Reviews (265)

Lloyd Webber missed the boat...
Visually, the film was very good. I would have liked it to be filmed in front of a live audience, seeing that much of the energy comes from the audience. There was something missing without the live excitement. Osmond was the natural choice for Joseph. He has a strong presence and amazing voice. He looks pretty good too. Maria Friedman was a HUGE letdown. Don't get me wrong. I've seen her do other things and she's an amazing performer, but is simply wrong for the role of the Narrator, visually and vocally. Back in '97, I was living in London and I was told that Linzi Hateley (originated the role of the Narrator in the London revival, was Olivier nominated, and played it for the entire run) was going in for a screen test. I have no idea as to why she wasn't cast. She's beautiful, extremely talented, and deserved to have her performance of the Narrator archived for the world to see. Another good choice would have been Donny Osmond's original right-hand Narrator, Janet Metz. She would have been a joy to watch. Also, Kelli Rabke would have been good. I also heard that pop singer Tina Arena was originally cast as the Narrator for the film. I don't know why she backed out or was replaced. She would have been better than Maria Friedman. As I said before, the film production was well done, but since the Narrator sings practically 75% of the show, the casting of Friedman virtually ruined it for me. She is best put in shows like Sondheim's Passion, and more dramatic, operatic/broadway roles. I love her, just not in "Joseph."

Technicolor Dream Video.
Since enough reveiws have been written concerning the costumes, sets, and presentation. I thought I'd concentrate on the perfomers first and then add my bit on the others if space permits. Players:

Maria Friedman (Narrator): I thought she did a very good job! I loved her voice and how she sang the words. Her expressions were quite nice and everyone who has seen this video with me agrees that she seems to be having a GREAT time!

Donny Osmond (Joseph): Great voice, great interpretation and great transistion from Dreamer Joseph to Leader of Egypt Joseph. If you pay attention Joseph is so much more mature at the end of the story. Osmond almost seems born to play the role!

Sir Richard Attenborough (Jacob): Brought grace and dignity to the role. This is how I pictured Jacob! When I first heard he was going to be in Joseph I figured maybe they meant somebody else. I'm glad they didn't. The interaction between Attenborough and Osmond is top notched! You can feel the love between Jacob and Joseph at the end of the show.

Ian McNeice (Potiphar): He has the right millionairish look about him. I liked his performace up until 'Joseph I'll see you'll rot in. . .'. I just didn't like his interpretation as much as say, the Canadian Potiphar.

Joan Collins (Mrs. Potiphar): Excellent choice for the role, bringing star power behind it. I love how she reacts to Joseph's refusal. You can tell THIS is a woman who's used to getting who she wants! And her look of indifferentness as Joseph is carried away is just so fitting to the character. It's like 'Take him away if you want. I'll just find me a new toy.'

Robert Torti (Pharaoh): Best 'King' I've heard, and he is absolutely hilarious!

Christopher Biggins (Baker): He was ok. Didn't care much for his vocal presentation. However, his physical presentation was top notch! Love that faint!

Alex Jennings (Butler): Best Butler I've seen! His performance in the role was perfect! Too bad he was only on for such a short time.

Nicolas Colicos (Reuban, One More Angel soloist): I loved his vocal prsentation of OMA better on the London recording, but his physical presentation is a treat. Also his reprise is quite comical as you can see poor Reuban is making it up as he goes along! I should add that his intro in Jacob and Sons is a treat! It's lively, comical and just plain. . . FUN!

Jeff Blumenkrantz (Simeon, Those Canaan Days soloist): I loved his performance! Not just in Canaan days but throughout the entire show. His performance in TCD is memorable and near perfection. Haven't seen a better TCD soloist yet!

Gerry McIntyre (Judah, Benjamin Calypso soloist): Absolutely hilarious job! He had me laughing all throughout BC. The funniest part by far is his 'Benjamin is an INNOCENT MAN!' Never have I heard it that way! I was rolling on the couch! My only gripe with him is I still have no idea what the heck he's doing in Grovel Grovel lol!

Amanda Courtney-Davies (Apache Dancer, [and, I believe Reuban's wife]): I'm fairly certain she was also Reuban's wife. If not, well then take this next reveiw to whoever was. Was so very funny in OMA. Sometime during OMA watch her the whole time (particularly when Reuban says 'To wrestle with. . . a goat!') Another high point in her performance was in TCD when Zebulun drops her (intended). Though minor characters, her performance with them both was worth mentioning.

Michael Small (Zebulun): A great dancer! I felt his number in TCD days was worth a mention. And check out his jumps at the start of the OMA hoedown!

Other mentions: Martin Callaghan(Asher), Patrick Clancy (Issachar), Peter Challis (Gad). Though they didn't receive much camera time, keep an eye on them in the background of most numbers, you'll definately get a laugh! I only wish space allowed me room to comment on all the brothers!

LOVED IT!
My daughters (6&7) love "Joseph" as do I. The music is great and it's a great way to introduce musical theater to the younger audience. One caution though. Joan Collins' outfit is a little suggestive as is the scene where she begins to take off Josephs clothes. But for little ones, I think its totally over their heads and goes by really fast. I wouldn't let that hold you back from letting them experince this dvd. Donny Osmond is a fabulous Joseph. Our family would love to see him do this on broadway again.

Imperfect, but still terrific fun!
Donny Osmond, it would seem, was born to play this part. Both vocally and in the acting department, he raises the bar for every other Joseph out there. He captures the character's naivete and simultaneous intelligence pitch-perfect, his dazzling smile embodies the character's undying optimism, and his lovely clear tenor is perfectly suited to the singing role. I personally did like the Narrator quite a lot. She's quite funny, and her voice is very pretty. It's true that she's not belting the high notes very strongly - her vocal stylisms are more operatic than the average Broadway soprano, but I think it makes her interpretation unique and adds a quiet intensity that is normally not found in the role.

There are some flaws. For example, I found the Mrs. Potiphar scene unnecessarily graphic. Though Ms. Collins looks gorgeous for her age, and acts the part with irascible charm, her costume is largely a flesh-colored leotard with a few strategic bunches of purple sequins. It looks as though she's nude and wearing pasties. The entire instrumental sequence of that scene, which in the stage version is usually just an over-the-top "seduction" scene, is replaced here with a simulated orgy. I always cover my 6yo's eyes during that part. ;) I also agree with the other reviewers who said that the Baker and the Butler were really lifeless and sang terribly, and Jacob was expressionless throughout. His version of "distraught grief" was to stand there slightly slack jawed. Really pretty boring.

But these will not deter anyone from thoroughly enjoying this video again and again, and there are many aspects of the production that will forever set the standard. The eleven brothers were priceless, and all had very good chemistry with each other, the Narrator and Joseph. They also all clearly had incredible voices. The costumes were spectacular and colorful, the musical arrangement is the best I've ever heard in this show, and the pacing is compelling and consistent. The Pharaoh slays me every time - his comedic timing and appropriately overdramatic expressions coupled with his gorgeous baritone are just sublime perfection for the role. And Donny will make you grin right back at him.

In short, it's a very, very strong production that surpasses every stage version I've ever seen, and it is extremely faithful to the spirit of Webber's vision.

Great visually, severely lacking musically
If I could somehow take my CD of Joseph and line it up with this video, I would love this video. Joseph is excellent, but everyone else is only so-so. Scratch that. Everyone else is pretty bad.

Visually, this was fun to watch. There's one good part in "Joseph's Coat" where the brothers (I think it's the brothers...) grab the bottom of the coat and twirl it around so the bottom half forms a color wheel of sorts. The kids running up on stage is creative, but a bit cheesy. The sets are fantastic, but clearly are designed to keep the movie grounded in its Broadway musical roots.

Also, it's difficult to explain in text, but the kids in the audience look dispairingly cheesy. They have these fake smiles plastered on their faces and generally look dumb. It would not surprise me to find that the kids choir was originally from a Broadway cast and thus accustomed to overaccentuating any sort of movement.

The Narrator is really not very good. I can't explain why, but it just doesn't work.

Potiphar is fairly good, but he spends so much time speaking his lines instead of singing them that you hear very little of what sounded to be an excellent voice.

Jacob is weak. Even if the character is an old man, the part deserves to be a fairly strong singer.

