Product Details

• Actors: Michael Feinstein, Carol Channing, Barry Brown, George Hearn, Angela Lansbury
• Directors: Amber Edwards
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: PBS
• DVD Release Date: January 1, 2008
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0010W4D6Y
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,510 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Words and Music by Jerry Herman" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Studio: Pbs Release Date: 05/06/2009 Run time: 90 minutes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars He is what he is, January 22, 2008

By 

Richard LeComte "richlec" (Tuscaloosa, AL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Words and Music by Jerry Herman (DVD)

I've admired Jerry Herman ever since I became interested in musicals in the early 1970s. In fact, my parents and I saw "Mack & Mabel" in previews back in 1974, and later on I went standing room to see "La Cage Aux Folles" in 1984. His score for "Mame" was one of my mother's favorites, and it's easy to sing five or 10 of his songs from memory, because they stick in your head. These are not "simple show tunes," either -- many of them have complicated lyric structures, rhythms and melodies that make them interesting to listen to again and again. I even am something of a fan of "Dear World" and "The Grand Tour," even though those shows were flops, and the scores aren't as consistent as in Herman's hits.

The documentary is poignent both because it looks at Herman's triumphs and failures (and goes into the complicated history of "Hello, Dolly!" on the road and because Herman today still seems to love what he does. The commentary from Charles Nelson Reilly and Arthur Laurents is especially entertaining; Reilly offers great early anecdotes about Herman's career, and Laurents' commentaries on Herman's musicals are on target. "Dolly" and "Mame" are fantasy shows, and it's obvious that Herman believed everything he wrote. Plus, the archival footage is wonderful, from the photos of Herman as a youth to the film clips of musical numbers from long-ago productions, particularly "Parade," "Mame" and "Mack & Mabel."

This is an especially well-done documentary, containing many delights for theater buffs. And Herman's continued enthusiasm, shown has he coaches young performers, reminds you of why you love theater in the first place.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful DVD, March 1, 2008

By 

B. W. Simpson (Sidmouth, Devon United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Words and Music by Jerry Herman (DVD)

To anyone who is a fan of Jerry Herman's music,this wonderful DVD contains just about everything you could wish to know. Well-considered comment without any of the usual awful showbiz "gushiness" that often accompanies such biographies,this film also contains archive footage from some of the original Broadway productions,which if only for that reason alone,makes it a little treasure. Highly recommended.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice docummentary, with great archive footage, April 22, 2008

By 

Carles M. Masip Montero (Barcelona, Spain) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Words and Music by Jerry Herman (DVD)

Jerry Herman is a musical theatrical genius in the most classical way, and it's obvious in this docummentary that he's also a great person, with interesting things to say, but about the theatre world as of his personal life!
Plus, the chane to see footage from Hello, Dolly, Mame, Grand Tour, La Cage, Mack & Mabel... who could ask for anything more? Well, maybe some more full numbers as extra features...