Broadway's Lost Treasures Collection (Broadway's Lost Treasures 1-3 & The Best of the Tony Awards - The Plays) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)We should be thankful for what we get on this DVD, so by all means, get it. By doing so, hopefully you'll encourage similar Broadway DVDs to be released in the future. (By the way, also consider getting "The Best of Broadway Musicals: Original Cast Performances from the Ed Sullivan Show," which captures some great 1950s-1960s performances.)
However, I have to agree with those who say this set is lopsided, even considering that the producers didn't have the rights to release other footage from the Tonys.
The saddest thing about some of the footage is that, while it claims to capture "sung" performances, in fact a few of the numbers are lip-synched. These include two of the numbers that I was most looking forward to seeing: Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd and Robert Preston in The Music Man. While it's great to see these performers in action, the lip-synching makes it an artificial experience.
But enough caveats. These aside, there's still plenty to enjoy.
The great John Raitt sings a definitive "Hey There" from The Pajama Game a couple of decades after its original run. He sounds just as exciting as ever. The song is shortened, but again, let's be thankful for what we have. And there's also a scene from 42nd Street with pre-"Law and Order" Jerry Orbach singing his heart out.
Some of the most enjoyable segments are in the DVD's "bonus extras" section. For example, in what seems the oldest segment on the DVD, the utterly charming Barbara Harris performs a number from The Apple Tree, a 1960s musical that is now essentially forgotten by all but fervent show fans. And to watch those ever-young old troopers Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller singing and dancing in Sugar Babies is a joy.
So, tap your way to Amazon's checkout and get this DVD in your hands ASAP!

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A comprehensive collection of great performances captured on film as part of the annual Tony Award® broadcasts. Broadway royalty and Tony® winners, including Lauren Bacall, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Goulet, and Harvey Fierstein, serve as hosts and share their own Broadway and Tony® memories. Produced as PBS specials, Broadway's Lost Treasures I, II, & III feature legendary stars-including Patti LuPone, Nell Carter, Jerry Orbach, Gwen Verdon, Ethel Merman, Kristin Chenoweth, Angela Lansbury, Joel Grey, and many more-performing musical numbers from legendary shows-including Anything Goes, Man of La Mancha, Guys and Dolls, Ain't Misbehavin', Chicago, Fosse, Miss Saigon, Crazy for You, and many many more. The Best of the Tony® Awards–The Plays features acting greats, such as James Earl Jones, Maggie Smith, Annette Benning, Kevin Kline, and Morgan Freeman, performing key scenes from 19 celebrated plays, including The Great White Hope, The Heidi Chronicles, Fences, Hamlet, and Long Day's Journey Into Night. For theatre lovers, it doesn't get any better than this!

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Broadway's Lost Treasures III - The Best of the Tony Awards Review

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(More customer reviews)As thankful as I am to see any footage of Broadway performers released, the Broadway Lost Treasures series is really -- it must be said -- a botched opportunity. There is little rhyme or reason in how the clips are chosen and assembled. The performances are good, bad and everything in between, and this latest installment has one of the weakest selections yet.
First, I wish that the lip-synched numbers would just be omitted altogether -- to me, they don't qualify as a performance. So don't get your hopes up for Gwen Verdon's "Whatever Lola Wants" (unless you only care about the dancing) or Angela Lansbury's "Everything's Coming Up Roses." They both fall in this category.
Now, let's move on to the highlights of this DVD:
The best segments are those that give glimpses of golden-age musicals not captured on film and unlikely to appear on stage again.
It's great to see Jerry Orbach doing a song from Burt Bacharach's "Promises, Promises." Although it's a bad night vocally for him, the energy is there. The segment from "The Happy Time" is definitely one of the disc's highlights, with Robert Goulet attractive and charming. And the number from the largely forgotten "How Now, Dow Jones" is very enjoyable too.
In addition, three titans of Broadway's peak years are captured -- well after their own peaks, but better late than never.
Ethel Merman is absolutely wonderful in a truncated medley -- amazingly, about 42 years after her stage debut. In the bit from "Call Me Madam," Merman essentially uses her co-star, Larry Blyden, as a stage prop, to hilarious effect. And the "Gypsy" number is both electrifying and moving. That's Broadway, folks, with a capital M. The crime is that the medley was very crudely cut for this DVD -- according to Broadway expert Ken Mandelbaum, three songs were removed. That's close to unforgivable.
Alfred Drake, in a number from "Kiss Me Kate," is also quite good, although the last note is a little rough.
And Julie Andrews is beautiful and luminous, if a bit cautious vocally, in her medley from "My Fair Lady" and "Camelot."
Also worthwhile are Chita Rivera, exhibiting tremendous career-comeback talent in "Kiss of the Spider Woman," and Zero Mostel mugging his way (as usual) through "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."
With a few exceptions, the rest of the disc is expendable. But buy it for the above alone. Hopefully, it will encourage others with rights to historical footage of Broadway performers to release DVDs of their own treasures (e.g., more from the Ed Sullivan show) and do a better job of it.

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Broadway royalty and Tony-winners Tommy Tune, Carol Channing, Robert Goulet, and Harvey Fierstein are your hosts for this third compilation of great musical performances from the archives of the Tony Award® broadcasts. Legendary stars from legendary shows strut their stuff in 23 performances that have become part of Broadway history.

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