DVDs
The Addams Family
10/18/11 ~ Tampa, FL
Douglas Sills, Sara Gettelfinger, Martin Vidnovic, Crista Moore,
Blake Hammond, Pippa Pearthree, Tom Corbeil, Patrick Kennedy,
Brian Justin Crum, Cortney Wolfson
Beautiful capture of the again newly reworked version of the tour.
Changes include new songs, reworked, new or cut scenes and plots and
it makes it a better show; clear picture and sound; very nice video A
AIDA
11/18/99 ~ Chicago
Heather Headley,Adam Pascal, Sherie Rene Scott
Shot from 6th row right orchestra at an odd angle; full stage
with whiting out of faces; great audio. C
Annie Get Your Gun
1999 ~ Broadway
Bernadette Peters, Tom Wopat, Valerie Wright, Peter Marx, Ronn Carroll,
Gregory Zaragoza, Andrew Palermo, Nicole Ruth Snelson, Ron Holgate
Complete show filmed from the mezzanine right with some closeups and
good picture and sound. B+
Annie Get Your Gun
Act I highlights: 7/1/00 & Act II: 6/6/00 ~ Broadway
Bernadette Peters,Tom Wopat (u/s for act II)
Act I: Some heads in the way, about a five or ten minute blackout
during the show. Act II:The other taper's camera is not digital,
and it's quite noticeable, especially after going from act I to
act II. Some zooms, some spotlight washout. One head in the
lower 1/4 of the screen and the far right corner, not really a distraction.
Also includes the 1999 Easter Bonnets skit after the show. B
The Apple Tree
2/11/07 ~ Broadway
Kristin Chenoweth, Brian d'Arcy James, Marc Kudisch, Meggie Cansler, Sean
Palmer, Sarah Jane Everman, Walter Charles. Beautiful capture of this charming
show which features three different stories. This show really show cases
Kristin's amazing talent and such a wonderful production! A
Beauty and The Beast
1995 ~ Original Los Angeles Cast
Susan Egan, James Barbour,Tom Bosley, Gary Beach
Also includes Opening Night show from Los Angeles TV with
interviews with cast; behind the scenes B+
Beauty and The Beast
August 1997 ~ Denver, CO
Kim Huber, Fred Inkley,Tony Lawson, Den Sklar, Patrick Page, Jeff
Brooks, Barbara Merinou
Okay video, some generation loss and not a very steady camera;
good sound and nice video at times B
Beauty and the Beast
11/18/01 ~ Broadway
Steve Blanchard, Michelle Mallardi (u/s), Christopher Sieber,
Bryan Batt, Jeff Brooks, Beth Fowler, Mary Stout
Good picture and sound; nice closeups; good video A
Beauty and the Beast
8/3/03 ~ Philadelphia, PA
Roger Befeler, Jennifer Shrader, Mark G. Dalio, Jaime Ross,
Andrew Boyer
Nicely filmed from the balcony, but occasionally the balcony railing
gets in the shot; great close ups. Final Performance of the
Third National Tour. Includes post show speach by Roger
Befeler. B+
Beauty and the Beast
6/17/06 ~ Pittsburgh
Brad Little, Mandy Bruno, Brian Noonan, Ron Wisniski, Jeff
Howell, Ray DeMattis, Jeff Skowron, Joy Franz
Shot from the left orchestra; only about a minute of action is
missed (when Gaston and the Beast climb the "roof" during the
final fight).Audio starts before Belle's father leaves for the fair
but filming doesn't start until after Maurice is in the castle. Lots
of ushers so about four or five coverups during the first act,
usually less than a minute long at the end of a song and nothing
major is missed.The second act is filmed better with only one
coverup during the show and one at curtain calls; good picture
and sound throughout A
Beauty and the Beast
7/27/07 ~ Broadway
Steve Blanchard, Anneliese van der Pol, Chris Hoch, David
deVries, Jeanne Lehman, Glenn Rainey, Jamie Ross, Trevor Braun,
Aldrin Gonzalez, Ann Mandrella
Good amount of closeups and good quality filmed from the midmezzanine;
there is a railing issue for a while in Act 1 but the
taper improves; taper sometimes loses attention to the show at
times and it is a little shaky; erratic and random coverups, and
'Me', 'Gaston' and 'Be Our Guest' are all predominantly missing
and recording stopped for some time after 'Gaston', which created
a little jump in the timeline to where Maurice gets thrown
out of the tavern.Very little closeups during 'Human Again' but a
nice video of the last Broadway cast B
Beauty and the Beast
4/4/10 ~ Chicago, IL
Liz Shivener, Justin Glaser, Nathaniel Hackmann, Sabina Petra,
Merritt David Janes, Keith Kirkwood, Michael Fatica, Jen Bechter
Nice video staged a little different then previous versions; a couple
of blackouts, lasting about 4 minutes total; great picture and sound A-
Billy Elliot, the Musical
5/12/05 ~ London
George Maguire (Billy Elliot-of the three boys who alternated the role of Billy,
George was chosen to play the role in the opening night performance), Ryan
Longbottom (Michael), Haydn Gwynne (Mrs. Wilkinson), Tim Healey (Dad), Joe
Caffrey (Tony). RARE! Filmed at the opening night performance! The video
looks like it was probably filmed from the lighting booth with the camera on a
tripod. Mostly filmed in wider shots with an occasional close-up. Some
spotlight washout. A
Billy Elliot, the Musical
2005 ~ London
Liam Mower, Philip Whitchurch
Filmed from the back of the orchestra; when a full stage shot, there is
some wash out but it zooms in a lot and those shots are a lot clearer;
good quality and a clear picture; video also includes press reels of
Colin Bates A
Billy Elliot - The Musical
4/28/06 ~ London
Leon Cooke, Brad Kavanagh, Emma Hudson, Haydn Gwynne,
Philip Whitchurch, Chris Lennon,Ann Emery, Paul Broughton,
Alex Delamare, Stephanie Putson
From the taper: Starts at the end of Billy's boxing lesson, mostly
cover-ups until earnest filming starts at "Solidarity".Various
other cover-ups scattered throughout because of aforementioned
ushers but most of the dance numbers are perfect.
Includes the dance megamix after curtain. A nice mix of full, mid
and close shots to match the action. Right third of stage blocked
by a head, but that rarely matters. Incredible close-ups when the
situation calls (want to read Billy's acceptance letter?). Steady
filming and very little spotlight washout. B+
Billy Elliot - The Musical
11/2/06 ~ West End, London
Mathew Koon, Sally Dexter, Philip Whitchurch,Ann Emery, Chris
Lennon, Sara Poyzer
Excellent show and amazing capture here, crystal clear picture
and sound.This features the Asian Billy, and he was an amazing
dancer, and gave an amazing performance. A
Billy Elliot, the Musical
2007 ~ London
Dean McCarthy (Billy Elliot), Shaun Malone (Michael), Sally Dexter (Mrs Wilkinson), James Gaddas (Dad), Ann Emery (Grandma), Chris Lennon (Tony).
Recorded through the house camera, so it’s a stationary, full-stage shot with sound patched in directly from the sound-board. A-
Billy Elliot, the Musical
10/18/08 ~ Broadway
David Alvarez, Haydn Gwynne, Gregory Jbara, Carole Shelley,
Santino Fontana, Frank Dolce, Stephen Hanna, Joel Hatch, Leah
Hocking
Great sound and close ups when able and full shots for dancing
Excellent sound and nice picture throught A
Billy Elliot - The Musical
11/15/08 ~ Broadway
Trent Kowalik, Haydn Gwynne, Gregory Jbara, Carole Shelley,
Santino Fontana, Frank Dolce, Stephen Hanna, Joel Hatch, Leah
Hocking
Excellent video with great picture and closeups and clear nice
sound; great video of a great show A
Billy Elliot, the Musical
3/27/10 ~ Chicago, evening
Emily Skinner, Tommy Batchelor, Armand Schultz, Cynthia Darlow, Patrick Mulvey, Keean Johnson, Blake Hammond, Susie McMonagle
Beautiful capture of the Chicago cast with the stunning Emily Skinner. This company was always top notch and pleasure to watch. Includes the extended curtain call routine! A+
Billy Elliot, the Musical
4/17/10 ~ Broadway, evening
Liam Redhead, Jake Evan Schwenke, Liz Pearce (u/s Mrs. Wilkinson), Phillip Whitchurch (temp. Dad), Carole Shelley, Will Chase
Okay video. Full stage shot. No zooms. Video ends during Expressing Yourself. Audio ends during First Lesson/Letter. B+
Billy Elliot, the Musical
5/16/10 ~ Broadway
Michael Dameski, Trevor Braun, Kate Hennig, Gregory Jbara, Carole Shelley, Will Chase, Seth Fromowitz, Eric Gunhus (u/s Scab & Posh Dad), Maddy Novak (u/s Tracy Atkinson)
30 minutes of Highlights from this performance. About 10 minutes of the 30 is blacked out; highlights include Take Me Up/The Stars Look Down; The Boxing Hall Scene; Solidarity; Billy and Michael in Michaels Parents Room Scene; Expressing Yourself; and the Electricity Dance A-
Billy Elliot, the Musical
6/16/10 ~ 1st tour in Chicago, matinee
J.P. Viernes, Gabriel Rush, Emily Skinner, Armand Schultz, Cynthia Darlow, Patrick Mulvey, Maria Connelly, Will Mann (u/s Mr. Braithwaite) , Samuel Pergande, Jim Ortleib, Mark Page, Spencer Davis Milford, Susie McMonagle
Highlights, camera wanders throughout; includes about 80 minutes of the show: Star's Look Down, Meet the Elliots, Boxing Hall Scene, Shine, Grandma's song, Solidarity, Michael's House Scene, Expressing Yourself, Born to Boogie, Mob Beats Tony/Mrs.- Wilkinson Arrives, Angry Dance, Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher, Deep into the Ground, Christmas Gift scene, Swan Lake Dance, Royal Ballet School post-audition. Electricity, Billy Says Goodbye, Once We Were Kings, The Letter (Billy's reply), Leaving the City. 2 DVDs C
Billy Elliot, the Musical
6/16/10 ~ 1st tour in Chicago, evening
Cesar Corrales, Keean Johnson, Susie McMonagle (u/s Mrs. Wilkinson),
Armand Schultz, Cynthia Darlow, Patrick Mulvey, Maria Connelly, Will Mann
(u/s Mr. Braithwaite) , Samuel Pergande, Jim Ortlieb, Elijha Barker,
Spencer Davis Milford, Susan Hafner (u/s Dead Mum)
Act 1 highlights only, consisting of about 45 minutes of the show,
and includes: Meet the Elliots, Boxing Hall Scene, Grandma's Song,
Solidarity, Billy Banned, Michael's House, Expressing Yourself, Stuff
that means something to Billy, The Letter, History of Ballet, Born to
Boogie, Bathroom Talk, Mob Beats Tony/Mrs. Wilkinson Arrives, Angry Dance.
Filmed from the center orchestra, so a stationary lapshot only focusing
between 2 heads due to being so close to the stage so good picture at
times but not so great the rest of the time B-
Billy Elliot, the Musical
9/18/10 ~ 1st tour in Chicago - evening
JP Viernes, Dillon Stevens, Emily Skinner, Armand Schultz, Cynthia Darlow, Jim Ortlieb, Susie McMonagle, Spencer Milford, Maria Connelly, Mark Page
Act 1 only, missing about 10 minutes of that as well; decent picture and sound throughout; some shakiness 2 DVDs B-
Billy Elliot, the Musical
October 2010 ~ 1st tour in Chicago
Highlights taken from the following shows:
10/10/10 - Tommy Batchelor, Keean Johnson, Armand Schultz, Anne Topelgin - Dream Ballet, Electricity, Once We Were Kings, Dead Mam Farewell
10/15/10 - J.P. Viernes, Dillon Stevens, Armand Schultz, Susie McMonagle, Jim Ortlieb, Cynthia Darlow, Spencer Milford - The Stars Look Down through first half of Solidarity
10/16/10 - evening - Marcus Pei, Keean Johnson - Expressing Yourself
10/17/10 - Myles Erlick, Anne Toplegin - Dead Mam Farewell
Filming varies, but overall is B-.
Billy Elliot, the Musical
10/26/10 ~ 1st tour in Chicago
Marcus Pei, Spencer Milford (u/s Michael), Susie McMonagle, Armand Schultz, Cynthia Darlow, Patrick Mulvey, Jim Ortleib, Will Mann, Anne Tolpegin, Nicholas Daum (u/s older Billy/Scttish dancer) Mark Page
Almost full show, starting at the boxing scene and missing a few bits here and there. Only DVD of Spencer Milford as Michael. Great filming, albeit a bit shaky at times. 2 DVDs. A-
Billy Elliot, the Musical
11/23/10 ~ 2nd tour in Cleveland
Lex Ishimoto, Jacob Zelonky, Faith Prince, Rich Hebert, Patti Perkins, Jeff Kready, Joel Blum, Rachel Mracna, Maximilien A. Baud, Beverly Ward, Patrick Wetzel
About 15 minutes of highlights incuding Stars Look Down, Take Me Up, Solidarity, Dream Ballet, and Electricity. filmed from two seperate places. Very VERY shaky, but good video when focused on a particular subject. B
Billy Elliot, the Musical
12/1/10 ~ 2nd tour in Cleveland
Lex Ishimoto, Griffin Birney, Faith Prince, Rich Hebert, Patti Perkins, Jeff Kready, Joel Blum, Rachel Mracna, Maximilien A. Baud, Beverly Ward, Patrick Wetzel
First 50 minutes of the show only. Some coverups and wandering of the camera, but good zooms Slightly shaky at times, but overall a decent capture of the second tour cast. A-
Billy Elliot, the Musical
August 2011 ~ 2nd tour in San Francisco
Highlights taken from the following shows:
8/19/11 - J.P. Viernes, Jacob Zelonky, Faith Prince, Rich Hebert, Patti Perkins, Jeff Kready, Joel Blum, Rachel Mracna, Maximilien A. Baud, Beverly Ward, Patrick Wetzel, Kyle Sutton, River Alexander - Announcement, The Stars Look Down, Breakfast, Boxing, Shine, Grandma's Song, Solidarity, First Toilets, Expressing Yourself, 1st Lesson/Letter, Mrs. Wilkinson's Visit, Angry Dance/Riot, Christmas, Kissing, Dream Ballet, London, Once We Were Kings, Dead Mam Farewell
8/20/11 - matinee - Ethan Fuller, Griffin Birney, Faith Prince, Rich Hebert, Patti Perkins, Jeff Kready, Joel Blum, Rachel Mracna, Maximilien A. Baud, Beverly Ward, Patrick Wetzel, Jeremy Zorek, River Alexander - The Stars Look Down
8/20/11 - evening - Daniel Russell, Jacob Zelonky, Faith Prince, Rich Hebert, Patti Perkins, Jeff Kready, Joel Blum, Rachel Mracna, Maximilien A. Baud, Beverly Ward, Patrick Wetzel, Kyle Sutton, River Alexander - Announcement, The Stars Look Down, Breakfast, Boxing, Shine, Grandma's Song, Solidarity, Expressing Yourself, 1st Lesson/Letter
8/21/11 - matinee - Ethan Fuller, Griffin Birney, Faith Prince, Rich Hebert, Patti Perkins, Jeff Kready, Joel Blum, Rachel Mracna, Maximilien A. Baud, Beverly Ward, Patrick Wetzel, Jeremy Zorek, River Alexander - The Stars Look Down, Shine, Dead Mam Farewell
8/21/11 - evening - Lex Ishimoto, Jacob Zelonky, Faith Prince, Rich Hebert, Patti Perkins, Jeff Kready, Joel Blum, Rachel Mracna, Maximilien A. Baud, Beverly Ward, Patrick Wetzel, Kyle Sutton, River Alexander - The Stars Look Down, Boxing, Shine, Grandma's Song, Solidarity, Expressing Yourself, Christmas, Dad Returns to Work, London
Billy Elliot, the Musical
January 2012 ~ East Coast
Highlights taken from the following shows:
1/2/12 - Broadway - Peter Mazurowski, Cameron Clifford, Daniel Jenkins, William Youmans, Julian Elia, Alex Drier - The Stars Look Down
1/3/12 - 2nd tour in Washington, DC - Ty Forhan, Cynthia Darlow, Leah Hocking, Rich Hebert, Cullen Titmas, Joel Blum, Ben Cook, Samantha Cutler, Kat Hennessey, Maximilien A. Baud, Patrick Wetzel - Announcement, The Stars Look Down, Breakfast, Shine, Christmas, Kissing, Dream Ballet
1/4/12 - 2nd tour in Washington, DC - JP Viernes, Cynthia Darlow, Leah Hocking, Rich Hebert, Cullen Titmas, Joel Blum, Jacob Zelonky, Samantha Cutler, Kat Hennessey, Maximilien A. Baud, Job Christenson (u/s Mr. Braithwaite) - The Stars Look Down through Born to Boogie, Kissing, Dream Ballet, Dad's Debate, London
1/5/12 - 2nd tour in Washington, DC - Kylend Hetherington, Cynthia Darlow, Leah Hocking, Rich Hebert, Cullen Titmas, Joel Blum, Ben Cook, Samantha Cutler, Kat Hennessey, Maximilien A. Baud, Job Christenson (u/s Mr. Braithwaite) - The Stars Look Down, Boxing, Solidarity, Dad Returns to Work, Scab Scene, London
1/7/12 - Broadway - evening - Joseph Harrington, Cameron Clifford, Emily Skinner, Katherine McGrath, Daniel Jenkins, Patrick Mulvey, William Youmans, Lilla Crawford, Stephen Hannah, Stephanie Kurtzuba (u/s Dead Mum), Thommie Retter - The Stars Look Down, Breakfast through Dad Discovers Billy, Expressing Yourself, 1st Lesson/Letter, Christmas, Kissing
Filming varies, but overall is B-.
