a brand new production of a beloved musical
348712
The great actor John Barrymore succeeded in the role of Hamlet as few Americans of his time did.  Comparisons with earlier Hamlets were inevitable.  What made his special however, was that he approached the role as if it were written specifically for him.  It was a novel approach and it worked.  No less was this production of The Sound of Music just as special for viewers today, and for exactly the same reason as Barrymore's Hamlet worked in 1924.  This is  a NEW approach to a timeless classic.  In that sense, it worked beautifully.  Carrie Underwood made Maria her own.  She did transform from the flibbertigibbet in the earlier part of the show to a mature woman who was indeed a level headed strong person when she needed to be.  By the same token, Von Trapp transformed to the military martinet in the first part of the show to a loving father in the later scenes when he needed to.  Underwood's transformation was subtle, as it should be, but it was there.  Having seen the show many times on stage in local community theaters, I often missed the transformation because it wasn't there.

Having been an actor and musician for 45 years I know how difficult one time live performances can be.  There are no retakes.  Carrie Underwood was the consummate professional in working with the children and using her professionalism to guide them through this one time event.  For this day and age in Television entertainment, it was great to see something for the whole family done so well.

The sets were great.  The abbey was the abbey, the villa and gardens were beautiful and did not take away from the performances of the actors.  Going back to the staging of the original 1959 show, and the original songs was a great idea.  Would Rodgers and Hammerstein have approved of this new production?  I think they would.  Too often I have seen stage productions of movies rip off movie choreography and staging.  The staging, blocking, and choreography in this production were fresh.  This production should be in every family's video library.  Kudos to everyone involved.  And please don't view this comparing it to the film..Appreciate this classic on its own.
842436
Sting got a Tony nomination today for Best Original Score for this play!  At least he got that. It's a magnificent piece of work and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes musicals.  The story comes right out of Sting's life, is semi-autobiographical. Beautiful musical with soulful lyrics, and some really great melodies...  I was lucky to see the play in New York before it closed, but at least there is a recording of it.
917141
This is one of my favorite Broadway shows and it's good to have the score so complete with the new restoration of the original orchestrations.  The other recording I have of this show is the older one with Portia Nelson and Jack Cassidy, conducted by Lehman Engel, on Columbia Records.  I vacillate between the two.  Yes, this newer recording is more complete and more 'authentic' but the 'lusher' approach of the older, less complete, recording has a lot going for it too.  In any case, this is a
very enjoyable disc and well worth investigation, both for the 'purists' and also the casual listener.
1479384
There are many reasons America has fallen in love with this play.  The most obvious being the story. It is a play bringing simple innocence into a seemingly scandelous love affair. It is a heart-warming musical not quickly  to be forgotten.  Yet, what i love most about the play is who Luisa is and  can be made to be.  Her monologue preceeding "Much More" has  served me well in audition after audition and this play will go on as a  classic in musical theatres everywhere.  A must-read for play lovers.
1382333
A most wonderful production, possibly an historic moment in comic musical theater, starring Kevin Kline and Linda Ronstadt (who knew Linda had such a range?), with a remarkable song-and-dance performance by Patricia Routledge and the fastest "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General" you'll ever hear.

If you love Gilbert and Sullivan, and don't object to a director and cast taking liberties in order to push this ridiculous musical to its limits and beyond, this video recording is a treasure.
4089263
What can one say about the opportunity to view the premiere performance of a Rodgers & Hammerstein musical starring Julie Andrews at the start of her illustrious career?  Impossible?  Not any more.  As the song states, "Impossible things are happening every day!"

This is truly an historic disc.  Broadcast live in 1957 and until now never broadcast again or available to the public at large, this is a remarkable performance.  This is Cinderella as written by Rodgers & Hammerstein.  You can debate the merits of Julie Andrews' performance vs. Lesley Ann Warren's vs. Brandy's, but what is not debatable is that this version of the show is the one written by the masters themselves, not pieced together by a later production team.

And the production itself is truly enchanting, even in a sometimes blurry black and white.  It is a delight to hear the dialogue that was cut from later editions.  The song "Impossible" makes sense for the first time because it flows from a conversation between Cinderella and her godmother in which the godmother at first mocks Cinderella's "impossible" wishes, before revealing her true identity as a fairy godmother in the song.

