Musicals on DVD

So, in anticipation of a bit of cash following Christmas, I have many of the cast albums I think I want so I'm moving onto DVD's.

Which musicals (movie or stage) are worth buying on DVD. There are obvious movie musicals (The Sound of Music etc...) but which are the less obvious choices I should go for. And which stage musicals (or shows that were written for the stage originally) are worth buying (eg. Sunday, Sweeney, Taboo etc...).

Thanks gang!

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Cool, thanks! That was exactly what I was looking for. Anyone else got any opinions on these or others?

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Let's see...the musicals I own on DVD (live performances only, in alphabetical order):

Chess (in Swedish, PAL format; will not play on most US DVD players or TVs, except on personal computers). Once you get over the fact that, well, it's in Swedish, it's masterful (at least for the first act). The production, especially Robin Wagner's sets and Lars Rudolfsson's direction, is fluent and amazing, and only overstated in the act 2 "Ni dömer mig" ("Endgame"); Helen Sjöholm and Tommy Körberg, the stars, are brilliant. You'd really have to closely follow a synopsis and translation to understand it, because there aren't any subtitles. But it's a great watch.

Passion. As noted, it's like a film, and it's such an intimate show that it feels like it's working better on video than it did live to begin with. Probably the best show on DVD you'll find in the US.

Sunday in the Park with George. Great performances by Patinkin and Peters, caught on tape; SitPwG transfers well, but not quite as well as Passion had. The elegies of the show in the thread on it say it better than I can.

Sweeney Todd (Hearn / Lansbury). I did not like Betsy Joslyn as Johanna, and found it hard to take Cris Groenendaal seriously as Anthony (the hair!), but the bulk of the cast was good, and Hearn and Lansbury were magnificent. Lansbury's performance, particularly, puts Patti LuPone's to shame; she inhabits Mrs. Lovett so completely that it seems to never flag or get tiresome (as I found LuPone to become). Must-see.

Taboo (Region 2, will not play on most US DVD players, except on personal computers). Better than the US version, if not perfect; seems a bit cheaper, but the story hangs together a bit better for much of it than it did on Broadway. Creative staging, well filmed, doesn't completely work as a book musical though. If you liked the score and the idea of the Broadway production, this is a good investment.

Other stage versions on DVD that I've seen:

Cats. I'm glad I never saw it on Broadway, and the filmed version of the stage show just sort of bored me, honestly.

Into the Woods. It's been a while since I saw this, and I should probably revisit it to be fair, but the second act left me somewhat cold when I watched it a few years ago. I wasn't into Sondheim at the time, though.

Jesus Christ Superstar. This revival was...uhm...pretty bad, all told. Glenn Carter's dazed and weird Jesus never worked for me, though I actually liked the acting Jerome Pradon did as Judas and thought Renee Castle did a wonderful interpretation of "I Don't Know How to Love Him." The bad direction, weird production, and incompetent Jesus made a mess out of the show, though.

-Wayne

Updated On: 12/15/04 at 11:30 AM

Kiss Me Kate with Rachel York, Brent Barrett(sp?) and Nancy Anderson is nice.

Into the Woods of course

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Now, that is a good list. Thanks Matt. I'll be working on acquiring those...

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Musicals performed on stage recorded to DVD:

PETER PAN (Cathy Rigby)
PETER PAN (Mary Martin)
INTO THE WOODS
SWEENEY TODD
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT
CATS
OKLAHOMA
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE
KISS ME KATE
ANNIE GET YOUR GUN
PASSION
CINDERELLA
VICTOR/VICTORIA
JEKYLL & HYDE
FOLLIES
THE FANTASTIKS
PIPPIN
LES MISERABLES (Concert)
BROADWAY'S LOST TREASURES (Tony Performances)
BROADWAY'S LOST REASURES II (Tony Performances)
BROADWAY - THE GOLDEN AGE (Documentary)
BROADWAY - THE AMERICAN MUSICAL (Documentary)
BROADWAY'S LEADING LADIES (Performances)
BROADWAY'S LEADING MEN (Performances)
RECORDING THE PRODUCERS (Documentary)

As for Movie Musicals, too many to list. My favorites:

THE MUSIC MAN
GUYS & DOLLS
HELLO, DOLLY!
FUNNY GIRL
FUNNY LADY
CHICAGO
MOULIN ROUGE
ANNIE
THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE
OKLAHOME
MY FAIR LADY
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
WEST SIDE STORY
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
GIGI
GREASE
GREASE 2
ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
FAME
CABARET
OLIVER
A CHORUS LINE
SOUTH PACIFIC
GYPSY
BYE BYE BIRDIE
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

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Fosse! definitely.

1776 is a pretty good version. Looks a lot like a stage production with all original cast.

Recommend all 4 Sondheim shows on DVD (Sweeney, Sunday, ITW and Passion) as they're essential--Passion works best out fo them on DVD (though I dislike how the dream is filmed)(I know I'm in the minority but I'd LOVE to have a copy of the underated Liz Taylor/'Diana Rigg movie version of A Little Night Music--my video is in very bad shape)

I liek the Pippin DVD too--it's a shame it's quite edited--and apparantly the taped but cut parts have been lost--and it's the tour so not quite as elaborate as the original but it's great to have some sense of one of Fosse's best stagings on DVD. (far more of a mess is the Canadian TV taping of another Schwartz show The Magic Show--which does have Doug Henning and his tricks)

E

On Amazon.com you can get the Stephen Sondheim Collection which includes the DVD's:

Sweeney Todd (Hearn/Lupone Concert)
Passion (OBC)
Into the Woods (OBC)
Sunday in the Park with George (OBC)
Follies (1985 Concert)
Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall

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One of my fave movie musicals was put on DVD last Spring--Sweet Charity. The DVD onlyhas one extra--the alternate happy ending--but the transfer of the film is gorgeous and it's thrilling to see the film in widescreen as it was intended to be shown (Rich Man's Frug and the other dance segments really make NO sense when pan and scanned for tv)

A great great stage to screen transfer by Bob Fosse that was underappreciated at the time. Onlycomplaint is it plays a little long--but that's not a problem on DVD.

E

There are two made-for-TV movie musicals that have become favorites of mine: The Disney Annie with Kathy Bates and Victor Garber and Bye Bye Birdie with Vanessa Williams and Jason Alexander. Both are on DVD.

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Oklahoma! is really good, but it really wasn't done "live" except for the end of some numbers. It was actually shot in a studio and oddly there is some audience reaction on and off throughout. But Hugh is in it and the supporting cast is great.

Elaine Stritch At Liberty is a must have, she is just so brilliant! Definately worth your money.

I found Passion boring but Sweeney is awesome performance=wise. George Hearn scared the sh*t out of me he is so creepy as Sweeney his voice is amazing and Angela is, well, you know, perfect.

The Mary Martin Peter Pan is not live either, but a good preservation of her stage work. Video-wise the Cathy Rigby version is obviously much better. I think both are necessary though.

BTW PBS has a video version of Crazy for You which they broadcast early last year, they should release it as well IMHO.

I hear A Year With Frog and Toad has been filmed for release too.
I only wish The Boy From Oz had been filmed to preserve Hugh's stellar performance!!

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I actually enjoyed the JCS revival when I saw it on tour in Dublin Ireland in 99--but didn't enjoy the cast on the DVD/PBS airing at all as much. I know most fans hated this revival though (that said I think JCS will never work 100% on stage)

Contact isn't on DVD or VHS. PBS aired it live (much like they did when NYCO did Night Music in 1990) and due to rights can't re-air it or release it to dvd. And I missed it

E