The first "Poor, Poor Joseph" (when he was tossed into the pit) was visually very amusing. Very funny, but the Narrator singing it was still not great.

Donny Osmond is really the only character that seems to grasp that the movie should be presented as a movie, not an overly articulated and video-taped Broadway musical.

(Please understand that I'm mentally playing through the video as I write this)

"Go, Go, Go Joseph" was presented as an interesting disco party. I'm not sure of the original intentions, but that scene was enjoyable. The Butler and the Baker however were again let-downs.

The French accents in "Those Canaan Days," although affected by all of the brothers and Jacob, were not very good. There was a lot of non-French accent creeping in.

This video is no substitute for seeing it live. I've seen it live twice by both a touring company and a local theater and both were far superior to this video. If you want to listen to the music, I suggest the 1992 Canadian Cast Recording, which also contains Donny Osmond as Joseph. ... Read more

Reviews (160)

Better than seeing the concert in person?
Well, yes, if you had my $65 seats (or was it $75?). Watching a concert in the Rose Bowl doesn't make for the best audio ambience in the world (and I suspect that those dots moving around on the stage were the band), but the light show was impressive. Luckily, I have the VHS and can see what I missed. So, for a Pink Floyd fan, this is a must purchase (obviously, we're all fans or we wouldn't be here--I doubt Aunt Edna is cruising this section).

What makes "Pulse" remarkable is the selection and order of the songs played, and all done very musically and with precision. Gilmour's guitar work here is second to none. This video is far superior to "Delicate Sounds of Thunder" (which I also liked), in that the camera work is seamless and stays focused on the members of the band. If I find any fault at all with this concert, it was in the saxophone player. While he played it straight, there wasn't much life breathed into it. See Scott Page's renditions in "Delicate Sounds of Thunder" to see what I mean. Between 1 and 10, "Pulse" gets an enthusiastic 9.

Great Music and Great Musicians
I will most likely never see Pink Floyd in concert in my lifetime. So I'm glad I own this! We get to hear much of the The Division Bell tunes accompanied with some cryptic interpretable images on the big round video screen. We get to hear the entire Dark Side of the Moon which is a pleasure to hear in comparison to the studio version that he have all most likely played countless times. We get to hear wonderful encores Wish You Were Here, Comfortably Numb, and Run Like Hell. I don't believe there is a single moment on this video that falls flat. We get to see David Gilmour's guitar skills up close without losing the impact of the intense light show that is being projected at us. I wish I were there in person, but this and the upcoming DVD (?) will be as close as I'll get.

OFFICIAL comment from Pink Floyd's management on PULSE DVD
From Brain Damage:

"We chatted this week to our friends at Pink Floyd Management (formerly known as EMKA), about future and upcoming releases. Whilst at the moment there are a number of details that are far from being definite, we felt that you would want to hear what there is - however brief! Certainly from the many emails we receive each week, upcoming releases are of major interest.

PULSE DVD - they are hoping that this may be released, worldwide, at some point in October. Any actual dates you may have already heard for its release are simply supposition at this stage. In terms of content, the main feature is finished, and some decisions are being made at the moment with regard to additional content to complete the package. Any DVDs you already see for sale (on, for example, online auction sites) are fakes, created from either the original VHS tapes or from laserdisc. A lot of work has been done on the official version and it should be worth waiting for! We will be speaking to PFM again shortly for an update on this project..."

Maybe THIS will be the final time that we hear that it's coming.

This video proves Gilmour, Wright, & Mason ARE the Floyd!
New meets the old. Great mixture of old Floyd with the new. Well, it was new in 1994. What a great album and tour the Division Bell was in 1994! Saw them in Birmingham, Alabama with a bunch of college friends. Great, great show!

2 other DVD or videos to purchase for Floyd Fans are The Delicate Sound of Thunder and Live at Pompeii. Live at Pompeii is good because Roger actually is controlling his ego. Cool seeing all of them together when they were younger. I would have to say that Pulse and Pompeii should be in EVERY true Floyd fan's collection! Don't waste your money on any solo efforts by Roger Waters. They stink, pure and simple.

The best concert of all time
This video is the epitome of concerts. The guitar work is excellent, the bassist, Guy Pratt, add hilarity to the show, and the drumming by Nick Mason and gary Wallis is superb. But on to the show!

The show opens with a medly of Shine On You Crazy Diamond(I-IV)/Shine On.. (V-IX)/Learning to Fly. After this spectacular opening has finished, Gilmour welcomes the fans and immediatly begins the awesome High Hopes, complete with a crazy video presentation that will make you wonder what he was on when creating it. After this is a medly of Take it Back/Coming Back to Life. This is awesome and needs not to be described, but seen! After this is Sorrow, a mammoth song with an awesome guitar solo at the start(The effects during this are wild!). Following this, they do Keep Talking, where theegyptian writing streaming across the stage, complete with lasers, adds to the already great song. They then follow with the only low point of the show; a medly of Anoter Brick in the Wall pt. 1/pt. 2. This starts out promising, but then the vocals come in. Pratt and Gilmour are not suited to this song, as you will see. However, the other guitarist, Tim Renwick, saves the day with an awesome solo following Gilmour's. Now, the next song is One of These Days, which to this day is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. You must see this to believe it.

On to the second set. Here the band does a perforanc of the entire Dark Side of the Moon album, with On the Run, Time, Us and Them, and Brain Damage/Eclipse being total highlights. Sadly, Money is drawn-out and the solo isn't done as well as before. After this, Gilmour thanks the fans and the band walks off. The encore begins with Wish You Were here, where most of the audience is holding out lighters. After this is the best performance, Comfortably Numb. Gilmour goe son this solo for roughly 5 mintues, and all of it is wild. To end the show, they chose Run Like Hell. This may seem odd, but when you see it, you'll know why.

In short, buy this VHS. Also, if it ever comes out on DVD, which it should, buy that too. Cheers! ... Read more

Reviews (436)

I love my kitty Cats!
I first saw Cats at my friends house, and I fell in love with it. I still do love it-- I watch it every single day, at least five times! It is the best musical in the entire world. The cast is absolutely SPECTACULAR!!!! Some of my favorites are Aeva May as Demeter, Rosemarie Ford as Bombalurina, Jo Gibb as Rumpleteazer, Leah Sue Morland as Electra, Jo Bingham as Etcetera, Veerle Castelyn as Jemima, Phyllida Crowley Smith as Victoria, Michael Gruber as Munkustrap, Jason Gardiner as Alonzo, Karl Morgan as Pouncival, Drew Varley as Mungojerrie, and, of course, John Partridge as Rum Tum Tugger!!! The twins rule too-- go Tommi and Kaye!!! Anyway....if anybody nice out there has any information about my beloved Cats, whether I listed them above or not, I would REALLY appreciate it if you sent it to me. By the way, did you guys notice that Elaine Paige wrote a little note on this review board?! That is so awesome! If any of you other cast members are out there reading this, I LOVE YOU!!! I would recommend this video to EVERYONE, but young children may require a little parental discretion, since there are a few, um, PG-13 moments. But otherwise, everything about this video is terrific. Gillian Lynne, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and T. S. Eliot are all geniuses beyond their time. This video is well worth the price, and it is a timeless treasure to be enjoyed over and over!!! I'm a jellicle cat--are you?

Excellent
"Mungojerrie and Rumpletezzer have a very strange way of working together and some of time you would say it was luck! and some of the time you would say it was weather"

"Macavity , Macavity theres not one like Macavity there never was a cat of such deceitfullness and suavity he always has an alabi or one or two to spare at what ever time the dead took place Macavity wasnt there"

These are only two of the great songs in the show! it is really really good; great songs, funny, good acting, good dancin!
all around excellent!

