Amazon.com
Elaine Paige headlines the international cast of Masterpiece: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, a September 2001 concert in Beijing. Paige sings songs from her roles in Lloyd Webber's musicals Evita, and Sunset Boulevard, while Kris Phillips, Sandy Lam, Tony Vincent, and others provide solid but rarely thrilling renditions of tunes from such shows as Jesus Christ Superstar and Phantom of the Opera. Indeed, other than the legitimacy provided by Paige, there's not a whole lot to distinguish Masterpiece from the many other Lloyd Webber tributes and compilations. The primary distinction may be the fact that the concert is also available on DVD, which more than doubles the CD's 54-minute running time. The CD is really not much more than a promotion for the DVD, a point proven by the inclusion of a bonus DVD that samples two performances (Phillips's "The Music of the Night" and Lam's "I Don't Know How to Love Him"). Better, then, to simply get the DVD, or the DVD and CD combo for a cheaper price than when they're purchased separately. --David Horiuchi
Masterpiece: Live From the Great Hall of the People, Music, Simon Starr, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Dean Cooper, Lyndon Carger, Gary Norman, China Philharmonic Orchestra, David Young, Norm Harris, Belinda Allchin, Chloe Dallimore, Deone Zanotto, Elaine Paige, Helen Walsh, Kris Phillips, Laura Fitzpatrick, Leonie Page, Lisa Crosato, Sandy Lam, Tony Vincent, Trisha Crowe, Choral, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous Music, Music Theater, Musical Theater, Musicals, Pop, Requiem/Requiem Section, Show Tunes, Showtunes / B'way