LIZA'S AT THE PALACE - A Review by Jorge

Liza Minnelli is back and in good shape. This live recording, done in Las Vegas, of the show she opened on Broadway in 2008, shows that she still got it.

It’s true, her voice isn’t as strong as it used to be, but there aren’t many singers who know how to deliver a song as strongly as Liza. More than singing, she lives each of her songs, turning them into something special and emotional. And when she’s on stage, she’s real there and she’s always mesmerizing.

As usual, she gives us her famous signature songs, talks about her parents, delivers the line “I’m not going like Elsie”, while singing “Cabaret”, and sings something from Charles Aznavour. The big surprise is her exciting tribute to her godmother Kay Thompson. With the help of four mature male dancers, she recreates Thompson’s club act and she does it with energy, humor and a lot of love.

This isn’t as good as the exciting “Liza from Radio City Music Hall” that she did in 1992, but it’s a terrific concert of one of the last great legends of the stage.

Rate:

EVERY LITTLE STEP - A Review by Jorge

At the time of it’s opening, A CHORUS LINE became the longest running show in the history of Broadway. In 2006 a new production arrived on Broadway and, although its run was shorter, it still was a very exciting and emotional show.

Now, with this amazing DVD, we are allowed to have an inside look at the casting process of the revival and believe me, this is really extraordinary. I always imagined that to find the perfect cast for a musical was a difficult task, but I never thought it was rewarding and painful at the same time. We all have our favorites and it breaks our hearts to see some of them not getting the jobs, but one thing is clear, all of them are very talented and deserved a chance.

My big surprise was to realize that even the likes of Charlotte d’Amboise and Deidre Goodwin had to fight for their roles and, trust me, the competition was tough. I thought, taking in consideration their careers, they had been invited for the roles. As for the girls, I cried with the excitement of Jessica Lee Goldyn when she got the role of Val. For her it must have been a wonderful shock.

But the big moment of this DVD is the audition of Jason Tam, who got the role of Paul. He’s simply breathtaking and I never imagined that someone could be that good and real in an audition. He cried, made the producers and creators of the show cry and brought tears to my eyes. He’s simple fabulous! As for the other male roles, it seems that the likes of Michael Berresse and Tony Yazbeck didn’t have to audition for their roles, since they hardly appear here.

The DVD also shows scenes from the original production and reveals part of the interviews that inspired Michael Bennett. To be able to see all of this is thrilling and I can’t recommend it enough. Please believe me, this DVD is a great piece of theatre history and its essential in every musical fan’s home.

Rate:

FAME - A Review by Jorge

The lyrics of the title song say, “remember my name”, but I doubt that the name of the young stars of this remake will be remembered.

The 1980 Alan Parker movie took a realistic look at the daily life of a group of students who wanted to be famous and he did it with humor, emotion and some passion. This remake approaches the story like it was another episode of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, with clean pretty students, who don’t take drugs, smoke or even drink too much. They all look like a bunch of straight virgins (no out of the closet gays in this version), some of them can sing, others can dance, but their dramatic talents aren’t that good.

When the best thing in a movie about a group of students is their teachers, something is terrible wrong. But the movie only comes alive with the likes of Megan Mullally, who kills the young competitors with her rendition of “You Took Advantage of Me”, Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth, who should be given more to do. By the way, Paul McGill was great in the revival of A CHORUS LINE, but here they don’t give him a chance.

Kay Panabaker and Asher Book are so sweet as the love couple that made me sick. As for Naturi Naughton (the new Irene Cara), she has a strong voice and they should have given her a good original song. Instead of seeing this piece of sugar candy, go rent the original version or the television series.

Rate:

RENT - FILMED LIVE ON BROADWAY - A Review by Jorge

Since it’s opening that RENT was a musical phenomena, winning several awards, turning young unknown actors in Broadway stars and playing for sold-out houses during several years (it ran 12 years).

A movie adaptation of the show, starring some of the original cast members, opened in 2005, but although it was interesting it wasn’t much successful. But now comes the real thing, RENT live on Broadway. Someone had the inspiration to record the final performance of that show and it’s terrific!