Billy Elliot, the Musical: Finding Billy Elliot
2008 ~ PBS Special
Original broadcast by PBS in New York City about the audition process and information regarding Billy Elliot, the Musical on Broadway. Also includes interviews with the three Tony Award winning Billy's. A+
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
11/10/10 ~ Broadway
Benjamin Walker, Kristine, Nielson, James Barry, Darren Goldstein,
Greg Hildreth, Jeff Hiller, Lucas Near-Verbrugghe, Cameron Ocasio,
Bryce Pinkham, Nadia Quinn, Maria Elena Ramirez, Kate Cullen Roberts,
Ben Steinfeld, Emily Young
Good video filmed from the balcony A
Bonnie and Clyde
11/14/09 ~ La Jolla Playhouse, CA
Laura Osnes, Stark Sands, Melissa van der Schyff, Claybourne
Elder, Chris Peluso,Wayne Duvall, Mare Winningham, Michael
Mulligan, Michael Lanning
Nice capture of this new show; first couple minutes of each act
are blacked out while everyone got settled, and a couple very
short blackouts throughout the show, but those are less than 30
seconds each; slight little washout in some of the wides, and
there's one head on the left that blocks the actors' legs occasionally;
very good video 2 DVDs A
Bonnie & Clyde
11/9/11 ~ Broadway
Laura Osnes, Jeremy Jordan, Claybourne Elder, Melissa Van Der Schyff,
Louis Hobson, Joe Hart, Talon Ackerman, Leslie Becker, Mimi Bessette,
Alison Cimmet, Daniel Cooney, Jon Fletcher, Kelsey Fowler,
Victor Hernandez, Michael Lanning, Garrett Long, Matt Lutz,
Marissa McGowan, Tad Wilson
Filmed in 16:9 Widescreen; beautiful video; a short "blackout"
towards the end of Act 1; otherwise a very good video with clear
picture and good sound A
The Book of Mormon
3/1/11 ~ Broadway
Andrew Rannells, Josh Gad, Nikki M. James, Rory O'Malley,
Michael Potts, Scott Barnhardt, Justin Bohon, Darlesia Cearcy,
Lewis Cleale, Kevin Duda, Asmeret Ghebremichael, Clark Johnsen,
John Eric Parker, Benjamin Schrader, Michael James Scott, Brian Sears,
Jason Michael Snow, Lawrence Stallings, Brian Tyree Henry, Rema Webb,
Maia Nkenge Wilson, Tommar Wilson
Very nice video of the show. Mezzanine bar visible at bottom of the screen
on some of the wide shots but it doesn't interfere with anything.
Disc also includes behind the scenes footage, interviews and reviews. A
The Book of Mormon
3/7/11 ~ Broadway
Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Nikki M. James, Rory O'Malley,
Michael Potts, Lewis Cleale
A nice capture of this hilarious original show. On wide shots there
can be heads on the sides, but nothing that really obstructs the action.
Great clear sound and good picture A-
Bye Bye Birdie
9/16/09 ~ Broadway
John Stamos, Gina Gershon, Dee Hoty, Bill Irwin, Jayne
Houdyshell, Nolan Gerard Funk, Allie Trimm
One brief coverup due to latecomers but very brief. Otherwise
a good clear video with nice picture and sound A
Cabaret
11/13/01 ~ Broadway
Gina Gershon, Raul Esparza, Carole Shelley, Larry Keith,
Matthew Greer, Peter Benson, Candy Buckley
Good video, nice closeups A
Cabaret
3/29/03 ~ Broadway matinee
Neil Patrick Harris, Deborah Gibson,Tom Bosley, Mariette Hartley
Good quality filming. A
Carrie
2/4/12 ~ Off Broadway, matinee
Marin Mazzie, Molly Ranson, Christy Altomare, Carmen Cusack, Jenanna De Waal,
Derek Klena, Ben Thompson. Great capture of this beautifully retooled revival.
The performances were astonishing and the whole cast was senstational. Marin and
Molly are pure perfection! The campiness has been removed from the show and
there is such a sad and powerful story that remains. A-
Catch Me If You Can
4/27/11 ~ Broadway
Aaron Tveit, Norbert Leo Butz, Tom Wopat, Kerry Butler,
Joe Cassidy, Rachel deBenedit, Linda Hart, Timothy McCuen Piggee,
Brandon Wardell, Nick Wyman, Alex Ellis, Jennifer Frankel, Lisa Gajda,
Bob Gaynor, Kearran Giovanni, Grasan Kingsberry, Michael X. Martin,
Aleks Pevec, Rachelle Rak, Joe Aaron Reid, Angie Schworer, Sabrina Sloan,
Sarrah Strimel, Charlie Sutton, Katie Webber, Candice Marie Woods
A very brief blackout due to latecomers. Disc also includes around 100 minutes
of interviews, B-Roll, behind the scenes, etc.
Great video with nice picture and clear sound A
Chicago
1978 ~ U.S.Tour
Melody Adams, Kristen Childs
One of the few copies of the Bob Fosse staging instead of the
concert presentation. It's an older video but still wonderful to
watch even with some major generation loss. C
Chicago
5/12/07 ~ Milwaukee,WI
Terra C. MacLeod, Michelle DeJean,Tom Wopat, Kevin Mccready,
Carol Woods, R. Bean.
A terrific capture of this show with great closeups and excellent
sound throughout; Michelle is the highlight here and gives a
wonderful performance. A
Chicago
10/25/11 ~ Broadway
Kara DioGuardi, Amra-Faye Wright, Tony Yazbeck, James Harkness, James T. Lane, Chris Sullivan, Nicole Bridgewater, Jill Nicklaus, Donna Marie Asbury, Nili Bassman, Dylis Croman, Carol Woods, R. Lowe, Melissa Rae Maon, Peter Nelson, Jason Parick Sands, Ryan Worsing, Brian O'Brien, Michael Cusumano Show Date: October 25th, 2011
Mezzanine bar at times obstructs the very front of the stage. Disc also includes NY1 Interview with Kara DioGuardi. A
Chicago
2/4/12 ~ London
Cast: Sarah Soetaert, Rachel McDowall, Terence Maynard, James Doherty, Jasna Ivir, R. Whitehead, Lauren Brooke, Chantelle Carey, Abramo Ciullo, Edwina Cox, Ben Dixon, Jenny Gayner, Emma Harris, Jamie Hughes-Ward, Debbie Jenkins, Dann Kharsa, Rory Locke, Dario Mazzoli, Richard Murphy, Grant Neal, Alicia Peacock, Sergio Priftis, Laura Tyrer, Matt Wesley, Jayde Westaby
Highlights of show only. Act 1 (30 minutes): from All that Jazz to Introduction of Billy Flynn (right before All I Care About Is Love) Act 2 (45 minutes): missing a few minutes of Roxie's testimony (the doorbell rang - it doesn't matter/i can't go on) Filmed from the stalls. Slightly more than half is decent footage, the rest is the wrong bits of the stage, with some blackouts. Can be somewhat shaky at times, head obstructions. C
A Chorus Line
1975 ~ Public Theatre
UPGRADED!
Original Broadway Cast filmed prior to moving to Broadway.
Pro shot, using multiple cameras. Black and White, much better
quality than previous videos; an amazing piece of Broadway history. C+
A Chorus Line
September 1986 ~ Broadway
Donna McKechnie
Donna McKechnie's return to the role of Cassie 11 years after
the show debuted on Broadway. This was her return to the
theatre after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 1980.
Nice clarity and amazingly well filmed for a show this old. First
three minutes are blacked out. A
A Chorus Line
4/28/90 ~ Broadway
Laurie Gamache, Cynthia Fleming
Footage from the final Broadway performance filmed from the
wings by one of the cast members. Also includes a few minutes
of footage prior to the show B+
A Chorus Line
5/11/08 ~ Broadway
Mario Lopez, Jessica Lea Patty (u/s Cassie), Grant Turner (u/s
Larry), Natalie Cortez, Dena DiGiacinto, Jessica Lee Goldyn,
Deidre Goodwin, Melissa Lone, Heather Parcells, Jeffrey
Schecter, Katherine Tokarz, Kevin Worley
Highlights: most of the show, but a majority of the "Line Scenes"
between songs are audio only. Full audio throughout and the following
scenes and songs are on video: Opening, I Can Do That,
At the Ballet, Hello 12, Nothing, Dance Ten, Music and the
Mirror, Pauls Monologue, Rehearsal One,Why are you a dancer
scene,What I did for Love, and most of the finale. Great closeups
and performances. B+
A Chorus Line
8/17/08 ~ Broadway
Mario Lopez, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Deidre Goodwin, Nick Adams,
Todd Anderson,Tommy Berklund, Mike Cannon, Natalie Cortez,
Dene DiGiacinto, Jenifer Foote, Bryan Knowlton, James T. Lane,
Melissa Lone, J. Elaine Marcos, Paul McGill, Heather Parcells,
Adam Perry, Jeffrey Schecter, Eric Sciotto,Will Taylor, Katherine Tokarz
Final performance: filmed from front row of mezzanine
video starts near the end of the audition and shot goes down
for applause breaks; captures everything clearly after Mike's "I
Can Do That" but pretty full throughout; good video A
A Chorus Line
10/17/08 ~ tour in Cleveland
Clyde Alves, John Carroll, Emily Fletcher, Stepanie Gibson,
Michael Grueber, Natalie Elise Hall, Derek Hanson, Holly
Howard, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Dennis Lambert, Jessica
Latshaw, Ian Liberto, Pilar Millohollen, Colt Prattes, Gabrielle
Ruiz, Nikki Snelson,Anthony Wayne, J.R.Whittington, Jessica Wu
Highlights including an hour of the show: I Hope I Get It,What's
Not On The Resume, I Can To That,And,At The Ballet, Hello
12..., Nothing, Gimme The Ball, Dance 10, Looks 3, Caissie And
Zach (Part 1), Music And The Mirror, Paul's Speech, One, Cassie
And Zach (Part 2),What I Did For Love, Final 8 Are Chosen,
One (Reprise) C
A Chorus Line
10/21/08 ~ Cleveland, OH
Clyde Alves, John Carroll, Emily Fletcher, Stepanie Gibson,
Michael Grueber, Natalie Elise Hall, Derek Hanson, Jay
Armstrong Johnson, Bryan Knowlton (u/s Paul), Dennis Lambert,
Jessica Latshaw, Ian Liberto, Stephanie Martignetti (u/s Maggie),
Pilar Millohollen, Colt Prattes, Gabrielle Ruiz Nikki Snelson,
Anthony Wayne, Jessica Wu
Highlights including half-hour of the show: I Hope I Get It, I Can
Do That,At The Ballet, Hello 12..., Gimme The Ball, Dance 10,
Looks 3, Can The Adults Smoke? B
A Chorus Line
10/26/08 ~ Cleveland, OH, evening
Venny Carranza (u/s Mike), John Carroll, Emily Fletcher, Stepanie
Gibson, Michael Grueber, Natalie Elise Hall, Derek Hanson, Jay
Armstrong Johnson, Hollie Howard, Bryan Knowlton (u/s Paul),
Dennis Lambert, Jessica Latshaw, Ian Liberto, Pilar Millohollen,
Colt Prattes, Gabrielle Ruiz Nikki Snelson,Anthony Wayne,
Jessica Wu
Highlights include about 90 mintues of the show: I Hope I Get
It, I Can Do That,At The Ballet, Hello 12... (Audio Only),Nothing,
Mother, Gimme The Ball, Dance 10, Looks 3, Music & The
Mirror, Paul's Speach (Mostly Audio), Cassie & Zach/One,Tap
Comination,What I Did For Love, Elimination, One (Finale) A
Damn Yankees
April 1996 ~ National Tour
Jerry Lewis,Valerie Wright, David Elder, Linda Gabler, Susan Bigelow
Good picture and sound but some generation loss B
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
1/31/05 ~ Broadway, first preview
John Lithgow, Norbert Leo Butz, Sherie Rene Scott, Joanna
Gleason, Gregory Jbara, Sara Gettelfinger
Shot from the mezzanine, with lots of closeups and excellent
video and sound. Digital,1st generation from the master A
Doctor Dolittle
7/22/06 ~ Chicago, IL
Tommy Tune, Dee Hoty, Allan Mangaser, Sandi DeGeorge, Aaron
Burr, Joel Blum, Jessica Wu, Matthew Crowle
About four minutes of blackouts; not a great show at its final
tour stop but fun to watch and enjoyable with great closeups
and good sound A
Dracula the Musical
9/3/04 ~ Broadway
Tom Hewitt, Melissa Errico
Nicer than the above video but darker in some places; filmed
from front of mezzanine center.the sound is great A
The Drowsy Chaperone
Winter 2005 ~ Los Angeles, CA
Bob Martin, Sutton Foster, Beth Leavel, Danny Burstein, Georgia
Engel, Edward Hibbert,Troy Britton Johnson, Eddie Korbich,
Garth Kravits, Jason Kravits, Kecia Lewis-Evans, Jennifer Smith,
Lenny Wolpe
Pre-Broadway press reels; very rare and interesting; includes
clips of cut song "I Remember Love" and Sutton Foster performing
in a arm cast; about 25 minutes long A+
The Drowsy Chaperone
12/1/07 ~ Philadelphia, PA
Jonathan Crombie, Georgia Engle, Nancy Opel, Andrea
Chamberlain, Robert Dorfman, Mark Ledbetter, Richard Vida,
Cliff Bemis, Marla Mindelle, Paul Riopelle, Peter Riopelle, James
Moye, Fran Jaye, Chuck Rea
Nice video of the "Drowsy" tour; a bit shakey for the first 5- 6
minutes; a bit of obstruction of the left part of the stage; no
heads in the way and nice closeups, and the video follows the
action on stage well. Missing a bit of the 'Intermission' and
"Message From a Nightingale" for a tape change A
Elisabeth
2002 ~ 10th Anniversary Concert in Vienna
Uwe Kroger, Pia Douwes, Ethan Freeman, Thomas Borchert, Jesper Tyden, Viktor Gernot, Stanley Burleson
Very nice quality, filmed from the right orchestra. In German. A-
An Evening With Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin
10/28/07 ~ Philadelphia, PA
The performers who won Tony Awards for Evita bring their critically
acclaimed theatre concert - with choreography by Tony
Award winner Ann Reinking - to the 450 seat Prince Music
Theater in Philadelphia for eight performances. Songs by
Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers, Andrew Lloyd Webber,
Jerome Kern, Kander and Ebb and more highlight performances of
this rare pairing of major Broadway stars.They are accompanied
on piano by Patinkin's longtime pianist, Paul Ford, who co-conceived
the show with director Patinkin. From South Pacific to
Merrily We Roll Along, Carousel and more, the duo stop only
for a line or two of dialogue from the musicals and a brief intermission."