For my money, Julie Andrews gives the definitive performance as Cinderella.  She is charming, spirited, and beautiful, and she clearly revels in this performance.  Of course, her voice is luminious, but her acting is simply breathtaking as well.  She perfectly expresses the hope and longing of a young girl trapped in dire circumstances without wallowing in self-pity and hopelessness.  And the wonder of her transformation is a joy to behold.

And the supporting cast is absolutely wonderful.  Alice Ghostley and Kaye Ballard are a scream as the stepsisters, and Howard Lindsay and Dorothy Stickney make a most lovable and comic King and Queen.  These parts were cut down to practically nothing in the 1965 version, a real shame now that the hilarious original dialogue can finally be seen and enjoyed.

Whichever version one prefers, this is the show as originally written, performed by the original cast, recorded live, making the viewing experience the closest thing anyone born after 1960 will ever have to seeing for themselves the premiere performance of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.  Every fan of the musical theater should own this DVD.
1385203
Once in a great while something beautiful comes along that grabs our hearts. The new musical "Jane Eyre" is just that, and does just that also. The music is gorgeous and is NOT dull or tepid. I have heard some people compare it to "Les Miserables", but I can honestly say that this show stands on its own without having to be compared to anything. It has created something I don't think people have seen on Broadway for a long time. It's a musical that is noble, captivating, enchanting, and beautiful. It's very well acted both onstage AND on the CD (buy it to see what I mean). Pretty ballads and tuneful songs are sung emotionally and powerfully by talented performers. You get a lot more from this musical than just 25 songs, you get a performance and a strong beating message that comes across loud and clear. Take a chance on it, don't sit back and wait for ever-biased critics to tell you what to listen to, you will not regret it.
4078391
My wife and I have seen this musical performed live in New York, San Francisco and in London.  We had recently seen the latest movie version.  This DVD performance has a great cast, and many of the original Broadway artists at the end so it was very special to watch and also just listen too.

I strongly recommend this particular version.
1602714
This was a beautiful stage adaptation of the original "Sound Of Music".  Carrie Underwood did a great job as Maria, and the rest of the cast were all fantastic as well.  It is hard to put aside the film starring Julie Andrews, when watching this.  But this live version is a fresh new take that is well worth watching....and I will probably be doing just that, several times more.
3259267
If you are someone who enjoys musical theatre, I would heartily recommend this DVD to you. There are so many aspects of this musical that make it a worthwhile addition to any collection. It followed closely on the success of "Kismet" and uses the themes of Rimsky-Korsakov as the foundation for the songs. It never appeared on the broadway stages as it was specifically written as a television production. Unfrotunately, the production was in a black and white era and much of the sparkle of the production is missing with the absence of color, especially since, in this age of "colorization," it would have been easy to add the extra sparkle.

It is fun and I am delighted with my copy . . .
4810955
Like many reviewers, I am reviewing this after I had the sheer joy of performing it (I was Flick).  Boy would I love to perform Flick again but I won't and you know why?  Because this is one of those unfairly neglected gems that this so obscure and the mainstream musical theater audience really has no wind of it.

And I can understand why.  Violet doesn't follow the popular musical theater formula.  First off, it's based on a very serious and what some would call "dark" premise.  It's about a woman in 1964 on her way to see a televangelist peacher so he can heal her of a terrible scar she received as a little girl. Second, Violet's music is glorious, but quite varied in style.  One song will be a country ballad, the next, what sounds like Tina Turner should be singing, and the next, R&B, and the next, a soul gripping gospel number.  That in itself may sway some listeners.

But let me tell you, the ending and THE MESSAGE that this musical sends is worth it all.  It's so unusual in the the way it takes you this journey, that you become so compelled to feel for each of this characters.

To continue with it's premise, Violet meets along her way two friend soldiers: one black (Flick), one white (Monty).  Violet and these soldiers learn to find affection in one another and an unusual love triangle forms as the soldiers fall for Violet (Monty openly, Flick secretly) where feelings are hurt and love is found.  The audience is also unclear as in the beginning when the story seems understandable and innocent enough, the second act presents race and sex issues.  However, the themes can be universally understood and appreciated.

Michael Elroy, Flick, is absolutely wonderful and perfect for the role.  His hefty and sultry baritone has just a beautiful middle range and can do remarkable vocal feats as he flies to remarkably beautiful and sustained A's and B's, and one fantastic high falsetto Eb!  Michael Park has the absolutely perfect country southern boy quality for Monty.  His rendition of "You're Different" is so sentimental and poignant and just hits the spot.  And his acting training is clearly evident.  Lauren Ward stole the show and it sounds as if the role was written for her.  I don't think she could be a show that fit her talents more perfectly.  And what a great vehicle for her to learn her career on.  She's a mezzo with a very healthy belt as well as a trained head voice all the way to a great F at the top of the staff.

The music is just beautiful and touching.  "On My Way" is the central musical number as it ties up the themes so perfectly.  The recording simply will not leave you bored as it is surprising with every track as new styles are infused and great acting compels you.
254272
Wonderful look into the ongoing process creating an amazing musical !
3068298
I have not yet ordered it, but I will be soon! I discovered this musical with a friend a couple of weeks ago, and we are head over heels for it! It blends different styles so well, and reimagines the original story of R&J without losing the spirit of the original. Even I, someone very familiar with Shakespeare and more than a little tired of Romeo and Juliet, have had my excitement for the play rekindled by this magnificent production!
I'm not a fluent French speaker - actually, I'm really only a level two French student - and my friend doesn't speak any at all, but the emotion behind each song is so powerful that it transcends language (and youtube videos with translations help you when you really just want to know what they're saying :P).
The only downside of this CD is that they did leave out some great songs. For example, I would have loved to see Tybalt get one of his songs in here - preferably C'est le Jour, but that's just me. Or maybe the very fun Tu Dois Te Marier, or Benvolio's Comment Lui Dire! Not to mention some of the instrumentals (le Bal parts 1 and 2, just saying...). The problem with highlight CDs is that it's very hard for everyone to agree on what should be highlighted - and in a musical with as many wonderful songs as this one, there are bound to be some left out.
However, I'm happy to see the inclusion of Avoir une Fille, Les Beaux Les Laids, and Et Voila Qu'elle Aime, amongst some of the more expected(and just as awesome) songs.

Can't wait to have this uploaded into my music library!
4467844
I absolutly love this play. I've always been into musicals and I first saw this on HBO, and couldn't believe that David Hasselhoff was the star. But i was plesently suprised at his talents. His may not be the best singer to play this role but his acting is admirable. I also have a new favorite vocalist becuase of this show. The woman that plays Lucy Harris is unbelivably talented, I am suprised not to see more of her. Her voice is incredible. I suggest anyone that likes history, musicals, talent, unforgettable songs, and a passionate struggle to watch this play.
3417950
May 27, 2003 I take it anyone who actually SAW the musical could surely not say It didn't have a plot or story line. Or maybe they weren't REALLY paying attension while listening to it. I saw the broadway cast in 92 with the Great Gregory Hines and Savion Glover @ the Bule Theatre in Denver Colorado. I was Absolutely Blown Away by the talent of the Dancers,singers,actors, and instrumentalists. I am a singer/dancer myself and have always been a critic of Broadway Musicals And I have NEVER seen anything quite able to reach the talent that I saw on that stage before or since in my life so far! I hope some day it will come back to the stage it is greatly missed. I need people to see it so they finally understand why I have been bragging about it for so many years. I am also VERY disappointed that not very many people saw it when it came out and can someone please explain to me why it hasn't come back to the stage since 1992 yet?! P.S. WHY CAN"T I BUY THE DVD OF THE ACTUAL MUSICAL!
4348115
I am in love with this musical and am so happy that I made this purchase! It is so worth it!
1651978
The subject of the musical is very appealing and well known. The characters are dramatically powerful and the historical events seem to have been well told in the stage production. So, it's difficult to explain the failure of this musical in the theatre. As far as the CD is concerned, I found it interesting all the way through. If you buy it, be sure you'll be getting one of the most beautiful love songs ever written for a Broadway show: "Away from You", a ballad that the great Sarah Brightman has recently included in one of her Broadway albums. Here, you have the original version which, actually, is well worth the price of the whole record. Just for that song, this CD deserves 4 stars.