Original Cast Album - Company (1970) Review

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(More customer reviews)What a great idea: record the cast album for Stephen Sondheim's "Company" live, as it were--no overdubs, no artificial mixdown. What a great idea: get a documentary crew to record the record session. The filmmaker caught 15-and-a-half hours of bleary-eyed cast members giving their all for a tough record producer and an even tougher composer/lyricist. (It had to be one marathon session because it would be too expensive to assemble all those singers and musicians for multiple sessions.) This is a great documentary that shows how hard it all is. If you've only seen her on the incipid show "Alice," you'll have no idea how talented Beth Howland is till you see her in "Getting Married Today." Donna McKechnie, Susan Browning, and Pamela Myers spoof Rogers and Hart (and not the Andrew Sisters as everyone seems to think) with verve in "You Could Drive a Person Crazy," which also finds Sondheim at his most clever. Charles Kimbrough would go on to do Murphy Brown and Barbara Barrie would briefly be in Barney Miller, and both shine here as effortless, "natural" actors. Star Dean Jones is perfect as the slightly dopey Bobby, even if some of his singing will make you wince. What's perhaps most remarkable is that the numbers that sound so fresh and improvisational actually took 8, 10, 15 takes. Especially "The Ladies Who Lunch." Elaine Stritch's famous song was the last number they recorded. By the time they were ready, it was after four in the morning and everyone was exhausted. Stritch tries, but after about eight takes it's clear she's not going to make it that night. With everyone getting punchy, they decide to record her music track separately, bringing her back the next day to knock the song out of the park.
The DVD has a commentary track, as Stritch, Hal Prince and the filmmaker reminisce about the session 30 years later. There's also a strange feature where one of the songs not covered in the doc can be listened to over B&W stills from the theatrical production. This didn't do anything for me, but there's no harm in having it there, either.
So this is a very good documentary. But it could have been even better. Two of the most complex and interesting songs, the opening number and "Side By Side/What Would We Do Without You," are barely covered in the film. I really wanted to see how they pulled off these extraordinarily complex numbers with the complete cast "live," but the documentary doesn't show it. Too bad. A 90 minute documentary with this material would hae been so much better than a 60 minute documentary without. It's probably true the 60 minute limit was imposed by ABC, which originally aired the documentary, but I'd be surprised if the filmmaker didn't save material that could have been added back for this DVD.
Still, this is worth owning, if a little pricey for a 53 minute CD (not 58, as advertised on the case). In some ways this musical is a classic, and in others it's incredibly (and amusingly) dated. Both qualities just make it all the more wonderful.

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Called a "monumental achievement" by the Los Angeles Times, Company is the extraordinary documentary capturing the explosive recording session for Stephen Sondheim's landmark musical.On May 3, 1970, just a few days after its triumphant Broadway opening,

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Sanford Meisner Master Class Review

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(More customer reviews)FULL DISCLOSURE:
28 years ago, I was one of the young student actors asked to participate in this documentary. And, to provide some idea about how important I think this program is, most of "my" work in this documentary is almost all total failure; and frankly this embarrasses me.

That said:
Until now, I had been very proud of my participation in the documentary about Sanford Meisner, "The Theater's Best Kept Secret." However, with this program, I've just learned: the secret is out!
"The Sanford Meisner Master Class," is astounding in its power to not only convey Mr. Meisner's genius for teaching the craft of acting, but as a student participant in this Master Class it is like witnessing the re-incarnation of a most important figure in my life, and of the 20th Century. It is like the great Sanford Meisner has come back to life, and with his teaching powers fully intact.
Though it has been years since I left the acting profession, and a few years since I also stopped teaching The Meisner Technique, Mr. Meisner's influence on all of my adult work has been profound. His most important influence on me, which this documentary expresses so eloquently, is perhaps Mr. Meisner's most precious gift: his uncompromising devotion to helping students develop their own "sense of truth." This 8 hour documentary shows how Mr. Meisner shared his gift of such a highly developed "sense of truth" as a standard for his students to strive toward attaining. He is the perfect model and embodiment of "a sense of truth."
"A sense of truth," that in the art of theater plays out from present moment-to-unanticipated-moment, between human beings, under the imaginary circumstances of a writer's work. And thus, provides humankind with a model for authentic, meaningful, and truthful human relationship.
Did I say, that Mr. Meisner's great contribution that exists in every frame of this 8 hour documentary is the cultivation and great value for a "sense of truth?"
:)
If you care about any of these things: the model of a magnificent teacher; the great value of learning by trial and error; creating an environment where students feel freedom to fail while striving to achieve excellence measured by the highest artistic standards; theater; the craft of acting; a "sense of truth"; seeing genius at work; a model for authentic human relationship, you will enjoy this program immensely and learn a great deal.
In a world so consumed with the artificial, it is no wonder that the legacy of this most genuine of teachers and his approach to art endures so. Right now, as I view it, this program serves as a potent reality check for me.
"Sanford Meisner Master Class" is a great credit to the vision of Mr. Kent Paul, Mr. Jimmy Carville, and the people at Open Road Films for creating, preserving and sharing this extraordinary work with the world.
If you've ever wondered what all the "brouhaha" is about "The Meisner Technique" . . . behold. This is like watching Piccaso paint.
Word.
José Angel Santana, PhD
Founder/Youand:The Art of Mutual Understanading
"The final frontier may be human relationships, one person to another."
-- Buzz Aldrin, Astronaut