Well filmed with some great close-ups. A
An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin
11/17/11 & 11/18/11 ~ Broadway
Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin
Act 1 shot on 11/17 and act 2 shot on 11/18. A head in the way in act 2 sometimes, but it's never reallu and issue. A
Evita
1980 ~ Broadway
Patti Lupone, Mandy Patinkin, Bob Gunton
Starts with one of the old commericals; actually a very nice
looking video; well, its old and grainy but color at times and you
can follow the story throughout; some whiteouts but some
zooms as well. Good for its age B
Evita
1981 ~ Shubert Theatre, Chicago
Valerie Perri, John Herrera, Robert Alton, Peter Marinos, Cynthia Simpson
Professionally shot footage of tech run of 2nd National Tours
opening at The Shubert in Chicago. Starts with "Eva, Beware Of
The City" and goes through end of "Waltz For Eva And Che".
Does not contain all numbers, but does have most. Very dark
and hard to see details at times but nice video B+
Evita
1981 ~ Los Angeles, CA
Loni Ackerman and the rest of the original LA Cast
Nicely filmed. Some generational loss, and spotlight washout. B+
Evita
August 1991 - The Actors' Company, MI
Hunter Foster, Sutton Foster, Jeanne Delong
Local performance; pretty good for its age B+
Evita
6/12/99 ~ 20th Anniversary Tour
Natalie Toro, Raul Esparza, Tom Flynn, Raymond Jaramillo
McLeod, Angela Covington
Finally got my better copy of this video, very good B+
Evita
8/7/05 ~ Atlanta, GA
Kathy Voytko, Bradley Dean, Philip Hernandez, Gabriel Burrafato,
Kate Manning
The picture is quite good, zooms and follows the action well,
though there is a slight glare.The sound is very good, extremely
clear except for occasional slight skips. B+
Evita
8/17/08 ~ Sacramento, CA
Julia Murney, Eric Kunze, Scott Blanks, Philip Michael Baskerville,
Kari Yancy, Kim Arnett, Ann Cooley, Elizabeth Earley, Angelina
Holliman, Carolanne Marano, Rayne Marcus, Christy Morton,
Michael Ramey, Brett Rigby, Christine Rowan, German Santiago,
Joseph Sark, Rocklin Thompson, Maurice Whitfield, Gabriel
Williams, Josh Anderson, Brad Bong, Casey Bowman, Justin
Kelley, Tyler Russell Warren, Kyle Welling, Reyna Armour, Bailey
M. Duff, Tyler Fagan, Isabelle Flores-Jones, Lauren Metzinger,
Krosby Roza, Katelyn Torres,Andrew Wilson
Beautifully shot in 16:9 widescreen, crystal clear picture, great
zooms, very steady. Minor obstruction from a head on left side
of screen, but is not really an issue at all. Only a few brief coverups.
The show was performed in the round so sometimes the
actors have their backs to the camera, but the show is very well
balanced on all sides of the stage. A
Evita
9/17/09 ~ UK Tour
Rachael Wooding, Seamus Cullen, Mark Heenehan, Carly Bawden, James Waud
A bar obstruction from the balcony which interferes with some
of the downstage action; good picture quality and sound throughout;
a nice video 2 DVDs A
Evita
March 2010 ~ Lake Havasu City, AZ
Gina DeLuca, Eric Kunze, Sean Tamburrino, Jason Fallis, Lauren Blain
Presented by Grace Arts Live, mix of professional and amateur actors;
pro-shot, filmed on a tripod A
Evita
3/14/12 ~ Broadway
Elena Roger, Ricky Martin, Michael Cerveris, Max von Essen, Rachel Potter, Maya
Jade Frank.
Great Capture of the due Broadway transfer from London. Elena is a
great Evita, the addition of Michael, Ricky and Max are excellent. A lavish and
well executed Evita that was due for a date with Broadway. A
Follies Ultimate Edit DVD
May 2011 ~ Washington, DC
Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein, Rod Raines,
Elaine Paige, Linda Lavin, Regine, Susan Watson, Terri White,
Terrence Currier, Christian Delcroix, Rosalind Elias, Colleen Fitzpatrick,
Lora Lee Gayer, Michael Hayes, Florence Lacey, David Sabin, Kirsten Scott
This edited version features the best footage from the three bootlegged
versions of the show (filmed on 5/11/11, 5/13/11, and 5/28/11 - but most of
the footage comes from the 5/28/11 version). Well done A
Ghost, The Musical
2/13/10 ~ London, Workshop
Richard Fleeshman, Cassie Levy, Sharon D. Clark
A musical adaptation of the 1990 film which starred Patrick Swayze,
Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg with usic and lyrics by Dave Stewart
(of the Eurhythmics); staged reading filmed with multiple cameras,
with sound patched directly in from the soundboard. A
Ghost The Musical
3/17/12 ~ Broadway
Richard Fleeshman, Caissie Levy, Moya Angela as (u/s) Oda Mae, Bryce Pinkham,
Tyler McGee, Lance Roberts, Michael Balderrama
Beautiful capture and performances of this long awaited Broadway transfer. Richard and Caissie are
terrific here and such great voices. Moya was great as Oda Mae. A pretty
technical and imaginative production. A
Godspell
11/13/11 ~ Broadway
Hunter Parrish, Wallace Smith, Uzo Aduba, Nick Blaemire,
Morgan James, Telly Leung, Lindsay Mendez, George Salazar,
Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Joaquina Kalukango (u/s Celisse)
Nice steady capture of this very small show. First five minutes are
"wandering" and mostly dark while cast was in audience with cellphones
for the Prologue. This is a great ensemble cast show. A-
Good People
2/8/11 ~ Broadway
Frances McDormand, Tate Donovan, Estelle Parsons,
Renee Elise Goldsberry, Becky Ann Baker, Patrick Carroll
Good clear video with nice picture and sound; disc also includes
around a half hour of reviews and interviews. A
High School Musical
1/28/07 ~ Atlanta, GA
John Jeffrey Martin, Arielle Jacobs, Patti Murin, Bobby List, Allison
Fraser, Ron Bohmer, Shakiem Evans, Shaullanda LaCombe, Olivia Oguma
Stage Manager's Calling Copy so you hear a voice calling the
show throughout the video; house camera video with good
sound but no closeups A
The House of Blue Leaves
5/25/87 ~ PBS Television
Swoosie Kurtz, Christine Baranski, John Mahoney, Ben Stiller, Julie Hagerty
Professionally filmed for PBS. Features a young Ben Stiller in his
first show. Very nice video A
The House of Blue Leaves
6/22/11 ~ Broadway
Ben Stiller, Edie Falco, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Abbott,
Susan Bennett, Jimmy Davis, Hailey Feiffer, Mary Beth Hurt,
Alison Pill, Thoams Sadoski, Tally Sessions
First few minutes, which is just Ben Stiller sitting at a piano,
are audio only and last 20 seconds and curtain call are audio
only as well due to ushers; disc also includes interviews and
opening night footage. Nice video A
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
1/11/12 ~ Broadway, matinee
Darren Criss, Beau Bridges, Rose Hemingway, Tammy Blanchard, Christopher J. Hanke, Nick Mayo, Charlie Williams, Kevin Covert, Colt Prattes, Marty Lawson, Joey Sorge, David Hull, Andrew Madsen, Michael Park, Holly Ann Butler (u/s Smitty), Ellen Harvey, Shannon Lewis, J. Austin Eyer (u/s), Justin Keyes, Stephanie Rothenberg, Cameron Adams, Paige Faure, Tanya Birl, Samantha Zack, Cleve Asbury
Ushers were on crazy lookout so there's more mid stage shots than usual but they seem to work well for the show. There's still a crazy ton of closeups but when the full stage is in use, it's set to that which is actually good. Disc also includes 30 minutes of interviews with Darren Criss. A
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
2/4/12 ~ Broadway
Nick Jonas, Beau Bridges, Rose Hemingway, Tammy Blanchard, Michael Urie, Mary Faber, Ellen Harvey, Michael Park, Rob Bartlett
Excellent capture of Nick and Michael who had just joined the cast. Nick and Michael do a great job of stepping into the role and making it their own! A
Idina Menzel
10/29/10 ~ Washington DC
NSO Pops A Date with Idina Menzel with Marvin Hamlisch as conductor.
Songs
Include: The Life of the Party, I’m Not That Girl, Love For Sale/Roxanne,
Funny Girl, Don’t Rain On My Parade, Asleep on the Wind, No Day But Today,
Poker Face, Gorgeous, Good Morning Walker/I Feel So Smoochie, For Good (a
cappella), Defying Gravity, What I Did For Love. Beautiful concert of song and
story from Idina, with everything nicely capture. A
Jesus Christ Superstar
3/14/12 ~ Broadway
Paul Nolan, Josh Young, Chilina Kennedy, Tom Hewitt, Bruce Dow, Marcus Nance,
Aaron Walpole.
So much power and talent in this Broadway Transfer. Much more
energy than the previous La Jolla capture. Excellent changes to the production
including the addition of Tom. Beautifully captured and Josh Young is
sensational! A+
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
3/6/05 ~ New York
Sam Rockwell, Eric Bogosian, Jeffrey De Munn, Craig "Mums"
Grant, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Deborah Rush
Great video and sound of a very interesting show in a perfect
theater A
Leap of Faith
9/11/10 ~ Los Angeles, CA
Raul Esparza, Brooke Shields, Kendra Kassebaum, Kecia Lewis-Evans,
Nicholas Barasch, Jarrod Emick, Leslie Odom Jr.
Great capture of the very first Prebroadway performance of this show.
Clear picture and sound; very nice video 2 DVDs A
Leap of Faith
9/19/10 ~ Los Angeles, CA
Raul Esparza, Brooke Shields, Kendra Kassebaum, Kecia Lewis-Evans,
Nicholas Barasch, Jarrod Emick, Leslie Odom Jr., Krystal Joy Brown,
Charlie Williams, Brandon Wardell, Dennis Stowe, Bryce Ryness,
CE Smith, Harvey Evans, Michael X Martin, Brad Anderson,
Bob Gaynor, Darcie Roberts, Shannon Lewis, Alex Michael Stoll, Michelle Duffy
A couple of minor drop outs, but overall the show is beautifully captured
and very steady; first act has no obstruction; the second act has some
heads at the bottom in wide shots, but they are filmed around;
slight washout in some of the wides; filmed in 16:9 and includes
curtain call. 2 DVDs A
Leap of Faith
4/4/12 ~ Broadway
Raul Esparza, Jessica Phillips, Kendra Kassebaum, Kecia Lewis-Evans, Leslie Odom
Jr., Krystal Joy Brown, Talon Ackerman
Nice capture of the second preview with many changes to the story since the Los Angeles production. There are about six minutes of blackouts during the beginning due to latecomers and clueless ushers. Raul still does a great job in the role and a big contender for the Tony this year! A-
Legally Blonde: The Musical
2/7/07 ~ San Francisco, CA
Laura Bell Bundy, Christian Borle, Orfeh, Richard H. Blake, Kate
Shindle, Nikki Snelson, Michael Rupert
Starts around the last verse of Omigod You Guys.There are a
few brief cover-ups (mostly around the first 5-10 minutes of
each act). Great performaces from the day after their opening
here; the video suffers from unfortunate shake consistently
throughout the video. 2 DVDs B+
Legally Blonde: The Musical
4/29/10 ~ West End, London
Sheridan Smith, Sean Mulligan (u/s Warner), Alex Gaumond,
Peter Davison, Jill Halfpenny, Aoife Mulholland, Caroline Keiff,
Lucy Miller (u/s Serena)
Great capture of the London cast with good picture and sound throughout.
This also includes the new version of "Ireland" that was rewritten for the
London Cast. A
Legally Blonde, the Muscial
10/23/10 ~ non-equity tour in Cleveland, matinee
Nikki Bohne, Matthew Regas, Hannah Rose Deflumeri, Nic Rouleau, Kahlil Joseph, Jillian Wallach, Shannon Mullen, Nadia Vynnytsky, Maggie Tyler, Brit West, Nicole Brancucci, Kasey Walker, Rochelle Smith, Sarah Beth Pfeifer, Jessie Hooker, Beth Kuhn, Matthew Sean Callahan, Andre Jordan, Ken Arpino, Richard Jerrett, Andy White
Filmed really well from the front row center of the orchestra. Fantastic zooms. Missing a little chunk from the show (the Harvard Party Scene) and the video ends right before Paulette sings during the graduation. A
Les Misérables
11/8/98 ~ Toronto, 3NT
Colm Wilkinson,Todd Alan Johnson, Susan Gilmour, Maggie
Martinsen,Aymee Garcia (u/s), JP Dougherty, Jeffrey Tauber
Hyke,Tim Howar, Kurt Kovalenko, Jessica Snow-Wilson, Regan
Thiel, Stephen Bishop
Runs just under 2 hours - Act I to "Javert's Intervention", Act II
highlights only; also includes the 1987 Macys Thanksgiving Day
Parade performance, the 1987 Tony Award performance and
more B
Les Misérables
2/7/00 ~ Los Angeles, CA
Ivan Rutheford, Stephan Bishop, Regan Thiel, Sutton Foster, J.P. Dougherty
Excellent picture and sound with opening credits A
Les Misérables
11/19/02 ~ Broadway
J. Mark McVey, David Masenheimer, Lauren Kennedy, Kevin Kern,
Diana Kaarina, Sandra Turley, Christopher Mark Peterson, Nick Wyman
Stunning quality and some of the steadiest taping I've ever seen
in a boot. Filmed by the same taper as the final Les Mis highlights.