I’ve to confess that I never saw the show live on stage, the reason for my stubbornness was the fact that, with the exception of “Seasons of Love”, I don’t like the score. I always thought it was too rock for my old fashion ears, so I decided not to see the show. How I regret my decision…

The cast of this “final performance” is amazing and I believe they are as good as the original players and some of them sing even better. I’m sure the guys who filmed this loved the show and director Michael John Warren managed to give us a true theatrical experience. As for the show, as many of you know, it’s a high emotional one, which made us care for its fascinating characters and has no fear of touching strong subjects.

Besides the entire performance of the show, there are also several exciting bonus features and I doubt your eyes will be dry after seeing some of those. You’ll feel that you’re part of the action and I’m sue you’ll be touched by it. I believe this is the reason why DVDs (or Blu-Rays) exist.

Although I still don’t like the score, I strongly recommend this unforgettable edition.

Rate:

MITZI GAYNOR: RAZZLE DAZZLE! THE SPECIAL YEARS - A Review by Jorge

“Ladies and gentlemen… Miss Mitzi Gaynor” and be prepared for a wonderful surprise, for this is one of the “must have” DVDs of the year.

The first time I saw Mitzi was on the movie version of SOUTH PACIFIC and I liked her Nellie Forbush. Later I had the pleasure of seeing her dancing with Gene Kelly in LES GIRLS and with Donald O’Connor in ANYTHING GOES and THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS. Unfortunately, I never saw any of her television specials and to be completely honest (please keep in mind that I live in Portugal) I didn’t even knew of their existence. So, imagine my surprise when I put this DVD running and suddenly realized that there was much more to Mitzi than I knew from the movies.

Last year I discovered at YouTube a video of her energetic and funny 1967 Oscar appearance with “Georgy Girl” and I loved seeing it. Now, with this DVD, I have plenty more to see and I tell you that’s all worthy. Mitzi was (still is) an amazing performer, able to sing, dance and act; with a gorgeous smile that conquers our hearts and make us want to be her friend.

This DVD takes a look at all her television specials (the first was in 1963 and the last in 1978), with plenty of material to keep us happy and it also includes interviews with people who worked with her, like Bob Mackie (the costume designer who did all of her fabulous costumes), and with fans like Kristine Chenoweth. But the best is the interviews with Mitzi herself who, at the age of 77, still looks great, with a terrific sense of humor and an energy that make us jealous. Personally, I think I could listen to her for hours without getting bored.

As for the musical numbers, they may look dated (it was the 60s and the 70s), but there’s a joy to them that is contagious and made me wish that this kind of shows were still being produced. It’s amazing the imagination and love that were behind all those numbers and I believe there were made by a happy group of people, who had a wonderful time doing them. Let’s hope that one day the entire shows will be released on DVD.

There are some terrific special features included. In one of them Mitzi and Bob Mackie remember the amazing costumes she wore on those shows and share their memories with us. There are also several complete performances, including an hilarious movie parody, Mitzi’s transformation into a Kid and some great musical numbers.

I guess that today’s audiences may not be familiar with Mitzi, but I believe that with this joyful DVD a new era will begin for her and her dazzling talent will once again be recognized by many, if not all.

Thanks for a wonderful time, Mitzi! You really knew how to shine and you still do.

Rate:

COMPANY - A Review by Jorge

In 1995 I had the pleasure of seeing the fabulous Donmar production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical and I simply loved it (I saw it twice). So, the idea of seeing another production of that show was a little bit scary, specially one where the actors had to play musical instruments.

I didn’t have a chance of seeing this new Broadway Revival live on stage (that’s what happens when you live in Lisbon, Portugal), but I was more than happy to get my hands on the DVD release. My initial fear dissipated after the first number and I knew I was in good hands.

Once again, Sondheim and George Furth’s musical proofs to be as modern and true today as it was when it opened on Broadway, back in 1970. The score is on of Sondheim’s best and the present cast makes it their own. Raúl Esparza is a fantastic (and terribly hot) Bobby and his rendition of “Being Alive” made me feel goose bumps all over my body. Heather Laws delivers all the humor of “Getting Married Today” and Angel Desai sings “Another Hundred People” with a savage side I never heard before. Elizabeth Stanley is a funny surprise as April and Barbara Walsh is a real bitchy Joanne and her “The Ladies Who Lunch” is a strong one.