Perfect! Excellent! What else can I say...
I love ALW musicals of that includes JCS and many more. My favortie action/fantasy film is Lord Of The Rings, my favortie comedy would go to 13 Going On 30, my favortie romance is Alex & Emma, and my favortie horror-musical is Little Shop Of Horrors. But, my favortie musical would have to be "CATS." Here is the story of how I came to love it: We got this tape in '98 and for 4 yrs. I let it pass me by. It was sometime after my 13th birthday (oh...I'm 14 now!) and I found this sudden urge to watch it. I was a little scared of Macavity, I mean who isn't? But after watching it a few times, I became use to him and fell in love with the musical. Now today, me and my twin watch it all the time. My favortie characters are listed below and the reasons why.
FAVORTIE CHARACTERS
TOMS
_____
1. Rum Tum Tugger- Uh, hello? He's H-O-T, and I love his H-I-P_'-S.!
2. Mungojerrie- Hard to tell why I love this character, is it the way he jolts his tongue out? Or the way he smiles? Or maybe it's the fact that he is brave? Wait, it's all of that! I think it's sweet when he looks at Munkustrap after getting knocked down and then he turns to Macavity and hisses! Awww...He loves Munku. Speaking of which...
3. Munkustrap- He is another hot tom! I think him, Mungo & RTT are the hottest. Not to mention, I love the way he sings!
4. Pouncival- He is so cute! Adorable! And so precious!
5. Alonzo- He is Munkustrap's best friend, I think they might be brothers...Anyhoo, he probably has broken the flirting record, but who cares? I love this tom!
QUEENS
______
1. Demeter- She is everyone's favortie! Of that includes mine, she is so sexy!
2. Jemima- The prettiest kitten out of the tribe, and by- God the sweetest!
3. Rumpleteazer- Brother of Mungo, and so pretty. She has this cute little giggle..which is fun to hear in the video!
4. Electra- THE CUTEST KITTEN IN THE WHOLE TRIBE!!!!!
5. Victoria- She's the lucky one...Did you see who her mate was during TJB?
Well, this sums up my review! I love this musical! I LOVE the characters! And I ADORE the music in it! See this movie, you won't be sorry.
P.S I hate Cassandra!!!

Kids will love it!
I bought this DVD for my 7 year olds birthday, guessing that both she and her 8 year old sister would love it. I can tell you that I wasn't wrong. One week later they are still loving it, in fact they seem to get more out of it each time they watch it. The songs and dance routines are suberb, it's a lot better than I think I imagined it would be.

I'm no great Andrew Lloyd Webber fan, but that's not really the point. I don't think that you need to be to recognise when something is well done. And whilst it may help? to have seen the stage show before, it's clearly not essential to enjoy the DVD. Sometimes it can be the opposite, as people may feel a film version does not live up to their expectations/memories of the live show.

If you are considering buying this then please do, and for goodness sake, do not worry AT ALL about this being unsuitable for children. Some previous reviews commenting on it's unsuitablity for children are way off the mark. I can only imagine they live in households where table cloths are required to reach to the floor, lest young ladies in the house are offended by the sight of the table legs! Unreal...

Lovin the music!
hey musical-lovers,
Im actually yet to see the musical in all its wonders but am currently using one of the songs for a school project and am loving the music! Not to sure how I'd like the real thing but if the mystical tunes are anything to go by, you've got yourself a good source of entertainment. An amateur production of it was put on at my dance school a while ago and it was very impressive without the expenses so if you consider this a reliable source, I'd recommend you and even myself to get out there and see what 'Cats' is all about. Just venting my views. . . but feel free to protest! ... Read more

Reviews (220)

You'll watch it over and over again
This is the best video I've ever bought. Never have I watched the same video repeatedly - so much so that I bought an extra copy in case the first one wears out. I am a big fan of musicals, and this performance did not let me down (unlike the Cameron MacKintosh tribute video). The way this video flowed was really nice - an excellent production! Tina Arena's opening song - WOW! Donny Osmond did a wonderful job. Antonio Banderas and Elaine Page with the Evita songs - excellent! Antonio is perfect for the role of Che - the video of 'Evita' was also incredible - who knew Madonna could act that well? I was disappointed with the Starlight Express piece - full costume would have been perfect and I thought there were better songs they could have used (maybe the medley would have been a good choice). The Requiem wasn't bad. Nice cello playing by Julian also - thought he would have dressed up for his brother's birthday party :). Michael Ball was PERFECT! All his songs were incredible. Wow, what a rendition of Vaults of Heaven. Incredible Gethsamane! The Phantom pieces were okay - Michael Crawford really should have been there. Bonnie Tyler's rendition of Tire Tracks and Broken Hearts was great! All of the songs from Whistle on Down the Wind were incredible on this video - soooo much better than the original soundtrack! Boyzone did a better version of No Matter What here than on their own album. Glen Close was spectacular on Sunset Blvd's songs! The dancers and the orchestra were also fabulous! Buy this! If you have liked any of Webber's work, you must have this video. When will it ever get on DVD? Or a CD soundtrack?

A Night Of A Thousand Stars!
Just as the box (and the song) says, this is truly a night of a thousand stars. The video contains... Whistle Down The Wind ~ Tina Arena; Joseph Fanfare ~ the Orchestra; Any Dream Will Do & Close Every Door ~ Donny Osmond; Variations On A Theme By Paganini ~ Julian Lloyd Webber; Requiem For Evita ~ National Youth Choir; Oh What A Circus & High Flying Adored ~ Antonio Banderas; Don't Cry For Me Argentina ~ Elaine Paige; Light At The End Of The Tunnel ~ Ray Shell; Hosana (from Jesus Christ Superstar) ~ National Youth Choir; Hosana (from Requiem) ~ Dennis O'Neill; Pie Jesu ~ Sarah Brightman & Ben De'Ath; Jesus Christ Superstar ~ Marcus Lovett; Gethsemane ~ Michael Ball; Phantom Overture ~ the Orchestra; Phantom Of The Opera ~ Sarah Brightman & Antonio Banderas; All I Ask Of You ~ Sarah Brightman & Michael Ball; Music Of The Night ~ Sarah Brightman; Tire Tracks And Broken Hearts ~ Bonnie Tyler; No Matter What ~ Boyzone; Vaults Of Heaven ~ Michael Ball; Car Chase On Sunset Boulevard ~ the Orchestra; Once Upon A Time ~ Glenn Close & Marcus Lovett; With One Look & As If We Never Said Goodbye ~ Glenn Close; Love Changes Everything ~ Michael Ball & the Cast; Memory ~ Elaine Paige; The Heart Is Slow To Learn ~ Kiri Te Kanawa; Happy Birthday ~ the Cast; Whistle Down The Wind ~ Lottie Mayor & Andrew Lloyd Webber, and The Jellicle Ball ~ the Orchestra. You absolutely can't go wrong with this video. There is something for everyone, and you'll find yourself watching it repeatedly. The performances by Antonio Banderas, Sarah Brightman, Michael Ball, Glenn Close, Boyzone & Bonnie Tyler are all definitely highlights, but there isn't a disappointing performance in the entire 2 hour+ show.

Lavish
I consider Lloyd Webber the British heir to Richard Rodgers, and this is what Sondheim would have done if he could have. (In fact Lloyd Webber at 50 even looks like Rodgers.) But I shut the thing off when a church choir-type started singing "The keys to the vault of heaven." Was this thing a retrospective of the composer or a religious revival? It was absolutely sodden with Christianity, nauseously so. Like almost every last song! I hung in there for over an hour and a half because there were some things I very much wanted to see and hear (as a rule, I love Lloyd Webber's music very much, sans the rock), but at this point I'd had enough. Sarah Brightman was absolutely beautiful and natural, what a charming open smile and such a wonderful voice. I loved what she did, and applauded all by myself in my living room at the end of her duet "All I Ask of You," though I dislike that show very much. I thought the fellow who sang Che (right name, spelling?) near the start was worlds better than Mandy Patinkin (whom I'd always loved before he went on to bigger and more pretentious things), also he had the right accent and was prettier. In fact, he was beautiful, as were several of the young men. I learned from reading some of the other reviews that this was an international cast (all unknown to me, ignorant, insular, xenophobic American that I am), all quite famous, and that Lloyd Webber is loved the world over. I can well understand why he is so much loved. However (I have CDs of all his shows that I know of, he may have written more since I stopped buying musicals), it seems to me that his wonderful talent (genius?) diminished as he grew older, his inspiration, gift for melody deserted him. I highly recommend this DVD for anyone who likes rock music (I do not) and who doesn't mind feeling they're in a 21st Century church. I'm sorry I had to stop it.