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Uta Hagen's Acting Class: The DVDs Review

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I am a young actor in Europe, Sweden and I got Uta's books, Respect for Acting and, A Challenge for the Actor previously to my purchase of the DVD, Uta Hagan's Acting Class. So, I had already read through her books when I got the DVD which I felt when viewing the DVD is a must to understand the DVD.
The DVD is not a technical help tool to show you how to warm up or prepare for a play a role or audition as I thought it would have been.
Instead it is a quite amazing thing because you will from the very first minute of the DVD walk straight into the HB Studio's classroom and view everything as if you were doing a sit in for a course you might be interested in.
One will then watch her students first get some instructions about each exercise that she has and then they will based on the chosen exercise go up on stage and play dialogues against each other. After some minutes she will stop the students and instead of telling them what they did wrong ask them If there is something they could criticize about what they just did, and why they believe it to be so?
After that the students have talked about their understandings she will fill in with her own and give a very honest answer to everyone. It is obvious that she knows what she is doing and her feedback is always based on how the students have reached the goal of the exercises or not.
I would say that it is worth buying if one is serious about acting but if one live close to NY I would say that you are better off saving those money and instead go down to her studio, the HB studio and use those money for classes! I don't know how the other teachers are at that school but her exercises, her technique I feel is just so authentic and great and something that every actor that is serious about his or her acting should master!
The only thing about this DVD that is not so good is that it is a copy of an old video from the 1970's as I understand so the style and the sound recording is not the greatest or up to date with today's fashion. However, for the real actor that is probably irrelevant.
So, overall I feeel it is a great DVD and I give it a 4 of 5
Uta has created an amazing technique based on Internal acting and that I feel leads to authentic and truth like behavior on stage. I will most definitely go to NY and take her class!
Good Luck to all Actors and Actresses in the world! Maybe I'll see you in NY!


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Acting in Film (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)For a student of film acting, this DVD is a rare chance to get good, solid, practical advice from a successful working actor. Mr. Caine presents information in a down to earth and entertaining way to both a panel of students and a studio audience.
My only complaint is that it should have run longer than 1 hour. I realize that the production was bound by the restraints of the television series, but as a DVD release more could have been included.
Highly recommended as is Mr. Caine's companion book 'Acting In Film'.

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Mr. Caine gives you a once-in-a-lifetime chance to rob him blind! The man who's hypnotized the camera lenses for a quarter of a century reveals the most closely guarded secrets on script preparation. working with the director, forming a character, voice, sound, and movement. Pearl by pearl he lays out the Caine wisdom on everything from set politics to set decorum, the film bureaucracy and more!

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Discovering Hamlet Review

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(More customer reviews)For anyone interested in a behind the scenes look at how a play proceeds through production this video is for you. The Birmingham Repertory Theater is the setting for this production directed by Derek Jacobi with Kenneth Branagh taking the lead as Hamlet. Narration is provided by Patrick Stewart to guide viewers through the production process. Interspersed between scenes of the rehearsals are interviews with the various actors discussing their characters. I would have like a longer interview with the director, Derek Jacobi, discussing his vision of Hamlet but all in all this is quite a good video.