I confess I don’t favour the idea of the actors playing the musical instruments, but sometimes it works in the benefit of the show. Curiously the numbers “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” and “Side By Side By Side” are the ones that work better that way, with the instruments used as comic tools. But I confess I missed the sound of a real orchestra accompanying the actors.

Anyway, this is a good production of a terrific show and we should all be grateful that it was released on DVD. Let’s hope that in the near future other musicals will be available this way.

Rate:

MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY - A Review by Jorge

If you love the old screwballs of Hollywood’s Golden Age as much as I do, I believe you’ll enjoy this delightful new comedy.

Delysia Fosse is a singer who wants to be a star and, in order to fulfil her dream, is willing to marry a rich man instead of marrying the piano player she loves. Miss Pettigrew is a poor woman who doesn’t seem to hold a job and, when she hears that Fosse is in need of a maid, she steals the job and presents herself at her house. Between the two begins a relationship that will change both their lives

Maybe I’m exaggerating by saying this is a first class comedy, but that’s exactly what I think. It’s been a long time since I had such fun and joy at the movies, but this simple movie by Bharat Nalluri has the power to make me feel good and I left the cinema with a tear in my eyes and a smile in my heart. The fact that there’s a musical aura around all the proceedings, with a contagious jazzy score and even a musical number, might have helped.

The cast couldn’t be better. The men are good, but the movie belongs to the ladies and here they shine like the stars of yesterday. Frances McDormand is simply great in the title role and her comic timing is perfect. As for Amy Adams, she’s a simple delight for all senses and deserves to become a big star. On a supporting role, Shirley Henderson is terrific as the bitch with a broken heart.

For everyone who’s young at heart and tired of special effects and violence, this is the perfect antidote and it could easily become a stage musical. Don’t miss this delicious comedy!

Rate:

WORDS AND MUSIC BY JERRY HERMAN - A Review by Jorge

While I was watching this great documentary I couldn’t stop thinking that I wish there were more Jerry Herman musicals. For someone who began his career in the late 50s, we should have more shows by him; I’m sure the musical theatre would be a richer place.

But that doesn’t matter, what brings me here is the PBS television special WORDS AND MUSIC BY JERRY HERMAN. Created by Amber Edwards this is a Valentine to the great Jerry and a special treat for musical lovers all over the world.

A closer look at Jerry’s life and career, it has in Jerry himself the perfect storyteller. He simply loves his work and his enthusiasm and joy of living are contagious. A host of stars (Carol Channing, Angela Lansbury, Charles Nelson Reilly, Michael Feinstein, Fred Ebb, George Hearn and many others) talk about him and his shows, and they do it with affection and respect.

A special treat for us musical fans, are the excerpts from MACK & MABEL, HELLO, DOLLY!, MAME, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES and specially DEAR WORLD; they are enough reason to buy this unique DVD, but better than that is the opportunity to get to know Jerry in a more personal way. Unfortunately I don’t know Jerry personally, but it looks like the nicest and the most optimist man in the world.

By the end of the documentary, we perfectly understand why his music is always so up-lifting and we hope that a new Jerry musical will soon be available. I can imagine a couple of movies (A POCKTEFUL OF MIRACLES, MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS) that would be perfect for him to turn into musicals. I’m sure he must have a truck full of unreleased songs; I just hope that someday they will be available for al of us to enjoy.

Thank you Mr. Herman for all the joy and pleasure you have given us.

Rate:

SWEENEY TODD - A Review by Miss Diva

I know I should have written this review early, but laziness is a thing that happens very often to middle aged women like me. But since this movie was recently release on DVD I think it’s about time for me to say what I think about it.

I love the scores of Mr. Stephen Sondheim and, although SWEENEY TODD isn’t my favorite (I always preferred FOLLIES), I think it’s a masterpiece of the genre. The idea of Tim Burton directing a movie version sounded good to me, after all Burton was responsible for the delicious dark musical THE NIGTHMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. I could even imagine it as an animation movie (a great idea for a possible INTO THE WOODS movie adaptation, don’t you agree?).

The problem was when I heard that dear Johnny Depp and Helena Bonhman Carter were cast in the leading roles. Could they sing? Weren’t they too young for the roles? Would this movie be a terrible mistake? Well, my worst fears didn’t happen, but the end result was a little disappointing.

