PBS has been running, usually during pledge weeks, specials in a series called Broadway's Lost Treasures, which feature musical highlights from Tony Awards broadcasts. The shows are kind of fun, though I really wish whoever is releasing these would instead put out DVDs of the complete Tony shows, including the awards and the numbers which aren't special enough to be considered "Lost Treasures." I have some old Tony shows and some of them are terrific…especially the 1971 edition. It was the 25th anniversary of the Tony Awards so they had 25 great musical performances on their stage: Zero Mostel, Robert Preston, Yul Brynner, Gwen Verdon, Angela Lansbury, Paul Lynde, Robert Morse, Alfred Drake, Richard Kiley, Ray Walston, etc., all doing their show-stopping numbers from past Broadway triumphs. Somehow, the producers of that Tony broadcast got in all 25 performances, plus they managed to give out the awards — including two to a kid named Steve Sondheim — in two hours. Today in two hours, an award telecast can just about manage to read the rules and open a couple of envelopes.
Each of the Broadway's Lost Treasures shows pulls numbers from different years, including many from that 1971 show. And each has at least a few things to make you very glad you bought the DVDs. Each DVD also includes three or four numbers not included in the version that PBS televises…and of course, you don't have to sit through endless pledge breaks telling you how wonderful it is that PBS doesn't have commercial interruptions. So here are some links to order these fine collections…
- VOLUME ONE features Jerry Orbach doing the big number from 42nd Street, Angela Lansbury doing "The Worst Pies in London" from Sweeney Todd, Robert Preston doing "Trouble" from The Music Man (oddly lip-synced to a pre-record but nice, nonetheless), Zero Mostel doing "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof, and many more. Quite a few of these are from that '71 Tony show I mentioned.
- VOLUME TWO includes Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur doing "Bosom Buddies" from Mame, Jerry Orbach performing a number from Chicago, Robert Morse with "I Believe In You" from How To Succeed, Richard Kiley dreaming "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha and a kick-ass rendition of "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat" from the revival of Guys and Dolls. There's other fine stuff, as well.
- VOLUME THREE is where you'll find Kristen Chenoweth doing her number from the revival of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, plus the opening number from Ragtime, a real show-stopper from Five Guys Named Moe, Alfred Drake doing "Where Is The Life That Late I Led?" from the original Kiss Me Kate (from the '71 Tony broadcast), medleys by Ethel Merman and Julie Andrews, and other wonderment.
Like I said, I wish they'd just put out the original, unedited Tony ceremonies…and maybe, someday, they will. In the meantime, these are quite watchable and wonderful, and they aren't even that expensive. End of sales pitch.