Strauss Jr. - the Great Waltz (Novotna, Lahr, Andes) DVD

The Great Waltz the popular musical based on the life of Johann Strauss Jr. was one of a number of Spectaculars presented by pioneer TV producer Max Liebman in the mid 1950s. A stellar cast was assembled: Patrice Munsel was then a star of the Metropolitan Opera having sung more than a dozen roles with the company before the age of 27! Jarmila Novotna the great Czech soprano made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1940 and sang with the company for sixteen seasons. Both Munsel and Novotna were acclaimed for their performances in the immensely successful Met production... of Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus which showcased their talents as comic actresses as well as singers. The role of Hans Eberstater is played by Bert Lahr the popular star of stage and screen who is best remembered for his film role as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. Keith Andes is best known for his roles in such feature films as The Farmer's Daughter Clash by Night and Tora! Tora! Tora!In an age when the medium was still defining itself Max Liebman produced a wide range of high quality television programming. His early efforts yielded television's first variety show The Admiral Broadway Revue which later evolved into the legendary series Your Show of Shows. He later produced a series of specials which aired under the blanket title Max Liebman Presents. We offer The Great Waltz as a tribute to one of the visionaries of the formative years of television. [show more]

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