Broadway Taped for Japanese TV?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 5:20am

I knwo various Broadway productions have been filmed for Japanese commercial tv and only released there--do we have a complete list? Off the top of my head I only know of the two I've seen--the original 1976 cast of Pacific Overtures and the original (?) cast of Will Rogers Follies

I knwo these are tied up in rights but for a while last year there were some rumblings of a possible release of Pacific Overturtes to DVD though it seems to have disappeared

E

[Ebonic_Singer]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 5:28am

The original broadway production of 42nd Street.

[algy]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 6:57am

Victor Victoria's recording was done for Japanese TV iirc.

[sondhead]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 8:29am

Little Shop of Horrors (original off-Broadway production) with Burt Hilkas and Marsha Waterbury (formerly Skaggs) was shot but never shown if I'm not mistaken.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 10:02am

THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES (Original Broadway Cast, with Tommy Tune opening the show outside the Palace Theatre on Times Square, and as he's talking about the show the camera follows him to his seat inside the theatre; Keith Carradine talks about the show from his dressing room during the intermission break).

42ND STREET (the International Tour in Japan with the original Broadway staging -- Beth Leavel is Annie)

VICTOR/VICTORIA (Original Broadway Cast -- the DVD of the Broadway production is this telecast)

- at least the VICTOR/VICTORIA telecast made it to DVD.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 6:38pm

Yeah I mentioned Will Rogers--I'm really not a fan of the show but I have to admit it was pretty great to see some of the famous staging.

Little Shopw as filmed but never released? Really??

I wonder what the rights issues with these are? I swear I am not making it up that for a while there were rumours of Pacific Overtures finally getting a DVD release--something I would die for

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 6:44pm

I don't know why, but when Julie Andrews says, "...to all my friends in Japan," I started laughing hilariously.

I wish they would release some of these!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 6:47pm

I think they'd have to clear a lot of rights issues to get a N America release--but I think for the most part it should be doable--if the company thinks it's worth it financially

I love Julie but nearly everything she does about Victor/Victoria was soooo earnest (refusing the Tony down to her speech in that DVD which made me laugh too) aww bless her

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 7:43pm

Will Rogers

Unfortunately, while Tune is walking in, he talks over the short opening number "Let's Go Flying"

This show is special to me. This is the show I took Mrs R to on our first date

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 9:16pm

I have the Broadway production of Sophisticated Ladies from Japan on laserdisc.

[sondhead]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 10:56pm

The Little Shop taping is pretty raw. Some camera flubs and the restraints of a small garage-like space. It will never be released, which is too bad. It's about 1,000,000x better than the movie.

[justme2]

Posted: 1/16/07 at 11:40pm

I have the Will Rogers Follies one, and it's a great treat to see the show whenever I want. Despite the Japanese subtitles at the bottom of the screen.

[alterego]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 6:54am

I've seen the DVD of Sophisticated Ladies, so it must have been released at some point. Some of the costume designs are so set in the 1980's (shoulder pads, big hair etc) although clearly the show isn't, it is very dated.

[sondhead]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 9:56am

Yes, back when the Broadway Television Network was going to happen, they snatched up the taping of Sophisticated Ladies. Was Tintypes shot for Japanese TV or Showtime?

Too bad BTV was always FAR too low-budget to go anywhere. The first printing of their DVDs look like their cases were printed off an inkjet. The pictures are pixelated!

If they had survived, we might have more Japanese broadcasts available to us today.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 10:17am

The video/DVD of Duke Ellington's SOPHISTICATED LADIES was shot in 1982. The show isn't a 'book' show, it's a musical revue of Duke Ellington's work which is why the costumes are more contemporary for the early 80's, though there are a few period costumes here and there, especially for Paula Kelly (in her Josephine Baker-ish look).

It was filmed for Showtime cable before the show closed (January 1983) at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre and featured the final Broadway cast which was still composed of a large portion of the original Broadway cast, including Terri Klausner and Phyllis Hyman.

Terri Klausner is slightly known for having been Patti LuPone's matinee Eva Peron at the Broadway Theatre.

[B3TA07]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 10:26am

Pacific Overtures, guys!

[sondhead]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 11:13am

Ah, so then BTV was just getting Showtime tapings. That would make it appear that Japanese broadcasts would be indeed difficult to obtain the rights to.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 12:05pm

"Ah, so then BTV was just getting Showtime tapings."

They also filmed Jekyll and Hyde and Smikey Joe's Cafe, which were not Showtime tapings (though I think they eventually aired on Showtime).

[sondhead]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 12:07pm

Yes, I was referring to the tapings they aquired that had been previously produced. Jekyll & Hyde, Smokey Joe's Cafe, and Putting it Together were filmed under the auspices of BTV of course.

[alterego]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 7:25pm

Whatever became of Terri Klausner?

There was of course AIN'T MISBEHAVIN', SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE and I DO, I DO.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 8:02pm

Pacific Overtures was the first one I mentioned :P grr

I'd love to see a clear, DVD quality release of this--mayeb the rumours I ehard were partly for Sondheim's 75birthday last year of which we basically got nothing planned

I didn't think I Do I Do was filmed for Japanese tv but rather for Showtime or somewhere--Sunday in the Prk with George was definetly filmed for American TV primarily

(and yeah you're dead right about the ridiculously low qualiuty of BTV's first DVD releases though that's partly cuz they used low budget GoodTimes video to release them--I was debating buying the reissue of Putting it Together but don't think it's worth it)

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 8:04pm

I have the Will Rogers one also plus the Victor Victoria one

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/17/07 at 8:07pm

I assumed we werent meant to talk about bootlegs and which ones we have though I suppose you coulda taped it off Japanese tv yourself