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Two of Britain's greatest actors stage Shakespeare's greatest tragedy
A behind-the-scenes look at Shakespearean theatre
In 1988, rising star Kenneth Branagh tackled the role of Shakespeare's prince of Denmark for the first time in his professional career under the guidance of celebrated actor Derek Jacobi, considered "the best Hamlet of his generation" (The New York Times). Narrated by Patrick Stewart, this hour-long film documents how these two intelligent, passionate men found new depths in Shakespeare's classic drama.
Filmmakers Mark Olshaker and Larry Klein follow the company through four weeks of rehearsals, from the first read-throughs to opening night. Interviews with principal actors--as well as the set designer, costume supervisor, text advisor, and others--reveal how each member of the company meets the production's challenges. In all, Discovering Hamlet offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the process of staging Shakespeare's most demanding tragedy.
An Emmy®-winning star of stage and screen, Derek Jacobi (I, Claudius) has played some of the Bard's most challenging parts in his 50-year career, including Hamlet, Prospero, Macbeth, and Lear.
Four-time Oscar® nominee Kenneth Branagh is a versatile actor, director, and writer famed for bringing Shakespeare to the silver screen in Hamlet, Henry V, and other films.

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Acting Shakespeare (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)I saw this video in my high school British Lit. class in 1986 and was mesmerized. I was not a particular fan of Shakespeare at the time, was in fact one of those kids who found Shakespeare mostly boring and irrelevant, but this turned me on to all that Shakespeare can be and why he has remained popular for so long. I have been a huge fan of Ian McKellan ever since; he is superb in this. I have been looking for this video for years, checking McKellan's website, ebay and everywhere I could think of, so I was so excited when I googled the title today, and found it on Amazon! I cannot recommend McKellan's _Acting Shakespeare_ highly enough. It remains, in my memory, the best theatre -- Shakespeare or otherwise -- that I have ever seen. It is just Ian McKellan on a bare stage, no props or costumes as far as I remember, performing monologues from several Shakespearian plays and commenting on the plays and characters and how he approaches them. The simplicity is perhaps part of what makes this so beautifully done.As it hasn't been released yet, I cannot comment on the technical quality of the sound or video. My hope is that the reason they took so long to release it is because they were picky about getting the audio and video quality right. Anyway, it is superb.

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A masterful tour de force from "one of the most distinguished performers of his generation" (The New York Times).
Alone on stage, without props or costumes, Ian McKellen performs some of Shakespeare's most striking monologues and offers his own personal anecdotes about life in the theater. From Henry VI to Macbeth, McKellen demonstrates the incredible universality of Shakespeare's plays with wit and humor – skillfully revealing the actor behind the writer in this celebrated one-man show.
Produced by Andrew Susskind and presented at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City.
Also includes an 8-page booklet with reflections by Ian McKellen.

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Moby Dick (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is not a movie version of Herman Melville's MOBY DICK; it is a single actor on a stage, in front of an audience, playing all roles. You might think this wouldn't be enjoyable, but for a mature viewer seeking to squeeze the essence out of the book, this is quite worth while. The actor is brilliant, shifting characters in a blink. One deeply experiences the personalities of the main characters, especially Ahab; you can feel the mad rage pouring forth from Ahab.

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The best most authentic version of Herman Melville's classic best seller ever produced. Very highly rated on IMDB. Old Vic trained actor Jack Aranson gives life to Melville'spoetic dialogue. Its a high lofty prose with many layers of meaning similar to the Bible. This never before available DVD was released in May 2006 through Amazon. It was produced by veteran Producer John Robert and Directed by Paul Stanley DGA who spent over 20 years as a director on 100 high profile TV series including Hallmark Hall of Fame. Herman Melville is considered America's Shakespeare.Jack Aranson shows what great acting can be.Own an Art Film for you and your family."As Ahab,Mr Aranson takes on stature. He reaches up to confront the stars. His chest expands. His voice is a trumpet, roaring over the sound of the sea. His eyes glitter with frenzy. It is a brilliant performance."Elloit Norton, Boston Herald American"To devise a version of MOBY DICK as a ...theatre piece comes under the heading of 'They said it coundn't be done.' Jack Aranson has done it superbly."TIME magazineA family classic!!!!This performance as a DVD/ or as a sound only CD are available through Amazon -or this website..........This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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Breakthrough to Improv:The Secrets of Improvisation Review