FABULOUS........JUST GREAT AND ENTERTAINING!!
I am fortunate enough to see most of the Andrew Lloyd Weber productions on NYC's Broadway, I saw Whistle Down The Wind on the London Stage a few years ago. But, I have to hand it to TINA ARENA, I never heard of her, but came back on Amazon and purchased 4 of her CDs,I thought her rendition of the title song was just fabulous, what a voice, what emotions were generated from her voice. I played that segment over and over again......I was hoping that they made a CD of the whole show. All the performers were just GREAT!! I loved watching Glenn Close get into character for her TONY AWARD performance of Ms. Desmond, I was standing up in my living room giving her an ovation too, she was just wonderful to see again. I was surprised of the musical talents of Antonio Banderas too. But, just to listen and watch the major performers, Sarah, Elaine, and Bonny (were you ever on Bway??) once again made this DVD well worth the price.........and that Michael Ball guy, never heard of him, but, I went out and got his performance dvd at the Royal Albert Hall too..he was sensational, what a voice.......everyone was just awesome......I loved the DVD, the music and the performers, and I applaud Andrew for his music and memories..........come back to NYC with another winner.........

Whistle down with Tina!!!
The first time I watched this Andrew Lloyd Webber special is that I have been very impressed with the cast. All the big names from Europe down to America is present with the likes of Glen Close to Antonio Banderas! big and a shiny production I must say. The opening number titled "Whistle Down The Wind" was honourably given to the gorgeous and ever so talented Tina Arena! She gave a powerhouse performance all looking sultry and sexy in a gray figure hugging lacy gown. She gave a strong performance and the crowd was obviously delighted with her interpretation! The vocals and the emotion are so evident. Encore for Tina Arena!!! Other internationals include Boyzone, Michael Ball, and Bonnie Tyler and gave justifying performances as well. But the highlight ofcourse would be Tina's rendition of "Whistle Down The Wind". Great move for Monsieur Webber to have Tina open the show! very impressive! Go get the video NOW! ... Read more

Reviews (96)

Give me a break
I almost didn't purchase the video due to the number of poor reviews and complaints about the production. I'm glad I chose to buy the show anyway. The Lord of the Dance is the single most awesome entertainment experience I have ever witnessed. I have seen the show on more than one occasion and I own the sound track, DVD and VHS versions of the show. All are amazing. Although no movie can match the excitement of any live show, I enjoyed them all immensely. This is NOT Riverdance (thank goodness) and there's a lot more to see. I did not find the different camera angles to be distracting in any way. They allowed for great perspective, in my opinion. Whether you 've seen it live or not, get the CD and the sound track. There won't be another show like this one for a long time!

Very good DVD
I have always loved Irish dancing (...everything Irish actually...) and after seeing Riverdance I knew LOTD would be great. It was...and this DVD captures all of it. The music is great. And, of course, Flatley and his dance troupe do a WONDERFUL job.
The reason I give this four stars is because I found the camera work somewhat annoying on the DVD. As other reviewers have noted, the camera angle changes quite often and there are several slow motion effects that I would prefer not be in there. However, I have read many complaints about the sound quality of this DVD. I found it to be rather good. I don't have one of these super nice surround-sound systems (as I suspect most people don't...) so I can't comment on the quality of my 30th channel ;). I also don't see anything wrong with the lighting. I've watched the dvd no less than 100 times and the lighting quality looks great to me.

chopping block
Although the "Lord of the Dance" is comprised of some of the most talented dancers and choreographers of Irish Dance, one cannot enjoy it or even NOTICE the steps. The camera's shots may be great, but they have been subjected to the chopping block into tiny increments of barely discernable steps. I got a head-ache from watching the moves though a strobe-light. A re-make is in order.

audio quality
The quality of the audio on this DVD is horrable. The VHS version has sound and volume quality 10 times greater then this DVD.

Lord of the Prance.
Huh????

Why didn't they call it "Michael Flatley's 'Look at Me!' Show?" ... Read more

Reviews (61)

NO Extreme? No Good!
I agree with just about everyone else who has reviewed this DVD, how can the people who edited this cut out the BEST performance of the concert which was Extreme's medley of Queen songs. I thank my lucky stars I still have it on tape from when MTV first aired the concert 10 years ago. It's my favorite part of the show and by far one of the coolest moments. The band, most especially Gary Cherone, payed tribute to Freddie and Queen in the best way I've ever seen. The medley of songs were performed with such excitment and the audience loved them. So did I :) This DVD just starts the concert with Joe Elliott doing Tie Your Mother Down, that's like the middle of the show! There were several performances cut out mainly Metallica, Guns 'N Roses, Def Leppard, and the above mentioned Extreme. This DVD needs to be re-issued in it's entirety. I did, however, like those Freddie segments included on the dvd that were shown to the audience during intermission. Those were really cool. Great concert but not shown to it's fullest potential on this dvd and that's a real shame. QUEEN AND FREDDIE deserve more...and so do the fans :)

It's About Time!...
Stupendously great concert from April 1992. I've owned it on laserdisc since 1993 and I've been hoping a DVD release would be forthcoming!
This concert is culled from a day-long Freddie Mercury tribute/benefit concert that took place about 5 or 6 months after Freddie died. The first half is largely devoted to a number of bands doing mostly Queen covers. Metallica opens with three of their own songs (and back when the boys in Metallica still had long hair). Def Leppard does a song or two, Extreme does a 12+ minute Queen medley (it ROCKS!), and there are some vintage Queen and Freddie clips interspersed throughout. Then, the REAL fireworks start! Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon take the stage and lead a Who's Who of musicians and singers through a lengthy set of Queen material. Robert Plant sings "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", Metallica's James Hetfield sings "Stone Cold Crazy", Gary Cherone of Extreme absolutely rocks the joint with "Hammer To Fall", Roger Daltrey sings "I Want It All", Seal does "Who Wants To Live Forever", Def Leppard returns, and we also get Lisa Stansfield, Elton John, Axl Rose, Paul Young, David Bowie, members of Mott the Hoople, and Liza Minneli closes the show with "We Are The Champions."
The show runs in excess of 3 hours, and the DVD release promises to have extra material not on the laser and VHS versions.
The audio recording of the show is stellar, and the video photography is crisp and clear. After you watch this you'll wish you'd been there.

Best of all, you get a renewed sense of how strong Queen's songwriting and performing talents were (and still are). And all of the artists singing in Freddie's place give it their all and make the versions their own, all without detracting from Freddie's original version.

You're an IDIOT if you don't get this concert DVD!

The Laserdisc is so much better, since it has the whole show
My long time waiting for a DVD version of that old but great Laserdisc was wasted. It's absolutely depressing what they did here, by cutting some of the best parts of the original show.

The Queen Medley by the great band Extreme was probably the best part of this show, not only because the way they played, but also because the playlist choice. A Medley of Bohemian Rhapsody, Bycicle Race, Another One Bites Dust, Keep Yourselves Alive, and others leading to one of the most beautiful moments of the show: the Radio Ga Ga ending, leading the audience to tears.
Although the sound has been improved and a new and useless "extra materials" has been added, it doesn't worth the content they cut (opening act, Metallica, Def Leppard, GnR, Extreme and others).

I would never exchange the old original laserdisc for this useles "extra materials" with a bunch of new footage.

I came out of my skin when I saw what was missing!
I too own the laserdisc of this show and got the DVD for the new mix in DTS. The sound is good, but it's the content they cut (the opening acts) such as Metallica, Def Leppard, GnR, Extreme and others. I would have gladly forfeited the "extra materials" for the original show instead of a bunch of new footage that was just as well served on the cutting room floor. Don't get me wrong, the performances they left in are great...but shame on them for cutting what they did...typical non-musician producer. The 2-star drop is for that reason alone. Glad I didn't sell the laserdisc!

It's a great concert but the DVD sucks
This DVD set is a huge disappointment. How could the DVD have FEWER matertials than the VHS version?! I was expecting to see not just what they have on the VHS, but also the ones they edited out, but no! They have 2 discs and this is all they could put in? I just couldn't believe it! Guess I should buy the VHS tape on eBay instead... ... Read more

Reviews (42)

A WONDERFUL CONCERT WITH SARAH BRIGHTMAN
IN CONCERT AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
Sarah is amazing - her voice is phenomenal - there is no doubt that Sarah has the best and most beautiful voice in the world - ever! She is so talented - her voice is so warm and bright - no matter what style she sings: opera, musical or pop. Sarah looks so beautiful in this concert (she always do), the long sleek black hair looks so beautiful to her. Her warm-heartedness charisma and charm goes straight to your heart and soul.