Visually, the movie is strong and very gothic. The tons of blood are really red and I wouldn’t recommend it to sensitive souls. It works as a piece of grand-guinol, but not entirely as a musical. I guess Burton’s hand was too heavy to handle the musical sequences and he misses the dark humor of the Broadway musical; a good example of what I’m saying is the “A Little Priest” sequence. That song is played with a straight face and its delicious humor doesn’t work and the same happens with “By the Sea”. I guess Burton wanted to do a serious musical and in that case it works, but that wasn’t what I expected.

As for the cast, Depp sings his role with a rocker voice and he looks the part (I wouldn’t mind seeing him in any part). Carter is a too normal Mrs. Lovett, but delivers a sweet voice in her numbers. The best singing comes from Ed Sanders, as the young Toby (Burton’s nicest touch is turn Toby into a very young kid), and the best surprise is a delicious Sacha Baron Cohen as Pirelli.

Some of the songs are missing; others were truncated, but as far as movie adaptations of musicals go, this one is rather interesting and thanks to it I guess many people will discover the genius of Mr. Sondheim. I enjoyed seeing it, but I prefer the television broadcast of the stage play starring the one and only Angela Lansbury.

Rate:

NAKED BOYS SINGING - A Review by Jorge

Oh, this is fun! I never thought this would be so fun.

The stage show opened in New York in 1999 and become an instant hit and I always thought it was because there were all those naked guys on stage. Although I think I wasn’t totally wrong, I had a preconceived opinion. Anyway, in all my trips to New York I never went to see it and if it wasn’t for this movie adaptation, I probably would never see it.

I can’t make comparisons with the stage show, but I guess directors Robert Schrock (who directed and conceived the stage play) and Troy Christian managed to get the spirit of it intact. There’s no doubt that the target audience is a gay one and I confess I didn’t knew this was so gay in content (I thought it was only gay because of all the naked boys), but I believe everyone can have a good time with it. Unless you are shy of male genitals (I am not, for the contrary) there’s nothing shocking here. Everything is done in the best of tastes, the music is pleasant, the lyrics are sometimes hilarious (“Perky Little Porn Star” and “Jack’s Song”), the choreography is funny and the sense of seeing a live show is here. In fact, this movie is basically the shooting of the stage play, with some cinematic effects to rich the events.

As for the naked boys, they surprised me with their strong voices, good dance movements, acting abilities and the way they easily face their nudity performances. The big moments were “Jack’s Song”, with choreography that would make Tommy Tune proud, Kevin Stea as “The Naked Maid” and the opening number. Not every number is a comic one, so there’s the tender “Window to Window” or the sad “Kris, Look What You’ve Missed”. Snooty performer Jason Currie has the worst moment of the movie with the “Robert Mitchum” song, but he redeems himself with “The Entertainer”. In fact, although each one of us will have his favorites (mines are Kevin Stea, Joe Souza and Joseph Keane) I believe everyone gives their best and they work perfectly as a team.

This musical revue is a good piece of entertainment and the fact that it has a few guys in the nude also contributes to the party. In fact it’s perfect to be shown among a friends, or even family, party. Don’t miss the DVD extras.

Rate:

ENCHANTED - A Review by Miss Diva

Once upon a time, in the magic land of Andalasia, the beautiful Giselle is about to marry her prince, but his jealously stepmother tricks the poor girl and sends her to the real world, more exactly to New York. Once there she meets Robert and his small daughter; they both decide to help her find her prince. In the meantime, the prince follows her to New York and so does the evil stepmother.

Disney returns to the land of the fairy-tales and the result is a funny comedy with songs. I always dreamed of being a princess with a gorgeous Prince Charming and I would love to be able to enchant animals with my singing voice (I tried, but it was a big failure). Here, Giselle has to do with not very gracious animals, but on the other hand she had two good-looking guys to choose. One is the cute James Marsden as the silly singing Prince, the other the charming and very real Patrick Dempsey as Robert; both actors are very convincing in their roles and if I were in Giselle’s shoes I would have a hard time choosing with which one I wanted to live happily ever after.