McVey has a decent voice but cannot act. Masenheimer
has a great voice, great stage presence. Kennedy is a Fantine
whose acting surpasses her voice, which wavers on the low
notes. A-
Les Misérables
4/22/03 ~ Broadway
Andrew Varel, Terrence Mann, Jayne Patterson, Aymee Garcia,
Nick Wyman, Diana Kaarina, Christopher Mark Peterson, Kevin
Kern, Sandra Turley
Great quality video and sound. A
The Little Dog Laughed
2/11/07 ~ Broadway matinee
Johnny Galicki,Tom Everett Scott, Julie White, Zoe Lister-Jones
Another great video, a little biiter than the above one but excellent
picture and sound with nice closeups throughout A
The Little Mermaid
1/4/09 ~ Broadway Highlights
Sierra Boggess, Meredith Ingelsby (u/s Ursula), Sean Palmer,
Norm Lewis, Rogelio Douglas, Jr.,Trevor Braun, Eddie Korbich,
Jason Snow (u/s Flotsom), Eric LaJuan Summers, Jonathan
Freeman
Almost an hour of highlights, mostly Act 2; some obstruction on
both sides, but especially on the right, where things get blocked
once in a while; also a bar that can be seen at the bottom of the
screen, Good sound. okay video B
Lost in Yonkers
3/13/10 ~ Paper Mill Playhouse, NJ
Maxwell Beer, Alex Wyse, Patricia Buckley, John Plumpis,
Sara Surrey, J. Anthony Crane, Rosemary Prinz
Incomplete: first 8 minutes of Act 1, and about an hour and
2 minutes of Act 2, followed by 20 minutes of the Post Show
Talk Back. Good sound and shot nicely but some spotlight
washout and heads in the way B
Merlin
1983 ~ Broadway
Chita Rivera, Doug Henning, Nathan Lane
Still shot of the stage, but still good despite its age.
Newcopy on DVD better B+
Merrily We Roll Along - Encores!
2/9/12 ~ New York
Colin Donnell, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Celia Keenan-Bolger,
Elizabeth Stanley, Betsy Wolfe, Adam Gruper, Whit Baldwin,
Rachel Coloff, Ben Crawford, Joshua Delia Crus,
Bernard Dotson, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Marja Harmon,
Leah Horowitz, Mylinda Hull, Michael X. Martin, Sean McKnight,
Kenita R. Miller, Patricia Noonan, Andrew Samonsky, Pearl Sun,
Charlie Sutton, Zachary Unger, Jessica Vosk, Karl Warden, Michael Winther
Very well filmed with excellent close-ups and clear picture and sound
throughout; nice video; DVD includes about 30 minutes of behind
the scenes and interviews. A
The Mountaintop
10/8/11 - Broadway - evening
Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett
A great capture of this powerful play about Martin Luther King, Jr. Some blackouts at times, with some wandering, but all in all very good when focused. A-
Next to Normal
3/28/09 ~ Broadway
Alice Ripley, J. Robert Spencer, Aaron Tveit, Jennifer Damiano,
Adam Chanler-Berat, Louis Hobson
Good capture with beautiful color. Bar sometimes in middle of
shot, it's filmed around most of the time but i can be distracting;
nice video; audio only start of Act 2 B+
Next to Normal
11/23/10 ~ Los Angeles, CA
Alice Ripley, Asa Sommers, Curt Hansen, Emma Hunton,
Preston K. Sadleir, Jeremy Kushnier
Great video of the first performance on the tour; two short
black outs, one lasts for 30 seconds just before Perfect for You,
and the other is the first minute or so of act two; slight washout
in the wider shots; great clear sound 2 DVDs A
Next to Normal
12/4/10 ~ Los Angeles, CA
Alice Ripley, Asa Sommers, Curt Hansen, Emma Hunton,
Preston K. Sadleir, Jeremy Kushnier
Great video with excellent picture and crisp clear sound
throughout; very nice video A+
Next to Normal
6/11/11 ~ Cleveland, OH
Pearl Sun (u/s Diana), Asa Somers, Curt Hansen, Emma Hunton,
Preston Sadleir, Jeremy Kushnier
Highlights running about 72 minutes of Pearl as Diana.
Captured well, with some spotlight washout and a shaky
camera at times; Highlights include Just Another Day,
My Psychopharmacologis t and I, I Miss the Mountains through
It's Gonna Be Good, You Don't Know/I Am the One, Crazy Rockstar
through Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me - I'm Falling, I Dreamed a Dance
through A Light in the Dark, Wish I Were Here, Song of Forgetting,
Seconds and Years through You Don't Know (Reprise), How Could I Ever
Forget through Make Up Your Mind (Reprise). B
Next to Normal
6/14/11 ~ Cleveland, OH
Alice Ripley, Asa Somers, Perry Sherman (u/s Gabe), Emma Hunton,
Preston Sadlier, Jeremy Kushnier
Missing the first few minutes of the show, I Dreamed a Dance, and about
a minute of Perfect for You (reprise); video ends during Light; filmed
around a bar between the second level of the house and a two heads and
picture is a little shaky but good sound; not a bad video B
Next to Normal
6/19/11 ~ Cleveland, OH
Alice Ripley, Asa Somers, Curt Hansen, Emma Hunton,
Preston Sadlier, Jeremy Kushnier
Almost a complete video, missing Make Up Your Minds
and A Light in the Dark; spotlight washout, and a shaky camera
and spotlight washout but good clear sound B
The Phantom of the Opera
2/28/88 ~ Broadway
Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, Steve Barton
Full stage production. Extensive generation loss but audio is still
*very* good. Shot left balcony from tripod. Mesmerizing performance
by Crawford, full coverage of Brightman's dance numbers.
Filmed early in show's run since audience applauds in
places they never do now. C
The Phantom of the Opera
7/31/02 ~ Broadway 2pm matinee
Howard McGillin, Elizabeth Southard, Michael Shawn Lewis,
Wren Marie Herrington (u/s)
Gorgeous color, very bright, great zooms and closeups, mostly
very steady except when shifting to shoot around a head in
front. A couple of minor skips - all areas of the stage are visible,
no persistent blockage. Shot from last row front mezzanine.
Digital 2nd Generation A
The Phantom of the Opera
8/2/07 ~ Washington, DC
John Cudia, Marni Raab, Greg Mills, D. C.Anderson, Bruce
Winant, Laureen Vigil (u/s), Rebecca Judd, John Whitney, Polly Baird
Filmed in Widescreen with excellent steady picture and sound.
Colors are sharp and vivid. Excellent filming conditions resulted
in a perfect capture - not a single cover-up. Curtain call filmed;
very nice video of the new touring cast 2 DVD A
The Phantom of the Opera
September 2008 ~ London
Ramin Karimloo, Gina Beck, Simon Bailey, Barry James, Gareth
Snook, Kate Radmilovic, Heather Jackson, Rohan Tickell,T ori Jones
Dark with some spotlight washout but very well filmed with
great sound; nice video 2 DVDs A
Promises, Promises
9/22/10 ~ Broadway
Sean Hayes, Kristin Chenoweth, Brian O'Brien (u/s J.D. Sheldrake),
Katie Finneran, Dick Latessa, Brooks Ashmanskas, Helen Anker,
Peter Benson, Sean Martin Hingston
Filmed in 16:9 widescreen with no obstructions; a few very
brief blackouts due to late-comers. Steady filming with a good
mix of close-ups and medium zooms. Video includes Katie Finneran's
scenes from her final performance on October 10, 2010. Great clear
video and excellent sound A
Promises, Promises
11/17/10 ~ Broadway
Kristin Chenoweth, Sean Hayes, Tony Goldwyn, Molly Shannon,
Dick Latessa, Brooks Ashmanskas
Beautiful capture of the show shortly just before closing
when Molly Shannon joined the company for a few months.
Wonderfully cute show and always great performances from
the entire cast. A
Rent
4/29/96 ~ Broadway
Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Idina Menzel,
Fredi Walker, Jesse L. Martin, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Taye Diggs
Classic Rent camcorder video that everyone should have that
I've had for about 8 years so it is a lower generation. Great first
act and the black speed lines for about 30 minutes in second act
that end during Take Me or Leave Me B+
Rent
5/1/96 ~ Broadway
Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jesse L. Martin,
Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Fredi Walker, Taye Diggs, Sherie Renee Scott (u/s)
UPGRADED! Much clearer video than before although it was filmed from
the back left of the theater and you can't see much of what is
happening on the stage besides at the very bottom of the screen with no
closeups; very clear sound; disc includes reviews, 48 Hours story about
Jonathan Larson, Idina Menzel interview, CBS This Morning Rent coverage B
Rent
February 1997 ~ Broadway
Adam Pascal, Norbert Leo Butz (u/s), Jesse L. Martin,Wilson
Jermaine Heredia, Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs
Suffers serious generation loss, picture blips and spotlight
washout but nicely filmed C+
Rent
9/5/99 ~ San Francisco, CA
Angel Cast: Trey Ellett, Dean Balkwill, Sharon Leal, Erin Keaney,
Kamilah Martin, Mark Leroy Jackson, Shaun Earl, Brian Love
Closing night video; filmed from orchestra A
Rock of Ages
4/12/09 ~ Broadway
Constantine Maroulis, Amy Spanger, James Carpinello, Tad Wilson
(u/s Dennis/Record Company Man), Mitchell Jarvis, Michele Mais,
Lauren Molina, Paul Schoeffler, Wesley Taylor
Has about 8 minutes of total blackouts, mostly towards the
beginning; a few heads in the first 15 minutes only on wide shots
and when the action was on the edge of the stage.A
Shrek: The Musical
4/11/09 ~ Broadway matinee
Brian d'Arcy James, Haven Burton (u/s Fiona), Christopher
Sieber, Daniel Breaker, John Tartaglia, Rachel Resheff, Heather
Jane Rolff (u/s Mama Bear/Gingy)
Great video with clear picture, excellent video and first video of
understudy Haven Burton as Fiona; Ryan's video A
Side Show
6/8/01 ~ Northlight Theatre, Skokie
Kristen Behrendt as Violet, Susie McMonagle as Daisy, James Moye as Terry, Sam Samuelson as Buddy. Pretty good video of this rarely performed show. Shot in a tiny theater, from the master. B+
South Pacific
4/3/08 ~ Broadway, Revival
Kelli O'Hara, Paulo Szot, Loretta Ables Sayre, Matthew Morrison,
Danny Burstein, Sean Cullen,Victor Hawks, Luka Kain, Li Jun Li,
Laurissa Romain, Skipp Sudduth, Noah Weisberg, Becca Ayers
Only 2 coverups, all of Act One only lasting 30 seconds; there
are sound changes for the last 20 minutes but is still very clear.
Act 2 has no problems.great sound, great video A+
Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark
9/17/11 ~ Broadway
Reeve Carney, Jennifer Damiano, T.V. Caripo, Patrick Page,
Michael Mulheren, Ken Marks, Megan Lewis (u/s Aunt May), Timothy Warmen
This is the revamp Spider-Man 2.0 Version. A completely reworked show
from the original. A Nice capture of the show; some of the flight
sequences above the audience are a little hard to see, because everyone
leans forward and ushers come foward to make sure no one gets out
of their seats. A-
Spring Awakening
2/21/07 ~ Broadway
Jonathan Groff, John Gallagher Jr., Lea Michele, Skylar Astin, Lilli
Cooper, Gideon Glick, Brian Charles Johnson, Christine
Estabrook, Lauren Pritchard, Phoebe Strole, Stephen Spinella,
Jonathan B. Wright, Remy Zaken
Filmed from the far left in the orchestra with many coverups
and spotlight washout; camera not always focused on the stage
unfortunately; really nice sound though C+
Spring Awakening
4/24/08 ~ Broadway
Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, Blake Bashoff, Matt Doyle, Skylar
Astin, Christine Estabrook, Lilli Cooper, Blake Daniel,Glenn
Fleshler, Emma Hunton, Brian Charles Johnson, Phoebe Strole, Remy Zaken
The first eight minutes are a mixture of full stage shots, closeups
and cover-ups but once taper gets to "All That's Known" it
gets a lot better with an exception of a few cover-ups (in both
acts) and missing about thirty seconds of "Whispering" A
Spring Awakening
8/17/08 ~ San Diego, CA
Kyle Riabko, Blake Bashoff, Christy Altomare, Julie Benko, Steffi D, Gabrielle Garza, Kimiko Glenn, Sarah Hunt, Anthony Lee Medina, Andy Mientus, Ben Moss, Angela Reed. Act One Only, beginning with "Mamma Who Bore Me." This dvd includeds Christy Altomare's performance at the Apple Store in San Diego. Singing "Mama Who Bore Me," as well at a Q&A period with her and her Guitarist, Freddie. A-
Tanz der Vampire
January 2000 ~ Vienna
Steve Barton, Jessica Kessler, Aris Sas, Máté Kamarás
Steve Barton's final performance, filmed from a balcony, with some slight generation loss. VERY enthusiastic audience. A-
West Side Story Benefit Concert
11/13/02 ~ New York
Kevin Spacey, Katie Curoc, Meryl Streep, Susan Sarandon, Kelsey
Grammar, Kevin Kline, Robert DeNiro, Jimmy Fallon, Chris
Kattan, Josh Groban, Chita Rivera, Rita Moreno, Bette Midler,
Heather Headley, Whoopi Goldberg, Vince Gill, Amy Grant,Tony
Danza, Rudy Gulianni, Jesse L. Martin, Beyonce Knowles
Pro shot video of Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal
Center tribute show B+
Wicked
2/10/08 ~ Cleveland, OH
Donna Vivino (u/s Elphaba), Katie Rose Clarke, Cliffton Hall,
Alma Cuervo, Lee Wilkof, Deedee Magno Hall, Brad Weinstock, Tom Flynn
Highlights only. Really terrible quality. Only for a serious
Wicked/Donna fan. Good sound though 2 DVD C
Wicked
3/9/08 ~ Cleveland, OH
Carmen Cusack, Katie Rose Clarke, Cliffton Hall, Alma Cuervo,
Lee Wilkof, Deedee Magno Hall, Brad Weinstock, Tom Flynn
Act 1 highlights only. Pretty terrible quality. Good sound though.
Not recommended C
Young Frankenstein
10/13/09 ~ Cleveland, OH
Roger Bart, Shuler Hensley, Brad Oscar, Beth Curry,
Cory English, Joanna Glushak, Anne Hurack
Highlights only, about 50 minutes long which contains
about 46 minutes of Act 1 and ony about 4 minutes of Act 2;
quality is decent and good sound 2 DVDs B+
10/18/11 ~ Tampa, FL
Douglas Sills, Sara Gettelfinger, Martin Vidnovic, Crista Moore,
Blake Hammond, Pippa Pearthree, Tom Corbeil, Patrick Kennedy,
Brian Justin Crum, Cortney Wolfson
Beautiful capture of the again newly reworked version of the tour.