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(More customer reviews)Dave Frank uses the blues medium in this DVD to illustrate the building blocks of creative improv. The range of concepts covered is very wide, but explained with easy to understand examples. I am studying jazz piano with Dave, and the concepts covered in this DVD are recurring themes even in jazz improv.
The structure is very organized. It starts off with easy to grasp concepts like quarter note blues scales, working up to mixtures of triples and swing eights, you get the idea. Each lesson has an exercise that you can practice, but they are quite concise. Which is a little deceiving because each of the concepts are actually quite significant, and takes a lot of practice to understand. So the exercises are there just to illustrate the concept.
Verdict: This DVD will not automatically make you a genius improviser. But it will teach you the concepts that you can piece together to play articulate, clear solos that communicate distinct and complete concepts. The material also doesn't get unnecessarily detailed or technical, so it may be a good way for non musicians to understand how this stuff works.

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Playing Shakespeare (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)The actual DVD set is being reviewed. I didn't see the book or TV in 1984.
This series of 9 episodes (Or should we call them "instructions" in Shakespeare acting?) seem like they were shot yesterday. They are timeless. What, if anything is staged? What is entirely impromptu? It's hard to say, nay, impossible. It's that well done. The wealth within this educational, academic experience is difficult to quickly review, but we'll give it a go.
"Playing SHAKESPEARE" is the DVD presentation of acting workshops, done like a play rehearsal underway, shot in 1982, led by John Barton, who is himself entertaining, plus an encyclopedia on Shakespearean acting. He directed over 50 plays by the (RSC) Royal Shakespeare Company. A Cambridge professor. His main interest in this series is teaching toward the marriage of the Elizabethan acting tradition and modern times or style. It is instruction dedicated to the actor--but it is of interest to so many more.
Through detailed Shakespeare direction, Barton has provided a series that will delight all lovers of the celebrated playwright. Additionally it will encourage the viewer who is newly attempting appreciation of Shakespeare and his works. Novice Shakespearean audiences will want for more, want for a complete play to view.
Much of the success of this series is the famous & talented actors being instructed. The top of the U.K. entertainers, both within the RSC and out. The BONUS FEATURES of this DVD set includes several of their bios and RSC credits. Some, not all as there are over 20, are:
Peggy Ashcorft, 1907-1991, having at some time performed near all Shakespeare's female roles.
Judi Dench, UK Superstar, fantastic in "As Time Goes By"
Ben Kingsley, "Gandhi" and "Schindler's List" to name but 2
Ian McKellan, "The Lord of the Rings" fans will remember
Patrick Stewart, would you believe "Star Trek: The Next Generation"
David Sachet, "Poirot", need more be said--yes--"The Way We Live Now"
Shakespeare wrote, "Our revels now are ended." Nay, Nay.
Here's the list of Episodes (Learning bits)
1 THE TWO TRADITIONS . . . . . . .2 USING THE VERSE
3 LANGUAGE AND CHARACTER . . . . .4 EXPLORING A CHARACTER
5 SET SPEECHES AND SOLILOQUIES . .6 IRONY AND AMBIGUITY
7 PASSION AND COOLNESS . . . . . .8 REHEARSING THE TEXT
9 POETRY AND HIDDEN POETRY
Each is a to-die-for opportunity for the student or the follower of Shakespeare. Not a full play or dramatic film, but an academic experience set in a working studio using excerpts.
In #3 language and words are discussed like Shakespeare's double syllable use of the word Ti-ime. And his often capitalization of the word, even when it's not the beginning word in the sentence. By watching another fine educational DVD series, "The Adventure of English", one can learn Shakespeare invented over 2000 words.
___Also in this segment, John Barton is coaxed into performing a bit of Shakespeare, which he does twice again during episode 9.
___#4 is outstanding when Shylock (The Merchant of Venice) is performed by Suchet (who is Jewish) and Stewart. Both have played the role in RSC under Barton's direction. The 3 demonstrate how Shakespeare characters can be played in different ways, all being good. Suchet also suggests to view this play, not as anti-Semitic, but without the 20th century Holocaust prejudice.
Other bonus extras include a trailer for "Slings & Arrows" and the much valuable SUBTITLES, recommended to be used by all, to catch the full value of the Shakespeare words.
This DVD set makes me thirst for a Shakespeare play--a Shakespearean Sundae.
If you are a William Shakespeare lover--BUY.
If you are an actor, or student of theatre--BUY.
If you are curious of those often talked about plays--BUY.
More elaboration on this would take as long as the 400+ minutes of the set. Instead, in Shakespeare's own words: "So to him we leave it."


