DVDs: More Tony Clips
When the Broadway's Lost Treasures series had its premiere on PBS and DVD in 2003, no mention was made of the Tony Awards, even though the musical sequences of which the program was made up were clearly excerpted from various Tony Awards telecasts. By the time of the second edition in 2004, the Tonys were acknowledged as the source of the material, and, unlike the first program, the second was able to feature material beyond the years 1967-1986 that the Tony Awards were produced by Alexander H. Cohen.
With the latter's son, Christopher Cohen, as director and producer, the Broadway's Lost Treasures series continued in 2005, with the now-familiar pattern of a PBS telecast in the summer and a DVD release in the fall. Volume Three of Broadway's Lost Treasures is quite clearly subtitled "The Best of the Tony Awards," and offers twenty-three sequences.
After a brief introduction by Carol Channing, Robert Goulet hosts the first of four segments, which begins with the title number and "We're in the Money" from the 2001 Broadway revival of 42nd Street. An error in the on-screen display gives the theatre and performance tally for the revival, but the opening date as 1980, that of the original 42nd Street. This was the sequence that featured the clever gimmick of having the cast start on stage at the Ford Center, then move to the 42nd Street subway station and train, to finally arrive at Radio City Music Hall and continue on that stage with "Money," as seen in the production's curtain call.
From the 1971 twenty-fifth-anniversary Tony show comes "Whatever Lola Wants" from Damn Yankees, performed by Gwen Verdon and introduced by Ray Walston. Verdon makes a slip in the lyrics, repeating the word "came" twice rather than rhyming "aim" with "came." While it's always good to see Verdon, the number is disappointingly foreshortened. It's available in full length in the Yankees film.
Next is a medley from the 2002 revival of Into the Woods. This is pleasant, but, like the 42nd Street number, very recent, hardly qualifying as a "lost treasure." The first highlight of the disc is next, Jerry Orbach in a delightful performance of "She Likes Basketball" from Promises, Promises which is incorrectly billed as having opened in 1957. The Promises number derives from the 1969 Tony telecast, where it was immediately followed by the sensational "Turkey Lurkey Time" production number from Promises. That's unfortunately absent here, no doubt being saved for a future Lost Treasures installment.
The first segment concludes with another strong item, "America," from the 1980 revival of West Side Story. Jerome Robbins' choreography is exciting, and leading it is Debbie Allen in splendid form.
The second segment is hosted by Tommy Tune, who first introduces "Sing, Sing, Sing" from Fosse. As Fosse was telecast and released in its entirety, this number is one of the less necessary items here. Then too, one would prefer to have the "Sing, Sing, Sing" number as performed on the 1978 Tony Awards by the cast of Fosse's Dancin'.
Then comes "Ol' Man River," led by Michel Bell, in the staging of the 1994 Broadway revival of Show Boat. This is a nice souvenir of that production's ultra-realistic approach. An amusing rarity follows. That's Tony Roberts and the five widows in "Step to the Rear," the outstanding number from the 1967 flop How Now, Dow Jones. Host Tune notes that he danced in the show's chorus. Although Gillian Lynne was the official choreographer, Michael Bennett doctored the How Now dances, so "Step to the Rear" is at least partly Bennett, and it's a '60s-style charmer.
From the '71 Tonys is Alfred Drake, recreating his 1948 number from Kiss Me, Kate, "Where Is the Life That Late I Led?" Drake still sounds good, and remains the witty, authoritative leading man. One may feel that it's too bad that the '71 show has been raided on all three Lost Treasures installments. It might have been better to release the numbers from that program as a separate disc, rather than mix them in with the others.
The second segment of Broadway's Lost Treasures III concludes with Julie Andrews in a medley from My Fair Lady and Camelot. Andrews is, as ever, the radiant star performer, but the last selection, "I Could Have Danced All Night," is no longer comfortable for her.
Goulet returns for the third segment, which kicks off with "I Can't Be Bothered Now" from Crazy for You, another show preserved in its entirety and telecast by PBS. But here you get the number as led by the able original leading man, Harry Groener, and, as choreographed by Susan Stroman, it's a solid sequence.
Next is one of the most effective Tony performances of recent years, Chita Rivera, Brent Carver and company in "Where You Are" from Kiss of the Spider Woman. Given a tremendous performance, the number perfectly embodies the themes and style of the show. The fine choreography is the work of Rob Marshall.
From the '82 Tonys, we get a curious excerpt from a sequence of numbers from shows that played the Imperial Theatre. It's a medley from Rose-Marie, featuring Inga Swenson and Goulet, and it's probably included here simply because Goulet is hosting.
Another show preserved in its entirety and aired by PBS, Black and Blue is up next, with a couple of numbers featuring stars Ruth Brown and Linda Hopkins and an energetic ensemble of dancers that includes Savion Glover. From the '71 program comes Zero Mostel, performing ...Forum's "Comedy Tonight" as a solo. Even with a questionable final note, Mostel is a dynamic, sui generis performer.
Harvey Fierstein hosts the fourth segment, which begins with an Ethel Merman medley, performed on the occasion of the star being given a special Tony, her second and last, on the 1972 show. Merman was assisted in the sequence by Larry Blyden and Hal Linden. This is the DVD's unkindest cut of all, as it cuts the medley in half, eliminating "I Get a Kick Out of You," "Make It Another Old Fashioned, Please," and "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun." This is a pity, as Merman is in great form, and one doubts that the rest of the sequence will be released on another installment of the series.
Another recent number is Kristin Chenoweth in a flashy rendition of "My New Philosophy," one of the new songs added to the 1999 revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Next up is "Caldonia," a number with audience participation, from Five Guys Named Moe, another show preserved in its entirety, although released on home video only in the U.K. This is the sort of number that doesn't have a lot to do with musical theatre, even if the audience seems to enjoy it.
And the finale of the fourth segment is the opening number to the 1998 Ragtime. Even in abbreviated form, it's a thrilling sequence.
The bonus segment comprises four numbers not seen in the Lost Treasures III telecast, led off by Jonathan Pryce in "The American Dream" from Miss Saigon. Angela Lansbury's "Everything's Coming Up Roses" too quickly turns into a salute to the Winter Garden Theatre, the theme of the 1975 Tony Awards program. Next up is a lengthy rarity, Robert Goulet in the title song from The Happy Time, leading into Goulet, David Wayne, and the teenaged Michael Rupert in Gower Champion's charming staging of Happy Time's "A Certain Girl." Then there's Desi Arnaz in "She Could Shake the Maracas" from Too Many Girls, part of a Richard Rodgers medley salute from the 1972 Tonys and another sequence that should have been issued complete rather than broken up.
In general, it can be said that this third installment includes perhaps too many numbers from recent Tony shows and from productions that are otherwise available on video. Still, one is happy to see that this series is continuing, and if it goes on long enough, it's likely to include all of the earlier numbers that still await release.
No word yet on a commercial release of another Lost Treasures DVD which was offered for a pledge on the PBS telecast, a disc devoted entirely to excerpts from non-musical plays.