The best Bea Arthur’s music movies

Broadway: The Golden Age is the most important, ambitious and comprehensive film ever made about America's most celebrated indigenous art form. Award-winning filmmaker Rick McKay filmed over 100 of the greatest stars ever to work on Broadway or in Hollywood. He soon learned that great films can be restored, fine literature can be kept in print - but historic Broadway performances of the past are the most endangered. They leave only memories that, while more vivid, are more difficult to preserve. In their own words — and not a moment too soon — Broadway: The Golden Age tells the stories of our theatrical legends, how they came to New York, and how they created this legendary century in American theatre. This is the largest cast of legends ever in one film.

The most glittering, expensive, and exhausting videotaping session in television history took place Friday February 19, 1982 at New York's Radio City Music Hall. The event, for which ticket-buyers payed up to $1,000 a seat (tax-deductible as a contribution to the Actors' Fund) was billed as "The Night of 100 Stars" but, actually, around 230 stars took part. And most of the audience of 5,800 had no idea in advance that they were paying to see a TV taping, complete with long waits for set and costume changes, tape rewinding, and the like. Executive producer Alexander Cohen estimated that the 5,800 Radio City Music Hall seats sold out at prices ranging from $25 to $1,000. The show itself cost about $4 million to produce and was expected to yield around $2 million for the new addition to the Actors Fund retirement home in Englewood, N. J. ABC is reputed to have paid more than $5 million for the television rights.

The annual Tony Award broadcast provides the only filmed record of Broadway's best for audiences to experience as if they were front-row-center on opening night. This second compilation of great musical moments from the Tonys features another dazzling array of stars and performances. Hosts Lauren Bacall, Bebe Neuwirth, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Jerry Orbach introduce these one-of-a-kind performances and share their personal Broadway and Tony memories.

Broadway salute to Tony Award-winning actress Angela Lansbury in a star-packed gala November 17,1996 at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway. The event was to benefit the American Foundation for AIDS research (AmFAR) and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Long a supporter of AmFAR and a deeply committed friend to all people with HIV/AIDS, Lansbury was also presented with a humanitarian award at this star-packed celebration.

He hasn't had a new Broadway show since 1983's La Cage Aux Folles, but composer Jerry Herman has become ubiquitous on the concert, tribute and benefit scene, as evidenced by a video release of "Jerry Herman's Broadway - at the Hollywood Bowl." The star-studded event celebrating Herman's 30-plus-year career includes performances by Carol Channing, Leslie Uggams, Lorna Luft and Lee Roy Reams all together on "Hello, Dolly!"; George Hearn singing "Movies Were Movies" (Mack And Mabel); Davis Gaines crooning "Song On The Sand" and "I Am What I Am" (La Cage Aux Folles); Rita Moreno advising "Tap Your Troubles Away" (Mack And Mabel); and Beatrice Arthur pointing out "The Man In The Moon" (also from Mame). There is also special taped greetings from Angela Lansbury and Paul & Linda McCartney.