The sound and the picture on this DVD are excellent.

The DVD begins with clips from Sarah's career: From her time with Pan's People and Hot Gossip. Together with Andrea Bocelli when they present an honour from the sale of TIME TO SAY GOODBYE. Sarah together with Frank Peterson. The Olympic Games in Barcelona 1992, when she and José Carreras sang AMIGOS PARA SIEMPRE. The church mess REQUIEM. As Christine in The Phantom of the Opera and the duet ALL I ASK OF YOU with Cliff Richard.

The concert starts with the very impressive song BAILERO.
Delibes' CHANSON ESPAGNOL from LES FILLES DE CADIZ is a wonderful and lively song.
Puccini's O MIO BABBINO CARO is so beautiful performed by Sarah.
Grieg's SOLVEIG'S SONG and Gershwin's SUMMERTIME are two wonderful songs.
PIE JESU from Andrew's church mess REQUIEM, Sarah sings duet with a young boy Adam Clarke, excellent.

Bernstein's SOMEWHERE, I FEEL PRETTY and TONIGHT. Somewhere I have to repeat myself, Sarah looks pretty and sings fantastic tonight at the concert.
Gipsy Kings' TU QUIERES VOLVER sounds great with acoustic guitar accompany - Sarah sings it so fantastic.
Queen's WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER, wonderful.

Sarah sits on the piano when she sings WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, with Andrew at the piano - playing. She looks so lovely. Nobody has a warmer smile and beautiful eyes than Sarah.

Sarah performs her two songs WISHING YOU WERE SOMEHOW HERE AGAIN and MUSIC OF THE NIGHT so wonderful.

Her most famous song, the duet TIME TO SAY GOODBYE she sings together with Andrea Bocelli at the concert. It's so wonderful and beautiful.
The final song DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA, Sarah sings it very emotionally and beautiful.

This DVD can be enjoyed again and again. Sarah is so fantastic - on this DVD too.

Sarah there is NO ONE LIKE YOU - ANYTIME, ANYWHERE!

Sarah Brightman Marries Classical with Pop
I FINALLY BOUGHT THE DVD! It is worth having, because my VHS is glowing, and has finally begun to wear out. I added the DVD to my collection after debating whether or not I should really get it. Now I have it, and it is fine. The sound and picture is fine. The instrumental intro with short personal clips of Sarah is a nice touch. All the chamelionic looks are gorgeous. I don't have much to say about this DVD, other than the exquisite song selection, the appreciative audience and the well demanded encores. I think out of all three Brightman DVDs (One Night in Eden, La Luna, and Sarah Brightman in concert), the audience here appreciates her the most.

I have grown to like "Tu Quieres Volver" more, now that I've seen it many times live, and have seen it on the DVD. The song right away, broke the classical first half of the show. It's nice to hear more rarely sung songs from Brightman like "Chanson Espagnol", Solveig's song", "I feel pretty" and "Tonight". I have never heard Sarah sing these 4 songs before hearing/watching them on my DVD/VHS.

The concert is made up of a decent time of approx. 73 minutes, considering some songs were a bit short, and some were long.
My copy has the photo taken from the box cover on it. The color is a bit off, but it's not bad. The item is good for collectors, classical music buffs, and diehard Brightman fans. I am all three. :)

My Sarah Brightman DVD collection is almost complete. Because of this DVD, I want to buy One night in Eden, on DVD, as well as the Royal Albert Hall Celebration.

Tracklist is as goes:

Overture
Bailero
Chanson Espagnol
O Mio Babbino Caro
Solveig's song
Summertime
Pie Jesu
Somewhere
I Feel Pretty
Tonight
Tu Quieres Volver
Who Wants To Live Forever
Whistle Down The Wind
Overture from the Phantom of the Opera
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
The Music Of The Night
Time To Say Goodbye
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Credits

Total Time 75 Minutes

Buy this DVD. I think you will be happy.

I hope this review has helped you.

No words!!
I LOVE IT AMAZING CONCERT, THE MUSIC IS AMAZING SARAH BRIGHTMAN VOICE IS PERFECT, THE QUALITY, THE SOUND, THE SPECIAL GUESTS.... A M A Z I N G!! 5 STARS!!

Truly a World Class Vocalist. A Stunning & Unique Experience
I've been a musician for 31 years and love good music covering mostly Rock then country, easy listening, Pop you name it. If it is GOOD MUSIC I WILL Recognize it. Now, I bought the LA LUNA-LIVE IN CONCERT DVD, slipped it in and veiwed the entire concert with my JAW on the floor! She is facinating in reveiling several costume changes with a theatrical flair. She has been vocally trained to perfection in Opera and has a big theatrical background. This all comes to life when she mixes Opera together with many songs sung in English such as "a whiter Shade of Pale". A couple of Spanish + 1 in Italian. Then she combines Opera and straight vocal songs beautifully together in songs which is the ULTIMATE!!! A MUST SEE!!!AAAAA*****

Beautiful!
I am a HUGE Phantom of the Opera phan and I love Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. I saw this and HAD to get it (along with many other videos ^_^) Sarah did an excellent job in this concert! Her voice shone throughout the entire video! ^_^ ... Read more

Amazon.com

Among the more charming--and improbable--of pre-millennial success stories is the left-field crossover triumph for this Welsh soprano,12 years old at the time of her debut, and still on the near side of herteens in this concert video derived from a hit PBS special.At a time when "teeny pop" reigns over MTV and radio playlists, Church's serene program of Welsh and Irish folk airs, devotional hymns, and generally tranquil classical melodies gives alternative music an entirely new meaning.

Then again, it's just possible that Church's very appeal rests on the delicate balance between the unapologetic sweetness of her music and the unforced girlishness she flashes between songs, rare qualities indeed against the harsher foil of sexualized pop culture. Given the degree to which various predecessors, from Brenda Lee to Tanya Tucker to LeAnn Rimes, have been groomed to transmit a precocious "maturity," Church's virginal typecasting may be methodically anachronistic, but at least it offers a calming refuge from the mixed messages and soft-core spin offered by Britney Spears.

Director David Mallet, who's become the DeMille of up-market music videos and a staple for PBS fund drive specials, applies a familiar balance of sure technical craft and slick sentimentality. He dresses the Brixton Academy concert site with a faux stained glass window, flickering candle light, and delicate laser lighting units that imbue Church with a backlit radiance, just so we won't miss the angel connection. Skeptics will also note her Andrew Lloyd Webber connection (the signature Pie Jesu), as well ascanny nods to Celtic chic in the inclusion of such warhorse choices as "Danny Boy" and "My Lagan Love." Still, whether or not the young star achieves her dream of singing Tosca at La Scala, for the moment Church achieves apoised lyricism that's no mean feat. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (44)

Outstanding !
Far more than just a visual version of her smash CD, Charlotte Church's concert video goes behind the scenes to give us insight into the angel behind the voice. The picture that emerges is one of a completely likable and unpretentious young lady who, despite the worldwide attention she's received, remains largely unaffected by it all. The concert itself is spectacular, featuring Peter Robinson conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. Vocal support is ably provided by the London Symphony Chorus and the Welsh Male Voice Choir, and Ms. Church introduces Gwilym Evans, a fine male soprano (shades of Paul Miles Kingston?) for duets of her signature song, "Pie Jesu", and "When at Night I Go to Sleep". The closer is a real treat, the rousing "Men of Harlech", which wasn't on the CD but which will surely be considered for a future recording. All in all, a very fine production. Even a five-star rating seems too little.

Charlotte Church -- Truly an Angel
I've just watched this DVD, borrowed from a local library, on my 19" computer screen. My sound system is not the best but is quite respectable for its undistorted sound and frequency response. This review may not be couched in flowery language, but it is sincere and comes from the heart. Miss Church is everyone's darling -- a daughter, a sister, a schoolmate, a fellow performer -- and maybe in a few years, some very fortunate man's wife. She is professional in her presentations, yet she is the girl next door -- a well rounded, feisty, clean and lovely teenager with a well disciplined and self determined mind of her own. Her mother and the rest of the family are seemingly very nice people, musical and well educated. Every minute of this presentation was like a breath of fresh air.

