Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #88831 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-11-06
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Import, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 164 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Subtitled The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh, this video compilation is an unapologetic, self-produced valentine by and for Mackintosh, England's most omnipresent theatrical impresario. Conceived and taped as a royal gala for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the production sprints smartly across Mackintosh's long list of hit musicals and revivals including Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, and Oliver! with a huge principal cast, choruses and dancers, and full orchestra, introduced by Julie Andrews. While no substitute for any of the individual shows represented, Hey Mr. Producer! offers a fast-paced revue aimed at both casual theater fans and devotees of both New York's Broadway and London's West End.

The cast spotlights both American and English marquee talent, including both familiar musical troupers and dramatic actors who have proven themselves game, if untutored, singers. Jonathan Pryce (Brazil), who proved himself a latter-day Rex Harrison through 1980s stage hits, is perhaps the most ubiquitous, reprising his turns from Miss Saigon and in Harrison's signature musical role, Dr. Henry Higgins, from My Fair Lady (inevitably a set-up for Andrews's arrival onstage). Judi Dench (Mrs. Brown) provides one of the dramatic high points in a devastating reading of "Send in the Clowns," from Mackintosh's production of Side by Side by Sondheim. Sondheim himself pops up, as does one of his favorite leading ladies, Bernadette Peters, who basks, as always, in the spotlight and repays the adulation with several of the show's best moments. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews

Great!
Okay, so it is pretty much the same as the VHS version, but if you like DVDs better, buy this. The sound and picture are very good, as is the show itself. I absolutely loved every single performance! Some of the shows I have never seen, but I was glad that they were actually acted out instead of just having the actors standing there singing as if they were in a concert (Les Miserables the 10th Anniversary Concert, for example). Overall, I give this 5 stars.

Hey, Mr Producer
Wow!!! It's quite unlikely for a video of a 162 min. length to feel that you want to see
more, you really wish it won't end. There are lots of highlights and they are spread in
the whole video so you really won't get bored watching the whole thing.

My favorite parts are:

1. Little Shop of Horrors (Ellen Greene was fantastic and I love her renditions of
"Somewhere That's Green" and "Suddenly Seymour")

2. Unexpected Song
(Bernadette Peters was just funny, she's great, I especially like the beginning part prior
to the "Unexpected Song")

3. Miss Saigon montage
(I'm a little disappointed since this is one of my favorite musicals, and I don't think
that it was given enough emphasis in the video, there were 5 songs included
from the show but the first 4 songs were dramatically shortened, they sang about 2 lines from
"Wedding", about half of "Last Night of the world", 1/4 of "This is the hour", and 1/3 of
"The Heat is on in Saigon", the show deserved more than the way it was presented, but
nevertheless anything with Lea Salonga is a highlight for me. But the chronology of songs were
great starting with how kim and chris met, then got married, then the last night of the
world, then this is the hour)

4. Broadway Baby (the three ladies were terrific, and it's just a nice song to
sing in this kinds of concerts, it's especially great when a bunch of ladies occupied the
stage and join singing.)

5. Sondheim portion ("You could drive a person crazy" was just fun to watch,
a lot of Lea Salonga fans said before that they wish to see her in a happy song
since they used to seeing her in tragic chracters, and well this is a good sample. Lea was
fantastic here looking all cute and pretty and funny. Another highlight would be
"You Gotta Have a Gimmick" all three ladies were funny and great. Well of course there's Judi
Dench's version of "Send in the Clowns" Plus it's fun to watch people's reactions while they
are just on the stage watching the one performing)

6. Duelling Pianos (It's truly a joy to see two of the most accomplished
composers still living together. I like what they did at the tunes of
"Send in the Clowns" and "Music of the Night", you dont know if this kind of thing would happen
again so this is definitely a must watch)

7. Les Miserables (well perfect to end
the concert, but just like Miss Saigon many were shortened to a great extent. Where's
"A Little fall of Rain"? I especially like Lea's version of "On My Own" here
better than the Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Concert. Beautiful rendition.)

I highly recommend this to musical fans. Worth your money.

Chinese Version???
For those wondering what the differences are in the several different dvds.....this one has the book in Chinese and the main menu is in Chinese. You have to click English and, at least on my player, have to click audio button on the remote to get sound. So far I have found no listing of who sings the various songs. The picture and the sound quality are good and the new products section is entertaining with an ad for Riverdance partly in Chinese.