Musicals and Stage

• Our House - A Musical Love Story - The Madness Musical | DVD | (01/11/2004) from £7.12   |  Saving you £12.87 (180.76%)   |  RRP £19.99

  'Our House' is the first new musical for decades which celebrates London. It's pacey hilarious and often touchingly romantic journey through one boy's London life. Includes performances of the hits House Of Fun Baggy Trousers Embarrassment Driving In My Car My Girl It Must Be Love and Night Boat To Cairo. Winner of the 2003 Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

• Adam:Le Corsaire | Blu Ray | (30/03/2015) from £25.65   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• It's All Happening | Blu Ray | (24/06/2019) from £4.95   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Tommy Steele heads an exceptional line-up of pop talent in this highly successful comedy musical from the early 1960s. Featuring John Barry, Russ Conway, Marion Ryan, Geoff Love and Shane Fenton & the Fentones, It's All Happening is presented here as a High Definition transfer from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio. Billy Bowles is unlucky in both love and work. An orphan himself, the news that the orphanage he visits is in danger of being closed prompts him to set up a star-studded benefit concert - with unforeseen results! Special Features: Theatrical trailer Image gallery PDF material

• Fiddler on the Roof (40th Anniversary Edition) | Blu Ray | (17/10/2011) from £7.99   |  Saving you £8.00 (100.13%)   |  RRP £15.99

  This rousing musical, based on the stories of Sholem Aleichem, takes place in pre-revolutionary Russia and centres on the life of Tevye (Topol), a milkman who is trying to keep his family's traditions in place while marrying off his three older daughters. Yet, times are changing and the daughters want to make their own matches, breaking free of many of the constricting customs required of them by Judaism. In the background of these events, Russia is on the brink of revolution and Jews are feeling increasingly unwelcome in their villages. Tevye--who expresses his desire for sameness in the opening number, "Tradition"--is trying to keep everyone, and everything, together. The movie is strongly allegorical--Tevye represents the common man--but it does it dextrously, and the resulting film is a stunning work of art. The music is excellent (it won Oscars for the scoring and the sound), with plenty of familiar songs such as "Sunrise, Sunset" and "If I Were a Rich Man," which you'll be humming long after the movie is over. Isaac Stern's violin--he provides the music for the fiddler on the roof--is hauntingly beautiful. And despite the serious subject matter, the film is quite comedic in parts; it also well deserves the Oscar it won for cinematography. --Jenny Brown

• Xanadu | DVD | (28/06/2004) from £10.12   |  Saving you £-0.13 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  A wimpy remake of an already anaemic movie (the 1947 Rita Hayworth vehicle Down to Earth), this glitzy musical from 1980 improbably stars Olivia Newton-John as a heavenly muse sent here to help open a roller-derby disco. Gene Kelly is mixed up in this well-meaning but goofy effort to fuse nostalgia with late-70s glitter-ball trendiness, and he looks just plain silly. Directed by Robert Greenwald, the film doesn't even work as decent kitsch. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

• Gilbert & Sullivan Collection | DVD | (23/05/2022) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• The Sapphires | DVD | (04/03/2013) from £6.05   |  Saving you £9.94 (164.30%)   |  RRP £15.99

  It's 1968, and four young, talented Australian Aboriginal girls learn about love, friendship and war when their all girl group The Sapphires entertain the US troops in Vietnam.

• Jesus Christ Superstar - Live Arena Tour 2012 | Blu Ray | (19/11/2012) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Celebrating 40 years since it first opened in London's West End, Andrew Lloyd Webber's new production of Jesus Christ Superstar, directed by Laurence Connor, promises to be the rock event of 2012. The star-studded line-up includes award-winning musical comedian Tim Minchin for the role of 'Judas Iscariot'. Three million album selling pop icon and former Spice Girl Melanie C will take the only female lead as 'Mary Magdalene'. BBC Radio 1's Breakfast Show host Chris Moyles will make his major stage debut as 'King Herod' and Winner of the ITV primetime show 'Superstar' Ben Forster in the title role of 'Jesus' in the 21st century 'Rock Musical' re-invention of Jesus Christ Superstar. An award-winning creative team have transformed this legendary rock musical into a unique state-of-the-art spectacular. Director Laurence Connor, known for his work on the 25th anniversary performances and concerts for Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera, will work alongside Mark Fisher, the acclaimed world-leading set designer responsible for the staging of the Diamond Jubilee music concert in front of Buckingham Palace. They will be joined by internationally renowned lighting designer Patrick Woodroffe, who worked on the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Both Mark and Patrick have worked on global arena and stadium tours for some of the world's biggest music acts including the Rolling Stones and U2. Filmed live as part of the 2012 arena tour.

• The Wizard Of Oz | DVD | (19/06/2006) from £6.29   |  Saving you £12.70 (201.91%)   |  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 £4.90   |  Saving you £15.09 (307.96%)   |  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.

• Gonks Go Beat | Blu Ray | (27/05/2019) from £9.99   |  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

• 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 £13.35   |  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 £8.95   |  Saving you £11.04 (123.35%)   |  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 £4.42   |  Saving you £15.57 (352.26%)   |  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.

• 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