The 1975 Broadway debut of The Wiz—an African American retelling of the classic children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum—was a huge hit. Starring seventeen-year-old Stephanie Mills as Dorothy, who was a tiny teenager with a big voice. The play went on to win seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Given this success, it’s no wonder that Barry Gordy’s Motown Productions
Back in 2014, Time-Life/StarVista released the legendary TV special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever on DVD, over thirty years after it first aired. While I reviewed the three disc set back then, with the deluxe six disc set soon to be available at various retail outlets, I’ve revisited Motown 25 and amended my thoughts where necessary. I was fortunate enough to watch the original broadcast
Over thirty years after it originally aired on network television in May of 1983, Time-Life/StarVista is releasing the classic TV special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever on DVD. They are offering the release in a simple 1-DVD edition, a special 3-DVD edition, a deluxe 6-DVD edition, and a deluxe-deluxe 6-DVD/8-CD edition. (Time-Life provided us with the 3-DVD edition to review.) I was fortunate enough to
I think of the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, one of countless examples of staged entertainment. Celine Dion and Elton John are currently enjoying cozy residencies there, and Shania Twain will join them in December with her own residency. There are set lists, special effects that have to go off at the right time and spontaneous banter with the audience that may very