An Expected DVD

 The Hobbit DVD comes out today!

The Muppets Hunger Games spoof

You've Got Mail

This came in the post today whee!

A friend from Oz sent it.

It's a dvd called In The Company of Actors, a behind the scenes documentary of the Sydney Theatre Company production of Hedda Gabler with Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Anthony Weigh, Justine Clarke, Aden young, Julie Hamilton and Annie Byron. It played not only in Sydney but also at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2006. In fact, Lani saw it. But alas, it was way before this blog was created.

I had heard about the existence of the documentary about a year ago from another theatre geek friend who said that it was presented at the Santa Barbara Film Festival in 2008. Shark Island Productions produced a dvd but sadly, it is currently only available in Australia. Included in the dvd is a detailed study guide of the film. Isn't that a nice touch?

I haven't seen the film yet but surely I will post about it once I have. In the meantime, the description from the back of the cover reads:

"From a rehearsal room in Sydney through to opening night in New York, a company of actors reveals the magic and struggle of creating theatre".

Here's a trailer of the film:

Hockadoo!!!

It's been announced that the live performance of Memphis which was filmed and shown in movie theatres will finally be released on DVD and Blu-Ray in January 2012. Read more about it here.

P & P and the Industrial Revolution

Having loved the BBC adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters, I was excited when I saw that North and South was available for streaming in my queue.

North and South is very much like the beloved P & P (that would be Pride and Prejudice) set during the industrial revolution. The Elizabeth Bennet here is Margaret Hale, a woman from the south of England who moves to a fictional northern England town called Milton with her family. Coming from the gentile and pastoral town in the south, the family struggles to cope with the more industrial ways of the north. Margaret meets John Thornton (Mr. Darcy of this series), an owner of a cotton mill. Mr. Thornton becomes a good friend of Margaret's father but dislike has already set in during their first meeting when Margaret witnessed Mr. Thornton's severity to one of his factory workers. Margaret soon develops a friendship with Bessie Higgins, a the factory worker and daughter of a union leader further putting a wedge between Thornton and Margaret. Furthermore, Thornton's mother (Sinead Cusack) and sister Fanny (Jo Joyner) have always looked down on Margaret's middle class family. Despite their obvious attraction to each other, stubborness and misjudgements drag out their love over various events.

Daniela Denby-Ashe plays Margaret Hale (she reminds me of Kendra Kassebaum only brunette) as very subdued and sympathetic. Richard Armitage (soon to be Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobit) is a scowling John Thornton (compared to a brooding Mr. Darcy!) but he does soften quite a bit as the series progresses and you discover about his sense of responsibility towards his workers. Brendan Coyle (Mr. Bates in Downton Abbey) plays Nicholas Higgins the union leader who eventually befriends Mr. Thornton. The whole cast is perfect in their roles and the writing is very detailed and characters are so layered it's so compelling. Plus, with the BBC's reputation of being true to the period, the set as well as the costumes make this series a joy to watch much like P & P with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle.

Better and Better

There is a newly restored and remastered Pride and Prejudice dvd just released and it is the ever favorite BBC/A&E version with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth!

According to this review from MonsterandCritics.com, "this is the best DVD version available. The colors have been corrected by taking this version directly from the negative using the most current technologies available. That is the first major improvement, as the characters look vibrant and lively, not overly red or strangely pale green as in earlier releases. Additional benefits of newer technologies can be heard in the sound quality which is perfected with this restoration and scenes flow seamlessly without any interruption in the viewing experience."

The 2 disc series also include some delightful bonus features:

• Lasting Impressions has interviews of the cast and crew
• An Impromptu Walkabout with Lucy Briers and Adrian Lukis, takes viewers to various scenes of the shoot with the actors who played Mary Bennet and Mr. Wickham
• Turning Point takes a close look at Pride & Prejudice 1995 as a watermark in the filming and presentation of historical or literary dramas
• Uncovering the Technical Restoration Process allows viewers to see what was done in terms of technical processing to make this DVD of such high quality.

With all these new features, I can just hear Lizzie utter "Happy thought indeed!"

(photo fr. Amazon.com)

The Sweetness and The Sorrow

I really enjoyed this movie when it came out in the theatres (see review here). As of Tuesday, 10/13, the dvd of Every Little Step, a documentary about the casting of the 2006 Broadway revival of A Chorus Line is available for theatre geeks to add to their collection. To order copies please click here.

(photo from Amazon.com)

RENT: Filmed Live On Broadway

On Feb. 3, 2009 the RENT: Filmed Live on Broadway DVD will be released. It captures the final performance of one of the most iconic pieces of musical theatre. The show was filmed live at the Nederlander Theatre NYC on Sept. 7, 2008. Starring Will Chase as Roger, Adam Kantor as Mark, Michael McElroy as Collins, Tracie Thoms as Joanne, Justin Johnston as Angel, Reneé Elise Goldsberry as Mimi, Eden Espinosa as Maureen and original cast members Rodney Hicks, who steps into the role of Benny, and Gwen Stewart as the "Seasons of Love" soloist.

The dvd has a lot of extras with the final curtain call, the Rent alumni singing Seasons of Love, the final lottery and it's craziness but the best of all is the feature of the Wall. It's the famous wall of the Nederlander Theatre where Rentheads - famous and not so famous - showing their love for the show, left their signatures.

(photo from Playbill.com)

Something Blue

Want to get a clearer picture of Lizzie's fine eyes? Well, the Blu-ray version of BBC/A&E production of Pride and Prejudice with Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth will be released April 14, 2009. Apparently from the fan reviews in the UK, which got the Blu-ray version last year, the colors are crisper and definitely clearer than the dvd version.......and that is a happy thought indeed!

(photo from Amazon.com)

ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway

I just wanted to call your attention to this dvd that came out today. ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway is a documentary by Dori Berinstein which follow 4 shows during the 2003-2004 Broadway season, Avenue Q, Caroline or Change, Taboo and Wicked. I was fortunate enough to see it in the theatre here in Chicago last June and thought that it was a well made movie. It follows these 4 shows from the inception (when the composers meet to write the score), rehearsal process, opening night and all the way to the awards season climaxing on the Tony Awards 2004. There are a ton of backstage access given to Ms. Berinstein's crew that a regular person would not be privy to. If you are curious about the cast.....well......it has the most notable names on Broadway today: Euan Morton, Raul Esparza, Tonya Pinkins, Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel, John Tartaglia, Stephanie D'Abrusso.....just to name a few.

Oh, I almost forgot......it also features discussions of theatre critics......the men/women with the pen.....who can make or break a show. It's interesting how they discuss predictions of which shows will make it on Broadway and then find out later the actual results.

So check it out and put it in your Netflix queue.........you'll really appreciate how hard it is to put up a live show on Broadway and how many people are involved into making a show! It gives you a different perspective when you see live theatre.