Musical:

TCM Greatest Classic Films Collection: Broadway Musicals (Show Boat / Annie Get Your Gun / Kiss Me Kate / Seven Brides for Seven Brothers)
$27.92
This is an excellent DVD. Quality is superb. What a joy to be able to see 4 great musicals together- Show Boat, Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me Kate, and 7 Brides For 7 Brothers. Superb dancing, superb music. Chance to see that wonderful dance number with Bob Fosse and Carol Haney (among others)in "Kate" & the humorous number "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" done by gangsters Keenan Wynn & James Whitmore. And nothing compares to the magnificent athletic dance number in "7 Brides". Can't go wrong with this collection.

A Christmas Carol: The Musical
$14.98
All I can say, is they tried. Christmas Carol isn't my favorite storyline, too dark and creepy with ghosts and misers, and funerals and consequences of lost opportunities and while the message is good, the reason for the change never feels genuine. It is because he is faced with the `threat' of a `hellish future' which forces a change of heart. I'd much rather Scrooge change on his own, without having every mistake pointed out. But I guess then we wouldn't have a story then.

The musical numbers were weak and `sing songy.' Andrew Lloyd Webber this aint. You basically get several tunes recycled throughout the film and to varying degrees of annoying-ness. My favorite characters were Bob Crachit and his son tiny Tim, and the ghost of Christmas Present. Christmas future was way over the top, rather short, and too dark for my tastes and possibly a bit scary for the wee ones.

The ending where Scrooge, delivers the turkey was cute, but it left me wondering how Mrs. Crachit was going to cook that monster. LOL. And was a bit too brief. Scrooge needed to do more for the Crachett's than that.

Overall this was a fair film, but nothing I'd really recommend, unless you decide you needed the musical score to torture terrorist suspects at guantanamo bay. Then, by all means, pick this title up.

Cats - The Musical (Commemorative Edition)
$19.98
I'm just now beginning to enjoy the broadway music of musicals I've heard about for years, but would not listen to them......Now I have Cats, Fiddler On The Roof, and more and more Musicals, and love Mamma Mia after all these years......I guess they're right when they say you get smarter, as you age,,,,,,no telling how smart I'll be when I reach the age of 150.......

Wicked (2003 Original Broadway Cast)
$18.98
Just saw Wicked in Denver, CO at the Buell Theatre. I chose to see the show based on hearing a few of the songs at a chorus concert, I had not read the book. Sure, the CD is not like seeing the musical - Duh! However, this recording is wonderful. It helps me to remember the terrific time I had at the actual musical. I think that's the point of soundtracks. The music takes us back to the experience - and this CD does that for me. (I believe the performers in the traveling show I saw in Denver did just as good a job with the songs as the folks on this CD. So, if you're waffling about whether to see the traveling show or not - Just do it, you won't be disappointed.)