BROADWAY MUSICALS: A JEWISH LEGACY Debuts on DVD from Athena May 7, 2013

BM

Fascinating, new PBS documentary explores Jewish contributions to Broadway; Performances by Barbra Streisand, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Kristin Chenoweth and many more!

Engaging, humorous, and provocative, Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy debuts on DVD from Athena on May 7, 2013. Broadcast on PBS in January 2013 and narrated by Tony® and Academy Award® winner Joel Grey, the film examines the leading role of Jewish composers and lyricists in the creation of the modern American musical and showcases the work of legends such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, George and Ira Gershwin, Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim. Alongside standout performances and archival footage, the film co-mingles cultural history with illuminating perspectives on the origins and meanings of some of Broadway’s most beloved songs, stories, and shows. The DVD 2-Disc set includes a bonus disc with three hours of bonus performances and interviews not

seen on PBS, a 16-page viewer’s guide, and more ($39.99, AcornOnline.com).

Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy features interviews with songwriters and luminaries including Sheldon Harnick, Stephen Schwartz, Harold Prince, Arthur Laurents, Charles Strouse, and Mel Brooks and performances by Barbra Streisand, David Hyde Pierce, Matthew Broderick, Kelli O’Hara, Zero Mostel, Nathan Lane, Idina Menzel, Dick Van Dyke, Ethel Merman, Kristin Chenoweth, and many more. Providing unique insight into the fantastic world of Broadway, this release is not to be missed for fans of musical theater.

The film was produced, written, and directed by Michael Kantor, creator of the Emmy-winning series, Broadway: The American Musical..

BONUS FEATURES:  Bonus disc with additional interview clips and performances (3 hours); 16-page viewer’s guide featuring reflections on Jewish Broadway, with an introduction by Executive Producer Barbara Brilliant; Biography of narrator Joel Grey

Street Date: May 7, 2013                              SRP: $39.99

DVD 2-Disc Set – Approx. 84 min., plus 3 hours of bonus – SDH subtitles

—————–