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Dreamgirls(more) »rank: 2656from: Sony
: :The big question about this soundtrack is: how's she doing? No, not Beyoncé, silly--how's Jennifer Hudson doing? And more specifically, how's she doing by 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going'? To this reviewer's ears, she doesn't top the original Effie, Jennifer Holliday--or even Lillias White, from the 2001 Dreamgirls in Concert. On the other hand, Hudson isn't afraid to pullout all the stops, whipping herself up into a total diva frenzy as the song getscaught up in an unstoppable crescendo. As for Beyoncé, she adapts superbly to the 1960s- and 1970s–tinged material, though 'Listen'--a ballad that also appears on her own ... |
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Godspell(more) »rank: 2387by: Stephen Schwartz, Stephen Nathan, Robin Lamont
: :Jesus was a pretty popular guy in New York in 1971; as the ersatz star of both Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar. If Superstar was a little dark, Godspell was positively frothy; and its portrayal of Jesus as a hippie clown was part of its goofy charm. Another part was Stephen Schwartz's nifty score; a little naive and dated, but also as hummable as anything in history. Slap this in the CD player and be transported back in time to an era when kids were all singing 'We Beseech Thee,' 'Prepare Ye the Way of The Lord' and, of course, the cheery 'Day ... |
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Larger Than Life(more) »rank: 10067from: Rhino / Wea
: :Jesus was a pretty popular guy in New York in 1971; as the ersatz star of both Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar. If Superstar was a little dark, Godspell was positively frothy; and its portrayal of Jesus as a hippie clown was part of its goofy charm. Another part was Stephen Schwartz's nifty score; a little naive and dated, but also as hummable as anything in history. Slap this in the CD player and be transported back in time to an era when kids were all singing 'We Beseech Thee,' 'Prepare Ye the Way of The Lord' and, of course, the cheery 'Day ... |
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Assassins (2004 Broadway Revival Cast)(more) »rank: 16736by: Stephen Sondheim, Neil Patrick Harris, Marc Kudisch, Michael Cerveris, Denis O'Hare, James Barbour
: :'Everybody's got a right/To their dream.' So begins Stephen Sondheim's 1991 show Assassins--and in this case, said dreams involve killing an American president. The characters form a veritable rogues' gallery, including John Hinckley, Lee Harvey Oswald and John Wilkes Booth of course, but also half-forgotten luminaries such as Leon Czolgosz (who killed McKinley) and 'Squeaky' Fromme (who aimed for Gerald Ford with an unloaded gun). While Sondheim's lyrics are trenchant as ever, his music, which ranges from Sousa pomp to clever little waltzes, is technically brilliant but also oddly uninvolving. (Many fans prefer the recording of the 1991 Off-Broadway version, though 'Something Just ... |
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The Birdcage: Original United Artists Motion Picture Soundtrack(more) »rank: 93400from: Edel America
: :'Everybody's got a right/To their dream.' So begins Stephen Sondheim's 1991 show Assassins--and in this case, said dreams involve killing an American president. The characters form a veritable rogues' gallery, including John Hinckley, Lee Harvey Oswald and John Wilkes Booth of course, but also half-forgotten luminaries such as Leon Czolgosz (who killed McKinley) and 'Squeaky' Fromme (who aimed for Gerald Ford with an unloaded gun). While Sondheim's lyrics are trenchant as ever, his music, which ranges from Sousa pomp to clever little waltzes, is technically brilliant but also oddly uninvolving. (Many fans prefer the recording of the 1991 Off-Broadway version, though 'Something Just ... |
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The Frogs (2004 Broadway Cast)(more) »rank: 66236by: Stephen Sondheim, Nathan Lane, John Byner, Michael Siberry, Roger Bart
: :For a long time, Stephen Sondheim's 1974 compact offering The Frogs was known for two things. It was originally staged in Yale's swimming pool with a chorus that included Sigourney Weaver and Meryl Street; and its song 'Invocation and Instructions to the Audience' has become a perennial in Sondheim tributes and cabaret shows. The show was given a belated studio recording in 2001 with Nathan Lane in the lead role of Dionysus. Lane then went back for more--literally, since he adapted and expanded Burt Shevelove's book--and Sondheim wrote several new songs. Finally, The Frogs was a full-length musical, staged in 2004. New tracks ... |
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Anthems in Disguise(more) »rank: 96839from: Resmiranda