The movie succeeds as a spoof of many Disney animated classics and even manages to be a delicious musical, but things become less interesting on the last third, with the conventional ball sequence and a kind of forceful climax. The best of all is Amy Adams performance as Giselle, she’s absolutely perfect in the role and very believable as a fairy-tale character; the success of the movie belongs to her and to the Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz songs.

For Musical aficionados there’s the presence of Idina Menzel and Tonya Pinkis, plus cameos by Jodi Benson, Paige O’Hara and Judy Kuhn (all three had lend her voices to previous Disney-Alan Menken animated musicals). It could have been better, but it’s fairly enjoyable.

Rate:

THE DANGEROUS CHRISTMAS OF RED RIDING HOOD - A Review by Jorge

On November 1965, the ABC Network broadcasted for the first time the television special THE DANGEROUS CHRISTMAS OF RED RIDING HOOD, also known as OH WOLF, POOR WOLF!, where the famous fairy tale is told by the Wolf, who doesn’t see himself as the bad guy.

That musical version of the story was finally released on DVD and it takes us back to a more innocent age, or to use the title of one the songs, naïve age. Filmed on black and white, with cardboard sets, theatrical acting and static camera work, this looks dated, but it doesn’t mean that’s uninteresting.

For musical fans like me, there’s more than one reason to buy this DVD. First,it has a young Liza Minnelli as Red Riding Hood. By this time she had already been FLORA, THE RED MENACE on Broadway and here she shines in all her numbers, showing she was born for the Musical. Second, it has a new score by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill; both would return to it in 1989 for a stage production. Third, it has the unique Cyril Ritchard as the wolf and he chews the scenery with his “queenish” ways.

There’s also a wooden Vic Damone as, you guess it, the Woodsman and the out of place Eric Burdon and the Animals, who delivered the worst sequence of this TV special. A dance number with actors dressed like animals could have been part of CATS and that made me believe that Andrew Lloyd Webber and choreographer Gillian Lynne must have seen this musical.

The best scenes have Liza Minnelli singing “I’m Naïve” (later used on the London stage version of SOME LIKE IT HOT), “My Red Riding Hood” and, together with Cyril Ritchard, the funny “Ding-a-Ling, Ding-a-Ling”. This isn’t a great musical, not even a good piece of television, but it has its moments and if you love Liza you should have it.

Rate:

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE - A Review by Miss Diva

Jude (Jim Sturgess) is a British lad who goes to the States looking for his father; there he meets Max (Joe Anderson) and they become friends. Later Max introduces him to his sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) and the boy fells in love with her. Meanwhile, the Vietnam War goes in full steam and Lucy’s boyfriend dies overseas. She joins the boys in New York, falls in love with Jude and they all live in a funny/artistic environment. Things change when Max is forced to go to Vietnam and America starts fighting against the war.

Julie Taymor is the director responsible for Broadway’s big hit THE LION KING. Personally, although is has some brilliant moments, I didn’t like that musical; so I approached this musical inspired by the Beatles songbook with caution. I’m a too old fashioned Diva to enjoy the psychedelics of this movie and I never cared much for the Beatles songs.Curiously, Taymor and her creative team were able to build a consistent story using the songs that sound like if they were written specially for the movie.

The musical numbers don’t look forced and Taymor’s camera is a creative one and she has completely control over it. Its true, the film is a bit too long and sometimes she lets her imagination run too wild (the circus sequence), but there’s also some genius moments like the army inspection sequence.

The cast is perfect and the three principals all deliver their songs with feeling and talent. Among the supporting cast you can find Joe Coker, Eddie Izzard, Deidre Goodwin, Orfeh and Salma Hayek.

This kind of mix of HAIR with RENT is a visually strong and colorful movie, that I’m sure will appeal to the young crowd. As for me, well, I love the likes of HELLO, DOLLY! and THE BAND WAGON, do I need to say anything else?

Rate:

SHOW BUSINESS: THE ROAD TO BROADWAY- A Review by Jorge

Irving Berlin once wrote “there’s no business like show business” and in the recent CURTAINS they sang about show people living in a world of their own. Now director Dori Bernstein invites us to a backstage trip to the fascinating world where musicals are created and, if you accept the invitation, you can confirm those words.