Changes include new songs, reworked, new or cut scenes and plots and
it makes it a better show; clear picture and sound; very nice video A
AIDA
11/18/99 ~ Chicago
Heather Headley,Adam Pascal, Sherie Rene Scott
Shot from 6th row right orchestra at an odd angle; full stage
with whiting out of faces; great audio. C
Annie Get Your Gun
1999 ~ Broadway
Bernadette Peters, Tom Wopat, Valerie Wright, Peter Marx, Ronn Carroll,
Gregory Zaragoza, Andrew Palermo, Nicole Ruth Snelson, Ron Holgate
Complete show filmed from the mezzanine right with some closeups and
good picture and sound. B+
Annie Get Your Gun
Act I highlights: 7/1/00 & Act II: 6/6/00 ~ Broadway
Bernadette Peters,Tom Wopat (u/s for act II)
Act I: Some heads in the way, about a five or ten minute blackout
during the show. Act II:The other taper's camera is not digital,
and it's quite noticeable, especially after going from act I to
act II. Some zooms, some spotlight washout. One head in the
lower 1/4 of the screen and the far right corner, not really a distraction.
Also includes the 1999 Easter Bonnets skit after the show. B
The Apple Tree
2/11/07 ~ Broadway
Kristin Chenoweth, Brian d'Arcy James, Marc Kudisch, Meggie Cansler, Sean
Palmer, Sarah Jane Everman, Walter Charles. Beautiful capture of this charming
show which features three different stories. This show really show cases
Kristin's amazing talent and such a wonderful production! A
Beauty and The Beast
1995 ~ Original Los Angeles Cast
Susan Egan, James Barbour,Tom Bosley, Gary Beach
Also includes Opening Night show from Los Angeles TV with
interviews with cast; behind the scenes B+
Beauty and The Beast
August 1997 ~ Denver, CO
Kim Huber, Fred Inkley,Tony Lawson, Den Sklar, Patrick Page, Jeff
Brooks, Barbara Merinou
Okay video, some generation loss and not a very steady camera;
good sound and nice video at times B
Beauty and the Beast
11/18/01 ~ Broadway
Steve Blanchard, Michelle Mallardi (u/s), Christopher Sieber,
Bryan Batt, Jeff Brooks, Beth Fowler, Mary Stout
Good picture and sound; nice closeups; good video A
Beauty and the Beast
8/3/03 ~ Philadelphia, PA
Roger Befeler, Jennifer Shrader, Mark G. Dalio, Jaime Ross,
Andrew Boyer
Nicely filmed from the balcony, but occasionally the balcony railing
gets in the shot; great close ups. Final Performance of the
Third National Tour. Includes post show speach by Roger
Befeler. B+
Beauty and the Beast
6/17/06 ~ Pittsburgh
Brad Little, Mandy Bruno, Brian Noonan, Ron Wisniski, Jeff
Howell, Ray DeMattis, Jeff Skowron, Joy Franz
Shot from the left orchestra; only about a minute of action is
missed (when Gaston and the Beast climb the "roof" during the
final fight).Audio starts before Belle's father leaves for the fair
but filming doesn't start until after Maurice is in the castle. Lots
of ushers so about four or five coverups during the first act,
usually less than a minute long at the end of a song and nothing
major is missed.The second act is filmed better with only one
coverup during the show and one at curtain calls; good picture
and sound throughout A
Beauty and the Beast
7/27/07 ~ Broadway
Steve Blanchard, Anneliese van der Pol, Chris Hoch, David
deVries, Jeanne Lehman, Glenn Rainey, Jamie Ross, Trevor Braun,
Aldrin Gonzalez, Ann Mandrella
Good amount of closeups and good quality filmed from the midmezzanine;
there is a railing issue for a while in Act 1 but the
taper improves; taper sometimes loses attention to the show at
times and it is a little shaky; erratic and random coverups, and
'Me', 'Gaston' and 'Be Our Guest' are all predominantly missing
and recording stopped for some time after 'Gaston', which created
a little jump in the timeline to where Maurice gets thrown
out of the tavern.Very little closeups during 'Human Again' but a
nice video of the last Broadway cast B
Beauty and the Beast
4/4/10 ~ Chicago, IL
Liz Shivener, Justin Glaser, Nathaniel Hackmann, Sabina Petra,
Merritt David Janes, Keith Kirkwood, Michael Fatica, Jen Bechter
Nice video staged a little different then previous versions; a couple
of blackouts, lasting about 4 minutes total; great picture and sound A-
Billy Elliot, the Musical
5/12/05 ~ London
George Maguire (Billy Elliot-of the three boys who alternated the role of Billy,
George was chosen to play the role in the opening night performance), Ryan
Longbottom (Michael), Haydn Gwynne (Mrs. Wilkinson), Tim Healey (Dad), Joe
Caffrey (Tony). RARE! Filmed at the opening night performance! The video
looks like it was probably filmed from the lighting booth with the camera on a
tripod. Mostly filmed in wider shots with an occasional close-up. Some
spotlight washout. A
Billy Elliot, the Musical
2005 ~ London
Liam Mower, Philip Whitchurch
Filmed from the back of the orchestra; when a full stage shot, there is
some wash out but it zooms in a lot and those shots are a lot clearer;
good quality and a clear picture; video also includes press reels of
Colin Bates A
Billy Elliot - The Musical
4/28/06 ~ London
Leon Cooke, Brad Kavanagh, Emma Hudson, Haydn Gwynne,
Philip Whitchurch, Chris Lennon,Ann Emery, Paul Broughton,
Alex Delamare, Stephanie Putson
From the taper: Starts at the end of Billy's boxing lesson, mostly
cover-ups until earnest filming starts at "Solidarity".Various
other cover-ups scattered throughout because of aforementioned
ushers but most of the dance numbers are perfect.
Includes the dance megamix after curtain. A nice mix of full, mid
and close shots to match the action. Right third of stage blocked
by a head, but that rarely matters. Incredible close-ups when the
situation calls (want to read Billy's acceptance letter?). Steady
filming and very little spotlight washout. B+
Billy Elliot - The Musical
11/2/06 ~ West End, London
Mathew Koon, Sally Dexter, Philip Whitchurch,Ann Emery, Chris
Lennon, Sara Poyzer
Excellent show and amazing capture here, crystal clear picture
and sound.This features the Asian Billy, and he was an amazing
dancer, and gave an amazing performance. A
Billy Elliot, the Musical
2007 ~ London
Dean McCarthy (Billy Elliot), Shaun Malone (Michael), Sally Dexter (Mrs Wilkinson), James Gaddas (Dad), Ann Emery (Grandma), Chris Lennon (Tony).
Recorded through the house camera, so it’s a stationary, full-stage shot with sound patched in directly from the sound-board. A-
Billy Elliot, the Musical
10/18/08 ~ Broadway
David Alvarez, Haydn Gwynne, Gregory Jbara, Carole Shelley,
Santino Fontana, Frank Dolce, Stephen Hanna, Joel Hatch, Leah
Hocking
Great sound and close ups when able and full shots for dancing
Excellent sound and nice picture throught A
Billy Elliot - The Musical
11/15/08 ~ Broadway
Trent Kowalik, Haydn Gwynne, Gregory Jbara, Carole Shelley,
Santino Fontana, Frank Dolce, Stephen Hanna, Joel Hatch, Leah
Hocking
Excellent video with great picture and closeups and clear nice
sound; great video of a great show A
Billy Elliot, the Musical
3/27/10 ~ Chicago, evening
Emily Skinner, Tommy Batchelor, Armand Schultz, Cynthia Darlow, Patrick Mulvey, Keean Johnson, Blake Hammond, Susie McMonagle
Beautiful capture of the Chicago cast with the stunning Emily Skinner. This company was always top notch and pleasure to watch. Includes the extended curtain call routine! A+
Billy Elliot, the Musical
4/17/10 ~ Broadway, evening
Liam Redhead, Jake Evan Schwenke, Liz Pearce (u/s Mrs. Wilkinson), Phillip Whitchurch (temp. Dad), Carole Shelley, Will Chase
Okay video. Full stage shot. No zooms. Video ends during Expressing Yourself. Audio ends during First Lesson/Letter. B+
Billy Elliot, the Musical
5/16/10 ~ Broadway
Michael Dameski, Trevor Braun, Kate Hennig, Gregory Jbara, Carole Shelley, Will Chase, Seth Fromowitz, Eric Gunhus (u/s Scab & Posh Dad), Maddy Novak (u/s Tracy Atkinson)
30 minutes of Highlights from this performance. About 10 minutes of the 30 is blacked out; highlights include Take Me Up/The Stars Look Down; The Boxing Hall Scene; Solidarity; Billy and Michael in Michaels Parents Room Scene; Expressing Yourself; and the Electricity Dance A-
Billy Elliot, the Musical
6/16/10 ~ 1st tour in Chicago, matinee
J.P. Viernes, Gabriel Rush, Emily Skinner, Armand Schultz, Cynthia Darlow, Patrick Mulvey, Maria Connelly, Will Mann (u/s Mr. Braithwaite) , Samuel Pergande, Jim Ortleib, Mark Page, Spencer Davis Milford, Susie McMonagle
Highlights, camera wanders throughout; includes about 80 minutes of the show: Star's Look Down, Meet the Elliots, Boxing Hall Scene, Shine, Grandma's song, Solidarity, Michael's House Scene, Expressing Yourself, Born to Boogie, Mob Beats Tony/Mrs.- Wilkinson Arrives, Angry Dance, Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher, Deep into the Ground, Christmas Gift scene, Swan Lake Dance, Royal Ballet School post-audition. Electricity, Billy Says Goodbye, Once We Were Kings, The Letter (Billy's reply), Leaving the City. 2 DVDs C
Billy Elliot, the Musical
6/16/10 ~ 1st tour in Chicago, evening
Cesar Corrales, Keean Johnson, Susie McMonagle (u/s Mrs. Wilkinson),
Armand Schultz, Cynthia Darlow, Patrick Mulvey, Maria Connelly, Will Mann
(u/s Mr. Braithwaite) , Samuel Pergande, Jim Ortlieb, Elijha Barker,
Spencer Davis Milford, Susan Hafner (u/s Dead Mum)
Act 1 highlights only, consisting of about 45 minutes of the show,
and includes: Meet the Elliots, Boxing Hall Scene, Grandma's Song,
Solidarity, Billy Banned, Michael's House, Expressing Yourself, Stuff
that means something to Billy, The Letter, History of Ballet, Born to
Boogie, Bathroom Talk, Mob Beats Tony/Mrs. Wilkinson Arrives, Angry Dance.
Filmed from the center orchestra, so a stationary lapshot only focusing
between 2 heads due to being so close to the stage so good picture at
times but not so great the rest of the time B-
Billy Elliot, the Musical
9/18/10 ~ 1st tour in Chicago - evening
JP Viernes, Dillon Stevens, Emily Skinner, Armand Schultz, Cynthia Darlow, Jim Ortlieb, Susie McMonagle, Spencer Milford, Maria Connelly, Mark Page
Act 1 only, missing about 10 minutes of that as well; decent picture and sound throughout; some shakiness 2 DVDs B-
Billy Elliot, the Musical
October 2010 ~ 1st tour in Chicago
Highlights taken from the following shows:
10/10/10 - Tommy Batchelor, Keean Johnson, Armand Schultz, Anne Topelgin - Dream Ballet, Electricity, Once We Were Kings, Dead Mam Farewell
10/15/10 - J.P. Viernes, Dillon Stevens, Armand Schultz, Susie McMonagle, Jim Ortlieb, Cynthia Darlow, Spencer Milford - The Stars Look Down through first half of Solidarity
10/16/10 - evening - Marcus Pei, Keean Johnson - Expressing Yourself
10/17/10 - Myles Erlick, Anne Toplegin - Dead Mam Farewell
Filming varies, but overall is B-.
Billy Elliot, the Musical
10/26/10 ~ 1st tour in Chicago
Marcus Pei, Spencer Milford (u/s Michael), Susie McMonagle, Armand Schultz, Cynthia Darlow, Patrick Mulvey, Jim Ortleib, Will Mann, Anne Tolpegin, Nicholas Daum (u/s older Billy/Scttish dancer) Mark Page
Almost full show, starting at the boxing scene and missing a few bits here and there. Only DVD of Spencer Milford as Michael. Great filming, albeit a bit shaky at times. 2 DVDs. A-
Billy Elliot, the Musical
11/23/10 ~ 2nd tour in Cleveland
Lex Ishimoto, Jacob Zelonky, Faith Prince, Rich Hebert, Patti Perkins, Jeff Kready, Joel Blum, Rachel Mracna, Maximilien A. Baud, Beverly Ward, Patrick Wetzel
About 15 minutes of highlights incuding Stars Look Down, Take Me Up, Solidarity, Dream Ballet, and Electricity. filmed from two seperate places. Very VERY shaky, but good video when focused on a particular subject. B
Billy Elliot, the Musical
12/1/10 ~ 2nd tour in Cleveland
Lex Ishimoto, Griffin Birney, Faith Prince, Rich Hebert, Patti Perkins, Jeff Kready, Joel Blum, Rachel Mracna, Maximilien A. Baud, Beverly Ward, Patrick Wetzel
First 50 minutes of the show only. Some coverups and wandering of the camera, but good zooms Slightly shaky at times, but overall a decent capture of the second tour cast. A-
Billy Elliot, the Musical
August 2011 ~ 2nd tour in San Francisco
Highlights taken from the following shows:
8/19/11 - J.P. Viernes, Jacob Zelonky, Faith Prince, Rich Hebert, Patti Perkins, Jeff Kready, Joel Blum, Rachel Mracna, Maximilien A. Baud, Beverly Ward, Patrick Wetzel, Kyle Sutton, River Alexander - Announcement, The Stars Look Down, Breakfast, Boxing, Shine, Grandma's Song, Solidarity, First Toilets, Expressing Yourself, 1st Lesson/Letter, Mrs. Wilkinson's Visit, Angry Dance/Riot, Christmas, Kissing, Dream Ballet, London, Once We Were Kings, Dead Mam Farewell
8/20/11 - matinee - Ethan Fuller, Griffin Birney, Faith Prince, Rich Hebert, Patti Perkins, Jeff Kready, Joel Blum, Rachel Mracna, Maximilien A. Baud, Beverly Ward, Patrick Wetzel, Jeremy Zorek, River Alexander - The Stars Look Down
8/20/11 - evening - Daniel Russell, Jacob Zelonky, Faith Prince, Rich Hebert, Patti Perkins, Jeff Kready, Joel Blum, Rachel Mracna, Maximilien A. Baud, Beverly Ward, Patrick Wetzel, Kyle Sutton, River Alexander - Announcement, The Stars Look Down, Breakfast, Boxing, Shine, Grandma's Song, Solidarity, Expressing Yourself, 1st Lesson/Letter
8/21/11 - matinee - Ethan Fuller, Griffin Birney, Faith Prince, Rich Hebert, Patti Perkins, Jeff Kready, Joel Blum, Rachel Mracna, Maximilien A. Baud, Beverly Ward, Patrick Wetzel, Jeremy Zorek, River Alexander - The Stars Look Down, Shine, Dead Mam Farewell
8/21/11 - evening - Lex Ishimoto, Jacob Zelonky, Faith Prince, Rich Hebert, Patti Perkins, Jeff Kready, Joel Blum, Rachel Mracna, Maximilien A. Baud, Beverly Ward, Patrick Wetzel, Kyle Sutton, River Alexander - The Stars Look Down, Boxing, Shine, Grandma's Song, Solidarity, Expressing Yourself, Christmas, Dad Returns to Work, London
Billy Elliot, the Musical
January 2012 ~ East Coast
Highlights taken from the following shows:
1/2/12 - Broadway - Peter Mazurowski, Cameron Clifford, Daniel Jenkins, William Youmans, Julian Elia, Alex Drier - The Stars Look Down
1/3/12 - 2nd tour in Washington, DC - Ty Forhan, Cynthia Darlow, Leah Hocking, Rich Hebert, Cullen Titmas, Joel Blum, Ben Cook, Samantha Cutler, Kat Hennessey, Maximilien A. Baud, Patrick Wetzel - Announcement, The Stars Look Down, Breakfast, Shine, Christmas, Kissing, Dream Ballet
1/4/12 - 2nd tour in Washington, DC - JP Viernes, Cynthia Darlow, Leah Hocking, Rich Hebert, Cullen Titmas, Joel Blum, Jacob Zelonky, Samantha Cutler, Kat Hennessey, Maximilien A. Baud, Job Christenson (u/s Mr. Braithwaite) - The Stars Look Down through Born to Boogie, Kissing, Dream Ballet, Dad's Debate, London
1/5/12 - 2nd tour in Washington, DC - Kylend Hetherington, Cynthia Darlow, Leah Hocking, Rich Hebert, Cullen Titmas, Joel Blum, Ben Cook, Samantha Cutler, Kat Hennessey, Maximilien A. Baud, Job Christenson (u/s Mr. Braithwaite) - The Stars Look Down, Boxing, Solidarity, Dad Returns to Work, Scab Scene, London
1/7/12 - Broadway - evening - Joseph Harrington, Cameron Clifford, Emily Skinner, Katherine McGrath, Daniel Jenkins, Patrick Mulvey, William Youmans, Lilla Crawford, Stephen Hannah, Stephanie Kurtzuba (u/s Dead Mum), Thommie Retter - The Stars Look Down, Breakfast through Dad Discovers Billy, Expressing Yourself, 1st Lesson/Letter, Christmas, Kissing
Filming varies, but overall is B-.