But most important is her voice. For a young operatic soprano she has an amazing resonant quality and very good breath and vocal control. It's true that at times she sounds just a bit pinched, but hopefully that will go away as her voice matures. Overall, she evokes mixed feelings, even tears. How can one so young and pure have such a powerful, clear and yet mellow voice? It is uncanny! Her facial expressions will not let you look away for a second. Her enchanting appeal comes on many levels. And her sacred numbers are worthy to truly glorify our Lord.

The orchestra, director, choir, staging, her attire, the video and audio production on this disk are all superb. I am purchasing a copy here and now because this will stand as an inimitable benchmark in my DVD library, and I only wish everyone could enjoy this wonderful snapshot in time of Charlotte as I did. If you love music, quality sound and video, you'll be eager to obtain your own copy of this album.

One last thing: I've been a sound engineer and designed audio equipment, recorded live performances, etc. I've believed all my life that sight and sound must go together to make a full A/V experience. Now, at the age of 65, I've seen this dream fulfilled. THIS IS THE WAY "AUDIO" ALBUMS SHOULD BE! I look forward to having many more deserving artists' perfomances preserved in the DVD medium. It has everything and eventually should be affordable to everyone. CDs have great sound but are only half the event; DVDs have it all.

An Angel Indeed
Charlotte Church will hopefully remain one of the voices of the future. She is a remarable talent proving that today's young people are capable of great things besides hip hop and rap. Without seeing her perform, it would be hard to realize that such a magnificent voice came out of someone so young. She is the essence of youth untouched by the drugs, booze, and sex emulating from today's modern music culture. She is a refreshing change from the stale, everybody sounds alike music of our supposedly dominate society.

A distant shadow of a beauty
Ok folks, I thought I`d just be fair here:

First, I simply can`t understand why there is so many people outthere that are so extremely fond of this signer. Her voice sound very mature for her age, and she looks pretty average, too - at 14 or so, she allready looked like a young woman. While she had a distant (she looked already ruther mature than) foretaste of a child prodigy at her very first debut on this album, she eventually grow out of this status few years later. What could, *could* make her a slight point of interest, was the fact that she allready at 12 attempted to sing professional arias and songs thus being a child prodigy, is now no more. She growed up, and being in her 17`s, she doesn`t look like a child anylonger. Her voice and especially her technique, however, seem to be unchanged and that is, in my opinion, one of her gratest disadvantages up to date. Without a slightest exaggeration, her voice have a great portion of terrible shrillness, often forced and nasal notes, that are mostly harsh and unpleasant to the ear. While it`s true that it have some sort of mysterious freshness and purety about it, though ruther distant, it is at the same time obvious that her technique seem incomplete, her style outdated and weard - her voice, with few and infrequent notes of beauty and melowness, is mostly violently penetrating and uneven. It`s enourmous luminosity and harshness is striking to the extreme - and it gives more pain to the ears, ruther than satisfaction. To summoraze it all, I want to conclude saying that while I find the voice of Charlotte Church to be ruther curious and beautiful, at the same time, I find her technique poor at best and terrible in general - if she doesn`t change her technique, she may never have a right to claim that she sings in a true classic style. No way.

Cheers.

Charlotte Church is divine in her first solo concert
I absolutely adore Charlotte Church. However much some people belittle her talent or claim she is being manipulated by people who are going to ruin her voice, she is a star of stars in my eyes. She truly does have the voice of an angel; it's the most beautiful voice I've ever heard. This DVD is a special treat indeed because it allows us to hear and see Charlotte at the very beginning of her professional career. She had already topped the classical charts with her debut album, and now, mere days after her thirteenth birthday, she gave her first true concert, backed up by the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus - and we can all be there time and again with the 5000 or so fans physically in attendance that night. The music is fantastic, Charlotte is as charming as she can be, and an inside look at her life at home and her preparation for the concert show us a perfectly normal child who just happens to have a magical voice.

After a short introductory piece, Charlotte walks out on stage with no sign of nerves whatsoever. She brings a couple of friends with her, a white stuffed bear and a shaking critter whom she likens to her Dad before the show (as he was obviously more nervous than Charlotte was about her big night). Every trace of the adorable little child disappears once she stands before the mike, though. She leads off with Panis Angelicus, and the transformation from excited youngster to world-class soprano is amazing; while Charlotte always shows her love for what she does, she also reveals her serious commitment to each song in her whole demeanor. After each song, her youthful nature shines forth in smiles and laughs, but her seriousness never relents until the orchestra plays the final note of each song. She sings eleven songs in all in this concert performance, ten of which come from her Voice of an Angel CD, backed up by a huge orchestra and sizeable chorus. Her delivery of The Lord's Prayer is impeccable and soul-stirring, even more so in the light of the attack on 9/11 and another singer's moving rendition of the song during the national memorial service following the tragedy. Danny Boy is also a beautiful song; Charlotte's version of this song is respectfully somber but not quite as mournful as most renditions I have heard.

The Welsh songs are particularly lovely, possessing a nature that really draws me into each song even though I have no idea what Charlotte is singing about. My Lagan Love, Suo-Gan, and Y Gylfinir (The Curlew) - one of the Three Welsh Bird Songs from her debut album - are quite magical. Her friend Gwilym Evans joins her for two songs: Charlotte's signature song Pie Jesu and When at Night I Go to Sleep; his high voice blends well with Charlotte's, but he appears far more nervous than Charlotte was. Charlotte's final song of the evening closes the night out in grand, exciting style, as the London Welsh Male Voice Choir joins her in a stirring rendition of Men of Harlech (the one song here that you won't find on her debut CD).

The concert is fairly short, but it is followed by a wonderful look at the real Charlotte Church. We get visions of both her family and school life, showing Charlotte trying to juggle homework in between interviews for television, newspapers, and magazines from all over the world. She and her mother look to have a loving and fun relationship, and Charlotte is as proud of her family as they are of her. The little girl in her is clear to see, as evidenced by a huge stuffed animal collection and her innocent zest for life, and it is reinforced by her mother's descriptions of her sulking prowess. Charlotte is refreshingly normal and down-to-earth, and she makes it clear that she is singing and performing because that is what she loves and wants to do forever; in no way is anyone manipulating her into doing anything she doesn't want to do.

The Voice of an Angel DVD is essentially Charlotte Church's coming-out party; she had proved to the world that she could sing like an angel, and with this concert she proved that she could perform in front of a large audience and not only blow the audience away with a voice of the rarest beauty but also display all the charms and poise of a true star while doing it. I don't see how anyone could watch this DVD and not love Charlotte Church. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

It doesn't stand a chance against other Cirque videos.
I start this with a story. Around 10 years ago, when the Goodwill Games came to Seattle, Cirque Du Soleil came to Seattle supporting the Novueau Experience show. Mother said, "Let's go to the circus. It's nothing like you've seen." I stopped at 'circus' and said, "NO." My parents went and came back. They made me the second time. I was floored. What on earth was this?

Then later, Saltimbanco came out and much later, I found Quidam. Lost in the shuffle was Dralion. For me, each show has been better than the last, each show has been more fantastic, more awesome, more bizarre. With the exception of Alegria (a movie, not a live show), Dralion fits in quite poorly. I was quite bored when watching this. It doesn't hold the fun, emotion or fascination that Quidam or even the older Saltimbanco. (And yes, I saw Saltimbanco summer 2000 and it was awesome)

The show felt like it was the international version of Cirque (as if it wasn't before). You had the African dancer doing her thing. And while I thought it may have a more Asian feel to it, it turned out to be a B-rate version of Cirque. There were few acts that I even liked. Handbalancing I have always found to be really entertaining and I loved the Teeterboard performance. And that was about it.

I really should have checked it out first because it's quite a disappointment. I admit, I compare it with Quidam. Quidam had a wonderful story, though it was untold. It was fun, Dralion not. Look at the crowd in it. They didn't look that impressed. The hooting and hollering wasn't as loud as in the other videos. Maybe if there was a slight story to it, it would have sucked me in better and made me more interested.

The ending was pretty unspectacular. I don't recommend this video, but rather, Quidam. It's even by the same director, David Mallet, but what went wrong? Why do the other angles that are available look like they are done by a high end camcorder?

I don't know how soon I will send this back. The show was very boring and I couldn't wait for it to be over. Quidam is the one to buy for people who either love the show or you just want to show them what the Cirque world is about. Dralion, leave it on the shelf or at least rent it instead.