During one Broadway season, Bernstein followed the creation of four new musicals closely; the result is an intimate and moving view of what happens backstage. The chosen shows couldn’t be more different: the big blockbuster WICKED, the flop TABOO, the intellectual CAROLINE OR CHANGEand the little show that become a surprise hit AVENUE Q. We’re introduced to the people behind those shows and to its actors, all of them share with us their hopes and fears and, if you’re emotional like me, I’m sure you’ll feel moved. It’s exciting to be with them from the first rehearsals to Tony’s night; it’s a journey worthy taking.

Bernstein had the good idea of including the reunion and opinion of a few theatre critics. To imagine that those impossible pretentious people have the power to destroy a show it’s scary. Who do they think they are? It’s true, I’m doing a review here, but I’m doing it just for fun and I don’t take myself seriously. I confess I read those critics reviews, but regardless what they say I’ll see the shows that interest me, even if they said they are horrible. Thankfully, a lot of theatregoers think like me and made hits of WICKED and AVENUE Q, two shows the critics seem to despise. You don’t imagine the pleasure I had when those people were faced with the AVENUE Q Tony awards, it really made my day.

If you love theatre in general and musicals in particular, this unique DVD is for you and I’m sure you’ll have a good time seeing it. I wish there were more scenes from the shows, but this isn’t about it, but about the magic of making those shows come true. Don’t miss it!

Rate:

ROMANCE & CIGARETTES - A Review by Miss Diva

Directed by John Turturro in 2005, this movie opened in Europe last year but only now gets released on the States. It tells the story of a married construction worker who, although he loves his wife, has a torrid affair with the red haired Tula; when his family discovers about the affair, they don’t want to have anything to do with him.

I saw it in Lisbon last year and I didn’t like it. The film is boring, kind of pretentious and the lip-synching musical numbers (there are a few who are sung by the cast) reminded me of the by far superior PENNIES FROM HEAVEN. In fact, director Turturro shows a heavy hand for the musical sequences and those look forced. I know that not all musicals should be light, but they need some magic to work and unfortunately Turturro is no magician.

What saves the movie from the total disaster are some of the performers: the talented Susan Sarandon as the wife, Kate Winslet is a breath of fresh air as the mistress and Bobby Cannavale is a funny Elvis-wannabe.

I confess I thought in leaving the theatre before the end of the movie, I only stayed because of the starry cast that also includes James Gandolfini, Mandy Moore, Mary-Louise Parker, Christopher Walken, Steve Buscemi, Elaine Stritch, Aida Turturro, Barbara Sukowa, Eddie Izzard, Amy Sedaris, Cady Huffman, Tonya Pinkins, Michael McElroy, Mary Bond Davis and John Selya.

Rate:

HAIRSPRAY: THE MOVIE - A Review by Miss Diva

“Welcome to the 60s” and to the movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical! If, like me, you saw the show you’re in for a surprise. The rarest of things happened; the film version is better than the stage production. Director/choreographer Adam Shankman fills the screen with excitement and joy and the result is a contagious musical that have you dancing on your seats.

The cast could hardly be better and everyone seems like they’re having a terrific time. As Tracy, newcomer Nikki Blonsky is a winner leading lady, with dreamy eyes, strong voice and lots of energy. Michelle Pfeiffer is perfect as the bitchy Velma and Queen Latifah is “big, blonde and beautiful” as Motormouth Maybelle. Christopher Walken is flawless as Tracy’s father, Zac Efron (there’s something gay about him and I guess he’ll grow into a gorgeous adult male) looks and acts exactly as a teenager idol, the cute James Marsden (I want to be on The Corny Collins Show too and have fun with him) looks like he just come out of a sixties show and Amanda Bynes is really funny as Penny. One last word for John Travolta (not among my favorite actors), who has the performance of his life and he’s truly amazing as Edna, Tracy’s big mother.

One word of warning, this is a musical (that genre where everyone sings and dance every time they have a chance) and to enjoy it you need to stop disbelief and accept the genre’s fantastic rules. This isn’t one of the best musicals in movie history, but you’ll have a good time with it and, believe me, “You Can’t Stop the Beat”.

Rate:

MAME - A Review by Jorge

When I was 14 years old I went to the movies to see MAME. By that time I didn’t knew anything about it, only that it was a musical. That was reason enough for me to see it. From the fantastic opening credits by Wayne Fitzgerald to the last scene I was completely fascinated. I loved the score and I loved the story; I still do.