: :For a long time, Stephen Sondheim's 1974 compact offering The Frogs was known for two things. It was originally staged in Yale's swimming pool with a chorus that included Sigourney Weaver and Meryl Street; and its song 'Invocation and Instructions to the Audience' has become a perennial in Sondheim tributes and cabaret shows. The show was given a belated studio recording in 2001 with Nathan Lane in the lead role of Dionysus. Lane then went back for more--literally, since he adapted and expanded Burt Shevelove's book--and Sondheim wrote several new songs. Finally, The Frogs was a full-length musical, staged in 2004. New tracks ... |
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The American Tenors(more) »rank: 151514from: Sony
: :Driven by equal amounts marketing savvy and American pride, the rousing efforts of these three young winners of a national talent search were introduced to the world via a well-received PBS television special. Its companion CD release variously showcases the young voices of Nathan Granner, Daniel Montenegro, and Mauricio O'Reilly (and has there ever been a more quintessentially American name than Mauricio O'Reilly?) in solo turns and bracing harmony, meets the challenge of its more renowned Neopolitan elder statesman with aplomb and offers up a concise argument for the nation's own neo-operatic vocal traditions. While many of the Broadway standards and hoary traditionals ... |
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The Frogs / Evening Primrose (2001 Studio Cast)(more) »rank: 81751by: Stephen Sondheim, Nathan Lane, Brian Stokes Mitchell
: 's Best of 2001:After unearthing Stephen Sondheim's youthful effort, Saturday Night, a couple of years ago, producers desperate to bank on the name of one of Broadway's last living titans continue chasing after obscure offerings. The Frogs was a 1974 adaptation of a play by Aristophanes and was staged by the Yale Repertory Theater for a week. This recording, the first complete one, boasts the presence of Nathan Lane, Davis Gaines, and Brian Stokes Mitchell. In Broadway star power, that's like having Jim Carrey, Brad Pitt, and Tom Cruise in the same movie. Evening Primrose was a 1966 ABC special, which spawned a ... |
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Great Musicals(more) »rank: 169931from: RCA Victor Broadway
: 's Best of 2001:After unearthing Stephen Sondheim's youthful effort, Saturday Night, a couple of years ago, producers desperate to bank on the name of one of Broadway's last living titans continue chasing after obscure offerings. The Frogs was a 1974 adaptation of a play by Aristophanes and was staged by the Yale Repertory Theater for a week. This recording, the first complete one, boasts the presence of Nathan Lane, Davis Gaines, and Brian Stokes Mitchell. In Broadway star power, that's like having Jim Carrey, Brad Pitt, and Tom Cruise in the same movie. Evening Primrose was a 1966 ABC special, which spawned a ... |

Where the NBA Dynasty series (the other initial entry is the slightly meatier Los Angeles Lakers: The Complete History) outdoes Ultimate Jordan is in the six playoff games--one for each year--as they were originally broadcast, minus halftime and commercials. Having the nearly complete game (usually running 90-100 minutes, from the TV introductions to post-game interviews) means you can skip straight to John Paxson's clutch basket or what was expected to be the final shot of Jordan's career. Or you can savor each game in its entirety, all the better to appreciate the artistry of Jordan in his three-pointer barrage against Portland or his "flu game" against Utah. You can see other great players too, of course, including Jordan's teammates--Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman--and those opponents unfortunate enough to face the Bulls--Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone, and others. Because these are all NBA Finals games, you won't see Jordan's shot over Craig Ehlo or his 63-point coming-out party against Boston, but the 1990s Chicago Bulls were a team for the ages, and merely having their games--some of them all-time classics--available for home viewing is a major milestone in archived sports. --David Horiuchi

While last-minute heroics tend to be the standard by which we define excellence, there are many other moments that have left an indelible impression, many of them highlighted here. The video clips fall into 10 categories: Dunks, Alley-oops, Assists, Steals, Blocks, Teamwork, the Clutch Shot, Moves, Hustle, and Buzzer-Beaters. At the beginning of each section is a brief introduction. Before showing the top 10 dunks of all time, for example, we learn about the evolution of the dunk--from the first slam to the man who could fly, Michael Jordan--and we hear background commentary from NBA legends such as Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Dr. J, and Bill Russell. This video recalls familiar moments of NBA lore that you will want to own for countless repeat viewings. --Jeremy Storey