Musicals and Stage

• The Wizard Of Oz | DVD | (19/06/2006) from £5.08   |  Saving you £13.91 (273.82%)   |  RRP £18.99

  "The Wizard of Oz" has charmed and thrilled audiences for seven decades with its timeless music and truly heart-warming story. The unforgettable songs and characters come to life in a sing-along extravaganza that all the family can enjoy time and again.

• Cirque Du Soleil - Dralion | DVD | (28/01/2002) from £3.97   |  Saving you £16.02 (403.53%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The work of the Canadian circus troupe Cirque Du Soleil, Dralion is a show which has toured worldwide. It features elements of Chinese circus tradition interspersed with the troupe's own pan-cultural sense of stage spectacle. It's a combination of music, dance, clowning and acrobatics lavishly bathed in dry ice, strobe lights and a colourful array of oriental finery, elaborate costumes and props. Here you'l find Chinese women finding the strength from somewhere in their tiny bodies to balance by their hands atop 10-foot poles which are wheeled around gracefully; and young boys tumbling rapidly through revolving golden hoops; and bronzed dancers swinging through the air in balletic arcs from lengths of blue ribbon. What one could do without, though, is the She-Goddess' New Age babble throughout the proceedings, as well as the soundtrack, which is a queasy fusion of world music marinated in bass. There's also an over-indulgence of costume and choreography, presumably the work of the "avant garde" Cirque Du Soleil, though much here is distinctly apres-garde, reminding the viewer irresistibly of the musical extravaganza that was the daily centrepiece of the ill-fated Millennium Dome. All of this at times smothers and distracts from the impressive physical feats of the Chinese performers. Still, for the three million people who have witnessed this show worldwide this will certainly provide a worthy memento.On the DVD: a number of extra features include a featurette about the five-month deadline the troupe had to meet in putting together the show, splendid for those who thrill to the spectacle of tents being erected and dancers being winched carefully into the rafters of giant hangars. There's also a facility for viewing the performances from different angles. The show is presented in 1.78:1 aspect ratio, and is generally pristine in both colour and definition. --David Stubbs

• Christmas Down Under – Live From Sydney | DVD | (29/11/2019) from £14.49   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Live recording from Sydney, Australia of celebrated Dutch violinist and composer Andre Rieu. The event will feature a range of music and dance with show tunes and classical music.

• Wagner: Tristan & Isolde | Unknown | (04/07/2025) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Gonks Go Beat | Blu Ray | (27/05/2019) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Kenneth Connor, Terry Scott and Are You Being Served's Frank Thornton star in this groovy comedy-musical-sci-fi fantasia that could only have been made in the '60s! Featuring performances from Lulu and the Luvvers, The Nashville Teens and the Graham Bond Organisation, Gonks Go Beat is presented here as a High Definition transfer from the original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio. In the far future, Earth has split into two musically-opposing factions: Beatland where all the cool cats live and Balladisle, where it's customary to sport smart jumpers and trouser creases. Perturbed at this squabbling The Great Galaxian decides to send an ambassador to bring harmony to these unruly Earthlings. Unfortunately, the only one available is a rather unorthodox chap with a disgraceful record of incompetence! Special Features: Theatrical trailer Image gallery PDF material

• The Wizard of Oz 85th Anniversary Theatre Edition with Steelbook | Blu Ray | (04/11/2024) from £39.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Return to the Land of Oz this November with a brand new Theatre Edition celebrating The Wizard of Oz's 85th anniversary. The set includes new Wicked Witch of the West key art, a Steelbook, and retro premiums from it's original release back in 1939.One of the best-loved movies of all time, THE WIZARD OF OZ™ (1939) stars Judy Garland as Dorothy, a young Kansas farm girl who is whisked away by a twister to the land of Oz. Accompanied by a brainless Scarecrow, a heartless Tin Man and a Cowardly Lion, Dorothy and her little dog, Toto, follow the Yellow Brick Road seeking the Wizard of Oz, in order that he may grant her wish to return home.Featured In-Pack:Film on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-RayRigid SlipcaseSteelbookOriginal Programme ReplicationPremiere Invite ReplicationLobby CardsPoster CardsMovie Ticket ReplicaOn-Disc Special Features4K: ¢ Commentary Featuring Oz Historian John Fricke with Barbara Freed-Saltzman (Daughter of Arthur Freed) and the Film's Cast and Crew (also on Blu-ray) ¢ The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie ClassicBD: ¢ Illustrated Video Storybook Read by Angela Lansbury ¢ Supporting-Cast Profile Gallery ¢ Sing-Along Feature ¢ And More!

• Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen | Blu Ray | (17/09/2012) from £84.76   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Puccini: Tosca - In the settings and at the times of Tosca | DVD | (03/06/2013) from £12.35   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Dear Evan Hansen | Blu Ray | (21/03/2022) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The breath-taking, generation-defining Broadway phenomenon becomes a soaring cinematic event as Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt reprises his role as an anxious, isolated high schooler aching for understanding and belonging amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Chbosky ( The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Wonder ), the film is written for the screen by the show's Tony winner Steven Levenson with music and lyrics by the show's Oscar®, Grammy and Tony-winning song-writing team of Benj Pasek & Justin Paul ( La La Land, The Greatest Showman ). Featuring Grammy winning songs, including the iconic anthem You Will Be Found, Waving Through a Window, For Forever and Words Fail, Dear Evan Hansen stars six-time Oscar® nominee Amy Adams, Oscar® winner Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever, Amandla Stenberg, Colton Ryan, Nik Dodani, DeMarius Copes and Danny Pino.

• Clambake | DVD | (15/09/2003) from £8.71   |  Saving you £4.28 (49.14%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Elvis Presley sizzles as a lovelorn million-heir in this riveting and romantic rock 'n' roll romp. Vying for the attentions of the lovely Shelley Fabares Elvis finds himself caught up in a rivalry with playboy Bill Bixby against a tuneful background of comedy romance and speedboat racing! Clambake is pleasing escape entertainment and the wildest party to hit the beach since they invented the beach ball! It's a hip version of The Prince and the Pauper as Elvis relinquishes his oil

• Dreamgirls | Blu Ray | (29/04/2013) from £7.99   |  Saving you £12.00 (150.19%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The spirit of Motown runs through the long-awaited film adaption of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, which centres around a young female singing trio who burst upon the music scene in the '60s, complete with bouffant hairdos, glitzy gowns, and a soul sound new to the white-bread American music charts. Sound familiar? You aren't the first one to draw comparisons to the meteoric rise of the Supremes, and despite any protests to the contrary, this is most definitely a thinly veiled reinterpretation of that success story. The Dreamettes--statuesque Deena (Beyonce Knowles), daffy Lorell (Anika Noni Rose) and brassy Effie (Jennifer Hudson)--are a girl group making the talent-show rounds when they're discovered by car salesman and aspiring music manager Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx). Sensing greatness (as well as a new marketing opportunity) Curtis signs the Dreamettes as backup singers for R&B star James "Thunder" Early (Eddie Murphy). But when Early's mercurial ways and singing style don't mesh with primarily white audiences, Curtis moves the newly-renamed Dreams to centre stage--with Deena as lead singer in place of Effie. And that's not the only arena in which Effie is replaced, as Curtis abandons their love affair for a relationship with star-in-the-making Deena. Besides the Supremes comparison, one can't talk about Dreamgirls now without revisiting its notorious Oscar snub; though it received eight nominations, the most for any film from 2006, it was shut out of the Best Picture and Director races entirely. Was the oversight justified? While Dreamgirls is certainly a handsomely mounted, lovingly executed and often vibrant film adaptation, it inspires more respect than passion, only getting under your skin during the musical numbers, which become more sporadic as the film goes on. Writer-director Bill Condon is definitely focussed on recreating the Motown milieu (down to uncanny photographs of Knowles in full Diana Ross mode), he often forgets to flesh out his characters, who even on the Broadway stage were underwritten and relied on powerhouse performances to sell them to audiences. (Stage fans will also note that numerous songs are either truncated or dropped entirely from the film.) Condon has assembled a game cast, as Knowles does a canny riff on the essence of Diana Ross' glamour (as opposed to an all-out impersonation) and Rose makes a peripheral character surprisingly vibrant; only Foxx, who never gets to pour on the charisma, is miscast. Still, there are two things even the most cranky viewers will warm to in Dreamgirls: the performances of veteran Eddie Murphy and newcomer Jennifer Hudson. Murphy is all sly charm and dazzling energy as the devilish Early, who's part James Brown, part Little Richard, and all showman. And Hudson, an American Idol contestant who didn't even make the top three, makes an impressive debut as the larger-than-life Effie, whose voice matches her passions and stubbornness. Though she sometimes may seem too young for the role, Hudson nails the movie's signature song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," with a breathtaking power that must be seen and heard to believe. And for those five minutes, if not more, you will be in Dreamgirls' thrall. --Mark Englehart