Billy Elliot, the Musical: Finding Billy Elliot
2008 ~ PBS Special
Original broadcast by PBS in New York City about the audition process and information regarding Billy Elliot, the Musical on Broadway. Also includes interviews with the three Tony Award winning Billy's. A+
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
11/10/10 ~ Broadway
Benjamin Walker, Kristine, Nielson, James Barry, Darren Goldstein,
Greg Hildreth, Jeff Hiller, Lucas Near-Verbrugghe, Cameron Ocasio,
Bryce Pinkham, Nadia Quinn, Maria Elena Ramirez, Kate Cullen Roberts,
Ben Steinfeld, Emily Young
Good video filmed from the balcony A
Bonnie and Clyde
11/14/09 ~ La Jolla Playhouse, CA
Laura Osnes, Stark Sands, Melissa van der Schyff, Claybourne
Elder, Chris Peluso,Wayne Duvall, Mare Winningham, Michael
Mulligan, Michael Lanning
Nice capture of this new show; first couple minutes of each act
are blacked out while everyone got settled, and a couple very
short blackouts throughout the show, but those are less than 30
seconds each; slight little washout in some of the wides, and
there's one head on the left that blocks the actors' legs occasionally;
very good video 2 DVDs A
Bonnie & Clyde
11/9/11 ~ Broadway
Laura Osnes, Jeremy Jordan, Claybourne Elder, Melissa Van Der Schyff,
Louis Hobson, Joe Hart, Talon Ackerman, Leslie Becker, Mimi Bessette,
Alison Cimmet, Daniel Cooney, Jon Fletcher, Kelsey Fowler,
Victor Hernandez, Michael Lanning, Garrett Long, Matt Lutz,
Marissa McGowan, Tad Wilson
Filmed in 16:9 Widescreen; beautiful video; a short "blackout"
towards the end of Act 1; otherwise a very good video with clear
picture and good sound A
The Book of Mormon
3/1/11 ~ Broadway
Andrew Rannells, Josh Gad, Nikki M. James, Rory O'Malley,
Michael Potts, Scott Barnhardt, Justin Bohon, Darlesia Cearcy,
Lewis Cleale, Kevin Duda, Asmeret Ghebremichael, Clark Johnsen,
John Eric Parker, Benjamin Schrader, Michael James Scott, Brian Sears,
Jason Michael Snow, Lawrence Stallings, Brian Tyree Henry, Rema Webb,
Maia Nkenge Wilson, Tommar Wilson
Very nice video of the show. Mezzanine bar visible at bottom of the screen
on some of the wide shots but it doesn't interfere with anything.
Disc also includes behind the scenes footage, interviews and reviews. A
The Book of Mormon
3/7/11 ~ Broadway
Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Nikki M. James, Rory O'Malley,
Michael Potts, Lewis Cleale
A nice capture of this hilarious original show. On wide shots there
can be heads on the sides, but nothing that really obstructs the action.
Great clear sound and good picture A-
Bye Bye Birdie
9/16/09 ~ Broadway
John Stamos, Gina Gershon, Dee Hoty, Bill Irwin, Jayne
Houdyshell, Nolan Gerard Funk, Allie Trimm
One brief coverup due to latecomers but very brief. Otherwise
a good clear video with nice picture and sound A
Cabaret
11/13/01 ~ Broadway
Gina Gershon, Raul Esparza, Carole Shelley, Larry Keith,
Matthew Greer, Peter Benson, Candy Buckley
Good video, nice closeups A
Cabaret
3/29/03 ~ Broadway matinee
Neil Patrick Harris, Deborah Gibson,Tom Bosley, Mariette Hartley
Good quality filming. A
Carrie
2/4/12 ~ Off Broadway, matinee
Marin Mazzie, Molly Ranson, Christy Altomare, Carmen Cusack, Jenanna De Waal,
Derek Klena, Ben Thompson. Great capture of this beautifully retooled revival.
The performances were astonishing and the whole cast was senstational. Marin and
Molly are pure perfection! The campiness has been removed from the show and
there is such a sad and powerful story that remains. A-
Catch Me If You Can
4/27/11 ~ Broadway
Aaron Tveit, Norbert Leo Butz, Tom Wopat, Kerry Butler,
Joe Cassidy, Rachel deBenedit, Linda Hart, Timothy McCuen Piggee,
Brandon Wardell, Nick Wyman, Alex Ellis, Jennifer Frankel, Lisa Gajda,
Bob Gaynor, Kearran Giovanni, Grasan Kingsberry, Michael X. Martin,
Aleks Pevec, Rachelle Rak, Joe Aaron Reid, Angie Schworer, Sabrina Sloan,
Sarrah Strimel, Charlie Sutton, Katie Webber, Candice Marie Woods
A very brief blackout due to latecomers. Disc also includes around 100 minutes
of interviews, B-Roll, behind the scenes, etc.
Great video with nice picture and clear sound A
Chicago
1978 ~ U.S.Tour
Melody Adams, Kristen Childs
One of the few copies of the Bob Fosse staging instead of the
concert presentation. It's an older video but still wonderful to
watch even with some major generation loss. C
Chicago
5/12/07 ~ Milwaukee,WI
Terra C. MacLeod, Michelle DeJean,Tom Wopat, Kevin Mccready,
Carol Woods, R. Bean.
A terrific capture of this show with great closeups and excellent
sound throughout; Michelle is the highlight here and gives a
wonderful performance. A
Chicago
10/25/11 ~ Broadway
Kara DioGuardi, Amra-Faye Wright, Tony Yazbeck, James Harkness, James T. Lane, Chris Sullivan, Nicole Bridgewater, Jill Nicklaus, Donna Marie Asbury, Nili Bassman, Dylis Croman, Carol Woods, R. Lowe, Melissa Rae Maon, Peter Nelson, Jason Parick Sands, Ryan Worsing, Brian O'Brien, Michael Cusumano Show Date: October 25th, 2011
Mezzanine bar at times obstructs the very front of the stage. Disc also includes NY1 Interview with Kara DioGuardi. A
Chicago
2/4/12 ~ London
Cast: Sarah Soetaert, Rachel McDowall, Terence Maynard, James Doherty, Jasna Ivir, R. Whitehead, Lauren Brooke, Chantelle Carey, Abramo Ciullo, Edwina Cox, Ben Dixon, Jenny Gayner, Emma Harris, Jamie Hughes-Ward, Debbie Jenkins, Dann Kharsa, Rory Locke, Dario Mazzoli, Richard Murphy, Grant Neal, Alicia Peacock, Sergio Priftis, Laura Tyrer, Matt Wesley, Jayde Westaby
Highlights of show only. Act 1 (30 minutes): from All that Jazz to Introduction of Billy Flynn (right before All I Care About Is Love) Act 2 (45 minutes): missing a few minutes of Roxie's testimony (the doorbell rang - it doesn't matter/i can't go on) Filmed from the stalls. Slightly more than half is decent footage, the rest is the wrong bits of the stage, with some blackouts. Can be somewhat shaky at times, head obstructions. C
A Chorus Line
1975 ~ Public Theatre
UPGRADED!
Original Broadway Cast filmed prior to moving to Broadway.
Pro shot, using multiple cameras. Black and White, much better
quality than previous videos; an amazing piece of Broadway history. C+
A Chorus Line
September 1986 ~ Broadway
Donna McKechnie
Donna McKechnie's return to the role of Cassie 11 years after
the show debuted on Broadway. This was her return to the
theatre after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 1980.
Nice clarity and amazingly well filmed for a show this old. First
three minutes are blacked out. A
A Chorus Line
4/28/90 ~ Broadway
Laurie Gamache, Cynthia Fleming
Footage from the final Broadway performance filmed from the
wings by one of the cast members. Also includes a few minutes
of footage prior to the show B+
A Chorus Line
5/11/08 ~ Broadway
Mario Lopez, Jessica Lea Patty (u/s Cassie), Grant Turner (u/s
Larry), Natalie Cortez, Dena DiGiacinto, Jessica Lee Goldyn,
Deidre Goodwin, Melissa Lone, Heather Parcells, Jeffrey
Schecter, Katherine Tokarz, Kevin Worley
Highlights: most of the show, but a majority of the "Line Scenes"
between songs are audio only. Full audio throughout and the following
scenes and songs are on video: Opening, I Can Do That,
At the Ballet, Hello 12, Nothing, Dance Ten, Music and the
Mirror, Pauls Monologue, Rehearsal One,Why are you a dancer
scene,What I did for Love, and most of the finale. Great closeups
and performances. B+
A Chorus Line
8/17/08 ~ Broadway
Mario Lopez, Jessica Lee Goldyn, Deidre Goodwin, Nick Adams,
Todd Anderson,Tommy Berklund, Mike Cannon, Natalie Cortez,
Dene DiGiacinto, Jenifer Foote, Bryan Knowlton, James T. Lane,
Melissa Lone, J. Elaine Marcos, Paul McGill, Heather Parcells,
Adam Perry, Jeffrey Schecter, Eric Sciotto,Will Taylor, Katherine Tokarz
Final performance: filmed from front row of mezzanine
video starts near the end of the audition and shot goes down
for applause breaks; captures everything clearly after Mike's "I
Can Do That" but pretty full throughout; good video A
A Chorus Line
10/17/08 ~ tour in Cleveland
Clyde Alves, John Carroll, Emily Fletcher, Stepanie Gibson,
Michael Grueber, Natalie Elise Hall, Derek Hanson, Holly
Howard, Jay Armstrong Johnson, Dennis Lambert, Jessica
Latshaw, Ian Liberto, Pilar Millohollen, Colt Prattes, Gabrielle
Ruiz, Nikki Snelson,Anthony Wayne, J.R.Whittington, Jessica Wu
Highlights including an hour of the show: I Hope I Get It,What's
Not On The Resume, I Can To That,And,At The Ballet, Hello
12..., Nothing, Gimme The Ball, Dance 10, Looks 3, Caissie And
Zach (Part 1), Music And The Mirror, Paul's Speech, One, Cassie
And Zach (Part 2),What I Did For Love, Final 8 Are Chosen,
One (Reprise) C
A Chorus Line
10/21/08 ~ Cleveland, OH
Clyde Alves, John Carroll, Emily Fletcher, Stepanie Gibson,
Michael Grueber, Natalie Elise Hall, Derek Hanson, Jay
Armstrong Johnson, Bryan Knowlton (u/s Paul), Dennis Lambert,
Jessica Latshaw, Ian Liberto, Stephanie Martignetti (u/s Maggie),
Pilar Millohollen, Colt Prattes, Gabrielle Ruiz Nikki Snelson,
Anthony Wayne, Jessica Wu
Highlights including half-hour of the show: I Hope I Get It, I Can
Do That,At The Ballet, Hello 12..., Gimme The Ball, Dance 10,
Looks 3, Can The Adults Smoke? B
A Chorus Line
10/26/08 ~ Cleveland, OH, evening
Venny Carranza (u/s Mike), John Carroll, Emily Fletcher, Stepanie
Gibson, Michael Grueber, Natalie Elise Hall, Derek Hanson, Jay
Armstrong Johnson, Hollie Howard, Bryan Knowlton (u/s Paul),
Dennis Lambert, Jessica Latshaw, Ian Liberto, Pilar Millohollen,
Colt Prattes, Gabrielle Ruiz Nikki Snelson,Anthony Wayne,
Jessica Wu
Highlights include about 90 mintues of the show: I Hope I Get
It, I Can Do That,At The Ballet, Hello 12... (Audio Only),Nothing,
Mother, Gimme The Ball, Dance 10, Looks 3, Music & The
Mirror, Paul's Speach (Mostly Audio), Cassie & Zach/One,Tap
Comination,What I Did For Love, Elimination, One (Finale) A
Damn Yankees
April 1996 ~ National Tour
Jerry Lewis,Valerie Wright, David Elder, Linda Gabler, Susan Bigelow
Good picture and sound but some generation loss B
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
1/31/05 ~ Broadway, first preview
John Lithgow, Norbert Leo Butz, Sherie Rene Scott, Joanna
Gleason, Gregory Jbara, Sara Gettelfinger
Shot from the mezzanine, with lots of closeups and excellent
video and sound. Digital,1st generation from the master A
Doctor Dolittle
7/22/06 ~ Chicago, IL
Tommy Tune, Dee Hoty, Allan Mangaser, Sandi DeGeorge, Aaron
Burr, Joel Blum, Jessica Wu, Matthew Crowle
About four minutes of blackouts; not a great show at its final
tour stop but fun to watch and enjoyable with great closeups
and good sound A
Dracula the Musical
9/3/04 ~ Broadway
Tom Hewitt, Melissa Errico
Nicer than the above video but darker in some places; filmed
from front of mezzanine center.the sound is great A
The Drowsy Chaperone
Winter 2005 ~ Los Angeles, CA
Bob Martin, Sutton Foster, Beth Leavel, Danny Burstein, Georgia
Engel, Edward Hibbert,Troy Britton Johnson, Eddie Korbich,
Garth Kravits, Jason Kravits, Kecia Lewis-Evans, Jennifer Smith,
Lenny Wolpe
Pre-Broadway press reels; very rare and interesting; includes
clips of cut song "I Remember Love" and Sutton Foster performing
in a arm cast; about 25 minutes long A+
The Drowsy Chaperone
12/1/07 ~ Philadelphia, PA
Jonathan Crombie, Georgia Engle, Nancy Opel, Andrea
Chamberlain, Robert Dorfman, Mark Ledbetter, Richard Vida,
Cliff Bemis, Marla Mindelle, Paul Riopelle, Peter Riopelle, James
Moye, Fran Jaye, Chuck Rea
Nice video of the "Drowsy" tour; a bit shakey for the first 5- 6
minutes; a bit of obstruction of the left part of the stage; no
heads in the way and nice closeups, and the video follows the
action on stage well. Missing a bit of the 'Intermission' and
"Message From a Nightingale" for a tape change A
Elisabeth
2002 ~ 10th Anniversary Concert in Vienna
Uwe Kroger, Pia Douwes, Ethan Freeman, Thomas Borchert, Jesper Tyden, Viktor Gernot, Stanley Burleson
Very nice quality, filmed from the right orchestra. In German. A-
An Evening With Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin
10/28/07 ~ Philadelphia, PA
The performers who won Tony Awards for Evita bring their critically
acclaimed theatre concert - with choreography by Tony
Award winner Ann Reinking - to the 450 seat Prince Music
Theater in Philadelphia for eight performances. Songs by
Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers, Andrew Lloyd Webber,
Jerome Kern, Kander and Ebb and more highlight performances of
this rare pairing of major Broadway stars.They are accompanied
on piano by Patinkin's longtime pianist, Paul Ford, who co-conceived
the show with director Patinkin. From South Pacific to
Merrily We Roll Along, Carousel and more, the duo stop only
for a line or two of dialogue from the musicals and a brief intermission."
