From her first professional appearance on stage in 1964 to her 1968
West End debut in Hair and her Laurence Olivier Award-winning
performance as Eva Peron in Evita, Elaine Paige continues to earn the
acclaim of
critics and audiences alike. And, as its title would suggest, Elaine Paige: Celebrating 40 Years on Stage honors the fourth-decade anniversary of the woman often called “the First Lady of British musical theater.”

Filmed in Sydney, Australia, at the beautiful State Theatre, and overseen by director Christopher Luscombe — who brings a wealth of experience with dynamic show management to bear — this title sees Paige perform her litany of West End and Broadway hits, as well as
the new song “Small Packages,” written especially for her. The show-stopping musical performances — part of Paige’s first
filmed concert since 1991 — are nicely supplemented with a hefty segment of personal anecdotes and highlights from her storied career, in the form of a bonus interview. Songs herein include “Life Goes On,” “Tomorrow,” “Easy To Be Hard, “Broadway Baby,” “I Don’t Know How To Love Him,” “Small Packages,” “Hello Young Lovers,” “Shoot the Breeze,” “Yesterday,” “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina,” “As If We Never Said Goodbye,” “By The Sea,” “I Get a Kick Out Of You,” “I Dreamed A Dream,” “I Know Him So Well,” “Poor Old John,” “If You Love Me,” “Cry Me A River,” “Memory” and “With One Look,” among others.

The DVD is presented in anamorphic widescreen with a superb Dolby stereo audio track, and its special features include a bonus performance of the song “Grow Young” as well as, most notably, a half-hour-plus behind-the-scenes interview with Paige. Also available for purchase is companion piece CD of the concert. To order a copy of Elaine Paige: Celebrating 40 Years on Stage, phone (800) PLAY-PBS, or simply click here. To purchase this or other PBS DVDs with
public performance rights, meanwhile, click here. B+ (Concert) B+ (Disc)