Stokes Mitchell

Rodgers and Hammerstein's glorious score for South Pacific gets a surge of welcome new energy in this 2005 Carnegie Hall concert. Brian Stokes Mitchell (Kiss Me Kate, Ragtime) is in spectacular voice singing "Some Enchanted Evening" and "This Nearly Was Mine," but the real discovery is country star Reba McEntire as Nellie Forbush. McEntire won raves when she replaced Bernadette Peters in Annie Get Your Gun, but her performance was never recorded and released to the general public. Now we can understand the raves for ourselves, because McEntire is a joy in the role that features such standards as "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair" and "A Wonderful Guy." Those used to Mary Martin (which is nearly everybody) will need to get used to McEntire's scoops and twang, but it's not inappropriate for a character hailing from Little Rock, Arkansas. Jason Danieley (The Full Monty) and Lillias White are both effective as Lieutenant Cable and Bloody Mary, respectively, and Alec Baldwin doesn't embarrass himself any more than he's supposed to as Billis. Because it's a concert performance, the singers carry books and don't wear costumes other than in "Honey Bun" (so the nurses jog in the surf and wash their hair wearing black gowns). But much of the story is conveyed through dialogue excerpts, so the 113-minute DVD is substantially longer than the 78-minute CD. --David Horiuchi

Reba McEntire shines as Nellie Forbush in this spectacular benefit performance of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, recorded at New York City's Carnegie Hall. Co-stars Brian Stokes Mitchell as Emile de Becque and Alec Baldwin as Luther Billis; with Alex de Castro, Alexio Barboza, Lillias White, and Jason Danieley. Songs include "Some Enchanted Evening," "There Is Nothin' Like a Dame," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," "Happy Talk," and more. 172 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1.

The epic sweep of Ragtime is captured in its opening prologue, a nine-minute kaleidoscope of fictional characters mingling with historical figures from the early 20th century as originally captured in E.L. Doctorow's sprawling novel. As the story continues, we meet pianist Coalhouse Walker Jr. (Brian Stokes Mitchell) and his child's mother, Sarah (Audra McDonald), who has been taken in by a respectable family (including Marin Mazzie as Mother). Parallel story lines of the Latvian immigrant Tateh (Peter Friedman), the entertainer Evelyn Nesbit (Lynnette Perry), and even Harry Houdini (Jim Corti) and Emma Goldman (Judy Kaye) eventually mingle and merge. Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Once on This Island) mix marches, cakewalks, and of course ragtime to create a rich, compelling score, including Sarah's song to her baby, "Your Daddy's Son," her soaring duet with Coalhouse, "Wheels of a Dream," Mother's self-revealing "Back to Before," and numerous set pieces, all performed by a perfect cast. Ragtime was nominated for 12 Tony Awards in 1998, with wins for McDonald, original score, book, and orchestration. The CD also includes an eight-minute symphonic suite conducted by Paul Gemignani and a booklet with photos, full lyrics, and a history of how the score was written. Tragic, touching, and ultimately triumphant, Ragtime is an American classic. --David Horiuchi

Double disc set in a slimline double jewelbox. Slipcover.

Brian Stokes Mitchell belongs to a rarefied species: a male lead who can steal scenes from his female counterparts in a Broadway musical. As if his impossibly rich and evocative voice weren't enough, Mitchell is a charismatic actor who inhabits his roles with panache. After turns in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Ragtime, and Kiss Me, Kate, he is back in the popular 1965 show about Cervantes and his fictional alter ego, Don Quixote. The show has become a bit creaky over the years. The revival probably wouldn't have a chance without Mitchell, and he does turn in a spectacular performance. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio's Aldonza feels a bit forced--compare the smooth way in which Mitchell's songs flow with her sometimes choppy delivery--but she also possesses a welcome old-timey quality, never more so than in "What Does He Want from Me?" As for "The Impossible Dream (The Quest)," well, Mitchell injects something that feels emotionally fresh into the chestnut. And that may be the greatest achievement of all. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

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Scooby scholars of the old-school set will find much in the Reluctant Werewolf to give them pause. For one thing, Scrappy and Googy, Shaggy's girlfriend, are subbed for missing members of the Mystery Machine gang, and for another, instead of making like bananas and splitting from the monster at the center of a mystery, this crew slides, peel-style, into a strange circus of benign spooks, no meddling involved. The reluctant werewolf is Shaggy; he's forced to finish first in a monster road race if he wants to rid himself of his fangs and facial fur (a dirty trick played on him by Dracula). A truckload of shenanigans, mostly screwball car tricks, ensue. Wacky wordplay works up a handful of howls here, but not enough to make this full-length feature worth tuning into twice or, ultimately, rescuing from the Scooby-Don't pile. --Tammy La Gorce

Gear up for Scooby-Doo's most monstrous adventure ever! After Count Dracula transforms Shaggy into a fuzz-faced werewolf, there's only one way he'll change him back. Scooby-Doo and Shaggy must win a creepy cross-country race against the frightfully funny cars driven by a hot-rodding horde of sinister celebrity monsters!

