My Favorite Broadway - The Love Songs (2001)

This is a wonderful DVD.

My Favorite Broadway - The Love Songs

This is a wonderful DVD and it came very fast from the shipper and I

am looking forward to watching this as I originally had it on VHS and

now have changed formats to DVD. October 2, 2007

A BROADWAY GRAB BAG: WATCH IT JUST FOR CHITA AND JULIE

From October, 2000: Approximately 19 performers participate in "MY FAVORITE BROADWAY: THE LOVE SONGS."
The results range from the sublime to the absurdly ridiculous. The show is a wildly uneven grab bag of Broadway songs. You'll have to take what you get, and either suffer through, or skip, several mediocre selections of song and perrformer, as I did. The title is rather mis-leading: A few songs aren't love songs, two songs are from musical films, not Broadway musicals -- and the descriptive phrase "my favorite broadway" is used rather loosely, abused, and
put to the test, here. A few songs and performers, in fact, represented my least favorite Broadway musicals.

The sublime aspects feature Rebecca Luker, Chita Rivera, and Julie Andrews. Ron Raines sings a surprisingly touching rendition of Lerner and Loewe's "GIGI" from the film of the same name. And it's a treat to see Chita Rivera and Brent Spiner (Data from "STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION") sing a medley of songs from Chita's 1960 Broadway hit "BYE BYE BIRDIE."

But for every magical performer like Chita Rivera, there's one like Linda Eder. Miss Eder, or "She Who Would Be Barbra Streisand", blasts through her Broadway medley in bombastic style. Also like Barbra Streisand at her very worst. Eder is so in love with herself, she does not need or necessarily want an audience. It gets worse! After Eder mercifully exits, Michael Crawford appears to sing "Music Of The Night" for the UMPTEEMPTH TIME
in his career! He can no longer hit the high notes. This time, Crawford is frightening without his "PHANTOM OF THE OPERA" mask and make-up. Robert Goulet butchers the beautiful "This Nearly Was Mine" from Rodgers and Hammerstein's "SOUTH PACIFIC." Earlier in the show, Goulet ruins his own "If Ever I Would Leave You" Las Vegas style. Hostess Julie Andrews is nevertheless forced to gaze adoringly at her "CAMELOT" co-star from 1960.

What on earth is Barry Manilow doing here? And why is Linda Eder front and center when wonderful Rebecca Luker, Marin Mazzie, and Peter Gallagher are stuck singing song snippets in brief medleys? Tom Wopat, who can't dance a step, barely survives "Lullaby Of Broadway"; even though he is surrounded by dancers.

Michael McCormick and Michael Mulheren sing "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" from "KISS ME, KATE" which, of course, is not a love song, but after Eder and Goulet, it is a joyous relief! Chita Rivera sings Kander and Ebb's "How Lucky Can You Get", from the film musical "FUNNY LADY", the stinker Streisand sequel to the original "FUNNY GIRL." Chita Rivera turns a stinker into a showstopping tour-de-force!

Michael Crawford redeems himself by revisiting "MY FAIR LADY" with Julie Andrews. A radiant Andrews shares several stories about the show's creation. Originally, she sang a song called "Shy." (She recites the lyrics). Lerner and Loewe decided "Shy" was too overt a romantic expression for a show based on George Bernard Shaw. They replaced it a few days later with a song that did stay in the show-- the divine "I Could Have Danced All Night." For a few glorious moments, Julie Andrews returns to Eliza Doolittle's Cockney accent and performs "The Rain In Spain"/I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face/Embassy Waltz." with Crawford. Now that's real Broadway magic, and worth
the price of the DVD. Still, I'm glad I bought a used DVD for around $13.00 instead of a new DVD at full price. August 22, 2007

Superb Cast and Mesmerizing Performances

A star-studded performance of Broadway love songs. Although I cannot recognise most of these great artists, I am most impressed by their great performances and stage presence. To name a few of the impressive numbers: The elegant Julie Andrews's lyrics reciting was special; The Three Mo' Tenors, singing La Donne E mobile followed by Let the Good Times Roll, mixed fun and serious singing superbly well. Joan Hess's wonderful dancing against the piano accompaniment of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes was graceful, nostalgic as well as modern. Her beautiful stature is like a painting. All in all, this is an eye-opening and highly entertaining experience and the DVD quality, both audio and visual, is excellent.
March 24, 2007

Broadway Songs

I liked the DVD which I basically got for two reasons: Julie Andrews and Michael Crawford. I was introduced to new performers on Broadway, which I do not have the opportunity to visit at all. The quality of the CD is great. March 24, 2006

Love Songs?

This is one of those things where you have to have to aquire a taste for it. Sure there are some songs that are definitely a good add to any Broadway collection, but if you're a classical Broadway fan you might be a little...disappointed.
The singers include-
Nathan Lane
Chita Riviera
Michael Crawford
Robert Goulet
Bebe Neuwirth
Marin Mazzie
Barry Manlow
Adam Pascal
Brent Spiner
Rebecca Luker
Peter Gallagher
Tom Wopat
Heather Headley
Ron Raines
Jeffrey Denman
Joan Hess
Brent Spiner
Linda Eder
Michael McCormick
Michael Mulheren
and of course, Julie Andrews, who provides us with some of her memories from "My Fair Lady" and briefly sings in "The Rain in Spain".

It is fun seeing some of the women who were in the Leading Ladies make a return (Linda Eder, Marin Mazzie, Rebecca Luker, Bebe Neworth, Julie Andrews, and anyone I've forgotten) but if you have not gotten the Leading Ladies (though you should!), this is lost on you. Some of the songs have been jazzed up and were better left alone. Other songs too do not really fit into what you'd think of as a "love song" category-do "Lullaby of Broadway" and "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" speak "love" to you?

Though it is definitely worth buying to see such stars as Julie Andrews, Michael Crawford, Chita Riviera, Robert Goulet, and Barry Manlow (if you're a fan) if you're expecting love songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein, West Side Story, or Jule Styne you might be a little disappointed. December 10, 2005

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