Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh

June 1998 at The Lyceum Theatre, London. Somehow, over 200 actors and dancers and singers all crammed into this theatre for an evening of unforgettable entertainment. (In fact, 2 performances were given – 7 and 8 June, the second one being the Royal gala charity that was filmed.) Over nearly three hours we are guided through highlights of 26 shows produced by one man over 30 years or so. Cameron Mackintosh. Many of the original casts reprise their roles, and many more stars are on hand to add to the glitter. There are some fairly rare appearances, too. Millicent Martin, David Kernan and Julie Mackenzie do a bit from 'Side by Side by Sondheim' and Tom Lehrer sings a song of his that was used in 'TomFoolery.' Dame Judi Dench sings an unforgettable 'Send in the Clowns' and Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim do a duet (!) And …. one could go on all night! The list of shows and cast would do justice to a dictionary of musical theatre. It is a splendid tribute to the indefatigable talent of 'Mr. Producer' Mackintosh. I think there are two items cut from the DVD. The opening medley number of Act 2 and one of the Tom Lehrer numbers. But no matter, this is without doubt a stunning achievement by all concerned.

'The best bits' will clearly depend on your own likes and dislikes. For me, the Sondheim numbers were the highlight. The man's a genius. It should be mentioned that nearly all the numbers are fully staged and costumed. (The logistics of this are mind-numbing!) They are not just a gaggle of stars in evening dress. The big 'production numbers' are spectacular – especially 'Cats' and the final piece from 'Les Miserables'. If you have any love or interest at all in musical theatre, this DVD is a 'must'. There is no on-screen info about the numbers coming up or the artists performing them. I feel this is something that could easily have been remedied. However, a listing can be found in the archive section of Albermarle of London website. (www.albermarle-london.com)

"Hey, Mr. Producer" is the most wonderful thing out there right now for fans of Broadway and the West End who can't quite make it to the theatre. What a roster: Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Michael Ball, Dame Judi Dench, Ruthie Henshall, Lea Salonga, Jonathon Pryce... it goes on and on!

The best parts, though, include: The reunion of Dames Millicent Martin and Julia McKenzie, and David Kernan for "Side by Side by Sondheim" (their performances are especially engaging in this title song, "You Can Drive a Person Crazy", and "You Gotta Have a Gimmick"); Ellen Green's brilliant performance in the forever-hers role of Audrey in "Little Shop of Horrors" singing "Somewhere that's Green"; The Les Miserables section in which the finishing "One Day More" song is a breathtaking effect on the film--I can just imagine how moving this was live!; Julie Andrews' entrance in the "My Fair Lady" montage---" I washed my face and hands before I came, i did."; and the sequence of "Miss Saigon", one of the most brilliant musicals ever written and perfectly recreated here with Lea Salonga returning to her lead role. This Cameron Mackintosh fest is a joy to treasure for years to come--i love watching my copy--i could watch it every day! And it's perfect to finish off with Stephen Sondheim's marking piece "Old Friends"---"But us, old friends, what's to discuss, old friends..... Who's Like us? DAMN FEW!!!!"

I loved this - almost all of the stars gave some of their best performances. Jonathan Pryce was great in both his roles, David Campbell, Hugh Jackman and Philip Quast did Australia proud (I have met Philip - he's as wonderful a person as he is an actor), Sonia Swaby was perfect as Nancy, and Elaine Paige gave Grizabella all she had and was great also. Some were a little dissapointing...Liz Robertson didn't quite make the standard as Eliza that Julie Andrews set, and Bernadette Peters wasn't as good as she normally is, she sounded really tired. I liked You've Gotta Have A Gimmick, and Poisoning Pigions in the Park, as well as the sections from CATS, Little shop of Horrors, the Phantom, Oliver and Les Mis - although they cut so much out of the songs by that stage that there literally were only half of them left. But, despite this, it was fantastic. I could watch this all day, it was so good.

Following on the heels of the audio collection of Sir Cameron Mackintosh's 'greatest hits', with the same name and released in the 1980s, this video is a great record of a selection from some of the greatest musical productions from the late 1960s to now from a veritable who's who of West End and Broadway musical stars.

Highlights? Numerous - I'll stick to just a dozen (in the order they appear in the film):

1 I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face - Jonathan Pryce with Liz Robertson; done before Jonathan played Higgins opposite Martine McCutcheon (or at least when she bothered to turn up)

2 Suddenly Seymour - Ellen Greene & Teddy Kempner; no one was a better or more fragile Audrey than this

3 Unexpected Song - Bernadette Peters; Emma's song of love from 'Song and Dance'; a real belter

4 I Love A Lassie - Jimmy Logan as Harry Lauder; sweetly Scots and a nice change of pace

5 Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby? - Five Guys Named Moe Cast; a thrilling version of the Louis Jordan classic

6 How Many Tears? - Maria Friedman; sadly the only decent song in the revamped 'Martin Guerre'

7 Phantom of the Opera segment - Colm Wilkinson, Lisa Vroman, and Michael Ball; interesting to compare with Antonio Banderas as the Phantom in the ALW tribute video

8 Broadway Baby - Julia McKenzie and about everyone else who appeared in a Mackintosh production

9 Send In The Clowns - Judi Dench; truly touching, just as she did it in the National production

10 Losing My Mind - Michael Ball; a girl's song from Follies reinvented beautifully

11 Being Alive - Bernadette Peters; what a voice that lady has!

12 Les Miz segment; although truncated, always nice to see Colm Wilkinson, Philip Quast, Michael Ball, etc., reprising their roles in this fantastic production

Highly recommended. Any chance of a DVD release in the UK?

I love Leah Salonga, the original Miss Saigon, a truly amazing talent from the Philippines. She is brilliant, spectacular, fabulous and the best singer I have seen in the West End of London.The original cast of Les Miserables was also brilliant.

I totally agree with Stepahie K, Liz Robertson didn't quite make the standard as Eliza that Julie Andrews set, and Bernadette Peters wasn't as good as she normally is, she sounded really tired. Although some of the singers looked tired and were not as brilliant as seen on stage years ago, they still performed quite well.

The video is a culmination of all the best musicals in the West End of London and the brilliance of Sir Cameron Mackintosh. A must for everyone to buy and keep forever.