A soapy backstage melodrama originally produced for network broadcast, Double Platinum downplays show biz verisimilitude to turn on the tears. With '60s soul queen Diana Ross and '90s pop princess Brandy sharing production credit as well as billing, this formulaic tearjerker focuses on its stars' dramatic chops more than their musical prowess, a choice that won't deter their respective audiences, even as it disappoints less partisan music fans who might have hoped for a stronger musical component. Olivia King (Ross) is the former St. Louis housewife who abandoned her family for pop stardom, only to return 18 years later determined to meet, and reconcile with, her daughter, Kayla (Brandy), now nurturing her own footlight fantasies. But when the prodigal mom finally does reveal herself to the bright, feisty teen, Kayla is outraged and then hard-boiled. Olivia's offer to help the undeniably talented girl make industry contacts is accepted, with the bitter caveat that the superstar should abandon any hopes of a true maternal bond with her embittered daughter. The usually imperious Olivia meekly accepts those terms, while the secretly yearning Kayla keeps up her tough-cookie cover, but the plot telegraphs its ultimate destination, even as the tears flow. Both stars acquit themselves well in the story's stormier clashes, and the emotional tug of the story is well engineered to soak hankies. Less credulous viewers will be hampered by the original songs--when Ross steps on-stage, her regal demeanor and flashy (if occasionally silly) gowns support her supposed status as a legend, but the utterly forgettable, generic songs she mouths deflate that image. That said, viewers less interested in the actual music than the glitzy idea of the two characters may well be content to wallow in the waterworks of a story that could as easily have been titled Divas: The Next Generation. --Sam Sutherland

A soapy backstage melodrama originally produced for network broadcast, Double Platinum downplays show biz verisimilitude to turn on the tears. With '60s soul queen Diana Ross and '90s pop princess Brandy sharing production credit as well as billing, this formulaic tearjerker focuses on its stars' dramatic chops more than their musical prowess, a choice that won't deter their respective audiences, even as it disappoints less partisan music fans who might have hoped for a stronger musical component. Olivia King (Ross) is the former St. Louis housewife who abandoned her family for pop stardom, only to return 18 years later determined to meet, and reconcile with, her daughter, Kayla (Brandy), now nurturing her own footlight fantasies. But when the prodigal mom finally does reveal herself to the bright, feisty teen, Kayla is outraged and then hard-boiled. Olivia's offer to help the undeniably talented girl make industry contacts is accepted, with the bitter caveat that the superstar should abandon any hopes of a true maternal bond with her embittered daughter. The usually imperious Olivia meekly accepts those terms, while the secretly yearning Kayla keeps up her tough-cookie cover, but the plot telegraphs its ultimate destination, even as the tears flow. Both stars acquit themselves well in the story's stormier clashes, and the emotional tug of the story is well engineered to soak hankies. Less credulous viewers will be hampered by the original songs--when Ross steps on-stage, her regal demeanor and flashy (if occasionally silly) gowns support her supposed status as a legend, but the utterly forgettable, generic songs she mouths deflate that image. That said, viewers less interested in the actual music than the glitzy idea of the two characters may well be content to wallow in the waterworks of a story that could as easily have been titled Divas: The Next Generation. --Sam Sutherland

In this musical drama, Diana Ross plays a singer who sacrificed her family life and relationship with daughter Brandy for a career in show business. After years apart, mother and daughter reunite, and now, with Brandy seeking her own music career, the two struggle to re-establish their bond. With Harvey Fierstein; features a hit soundtrack. 91 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: English; filmographies; music videos; scene access.

Cantankerous home shopping network producer Lucy (Whoopi Goldberg) inadvertently hires the real Santa Claus (Nigel Hawthorne) for her channel's "Kristmas Korner" sales campaign in this made-for-TV movie. But Santa's presence there is anything but accidental, as his 200-year contract is about to expire and he must convince Lucy to take over the reigns both figuratively and literally. What's at stake? Not just Christmas, but the fate of the planet in this holiday offering, executive-produced by Goldberg and Garth Brooks. Goldberg does her dreadlocked Santa thing, and Brooks sings such classics as "Sleigh Ride," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and Louis Armstrong's signature "Zat You, Santa Claus?" While its message of diversity is generally handled in a low-key fashion, the 90-minute film directly deals with the issue of a black (and female) Kris Kringle with an excerpt from B.J. Wrights's poem "Can Santa Be Black?" This congenial film is appropriate for ages 7 and up. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Whoopi Goldberg is a cranky TV shopping network producer who hires an actor named Nick to play Santa on her channel. But the Whoopster is in for a shock: Nick really is THE Santa Claus, and, after 200 years of service, he's about to retire...and guess whom he's picked to serve as his replacement? Nigel Hawthorne, Victor Garber and Bruce Vilanch also star in this family treat. 90 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo Surround; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai; trailers; filmographies.

Tony Award winner and Broadway icon, Brian Stokes Mitchell, brings star power to this Broadway treasury. With entries such as "audition," "box office," "marquee," and "understudy," kids will discover Broadway from A to Z. Elliot Kreloff's energetic and dynamic illustrations come from someone who clearly knows theater from first-hand experiences.With an introduction by Mitchell, quotes from famous Broadway performers, and theater facts and trivia, fans of all ages will delight in this compendium.Bonus material includes an on-line, behind-the-scenes video hosted by Mitchell. Visit his website at www.brianstokes.com