TV on DVD

Crosby, Chenoweth buffs should be charmed by discs

Bing Crosby: Rediscovered
Bing Crosby: Rediscovered

Two PBS specials. Two well-known, well-loved interpreters of songs. Two DVD sets full of songs that could hit high notes for music lovers.

Starting at the beginning ­-- well, not the very beginning but with someone who has been called "the first multimedia star of the 20th century": Bing Crosby.

Bing Crosby: Rediscovered (90 minutes, PBS, $24.99) aired as part of the American Masters series and is a thorough, entertaining and enlightening documentary about the legendary performer.

It's a typical biographical documentary in many ways, telling the story of his personal and professional life through archival footage, letters and interviews with him, his family and admirers.

Crosby, the ultimate crooner, was a hugely versatile entertainer: recording sensation, movie star, radio star, TV star, a pioneer in audio technology. Over his 50-year career, he memorably collaborated with Bob Hope, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney and even David Bowie. His "White Christmas" is the best-selling single of all time.

While it's sympathetic to Crosby, it's not a puff piece. His oldest son's allegations of abuse aren't swept under the rug and neither are the troubles surrounding his first wife and children or his early irresponsible behavior.

But the film also highlights his generosity to other performers and the much better relationships he had with his second family. Crosby was a complicated man and while the running time is too short to explore him in depth, it does create a relatively strong, multi-faceted portrait.

As for extras, there's a short interview with filmmaker Robert Trachtenberg and a collection of additional interviews and performances.

Then there's a much more contemporary performer.

Kristin Chenoweth Coming Home (one hour, Concord Records, $12.99) isn't a documentary or a full life story, but it does provide some insight into the pint-size Broadway/TV/recording star's Oklahoma background.

Performing in a theater named for her, Chenoweth gives a hometown concert that's as varied as one could ask for. She sings gospel, traditional Broadway, even disco. Sometimes she's solo, sometimes she has back-up singers and dancers -- including the Broken Arrow High School choir. She brings the house down more than once, with "Upon This Rock," "Bring Him Home" and "No More Tears" as particular standouts.

Yes, she does sing songs from Wicked -- with a twist.

Chenoweth is a born performer and she knows how to work a crowd. As she always does, she throws in plenty of jokes (particularly when poking fun at her diminutive height).

It's a fun show, but a little more grounded than some of Chenoweth's previous performances. Playing to a hometown crowd, she's a little less antic, a little more emotional. Her parents and her college voice teacher/mentor are in the audience and she's brought to tears more than once by the audience's warm reception.

The concert as aired is about an hour long, but the DVD comes with another half hour of bonus features, including several more musical numbers.

There's also a seven-minute behind-the-scenes bit with rehearsal footage, interviews and shots of Chenoweth walking around downtown Broken Arrow.

New this week: The Donna Reed Show, Season 2; Midsomer Murders, Set 25; Sons of Anarchy, Season 7 and Complete Series.

Next week: CHiPs, Season 3; Hill Street Blues, Season 4; Longmire, Season 3; A Place to Call Home, Season 1.

Style on 02/22/2015

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