So, tap your way to Amazon's checkout and get this DVD in your hands ASAP!

Rating:
Summary: This Treasure Chest is a Pleasure to Open Time and Again
Review: What a joy and what an opportunity. For newer generations of Broadway fans who never got to see the legendary performances that are still classics today, here is the key. This beautiful 80-minute retrospective is a wonderful treat, featuring 20 classic performances from some of the most beloved shows ever featured on Broadway.

There is something for everyone here. The performances are sensational, and they bring the music of the shows to life more vividly than the newer generations could have imagined them. There is the fiery Patti LuPone, as the eternal opportunist Patti LuPone, blazing through "A New Argentina" from her star-making vehicle, "Evita," amply supported by Mandy Patinkin's Che Guevara and Bob Gunton's Juan Peron. Angela Lansbury, the most honored actress of the Broadway musical, in her Tony-winning performance as Nellie Lovett from "Sweeney Todd" with the delicious number, "The Worst Pies in London." And there is a glorious Carol Channing, radiating charm and buoyancy as the unforgettable Dolly Levi, singing "Before the Parade Passes By." Glamorous Julie Andrews, not in the original cast of "A Little Night Music," but who is nothing short of spellbinding singing "Send in the Clowns" to a piano accompaniment. Zero Mostel, rollicking his merry way through the classic "If I Were a Rich Man" from "Fiddler on the Roof." Yul Brynner, in one of his final performances as the King of Siam, waltzing with Patricia Morrison to "Shall We Dance?" Joel Grey as the unforgettable Master of Ceremonies of "Cabaret," leading the spirited company of the Kit Kat Club in "Wilkommen." Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera high-kicking their way through a "Chicago" medley. Jerry Orbach singing and hoofing through the unperishable "Lullaby of Broadway" from "42nd Street."

There are the beloved MGM veterans Ann Miller and Mickey Rooney hoofing through a number from "Sugar Babies" in their sixties with twice the verve of most performers in their twenties. Bonnie Franklin and company singing, dancing, acting, juggling, flying, and whirling through the sensational title number of "Applause." And there is a final classic to wrap up this joyride: Andrea McArdle, Dorothy Loudon, and company in a medley from the children's favorite "Annie."

A great viewing experience for the whola family, "Broadway's Lost Treasures" is a delightful festival of music and dance that will exhilarate both young and old alike. For a night of fun in the theater at home, "Broadway's Lost Treasures" is your best ticket.