Broadway's Lost Treasures (2003) 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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Joel Grey, Carol Channing, John Raitt, Patti LuPone, Yul Brynner, Zero Mostel--these greats are among the original-cast performers featured in this unique filmed compendium of Broadway showstoppers. Seen only once in their original Tony Award® telecasts (1967–1986), these 22 knock-out performances come with new introductions by some of the featured performers, including Angela Lansbury, Jerry Orbach, and Chita Rivera. BONUS: Both DVD and VHS formats feature five extra performances not seen on PBS!
Program includes: BROADWAY DIVAS Vivian Blaine, "Adelaide's Lament," Guys and Dolls Patti LuPone, "A New Argentina," Evita Angela Lansbury, "Worst Pies in London," Sweeney Todd Carol Channing, "Before the Parade Passes By," Hello, Dolly! Julie Andrews, "Send in the Clowns," A Little Night Music
LEADING MEN Zero Mostel, "If I Were a Rich Man," Fiddler on the Roof Yul Brynner, "Shall We Dance," The King and I John Raitt, "Hey There," The Pajama Game Robert Preston, "Trouble," The Music Man Paul Lynde, "Kids," Bye Bye Birdie
DANCIN' Joel Grey, "Willkommen," Cabaret Tommy Tune, Twiggy, "Chasin' the Clouds Away," My One and Only Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera, "All That Jazz," "Nowadays," Chicago Jerry Orbach, "Lullaby of Broadway," 42nd Street
RECORD BREAKERS Andrea McArdle, cast, "Tomorrow," Annie Cast, "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile," Annie Betty Buckley and cast, "Jellicle Songs," "Memory," Cats
BONUS PERFORMANCES! Both DVD and VHS formats include five additional performances not seen on the PBS pledge-special broadcasts. Ann Miller, Mickey Rooney, "McHugh Medley," Sugar Babies Patti LuPone, "Buenos Aires," Evita Barbara Harris, "Movie Star Gorgeous," The Apple Tree Bonnie Franklin, "Applause," Applause Dorothy Loudon and cast, "Easy Street," "Tomorrow" (reprise), Annie

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Luigi Pirandello's The Rules of the Game (Broadway Theatre Archive) (1975) Review

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(More customer reviews)Pirandello's "The Rules of the Game," which has nothing to do with the Renoir film of the same title, is a relatively minor entry in the Pirandello canon but it's still an intriguing and effective play.
This TV production, originally presented on PBS's Theater in America series, was based on a stage production by the Phoenix Repertory Company that played on Broadway in 1974. (And how sad is it that it's been so long since PBS has had anything like the Theater in America series?)
The main characters are Silia (Joan van Ark), who is having a long-term affair with Guido (David Dukes), while remaining obsessed with her estranged husband, Leone (John McMartin) As part of their separation agreement (this being Italy and there being no possibility of divorce), Leone must visit Silia every evening for a half-hour.
Leone has decided that the best way to win what he refers to as "the game" is to drain himself of all painful emotions and to give in without argument to what others request of him. By continually agreeing to all of Silia's requests, including when she requested a separation, he frustrates her will, which is why she remains obsessed with him.
The play has a couple of plot twists that are fairly predictable, but what makes it a pleasure is Pirandello's language, which comes through effectively even in translation. (The William Murray translation is used.) And Pirandello provides dramatic situations that give good actors a lot to work with.
As Leone, John McMartin is particularly fascinating, finding ways to make Leone seem somewhat passive while subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) tormenting Silia and Guido. That fine actor David Dukes (who died far too young) provides an excellent foil for McMartin. They play their scenes beautifully.
Joan van Ark, who had been a late replacement for Mary Ure in the stage production, doesn't inhabit Silia's mix of sensuality, sadism, and neediness as fully as she might, but she's generally sound and sometimes more than that.
The supporting cast (including Charles Kimbrough, perhaps best known as Jim Dial on "Murphy Brown," in a fairly important supporting role, and Glenn Close, listed prominently on the DVD case, in a tiny role) is excellent, though it's a little strange that while most of the cast speak in more-or-less standard American stage speech, a couple seem to be trying to sound vaguely Italian.
The play was a cut a bit to fit into a 90-minute TV time slot, but the cutting was done skillfully. I question how McMartin was directed to play the final moments (going way beyond what is suggested in the script), but this DVD is an excellent way to experience this rarely seen Pirandello play. And except perhaps for those final moments, McMartin gives a superb and fascinating performance.

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This 1918 tragicomedy by Luigi Pirandello is set among the Italian upper class. The main characters are an impulsive young woman, the lover she exasperates and her cynical husband. The husband's apathetic attitude is that life is a game played by arbitrary rules, and his role is that of an unemotional observer. His philosophy is severely put to the test when his wife draws him into a duel with a nobleman who drunkenly accosted her. Stars Joan Van Ark (Dallas)and Emmy-nominee David Dukes (The Josephine Baker Story). Also featuring a brief appearance by Glenn Close in an early role.

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