Later, much later, I discovered that Angela Lansbury had create the role on stage and that many people, Jerry Herman included (according to several sources), hated the movie adaptation of this big Broadway musical. Personally, I never understood why.

I have been waiting for years to have MAME on DVD and finally here it is, in a gorgeous cover! I just saw it again and it didn’t loose any of its charms. It’s one of those movies that dated well, in fact I think it’s timeless, and deserves to be rediscovered by all musical fans.

To all of those people who say terrible things about this movie adaptation, I would like to ask a question. Where else will you see the unforgettable performances of Beatrice Arthur and Jane Connell as, respectively, Vera Charles and Gooch? Both recreated her stage roles for this movie, with terrific results. Also from the original stage show there’s director Gene Saks and choreographer Onna White. In a nice touch of casting, Robert Preston plays Beauregard, Mame’s love interest, and sings a new Jerry Herman song, “Loving You”.

The big problem seems to be Lucille Ball. Maybe she was too old for the role (she was 63 against Angela’s 41), but she looked the part. She’s sweet, funny, loving and motherly.

What she didn’t have was a strong singing voice, so her deliver of songs like “”If He Walked Into My Life” or “It’s Today” (my all time favorite song) is poor. I believe that’s the only reason I don’t give five stars to this highly enjoyable movie, otherwise I still love it as much as I did when I was 14 years old (I’ll be 43 next month). This MAME still has the power to make me laugh, cry and feel happy and that’s more than I can say for hundreds of movies.

So, forget the terrible word of mouth surrounding it, put all your prejudices aside and buy it! You’ll be pleasantly surprise.

Rate:

To visit my MAME webpage, just click here.

LA VIE EN ROSE (LA MÔME) - A Review by Miss Diva

Like me, French chanteuse Edith Piaff, was a small woman but, unlike me, she had a powerful voice.

This movie (or should I say film? After all it’s a French production) by Olivier Dahan tells her story through a series of flashbacks, that sometimes become confusing. You see, Dahan doesn’t follow a straight line (that doesn’t mean he’s gay), he prefers to show us episodes of her life, moving forward and back in time and the result isn’t as effective as it should be. Curiously he, with a couple of exceptions (the thrilling last number comes to mind), doesn’t pay too much attention to the musical numbers, they are there more as background than to help the action move on.

Anyway, there are several moving scenes and one in particular is really magical. While in New York, Piaff receives a visit by Marlene Dietrich who tells her that she brought Paris to New York and that her voice is the soul of Paris. It’s a very touching moment that you won’t easily forget.

As Piaff, Marion Cotillard delivers an incredible performance that should give her an Oscar; she is simply fantastic! As the man of her life, Jean-Pierre Martins is a hunk that many of you (me included) won’t mind having an affair with.

This isn’t a great film, but gives us an affective look at the great Piaff’s life.

Rate:

DREAMGIRLS - A Review by Miss Diva

I love musicals, period! My Diva heart always feels very excited every time I read about a new movie musical, but at the same time I’m always afraid that I’ll be disappointed. No reason for fear here; DREAMGIRLS isn’t the best musical I ever saw but Bill Condon did a good job and the result is very enjoyable and moving.

I never saw the stage show, but this tale about three talented girls looking for a break in the music business and the success they achieve seems perfect for the screen. We all know that the musical was inspired by the story of the Supremes and Condon perfectly caught the spirit of their act and of those times. The beautiful Beyoncé Knowles shows that there’s acting talent in her soul and Anika Noni Rose is a joy to watch (they should have given her more to do), but everyone is talking about Jennifer Hudson. I confess I don’t like her persona (I simply hated her at the Oscars) but she convinces as Effie and strongly delivers two of the musicals best songs, “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” and “I Am Changing”.

On the male side (the one that makes me tingle) the surprise is Eddie Murphy, who gives his best performance ever and should have won the Oscar (the real world is full of injustice). Jamie Foxx is the convincing bad guy and the pretty face Keith Robinson has star quality.

I had a good time with this musical; I even share a tear or two during the “Family” number and in the final. Anyway, I had the pleasure of seeing Jennifer Holiday singing “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” and she’s is the real Effie.

Rate: