Broadway - The American Musical PBS Series VHS

I absolutely love this set of DVDs, so beautifully filmed, and hosted by Julie Andrews. Where it is especially helpful is in the first volume, as quite a number of historic, rare video clips of very early performers are featured. The set does a marvelous job explaining Broadway and its changes over the years, including a very good take on both the British Invasion, and, more recently, the enormous role of the producer and how the backing of corporations have enabled some of the more spectacular musicals to be staged. I am delighted to have this set available and not have to rely on checking it out from the public library! There is so much material that one can watch it over and over.

As a Theatre Lover for Fifty Years, it is Shocking to me how Skewed thisEditorial, I would not call it a Documentary. Reviewing the 1960s - 1970s Chapterof Theatre History, no Overview of Jerry Herman, Angela Lansbury, Lauren BacallDisappointing and Incomplete.Jack, Beechhurst, NY

I remember waiting eagerly to watch Broadway: The American Musical when it first appeared on PBS several years ago. I then rushed out to buy the musical album and eventually the DVD of the series. Now it is out on Blu Ray, and it is still as fabulous as it was when it was first produced. Unfortunately, it ends in 2004, and could use an update since so many fabulous shows have hit the boards since, but that is no reason not to enjoy it again if you are, as I am, a Broadway music fan. I especially liked the extra performances on each disc, giving viewers a chance to see not only how some of the magic was created but some of the early performers in live performances. I think every Broadway music fan should have this in his collection; it is a very special work.,

Great if you like the history of the American Musical on Broadway (and I do). Clips from things that haven't been seen in years from the stage that happened to make it to some film footage!

Any effort to survey the whole history of the Broadway musical theatre inevitably involves difficult choices of what to include and what to omit, plus the scarcity of earliest material. On the whole, the six-episode documentary works....I don't know how many factual errors were made or how many errors were picked up by other reviewers, but as a major fan of Jimmy Durante and the author of what is the most comprehensive coverage of his career (JIMMY DURANTE: HIS SHOW BUSINESS CAREER, McFarland & Company, 1995, still in print), I was startled to see in the "musical comedies" section of episode two, just before the Jolson segment, that a brief clip from an unidentified movie claimed it showed, left to right, (Lou) Clayton, (Jimmy) Durante, and (Eddie) Jackson. In fact the people were Rudy Vallee, Jimmy Durante, and Cliff ("Ukelele Ike") Edwards, from the Fox film GEORGE WHITE'S SCANDALS (1934), not the famous vaudeville team of Clayton, Jackson and Durante. That team appeared in only one film, ROADHOUSE NIGHTS (Paramount, 1930), together with Helen Morgan. Neither Durante nor his early partners ever appeared in any of George White's theatre productions.

Was pretty good. Got this as a gift for my niece because she’s gotten into the musicals. Was a little disappointed it didn’t show as much of the musicals as I was hoping just mostly documentary of the actors ( or behind the scenes people talking.)

I am a music teacher and I am using this series in my music appreciation class - so far - so good. Well done - Julie Andrews is perfect as the host. I supplement with my own materials but the series brings it alive for my students. Thanks PBS. Don't like the very expensive book that is supposed to go with it - doesn't really go with the series at all - it's just an expensive coffee table book - don't waste your money. Go online to the PBS site to download much better materials.

Has so many favorites... hope it never gets worn out from replaying...

Thank you so much, package arrived when it was to arrive. Nice dealing with you being in Ontario, Canada.I was watching on YouTube some excerpts from this series and had to have a copy of it for my own library! If you love the history and "ballyhoo of Broadway" then you'll have to purchase this series too! Julie Andrews (another favourite actress of mine) is the host for this amazing series. Beginning with the origins of Broadway right up to back ground story of "Wicked" this documentary takes to all of the different eras and then there many clips or other documentaries you can watch to expand your knowledge of the varied decades of Broadway legends and composers. Highly recommend this series to all Broadway lovers of all ages!

Lots of content well presented by Julie Andrews. Lot of long lost footage.

you don't have enough stars to show how wonderful this documentary is, how good in every way, from start to finish. All interviewees great, though it is the clips from shows and from the composers' lives that are great, as well as the occasional quotes read by actors. Couldn't be bettered. Julie Andrews fabulous as presenter.

the blu ray edition is excellent. It would be good if all dvd s would be in blu ray .

インタビューばかりやたら多くて、舞台の映像は細かく刻まれている上に、少なすぎでした。Youtube見た方がマシです。