This is a truly fascinating discussion on the golden age of Broadway. What makes it so is the genuine passion one senses in those who were around at that amazing time. Their regard for "the theater" has an almost religious tone to it.
It's inevitable to compare the state of Broadway then and now. The most telling comparison is made by Jerry Orbach listing the staggering quality and variety of shows that ran simultaneously in 1950. Chita Rivera makes a strong and very convincing stand against the use of "canned" music and the use of mikes. While it's often all too easy to wax nostalgic about how great things were in the old days, this documentary certainly leaves one with the distinct impression that there indeed once was a golden age, never to return.
Many of those interviewed really are legends of the theater and therein lies the difference between then and now. There are indeed many wonderfully talented performers at present on Broadway, but alas no legends as such. (The same could be said of the London stage). Perhaps the overwhelming dominance of television and the movies leave no room for the cult of the live performer. The world of cabaret has suffered the same fate with today's performers a mere shadow of the stars of cabaret's golden age.
The segment devoted to actress Laurette Taylor is terribly moving. In essence it's about art and a true artist at work. Taylor's performances seem to have left an indelible impression on those fortunate enough to have seen her on the stage (as too is the case with Kim Stanley). Taylor and Stanley earned their legendary status by honing their craft. They were not stars but artists and supreme examples of an actor's actor.
There are numerous excerpts worthy of mention, but simply stated, for anyone with even a slight interest in the theater, this documentary is compulsory.
It's inevitable to compare the state of Broadway then and now. The most telling comparison is made by Jerry Orbach listing the staggering quality and variety of shows that ran simultaneously in 1950. Chita Rivera makes a strong and very convincing stand against the use of "canned" music and the use of mikes. While it's often all too easy to wax nostalgic about how great things were in the old days, this documentary certainly leaves one with the distinct impression that there indeed once was a golden age, never to return.
Many of those interviewed really are legends of the theater and therein lies the difference between then and now. There are indeed many wonderfully talented performers at present on Broadway, but alas no legends as such. (The same could be said of the London stage). Perhaps the overwhelming dominance of television and the movies leave no room for the cult of the live performer. The world of cabaret has suffered the same fate with today's performers a mere shadow of the stars of cabaret's golden age.
The segment devoted to actress Laurette Taylor is terribly moving. In essence it's about art and a true artist at work. Taylor's performances seem to have left an indelible impression on those fortunate enough to have seen her on the stage (as too is the case with Kim Stanley). Taylor and Stanley earned their legendary status by honing their craft. They were not stars but artists and supreme examples of an actor's actor.
There are numerous excerpts worthy of mention, but simply stated, for anyone with even a slight interest in the theater, this documentary is compulsory.