Broadway Musicals / Revues / Concerts
Musical theatre is one of the most popular art forms. The best musicals combine wonderful music, songs and
dance to communicate a story. Those of us who don't live in or near theatre centers like New York City or
London have limited opportunities to see the best musical productions. Even when touring productions
are available, they rarely include the original stars of the show.
Independent companies occasionally release high quality videos of Broadway musicals. The PBS series "Great
Performances" includes a number of "top hit" compilations from Broadway shows.
Recommended Musical Theatre DVDs
Our list of recommended DVDs includes videos of complete Broadway musicals as well as special event
compilations. Please buy or rent these DVDs to encourage future high quality releases.
We highly recommend:
Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Royal Albert Hall Celebration
The Royal Albert Hall comes alive with songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber's greatest productions!
This concert celebration features music from such great productions as "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,"
"Jesus Christ Superstar," "By Jeeves," "Evita," "Cats," "Song and Dance," "Starlight Express,"
"Requiem," "Phantom of the Opera," "Aspects of Love," "Sunset Blvd." and "Whistle Down the Wind."
Company: Original Cast Album
This fascinating documentary chronicles the intense
18-hour 1970 recording session of Stephen Sondheim's landmark musical "Company," featuring the original
Broadway cast members. From the first chords of the overture to Elaine Stritch's attempt to
hit the right note in "The Ladies Who Lunch," you'll get an intimate behind-the-scenes look at
this exhausting creative endeavor.
Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies
The classic songs of legendary jazz composer Duke Ellington come alive on stage in this
1981 performance video. Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies documents a performance of the popular
Tony Award-winning Broadway revue,
built around more than two dozen great tunes from Ellington's songbook.
Follies: In Concert
When this Stephen Sondheim theatrical piece graced Lincoln Center's stage in 1985, scores of fans who
loved its first incarnation in the 1970s rediscovered it.
Stars such as Carol Burnett, Mandy Patinkin, Barbara Cook and Lee Remick, accompanied by the
esteemed New York Philharmonic, breathe new life into this Broadway classic.
Discover what went on behind the scenes and catch segments of the concert itself.
Fosse
A seductive mixture of physically aggressive dance
moves and dazzling visual
style, Bob Fosse's approach to theater revolutionized how we experience music and dance. Join
Fosse's most gifted collaborators as they take you through memorable standards from Chicago,
Sweet Charity, Pippin, Cabaret and All That Jazz. Winner of the 1999 Tony Award for Best Musical,
Fosse presents the highlights of this amazing artist's career.
Liza With a 'Z'
A 26-year-old Liza Minnelli bursts onto the stage in this 1972 television concert directed and choreographed by the
legendary Bob Fosse. Minnelli shines in unforgettable versions of the songs that made her a star.
My Favorite Broadway: the Leading Ladies
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On Sept. 28, 1998, some of the greatest
divas in musical theater took the stage at New York City's Carnegie Hall to belt out a selection of the
hits that made them famous. Among the evening's showstoppers are Liza Minnelli performing "Some People"
(from "Gypsy"); Andrea McArdle singing "Look for the Silver Lining" and "Tomorrow" (from "Annie");
and Bebe Neuwirth and Karen Ziemba teaming for "Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag" (from "Chicago").
My Favorite Broadway: the Love Songs
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Julie Andrews serves as host for this one-off concert spectacular saluting Broadway's greatest love songs,
sung by stage and screen greats such as Nathan Lane, Michael Crawford, Robert Goulet,
Chita Rivera, Bebe Neuwirth and the luminous Andrews. Included are tunes from "Guys and Dolls,"
"Camelot," "Sweet Charity," "The Music Man," "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Gigi," capped off by a
"My Fair Lady" finale featuring Andrews and Crawford.
Pippin
Based on Bob Fosse's 1972 original hit Broadway production of "Pippin," this filmed version
of the musical was created specifically for television in 1981. William Katt stars in the title role of this fictional
story that relates the adventures of Charlemagne's son as he embarks on a quest to find the meaning of life
and discover his true self. Ben Vereen appears in his Tony Award-winning role as the Leading Player.
Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall
A veritable march of Broadway virtuosos --
Liza Minnelli, Patti LuPone, Betty Buckley, Glenn Close, Bernadette Peters and many others --
pay tribute to one of the Great White Way's most prolific and talented composers: Stephen Sondheim.
Many of these performers have interpreted Sondheim's words before in previous productions, and
now they take to the Carnegie Hall stage to pay tribute to the master.
Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together
Carol Burnett, George Hearn,
Ruthie Henshall, John Barrowman and others perform show tunes by Tony Award-winning composer
Stephen Sondheim in this musical revue. Filmed live during its Broadway run, the show features
an all-star cast performing Sondheim's biggest hits, including "Lovely" from "A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to the Forum," "More" from Dick Tracy, "Pretty Women" from "Sweeney Todd"
and "The Ladies Who Lunch" from "Company."