Well filmed with some great close-ups. A
An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin
11/17/11 & 11/18/11 ~ Broadway
Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin
Act 1 shot on 11/17 and act 2 shot on 11/18. A head in the way in act 2 sometimes, but it's never reallu and issue. A
Evita
1980 ~ Broadway
Patti Lupone, Mandy Patinkin, Bob Gunton
Starts with one of the old commericals; actually a very nice
looking video; well, its old and grainy but color at times and you
can follow the story throughout; some whiteouts but some
zooms as well. Good for its age B
Evita
1981 ~ Shubert Theatre, Chicago
Valerie Perri, John Herrera, Robert Alton, Peter Marinos, Cynthia Simpson
Professionally shot footage of tech run of 2nd National Tours
opening at The Shubert in Chicago. Starts with "Eva, Beware Of
The City" and goes through end of "Waltz For Eva And Che".
Does not contain all numbers, but does have most. Very dark
and hard to see details at times but nice video B+
Evita
1981 ~ Los Angeles, CA
Loni Ackerman and the rest of the original LA Cast
Nicely filmed. Some generational loss, and spotlight washout. B+
Evita
August 1991 - The Actors' Company, MI
Hunter Foster, Sutton Foster, Jeanne Delong
Local performance; pretty good for its age B+
Evita
6/12/99 ~ 20th Anniversary Tour
Natalie Toro, Raul Esparza, Tom Flynn, Raymond Jaramillo
McLeod, Angela Covington
Finally got my better copy of this video, very good B+
Evita
8/7/05 ~ Atlanta, GA
Kathy Voytko, Bradley Dean, Philip Hernandez, Gabriel Burrafato,
Kate Manning
The picture is quite good, zooms and follows the action well,
though there is a slight glare.The sound is very good, extremely
clear except for occasional slight skips. B+
Evita
8/17/08 ~ Sacramento, CA
Julia Murney, Eric Kunze, Scott Blanks, Philip Michael Baskerville,
Kari Yancy, Kim Arnett, Ann Cooley, Elizabeth Earley, Angelina
Holliman, Carolanne Marano, Rayne Marcus, Christy Morton,
Michael Ramey, Brett Rigby, Christine Rowan, German Santiago,
Joseph Sark, Rocklin Thompson, Maurice Whitfield, Gabriel
Williams, Josh Anderson, Brad Bong, Casey Bowman, Justin
Kelley, Tyler Russell Warren, Kyle Welling, Reyna Armour, Bailey
M. Duff, Tyler Fagan, Isabelle Flores-Jones, Lauren Metzinger,
Krosby Roza, Katelyn Torres,Andrew Wilson
Beautifully shot in 16:9 widescreen, crystal clear picture, great
zooms, very steady. Minor obstruction from a head on left side
of screen, but is not really an issue at all. Only a few brief coverups.
The show was performed in the round so sometimes the
actors have their backs to the camera, but the show is very well
balanced on all sides of the stage. A
Evita
9/17/09 ~ UK Tour
Rachael Wooding, Seamus Cullen, Mark Heenehan, Carly Bawden, James Waud
A bar obstruction from the balcony which interferes with some
of the downstage action; good picture quality and sound throughout;
a nice video 2 DVDs A
Evita
March 2010 ~ Lake Havasu City, AZ
Gina DeLuca, Eric Kunze, Sean Tamburrino, Jason Fallis, Lauren Blain
Presented by Grace Arts Live, mix of professional and amateur actors;
pro-shot, filmed on a tripod A
Evita
3/14/12 ~ Broadway
Elena Roger, Ricky Martin, Michael Cerveris, Max von Essen, Rachel Potter, Maya
Jade Frank.
Great Capture of the due Broadway transfer from London. Elena is a
great Evita, the addition of Michael, Ricky and Max are excellent. A lavish and
well executed Evita that was due for a date with Broadway. A
Follies Ultimate Edit DVD
May 2011 ~ Washington, DC
Bernadette Peters, Jan Maxwell, Danny Burstein, Rod Raines,
Elaine Paige, Linda Lavin, Regine, Susan Watson, Terri White,
Terrence Currier, Christian Delcroix, Rosalind Elias, Colleen Fitzpatrick,
Lora Lee Gayer, Michael Hayes, Florence Lacey, David Sabin, Kirsten Scott
This edited version features the best footage from the three bootlegged
versions of the show (filmed on 5/11/11, 5/13/11, and 5/28/11 - but most of
the footage comes from the 5/28/11 version). Well done A
Ghost, The Musical
2/13/10 ~ London, Workshop
Richard Fleeshman, Cassie Levy, Sharon D. Clark
A musical adaptation of the 1990 film which starred Patrick Swayze,
Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg with usic and lyrics by Dave Stewart
(of the Eurhythmics); staged reading filmed with multiple cameras,
with sound patched directly in from the soundboard. A
Ghost The Musical
3/17/12 ~ Broadway
Richard Fleeshman, Caissie Levy, Moya Angela as (u/s) Oda Mae, Bryce Pinkham,
Tyler McGee, Lance Roberts, Michael Balderrama
Beautiful capture and performances of this long awaited Broadway transfer. Richard and Caissie are
terrific here and such great voices. Moya was great as Oda Mae. A pretty
technical and imaginative production. A
Godspell
11/13/11 ~ Broadway
Hunter Parrish, Wallace Smith, Uzo Aduba, Nick Blaemire,
Morgan James, Telly Leung, Lindsay Mendez, George Salazar,
Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Joaquina Kalukango (u/s Celisse)
Nice steady capture of this very small show. First five minutes are
"wandering" and mostly dark while cast was in audience with cellphones
for the Prologue. This is a great ensemble cast show. A-
Good People
2/8/11 ~ Broadway
Frances McDormand, Tate Donovan, Estelle Parsons,
Renee Elise Goldsberry, Becky Ann Baker, Patrick Carroll
Good clear video with nice picture and sound; disc also includes
around a half hour of reviews and interviews. A
High School Musical
1/28/07 ~ Atlanta, GA
John Jeffrey Martin, Arielle Jacobs, Patti Murin, Bobby List, Allison
Fraser, Ron Bohmer, Shakiem Evans, Shaullanda LaCombe, Olivia Oguma
Stage Manager's Calling Copy so you hear a voice calling the
show throughout the video; house camera video with good
sound but no closeups A
The House of Blue Leaves
5/25/87 ~ PBS Television
Swoosie Kurtz, Christine Baranski, John Mahoney, Ben Stiller, Julie Hagerty
Professionally filmed for PBS. Features a young Ben Stiller in his
first show. Very nice video A
The House of Blue Leaves
6/22/11 ~ Broadway
Ben Stiller, Edie Falco, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Abbott,
Susan Bennett, Jimmy Davis, Hailey Feiffer, Mary Beth Hurt,
Alison Pill, Thoams Sadoski, Tally Sessions
First few minutes, which is just Ben Stiller sitting at a piano,
are audio only and last 20 seconds and curtain call are audio
only as well due to ushers; disc also includes interviews and
opening night footage. Nice video A
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
1/11/12 ~ Broadway, matinee
Darren Criss, Beau Bridges, Rose Hemingway, Tammy Blanchard, Christopher J. Hanke, Nick Mayo, Charlie Williams, Kevin Covert, Colt Prattes, Marty Lawson, Joey Sorge, David Hull, Andrew Madsen, Michael Park, Holly Ann Butler (u/s Smitty), Ellen Harvey, Shannon Lewis, J. Austin Eyer (u/s), Justin Keyes, Stephanie Rothenberg, Cameron Adams, Paige Faure, Tanya Birl, Samantha Zack, Cleve Asbury
Ushers were on crazy lookout so there's more mid stage shots than usual but they seem to work well for the show. There's still a crazy ton of closeups but when the full stage is in use, it's set to that which is actually good. Disc also includes 30 minutes of interviews with Darren Criss. A
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
2/4/12 ~ Broadway
Nick Jonas, Beau Bridges, Rose Hemingway, Tammy Blanchard, Michael Urie, Mary Faber, Ellen Harvey, Michael Park, Rob Bartlett
Excellent capture of Nick and Michael who had just joined the cast. Nick and Michael do a great job of stepping into the role and making it their own! A
Idina Menzel
10/29/10 ~ Washington DC
NSO Pops A Date with Idina Menzel with Marvin Hamlisch as conductor.
Songs
Include: The Life of the Party, I’m Not That Girl, Love For Sale/Roxanne,
Funny Girl, Don’t Rain On My Parade, Asleep on the Wind, No Day But Today,
Poker Face, Gorgeous, Good Morning Walker/I Feel So Smoochie, For Good (a
cappella), Defying Gravity, What I Did For Love. Beautiful concert of song and
story from Idina, with everything nicely capture. A
Jesus Christ Superstar
3/14/12 ~ Broadway
Paul Nolan, Josh Young, Chilina Kennedy, Tom Hewitt, Bruce Dow, Marcus Nance,
Aaron Walpole.
So much power and talent in this Broadway Transfer. Much more
energy than the previous La Jolla capture. Excellent changes to the production
including the addition of Tom. Beautifully captured and Josh Young is
sensational! A+
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
3/6/05 ~ New York
Sam Rockwell, Eric Bogosian, Jeffrey De Munn, Craig "Mums"
Grant, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Deborah Rush
Great video and sound of a very interesting show in a perfect
theater A
Leap of Faith
9/11/10 ~ Los Angeles, CA
Raul Esparza, Brooke Shields, Kendra Kassebaum, Kecia Lewis-Evans,
Nicholas Barasch, Jarrod Emick, Leslie Odom Jr.
Great capture of the very first Prebroadway performance of this show.
Clear picture and sound; very nice video 2 DVDs A
Leap of Faith
9/19/10 ~ Los Angeles, CA
Raul Esparza, Brooke Shields, Kendra Kassebaum, Kecia Lewis-Evans,
Nicholas Barasch, Jarrod Emick, Leslie Odom Jr., Krystal Joy Brown,
Charlie Williams, Brandon Wardell, Dennis Stowe, Bryce Ryness,
CE Smith, Harvey Evans, Michael X Martin, Brad Anderson,
Bob Gaynor, Darcie Roberts, Shannon Lewis, Alex Michael Stoll, Michelle Duffy
A couple of minor drop outs, but overall the show is beautifully captured
and very steady; first act has no obstruction; the second act has some
heads at the bottom in wide shots, but they are filmed around;
slight washout in some of the wides; filmed in 16:9 and includes
curtain call. 2 DVDs A
Leap of Faith
4/4/12 ~ Broadway
Raul Esparza, Jessica Phillips, Kendra Kassebaum, Kecia Lewis-Evans, Leslie Odom
Jr., Krystal Joy Brown, Talon Ackerman
Nice capture of the second preview with many changes to the story since the Los Angeles production. There are about six minutes of blackouts during the beginning due to latecomers and clueless ushers. Raul still does a great job in the role and a big contender for the Tony this year! A-
Legally Blonde: The Musical
2/7/07 ~ San Francisco, CA
Laura Bell Bundy, Christian Borle, Orfeh, Richard H. Blake, Kate
Shindle, Nikki Snelson, Michael Rupert
Starts around the last verse of Omigod You Guys.There are a
few brief cover-ups (mostly around the first 5-10 minutes of
each act). Great performaces from the day after their opening
here; the video suffers from unfortunate shake consistently
throughout the video. 2 DVDs B+
Legally Blonde: The Musical
4/29/10 ~ West End, London
Sheridan Smith, Sean Mulligan (u/s Warner), Alex Gaumond,
Peter Davison, Jill Halfpenny, Aoife Mulholland, Caroline Keiff,
Lucy Miller (u/s Serena)
Great capture of the London cast with good picture and sound throughout.
This also includes the new version of "Ireland" that was rewritten for the
London Cast. A
Legally Blonde, the Muscial
10/23/10 ~ non-equity tour in Cleveland, matinee
Nikki Bohne, Matthew Regas, Hannah Rose Deflumeri, Nic Rouleau, Kahlil Joseph, Jillian Wallach, Shannon Mullen, Nadia Vynnytsky, Maggie Tyler, Brit West, Nicole Brancucci, Kasey Walker, Rochelle Smith, Sarah Beth Pfeifer, Jessie Hooker, Beth Kuhn, Matthew Sean Callahan, Andre Jordan, Ken Arpino, Richard Jerrett, Andy White
Filmed really well from the front row center of the orchestra. Fantastic zooms. Missing a little chunk from the show (the Harvard Party Scene) and the video ends right before Paulette sings during the graduation. A
Les Misérables
11/8/98 ~ Toronto, 3NT
Colm Wilkinson,Todd Alan Johnson, Susan Gilmour, Maggie
Martinsen,Aymee Garcia (u/s), JP Dougherty, Jeffrey Tauber
Hyke,Tim Howar, Kurt Kovalenko, Jessica Snow-Wilson, Regan
Thiel, Stephen Bishop
Runs just under 2 hours - Act I to "Javert's Intervention", Act II
highlights only; also includes the 1987 Macys Thanksgiving Day
Parade performance, the 1987 Tony Award performance and
more B
Les Misérables
2/7/00 ~ Los Angeles, CA
Ivan Rutheford, Stephan Bishop, Regan Thiel, Sutton Foster, J.P. Dougherty
Excellent picture and sound with opening credits A
Les Misérables
11/19/02 ~ Broadway
J. Mark McVey, David Masenheimer, Lauren Kennedy, Kevin Kern,
Diana Kaarina, Sandra Turley, Christopher Mark Peterson, Nick Wyman
Stunning quality and some of the steadiest taping I've ever seen
in a boot. Filmed by the same taper as the final Les Mis highlights.