• Jesus Christ Superstar | DVD | (16/10/2000) from £4.50   |  Saving you £15.49 (344.22%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Jesus Christ Superstar has been the definitive rock musical ever since its 1972 London stage premiere. Revived to great acclaim in the late 1990s, it has everything you'd expect from a blockbuster: great songs, strong characterisation and, crucially, a cracking story. This video is based on the 1998 London production. Director Gale Edwards pulls few punches in her efforts to draw a truly modern interpretation from a gifted cast. Pilate's cronies are sinister Darth Vader look-alikes. The whole thing has a hard, brutal edge, which both startles and thrills. And anyone who dismisses musicals as lightweight confections could do worse than look at the way Lloyd Webber and Rice treat Judas: this is a complex, well-written role. The performances are largely excellent: Jerome Pradon' Judas shines, and Renee Castle's Mary reinvents "I Don't Know How to Love Him" as a delicate exploration of her dilemma, far removed from its usual overblown treatment. Rik Mayall's relentlessly gurning Herod is less of a bonus than he would like us to believe, but will doubtless appeal to his fans. And the quality of Glenn Carter's singing in the title role makes up for a slight deficiency in the charisma department. --Piers FordOn the DVD: Die-hard groupies will appreciate the inclusion of a documentary about the making of the video, which includes interviews with the cast, the production team and Lloyd Webber and Rice. There are also previews for video productions of Cats and Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

• Damn Yankees | Unknown | (02/09/2024) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (Standard Edition) | Blu Ray | (19/07/2021) from £9.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Produced by Stanley Kramer and based on an original screenplay by Dr Seuss, Roy Rowland's pioneering wild fantasy adventure is visually stunning and remains one of American cinema's most beloved and bizarre children's films. Special Features High Definition remaster Original mono audio Audio commentary with film historians Glenn Kenny and Nick Pinkerton Crazy Music (2017, 17 mins): interview with musician, singer and archivist Michael Feinstein on his obsession with The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T Father Figure (2017, 19 mins): interview with Steve Rowland, son of director Roy Rowland Karen Kramer introduction (2007, 2 mins) Dr. T. on Screen (2007, 15 mins): Cathy Lind Hayes, George Chakiris and others talk about the film A Little Nightmare Music (2007, 12 mins): examination of the film's ground-breaking music score Original theatrical trailer Joe Dante trailer commentary (2013, 3 mins): a short critical appreciation Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing

• Viva Las Vegas | DVD | (27/01/2020) from £4.25   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Camp Rock | DVD | (01/12/2008) from £4.98   |  Saving you £10.01 (201.00%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Camp Rock tells the rock n' roll Cinderella story of Mitchie Torres (Demi Lovato), a teen with an amazing voice and a driving ambition to be a pop singer who wants to spend her summer at a prestigious rock camp.

• 42nd Street | DVD | (01/06/2006) from £4.14   |  Saving you £9.85 (237.92%)   |  RRP £13.99

  Julian Marsh a successful Broadway director produces a new show inspite of his poor health. The money comes from a rich old man who is in love with the star of the show Dorothy Brock. But she doesn't reply his love because she is still in love with her old partner. At the night before the premiere Dorothy Brock breaks her ankle and one of the chorus girls Peggy Sawyer tries to take over her part. Featuring incredible dance choreography from the master Busby Berkeley

• Swing Time | DVD | (10/04/2006) from £8.24   |  Saving you £1.75 (21.24%)   |  RRP £9.99

  A glorious songburst of gaiety and laughter! Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers star in arguably their finest film together; packed with exhilarating dance routines and a marvellous score this is an indispensable musical classic! Swing Time is full of magical moments including a complex and delightful routine to Pick Yourself Up a luminous turn to Waltz In Swing Time and Astaire's breathtaking solo to Bojangles Of Harlem.

• Midsummer Night's Dream-Live in Maastricht 4 | DVD | (28/09/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Sound Of Music | Blu Ray | (02/03/2015) from £5.99   |  Saving you £23.00 (383.97%)   |  RRP £28.99

  Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music — Winner of five ACADEMY AWARDS® including Best Picture* — with this 2-disc Blu-ray™ set that includes an all-new hour-long documentary detailing Julie Andrews’ return visit to Salzburg where she filmed her iconic role as Maria half a century ago! *1965: Directing Film Editing Music Best Picture Sound Includes All-New 60-Minute Documentary – The Sound of a City: Julie Andrews Returns to Salzburg and more!