Fantastic performance, fantastic extras!
If you're a Cirque fan, you'll expect a great performance, and you won't be disappointed. I saw this performance on pay-per-view, and pre-ordered the DVD. I received it yesterday! The acts are terriffic- the Juggler is amazing, hand balancing, trapeze, I don't want to leave them all out, but it's simply one great act after another. I will be catching this performance live when they come to New York in the spring! Can't wait!!!

If you're a DVD extras fan, you'll be even more pleased! They put a making-of featurette on the disc, along with several acts in multi-angle! There are some trailers for Quidam (still my favorite, but only by a small margin), Dralion, and some other stuff.

This one is a must for any Cirque fan!

Incredible
I've watched this slackjawed several times. It is so hard for me to believe that human beings are even capable of doing what these people seem to do effortlessly. And the music is great.

One word.....Superb!
I must admit that I purchased this with some trepidation after reading some reviews saying there was "choppy editing" and other negatives regarding the Dralion DVD. I have seen only one Cirque Du Soleil show live and that was "O" at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. In my opinion, this comes about as close to seeing it live as you are going to get. There is a juggling sequence which is simply other-worldly, a hand-balancer who seems to do the impossible, and some jump-rope sequences that you have to see to believe. I am quite sure that I will be watching this many times in the years ahead.

The DVD also has a Behind the Scenes look which was filmed in China before the show opened. It is amazing to compare where they were only months before the first show, and the performances you see on the DVD.

Cirque du Soleil is a feast for the senses- the music, acrobats, and movement combine to make one question whether what you are seeing is actually possible. IMO, they represent the best of what mankind is capable of. Dralion is not only well edited, but is an amazing show, and is easily worthy of six stars were that an option.

The DTS track is mindblowing...
I have owned the original Dralion DVD for some time. I also own the DVD's of Quidam, Alegria (the show filmed in Sidney not the film) and Varekai, which I purchased toguether with this new Dralion Superbit version. Until now Dralion had been my least favorite of the four shows. Not that it was bad but its just that Quidam was so much better. My problem was that as much as I tried I could never get the same sound from my original Dralion DVD. The Dolby Digital 5.1 track was so bad that at first I returned the DVD because I guessed I had a damaged product, and it was not. However, this new Superbit version with DTS sounds so crisp and powerfull that I have just rediscovered the show in a whole new way. If you already own Dralion...the new DTS track on the Superbit version is so good that alone makes the purchase worth it. Its a completely new experience. In terms of image quality, both versions are presented in beautiful widescreen anamorphic video, however, the new Superbit version seems at times more crispier, sharp and alive with excelent color presentation. The original version has also great colors, but most of the time this new Superbit version seems to have the edge in terms of definition when compared to the original.

Dralion is a fantastic show, with this new version I cannot say that Dralion is not as good as the other four. They are completely different shows, if you buy one...eventualy you will end up owning the others, yes, they are that good. ... Read more

Reviews (436)

I love my kitty Cats!
I first saw Cats at my friends house, and I fell in love with it. I still do love it-- I watch it every single day, at least five times! It is the best musical in the entire world. The cast is absolutely SPECTACULAR!!!! Some of my favorites are Aeva May as Demeter, Rosemarie Ford as Bombalurina, Jo Gibb as Rumpleteazer, Leah Sue Morland as Electra, Jo Bingham as Etcetera, Veerle Castelyn as Jemima, Phyllida Crowley Smith as Victoria, Michael Gruber as Munkustrap, Jason Gardiner as Alonzo, Karl Morgan as Pouncival, Drew Varley as Mungojerrie, and, of course, John Partridge as Rum Tum Tugger!!! The twins rule too-- go Tommi and Kaye!!! Anyway....if anybody nice out there has any information about my beloved Cats, whether I listed them above or not, I would REALLY appreciate it if you sent it to me. By the way, did you guys notice that Elaine Paige wrote a little note on this review board?! That is so awesome! If any of you other cast members are out there reading this, I LOVE YOU!!! I would recommend this video to EVERYONE, but young children may require a little parental discretion, since there are a few, um, PG-13 moments. But otherwise, everything about this video is terrific. Gillian Lynne, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and T. S. Eliot are all geniuses beyond their time. This video is well worth the price, and it is a timeless treasure to be enjoyed over and over!!! I'm a jellicle cat--are you?

Excellent
"Mungojerrie and Rumpletezzer have a very strange way of working together and some of time you would say it was luck! and some of the time you would say it was weather"

"Macavity , Macavity theres not one like Macavity there never was a cat of such deceitfullness and suavity he always has an alabi or one or two to spare at what ever time the dead took place Macavity wasnt there"

These are only two of the great songs in the show! it is really really good; great songs, funny, good acting, good dancin!
all around excellent!

Perfect! Excellent! What else can I say...
I love ALW musicals of that includes JCS and many more. My favortie action/fantasy film is Lord Of The Rings, my favortie comedy would go to 13 Going On 30, my favortie romance is Alex & Emma, and my favortie horror-musical is Little Shop Of Horrors. But, my favortie musical would have to be "CATS." Here is the story of how I came to love it: We got this tape in '98 and for 4 yrs. I let it pass me by. It was sometime after my 13th birthday (oh...I'm 14 now!) and I found this sudden urge to watch it. I was a little scared of Macavity, I mean who isn't? But after watching it a few times, I became use to him and fell in love with the musical. Now today, me and my twin watch it all the time. My favortie characters are listed below and the reasons why.
FAVORTIE CHARACTERS
TOMS
_____
1. Rum Tum Tugger- Uh, hello? He's H-O-T, and I love his H-I-P_'-S.!
2. Mungojerrie- Hard to tell why I love this character, is it the way he jolts his tongue out? Or the way he smiles? Or maybe it's the fact that he is brave? Wait, it's all of that! I think it's sweet when he looks at Munkustrap after getting knocked down and then he turns to Macavity and hisses! Awww...He loves Munku. Speaking of which...
3. Munkustrap- He is another hot tom! I think him, Mungo & RTT are the hottest. Not to mention, I love the way he sings!
4. Pouncival- He is so cute! Adorable! And so precious!
5. Alonzo- He is Munkustrap's best friend, I think they might be brothers...Anyhoo, he probably has broken the flirting record, but who cares? I love this tom!
QUEENS
______
1. Demeter- She is everyone's favortie! Of that includes mine, she is so sexy!
2. Jemima- The prettiest kitten out of the tribe, and by- God the sweetest!
3. Rumpleteazer- Brother of Mungo, and so pretty. She has this cute little giggle..which is fun to hear in the video!
4. Electra- THE CUTEST KITTEN IN THE WHOLE TRIBE!!!!!
5. Victoria- She's the lucky one...Did you see who her mate was during TJB?
Well, this sums up my review! I love this musical! I LOVE the characters! And I ADORE the music in it! See this movie, you won't be sorry.
P.S I hate Cassandra!!!

Kids will love it!
I bought this DVD for my 7 year olds birthday, guessing that both she and her 8 year old sister would love it. I can tell you that I wasn't wrong. One week later they are still loving it, in fact they seem to get more out of it each time they watch it. The songs and dance routines are suberb, it's a lot better than I think I imagined it would be.

I'm no great Andrew Lloyd Webber fan, but that's not really the point. I don't think that you need to be to recognise when something is well done. And whilst it may help? to have seen the stage show before, it's clearly not essential to enjoy the DVD. Sometimes it can be the opposite, as people may feel a film version does not live up to their expectations/memories of the live show.

If you are considering buying this then please do, and for goodness sake, do not worry AT ALL about this being unsuitable for children. Some previous reviews commenting on it's unsuitablity for children are way off the mark. I can only imagine they live in households where table cloths are required to reach to the floor, lest young ladies in the house are offended by the sight of the table legs! Unreal...

Lovin the music!
hey musical-lovers,
Im actually yet to see the musical in all its wonders but am currently using one of the songs for a school project and am loving the music! Not to sure how I'd like the real thing but if the mystical tunes are anything to go by, you've got yourself a good source of entertainment. An amateur production of it was put on at my dance school a while ago and it was very impressive without the expenses so if you consider this a reliable source, I'd recommend you and even myself to get out there and see what 'Cats' is all about. Just venting my views. . . but feel free to protest! ... Read more

Reviews (19)

FINALLY !
Previously, this was only available on VHS and Region 4 (Australia) DVD, so the North American fans were left with little.