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PLAYING SHAKESPEARE - DVD Movie

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Great Performances: Macbeth Review

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(More customer reviews)I just finished watching Rupert Goold's film of Macbeth, starring Patrick Stewart and Kate Fleetwood. As mentioned in the last post, I saw this production on Broadway and was eagerly awaiting the film version. Now I've seen a lot of great film Macbeths, including the Ian McKellen/Judi Dench version, the RSC film with Antony Sher, and Roman Polanski's. This film is the best Macbeth that you will ever see. In fact, scenes that I didn't find very effective on stage (Lady Macbeth's mad scene and and the long scene between Malcolm and Macduff) were very powerful in the movie. Patrick Stewart's performance is definitive. You can see every thought that passes through his mind. Kate Fleetwood's Lady Macbeth charted her fall into insanity with such clarity that when Macbeth is told that she has died, it's no surprise to him or the audience. You see that there was no other end to her story. The Weird Sisters, here played as Nurses who have gone over to the dark side, are truly frightening. There is no weak link in this cast, the directing is thrillingly original, and the production design is stunning. It easily could have been shown in movie theaters. This Macbeth is set during the Cold War of the 1950's, and doesn't shy away from the shocking violence of a dictatorship. Characters are brutally executed, and the murder of Lady Macduff and her children is greatly disturbing, even though you see almost nothing happen. And to top it all off, Rupert Goold has the film end with the camera panning from location to location throughout the castle (the dining room, the kitchen, the Weird Sisters' morgue) and then closes with a shot of Macbeth and his Lady in the elevator, hand in hand. So we end with the idea that Macbeth's castle isn't just drenched in blood. Now it's haunted.

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Theater of War (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Imagine the best professor you ever had just gave you the greatest class you ever took. And now you're sitting somewhere with five other people who just took the class and you can't stop talking about it and these other people are smart, funny, thoughtful, great thinkers whose politics you find fascinating...that's a little bit what watching this film is like. It's more of an immersion in a creative endeavor. You are participating. It is about participating.
Somehow, this documentary is able to crystallize so many ideas, it becomes the crystal itself: a multifaceted thing of beauty + a structural marvel.
The film is about theater, about art, about the role of art, about roles within theater, about roles within war.
It's about the making of the Public Theater's 2006 production of Mother Courage, (which ran at Summer Stage in Central Park during the Iraq war), starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline, based on Tony Kushner's new translation, directed by George Woolf- and also features the artistic director of the public theater, Oskar Eustis. So it's a valuable film if you're interested in theater. It also gives a lot of great information about Brecht and why all of these people are so passionate about his work, so no matter what your level of knowledge is on the topic, this is enlightening on that issue as well.
It's a film about a labor of love by artists who continue to labor, to love labor and to love to labor at something they love.
It also shows Meryl Streep's process as she prepares for a role- amazing documentation and a great scene of her working on a song. Definitely would recommend it to directors, actors, playwrights, dramaturges and students... and journalists- not to say that it's a 'lesson.' It's more like a revelation.
It's not easy to describe this film but it is riveting.
See it with someone you love talking to. Be prepared to feel like you've been played like a great instrument by a great musician.
In other words, two thumbs, way up.

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Academy Award Winner Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia!, Its Complicated) is an unforgettable Mother Courage in Tony Kushners adaptation of Bertolt Brechts masterpiece, Mother Courage and Her Children. Along with Academy Award Winner Kevin Kline (Wild Wild West, A Fish Called Wanda), this gripping documentary pulls the curtain back and digs deeply into Brechts motives and politics, unearthing the playrights famed (and famously clever) testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee. For the first time in Meryl Streeps career, the film offers both an exclusive look into the actresss craft, and also on the play itself--whose themes of warfare and violence have both parallels to life in the 21st Century and Brecht's tortured history in America. DVD includes commentary from Academy Award Winner Michael Moore.

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