Two Words, One Answer.
Jaret Winokur
 People Magazine - February 5, 2007 - Tyra Banks Cover (Volume 67 Number 5) $5.50 On the cover: In an exclusive interview, Tyra Banks defends herself against the outcry of critics who have attacked the ex-model for putting on weight. Also in this issue - Jennifer Garner: Another working mom trying to hold it all together., Are Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger secretly hitched? Lindsay Lohan's post rehab. Has Isaiah Washington gone too far? Keith Urban emerges from rehab thankful for his sobriety and for wife Nicole Kidman's support. Sienna, Dakota, Diddy and other snowbizzy types make the wintry scene at the Sundance Film Festival. Rescued teen Shawn Hornbeck resumes his life, shile his parents are criticized for putting him on Oprah. Linda Parsons and the Bradley-Parsons clan, Justin Timberlake at the Grammys, Jennifer Garner answers your questions aboutnew movie "Catch and Release," Katharine McPhee: She jump-starts her post-Idol career with a new CD, Art Buchwald: A farewell tribute to the esteemed humorist, Felicity Huffman, Cameron Diaz, Kelly Slater, "Prison Break" actress Sarah Wayne Callies, "Jump in!" and "High School Musical" Corbin Bleu, and much more!  Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series) $59.98 BROADWAY-THE AMERICAN MUSICAL was originally, I believe, a PBS Documentary that can now be purchased on DVD. I haven't seen any of the PBS Show. However, I am a huge fan of Broadway shows and music. I am a firm believer that the best music of America can be sewn across the tapestry of Broadway: here we have Sondheim and Streisand, Armstrong and Astaire, Merman and Martin, Berlin and Buckley. Listen to this music and you'll hear the music of America itself. Okay, enough of my philosophical observations on Broadway. I already know that you love Broadway music. If you don't, you would have stopped reading before the end of the first paragraph. The question you want answered is this: I want a set of great Broadway music that I'll love; some that I know, some that I don't. Is this the set that I should buy? The answer is: yes. This set is brilliant, and well-worth the money you'll spend for it. That amount of money is quite a bit. However, with five CDs, 109 songs, and a twenty-something page booklet that is interesting and well-written, you will feel very satisfied with your purchase. Quick, now, look back to the first paragraph and reread the names listed there. All of those were taken straight from this CD collection, and there are lots more besides those. I still haven't gotten to Jolson, Rivera, Andrews, Orbach, Grey, Lansbury, Mostel, or Channing (plus more). Initially, with this set, you will be overwhelmed with all of the great names and great music. It helps if you listen to it in order (Disc One before Disc 3, etc.), since all of the songs (excluding the first, GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWAY, which opens every Broadway set) are in chronological order. Listen to a song, and then read the annotation in the book. It will help you comprehend why this song, and the musical it belongs to, are important in Broadway history. Or, you could just listen for enjoyment. There are tons of beautiful songs here that I will cherish for the rest of my life: "Memory" from Cats, "Hello, Dolly!" from, well, Hello Dolly, "Open a New Window" from Mame, "Try to Remember" from The Fantasticks. Believe it or not, I had never heard any of these songs in their entirety before I purchased this set. Just think of what I was missing! Of course, there are some slight disputable errors. There is nothing here from RAGTIME or ASPECTS OF LOVE. And, a couple of songs are sort of unnessecary (I could have done without "I Enjoy Being a Girl" from FLOWER DRUM SONG, 1958.) However, there are many gems I would have overlooked if I had purchased a less comprehensive set: songs like "Luck Be a Lady" from GUYS AND DOLLS or "The Party's Over" from BELLS ARE RINGING. Overall, this is the set to have. It is a bit pricy, but the money is well worth the many hours of memories and pure enjoyment. Appreciate the magic of Broadway! |
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