This is the one must-have concert-DVD for your collection. It is so enormous in scale. 72,000 fans packed in like sardines, all rocking out to one of the best live shows of any band ever.

This is INXS at their peak, no question. This needs to be played VERY loud!

This is the Pinnacle! If you headline Wimbley!
What can you say there is nothing better for a rock group to attain than to play for 100,000 people and have the place singing all your songs! You don't reach any higher highs than this as a band! Awards are B.S. playing live is what it is all about! INXS played before 100,000 people crowds many times around the world as well as festivals. YOU MUST HAVE THIS VIDEO IF YOU ARE A FAN. It is your duty to Michael and the gang to buy it and damn those corporate folks who have not dubbed this to DVD yet,, I am sorry to say not available on DVD! Michael lives for every! don't forget it,, BTW music stinks today!

How do you spell Class? INXS!!!!
As on their new 2 DVD greatest hits set....INXS does it right....the original concert film remastered with great picture and sound...AND they throw in tons of extra content rather than just the show....commentary, old featurettes , and a new retrospective ....great stuff that make this a true keepsake and not just a concert document....it was a landmark show for them , they got it right, captured it and share it with us and I for one appreciate the extra effort to make this package such a thorough delight!

excellent
while viewing this dvd live show at wembly stadioum in london, i was waiting and waiting during the first couple songs...where are those hits "the one thing" and "dont change the world?
BUT!
after getting enrapt with the current music being played, i didnt really care if they played those 2 hits or not!
this show is great!
i never really cared for INXS before, but this live show got me rocking out so much i couldnt take my eyes from it from beginning to end. (im the kinda guy who likes watching guys like steve vai doing his amazing stuff).
im a talented musician myself and watching Kirk Pengilly on guiter and sax was simple envy. i would give anything to be in his shoes during that show!

this dvd is one of my favs!
(thank you guys)

Finally!
After 10 years of watching a beat up VHS version of this show, there is finally a DVD of this memorable concert! (My VHS copy must have been played several hundred times over the past decade.) In terms of concert films, the original photography for this concert was shot with 35 mm film, making the video quality superior to those rock shows shot with today's cheap digi-cams. True, there is no 16:9 anamorphic feature, but there are many far-worse concert DVDs recorded in the last 5 years with pixilation problems and digital artifacts that make this 12 year old concert truly shine in comparison. Who knew that the extra money spent back then on photography would be worth something all these years later?

My only complaint with this DVD would is the 5.1 sound mix. (I haven't had a chance to listen to the stereo track yet.) Quite often, the guitar and bass sound, while crisp and superior to the VHS version, are mixed quite low compared to the vocals and the drums on this DVD. A noticable example of this is in the chorus of "Hear That Sound," while the VHS version booms the bass and low frequencies here, the DVD sound is higher and less exhilirating, concentrating on Kirk's acoustic guitar instead.

At any rate, as someone who considered purchasing a laserdisc or PAL player just to view Live Baby Live in a better-than-VHS format, I am overjoyed at finally being able to watch this in a superior medium. In some cases, it is actually possible to discern Hutchene's mumbeled banter between songs. The sights and sounds uncovered and magnified on this DVD are truly incredible for anyone who has ever appreciated INXS in a live context. From Jon Fariss's count in to Michael Hutchene's facial expressions, this DVD is truly a treasure. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Just Slightly Less Entertaining Than "Bridges"
Even though I feel the Rolling Stones are not quite as sharp on this concert DVD as on the "Live at the Max" or the "Bridges to Babylon" concert DVDs, it is still well worth owning.

For some peculiar reason, the Stones on this DVD look more haggard (exception drummer Charlie Watts) than they did three years later on the "Babylon" concert. Perhaps they were tired and that might be why their energy level wasn't as high here. However, there are still many highlights including "Angie," "Sweet Virginia," (both performed on the small stage) "It's All Over Now," and the guest appearance of Bo Diddley for the number "Who Do You Love." Furthermore, the mixing of this concert is vastly superior to the DVD of "Babylon" which was an atrocity. You can actually clearly hear the band without the distortion which marred the latter DVD.

There is only one lowlight on this DVD, and that is the baffling decision by the producers of this concert to employ so-called comic Whoopi Goldberg to act as emcee. She is an embarrassment in her brief appearances, including actually "singing" with the Stones' professional backup singers near the end of the concert. She can keep her day job, thank you. Fortunately, her antics aren't bad enough to ruin this otherwise excellent concert. Every fan should own this DVD.

Like the concert ...but!
I attended the Vodoo Lounge tour at the Oakland Colliseum and it was one of the best I've ever seen. The DVD captures the same excitement. How can you not enjoy the stage...amazing. Except for the fact that the DVD does not show the large puppets of Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley and others that bobbed up and down as the stage rocked. I don't own any other Stone's DVD's and I don't think I need too, this one makes you want to drink beers and party. Buy it.

Not bad at all!
This being the first tour the Rolling Stones did without the irreplaceable Bill Wyman, I, as a bass player myself, was SERIOUSLY interested (and somewhat jealous, in truth) to see how Darryl Jones would do. Well, he did excellantly, just fine. And as to the video itself, Whoopie Goldberg is always a treat - just dig her in the "singalong chorus" of "Sweet Virginia"! The Stones themselves don't sound at ALL bad for 50+ year old men, either. The cameos are a hoot, too: Bo Diddly absolutely STEALS THE SHOW when he & the Stones Jam on "Who Do You Love." Robert Cray, though, proves he is a gentleman, when, just listen, HE'S the only one who prevents "Stop Breakin' Down" from doing exactly THAT. The band doesn't "get it together" until about halfway through the first chorus. And I have two major gripes about the show: first, "Miss You" (I song I could go for the rest of eternity without having to endure) lasts about 10 minutes - 7.5 minutes TOO LONG, to be exact. And on "Honky Tonk Women," the Stones give the the late, great Ian Stewart the ultimate insult by allowing "auxillary keyboardist" Chuck Leavell to take a piano solo. Keef's song is kind of....eh, but the animated introduction to "Sympathy For The Devil" makes up for a lot of...things. ("Voodoo Lounge"....yeah)
Yup, this shows that you don't have to be a 22 year old kid playing a guitar that looks (and sounds) like a Thalidomide baby to do "Rock and Roll" anymore. Long live the Stones!

Stones Bumble Along
In comparison to the Bridges To Babylon pay per view and DVD, for which they left several songs off of as well as this one, the Voodoo Lounge Miami ppv and DVD is horrible. The show captured the excitement of the opening numbers but missed with some of the key tracks being left off. With DVD having much more room than VHS, one would think they'd put the tracks that were taken off back in. This one is good to own for one reason - Keith's mind blowing screw up for his solo in "Sympathy For The Devil". Not only did he not realise what he was doing and how awful he was doing it, not one person in the band noticed his wrong notes! It's displays such as this and the entire Let's Spend The Night Together film that make the Rolling Stones beautiful when it comes to screwing up! Highly entertaining.

Stones bring Voodoo magic back to touring
Those of you who were at the Thanksgiving concert will know that this concert went for a LOT longer than 95 minutes, and what a killer set list it was !!

Where as the Bridges to Babylon concert was left uncut, this Voodoo Lounge performance is pretty much butchered. Great songs like "Monkey Man","Beast Of Burden","Before they Make Me Run","Live With Me" (guest vocals: Sheryl Crow !) and quite a few others deserved to be kept for this release.

Hopefully the awesome HBO Madison Suare Gardens concert in January 2003(40 Licks tour) will be released uncut like the Babylon DVD.

Still, what remains is a good looking concert, and shows the Stones proving they can keep up the pace post-Steel Wheels. This DVD would've gotten a higher rating if the full concert had been included with 5.1 surround sound though. ... Read more

Reviews (112)

Stupendous show except for its star....
Absolutely brilliant and breathtaking in every way except one...Michael Flatley. He should have stopped when he was ahead! I saw him perform only 13 months prior to starring in Feet of Flames and he was incredible then...however his performance in FOF was disappointing, his posturing, grimaces, and pretentious solo was an embarrassment. He's gone 'soft' in the body and shows none of the style, bearing , or stamina of previous shows. However, this new take on "Lord of the Dance" is a v