PURLIE video

[bjivie2]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 4:20am

I just watched the video of PURLIE. First of all, Melba Moore is FIERCE. The whole cast is pretty phenominal.

But the thing I thought all while watching this is, "Why this?" It's a great show, but why did THIS show get recorded and not others? What determines whether or not the Broadway versions of shows get recorded? I would think it's a combination of whether the show will be made into a movie as well as if it will sell on video/dvd.

Thoughts?

[philcrosby]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 11:05am

PURLIE was done in the early 80s, when cable was a relatively new thing and channels were scrambling for content. One early idea was to record Broadway shows ... both Showtime and A&E did quite a few.

In addition to PURLIE, there was PIPPIN, CAMELOT (Richard Harris), SOMETHING'S AFOOT (with Andy Gibb!), SOPHISTICATED LADIES, and TINTYPES ... I have probably forgotten quite a few. None of them were originally conceived for video sale at the time, since VHS then were being pitched at rentals, not sell-through.

[bjivie2]

Posted: 11/7/06 at 7:39pm

Well, good. My next question is whether or not you can purchase the 1981 Camelot, or if it was even released on video. I know Sophisticated Ladies and Tintypes and Pippin were, but I've never seen/heard of a Camelot video.

[philcrosby]

Posted: 11/8/06 at 8:58am

I have never seen or heard of a legitimate CAMELOT release. In addition to Harris, it was Meg Bussert as Guinevere, but I don't remember the Lancelot. It was totally restaged as a TV production, with tons of close-ups of Richard Harris and his blue eye-shadow.