McVey has a decent voice but cannot act. Masenheimer
has a great voice, great stage presence. Kennedy is a Fantine
whose acting surpasses her voice, which wavers on the low
notes. A-
Les Misérables
4/22/03 ~ Broadway
Andrew Varel, Terrence Mann, Jayne Patterson, Aymee Garcia,
Nick Wyman, Diana Kaarina, Christopher Mark Peterson, Kevin
Kern, Sandra Turley
Great quality video and sound. A
The Little Dog Laughed
2/11/07 ~ Broadway matinee
Johnny Galicki,Tom Everett Scott, Julie White, Zoe Lister-Jones
Another great video, a little biiter than the above one but excellent
picture and sound with nice closeups throughout A
The Little Mermaid
1/4/09 ~ Broadway Highlights
Sierra Boggess, Meredith Ingelsby (u/s Ursula), Sean Palmer,
Norm Lewis, Rogelio Douglas, Jr.,Trevor Braun, Eddie Korbich,
Jason Snow (u/s Flotsom), Eric LaJuan Summers, Jonathan
Freeman
Almost an hour of highlights, mostly Act 2; some obstruction on
both sides, but especially on the right, where things get blocked
once in a while; also a bar that can be seen at the bottom of the
screen, Good sound. okay video B
Lost in Yonkers
3/13/10 ~ Paper Mill Playhouse, NJ
Maxwell Beer, Alex Wyse, Patricia Buckley, John Plumpis,
Sara Surrey, J. Anthony Crane, Rosemary Prinz
Incomplete: first 8 minutes of Act 1, and about an hour and
2 minutes of Act 2, followed by 20 minutes of the Post Show
Talk Back. Good sound and shot nicely but some spotlight
washout and heads in the way B
Merlin
1983 ~ Broadway
Chita Rivera, Doug Henning, Nathan Lane
Still shot of the stage, but still good despite its age.
Newcopy on DVD better B+
Merrily We Roll Along - Encores!
2/9/12 ~ New York
Colin Donnell, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Celia Keenan-Bolger,
Elizabeth Stanley, Betsy Wolfe, Adam Gruper, Whit Baldwin,
Rachel Coloff, Ben Crawford, Joshua Delia Crus,
Bernard Dotson, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Marja Harmon,
Leah Horowitz, Mylinda Hull, Michael X. Martin, Sean McKnight,
Kenita R. Miller, Patricia Noonan, Andrew Samonsky, Pearl Sun,
Charlie Sutton, Zachary Unger, Jessica Vosk, Karl Warden, Michael Winther
Very well filmed with excellent close-ups and clear picture and sound
throughout; nice video; DVD includes about 30 minutes of behind
the scenes and interviews. A
The Mountaintop
10/8/11 - Broadway - evening
Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett
A great capture of this powerful play about Martin Luther King, Jr. Some blackouts at times, with some wandering, but all in all very good when focused. A-
Next to Normal
3/28/09 ~ Broadway
Alice Ripley, J. Robert Spencer, Aaron Tveit, Jennifer Damiano,
Adam Chanler-Berat, Louis Hobson
Good capture with beautiful color. Bar sometimes in middle of
shot, it's filmed around most of the time but i can be distracting;
nice video; audio only start of Act 2 B+
Next to Normal
11/23/10 ~ Los Angeles, CA
Alice Ripley, Asa Sommers, Curt Hansen, Emma Hunton,
Preston K. Sadleir, Jeremy Kushnier
Great video of the first performance on the tour; two short
black outs, one lasts for 30 seconds just before Perfect for You,
and the other is the first minute or so of act two; slight washout
in the wider shots; great clear sound 2 DVDs A
Next to Normal
12/4/10 ~ Los Angeles, CA
Alice Ripley, Asa Sommers, Curt Hansen, Emma Hunton,
Preston K. Sadleir, Jeremy Kushnier
Great video with excellent picture and crisp clear sound
throughout; very nice video A+
Next to Normal
6/11/11 ~ Cleveland, OH
Pearl Sun (u/s Diana), Asa Somers, Curt Hansen, Emma Hunton,
Preston Sadleir, Jeremy Kushnier
Highlights running about 72 minutes of Pearl as Diana.
Captured well, with some spotlight washout and a shaky
camera at times; Highlights include Just Another Day,
My Psychopharmacologis t and I, I Miss the Mountains through
It's Gonna Be Good, You Don't Know/I Am the One, Crazy Rockstar
through Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me - I'm Falling, I Dreamed a Dance
through A Light in the Dark, Wish I Were Here, Song of Forgetting,
Seconds and Years through You Don't Know (Reprise), How Could I Ever
Forget through Make Up Your Mind (Reprise). B
Next to Normal
6/14/11 ~ Cleveland, OH
Alice Ripley, Asa Somers, Perry Sherman (u/s Gabe), Emma Hunton,
Preston Sadlier, Jeremy Kushnier
Missing the first few minutes of the show, I Dreamed a Dance, and about
a minute of Perfect for You (reprise); video ends during Light; filmed
around a bar between the second level of the house and a two heads and
picture is a little shaky but good sound; not a bad video B
Next to Normal
6/19/11 ~ Cleveland, OH
Alice Ripley, Asa Somers, Curt Hansen, Emma Hunton,
Preston Sadlier, Jeremy Kushnier
Almost a complete video, missing Make Up Your Minds
and A Light in the Dark; spotlight washout, and a shaky camera
and spotlight washout but good clear sound B
The Phantom of the Opera
2/28/88 ~ Broadway
Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, Steve Barton
Full stage production. Extensive generation loss but audio is still
*very* good. Shot left balcony from tripod. Mesmerizing performance
by Crawford, full coverage of Brightman's dance numbers.
Filmed early in show's run since audience applauds in
places they never do now. C
The Phantom of the Opera
7/31/02 ~ Broadway 2pm matinee
Howard McGillin, Elizabeth Southard, Michael Shawn Lewis,
Wren Marie Herrington (u/s)
Gorgeous color, very bright, great zooms and closeups, mostly
very steady except when shifting to shoot around a head in
front. A couple of minor skips - all areas of the stage are visible,
no persistent blockage. Shot from last row front mezzanine.
Digital 2nd Generation A
The Phantom of the Opera
8/2/07 ~ Washington, DC
John Cudia, Marni Raab, Greg Mills, D. C.Anderson, Bruce
Winant, Laureen Vigil (u/s), Rebecca Judd, John Whitney, Polly Baird
Filmed in Widescreen with excellent steady picture and sound.
Colors are sharp and vivid. Excellent filming conditions resulted
in a perfect capture - not a single cover-up. Curtain call filmed;
very nice video of the new touring cast 2 DVD A
The Phantom of the Opera
September 2008 ~ London
Ramin Karimloo, Gina Beck, Simon Bailey, Barry James, Gareth
Snook, Kate Radmilovic, Heather Jackson, Rohan Tickell,T ori Jones
Dark with some spotlight washout but very well filmed with
great sound; nice video 2 DVDs A
Promises, Promises
9/22/10 ~ Broadway
Sean Hayes, Kristin Chenoweth, Brian O'Brien (u/s J.D. Sheldrake),
Katie Finneran, Dick Latessa, Brooks Ashmanskas, Helen Anker,
Peter Benson, Sean Martin Hingston
Filmed in 16:9 widescreen with no obstructions; a few very
brief blackouts due to late-comers. Steady filming with a good
mix of close-ups and medium zooms. Video includes Katie Finneran's
scenes from her final performance on October 10, 2010. Great clear
video and excellent sound A
Promises, Promises
11/17/10 ~ Broadway
Kristin Chenoweth, Sean Hayes, Tony Goldwyn, Molly Shannon,
Dick Latessa, Brooks Ashmanskas
Beautiful capture of the show shortly just before closing
when Molly Shannon joined the company for a few months.
Wonderfully cute show and always great performances from
the entire cast. A
Rent
4/29/96 ~ Broadway
Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Idina Menzel,
Fredi Walker, Jesse L. Martin, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Taye Diggs
Classic Rent camcorder video that everyone should have that
I've had for about 8 years so it is a lower generation. Great first
act and the black speed lines for about 30 minutes in second act
that end during Take Me or Leave Me B+
Rent
5/1/96 ~ Broadway
Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jesse L. Martin,
Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Fredi Walker, Taye Diggs, Sherie Renee Scott (u/s)
UPGRADED! Much clearer video than before although it was filmed from
the back left of the theater and you can't see much of what is
happening on the stage besides at the very bottom of the screen with no
closeups; very clear sound; disc includes reviews, 48 Hours story about
Jonathan Larson, Idina Menzel interview, CBS This Morning Rent coverage B
Rent
February 1997 ~ Broadway
Adam Pascal, Norbert Leo Butz (u/s), Jesse L. Martin,Wilson
Jermaine Heredia, Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs
Suffers serious generation loss, picture blips and spotlight
washout but nicely filmed C+
Rent
9/5/99 ~ San Francisco, CA
Angel Cast: Trey Ellett, Dean Balkwill, Sharon Leal, Erin Keaney,
Kamilah Martin, Mark Leroy Jackson, Shaun Earl, Brian Love
Closing night video; filmed from orchestra A
Rock of Ages
4/12/09 ~ Broadway
Constantine Maroulis, Amy Spanger, James Carpinello, Tad Wilson
(u/s Dennis/Record Company Man), Mitchell Jarvis, Michele Mais,
Lauren Molina, Paul Schoeffler, Wesley Taylor
Has about 8 minutes of total blackouts, mostly towards the
beginning; a few heads in the first 15 minutes only on wide shots
and when the action was on the edge of the stage.A
Shrek: The Musical
4/11/09 ~ Broadway matinee
Brian d'Arcy James, Haven Burton (u/s Fiona), Christopher
Sieber, Daniel Breaker, John Tartaglia, Rachel Resheff, Heather
Jane Rolff (u/s Mama Bear/Gingy)
Great video with clear picture, excellent video and first video of
understudy Haven Burton as Fiona; Ryan's video A
Side Show
6/8/01 ~ Northlight Theatre, Skokie
Kristen Behrendt as Violet, Susie McMonagle as Daisy, James Moye as Terry, Sam Samuelson as Buddy. Pretty good video of this rarely performed show. Shot in a tiny theater, from the master. B+
South Pacific
4/3/08 ~ Broadway, Revival
Kelli O'Hara, Paulo Szot, Loretta Ables Sayre, Matthew Morrison,
Danny Burstein, Sean Cullen,Victor Hawks, Luka Kain, Li Jun Li,
Laurissa Romain, Skipp Sudduth, Noah Weisberg, Becca Ayers
Only 2 coverups, all of Act One only lasting 30 seconds; there
are sound changes for the last 20 minutes but is still very clear.
Act 2 has no problems.great sound, great video A+
Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark
9/17/11 ~ Broadway
Reeve Carney, Jennifer Damiano, T.V. Caripo, Patrick Page,
Michael Mulheren, Ken Marks, Megan Lewis (u/s Aunt May), Timothy Warmen
This is the revamp Spider-Man 2.0 Version. A completely reworked show
from the original. A Nice capture of the show; some of the flight
sequences above the audience are a little hard to see, because everyone
leans forward and ushers come foward to make sure no one gets out
of their seats. A-
Spring Awakening
2/21/07 ~ Broadway
Jonathan Groff, John Gallagher Jr., Lea Michele, Skylar Astin, Lilli
Cooper, Gideon Glick, Brian Charles Johnson, Christine
Estabrook, Lauren Pritchard, Phoebe Strole, Stephen Spinella,
Jonathan B. Wright, Remy Zaken
Filmed from the far left in the orchestra with many coverups
and spotlight washout; camera not always focused on the stage
unfortunately; really nice sound though C+
Spring Awakening
4/24/08 ~ Broadway
Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, Blake Bashoff, Matt Doyle, Skylar
Astin, Christine Estabrook, Lilli Cooper, Blake Daniel,Glenn
Fleshler, Emma Hunton, Brian Charles Johnson, Phoebe Strole, Remy Zaken
The first eight minutes are a mixture of full stage shots, closeups
and cover-ups but once taper gets to "All That's Known" it
gets a lot better with an exception of a few cover-ups (in both
acts) and missing about thirty seconds of "Whispering" A
Spring Awakening
8/17/08 ~ San Diego, CA
Kyle Riabko, Blake Bashoff, Christy Altomare, Julie Benko, Steffi D, Gabrielle Garza, Kimiko Glenn, Sarah Hunt, Anthony Lee Medina, Andy Mientus, Ben Moss, Angela Reed. Act One Only, beginning with "Mamma Who Bore Me." This dvd includeds Christy Altomare's performance at the Apple Store in San Diego. Singing "Mama Who Bore Me," as well at a Q&A period with her and her Guitarist, Freddie. A-
Tanz der Vampire
January 2000 ~ Vienna
Steve Barton, Jessica Kessler, Aris Sas, Máté Kamarás
Steve Barton's final performance, filmed from a balcony, with some slight generation loss. VERY enthusiastic audience. A-
West Side Story Benefit Concert
11/13/02 ~ New York
Kevin Spacey, Katie Curoc, Meryl Streep, Susan Sarandon, Kelsey
Grammar, Kevin Kline, Robert DeNiro, Jimmy Fallon, Chris
Kattan, Josh Groban, Chita Rivera, Rita Moreno, Bette Midler,
Heather Headley, Whoopi Goldberg, Vince Gill, Amy Grant,Tony
Danza, Rudy Gulianni, Jesse L. Martin, Beyonce Knowles
Pro shot video of Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal
Center tribute show B+
Wicked
2/10/08 ~ Cleveland, OH
Donna Vivino (u/s Elphaba), Katie Rose Clarke, Cliffton Hall,
Alma Cuervo, Lee Wilkof, Deedee Magno Hall, Brad Weinstock, Tom Flynn
Highlights only. Really terrible quality. Only for a serious
Wicked/Donna fan. Good sound though 2 DVD C
Wicked
3/9/08 ~ Cleveland, OH
Carmen Cusack, Katie Rose Clarke, Cliffton Hall, Alma Cuervo,
Lee Wilkof, Deedee Magno Hall, Brad Weinstock, Tom Flynn
Act 1 highlights only. Pretty terrible quality. Good sound though.
Not recommended C
Young Frankenstein
10/13/09 ~ Cleveland, OH
Roger Bart, Shuler Hensley, Brad Oscar, Beth Curry,
Cory English, Joanna Glushak, Anne Hurack
Highlights only, about 50 minutes long which contains
about 46 minutes of Act 1 and ony about 4 minutes of Act 2;
quality is decent and good sound 2 DVDs B+