The Taming of the Shrew, Kirk Browning (Director) San Francisco's prize-winning American Conservatory Theater's rowdy commedia dell'arte production incorporates slapstick, pratfall and earthy humor into William Shakespeare's comedy about the two unmarried daughters of a wealthy Italian merchant.

Death of a Salesman (1966), Alex Segal (Director) Lee J. Cobb and George Segal star in this moving 1966 television adaptation of one of America's greatest plays. Cobb and Mildred Dunnock reprise their original Broadway roles as Willy and Linda Loman, giving exceptional performances--their portrayal of the Lomans' symbiotic marriage is remarkable. Viewers more familiar with Segal's comic work will be pleasantly surprised by his excellent Biff, and a young Gene Wilder turns up in a comic and sensitive turn as Bernard.

Cats - The Musical (Commemorative Edition) (1998), David Mallet (Director) This pop-cultural phenomenon has been performed on stage for more than 50 million patrons in 26 countries for almost 18 years, churning more than $2 billion in ticket sales. Now that Cats has finally made it to the small screen, attention must be paid not just by fans of this critic-proof show, but also by those entertainment mavens who have somehow avoided Cats until now. The video version has been restaged but, alas, not really reconceived for its new medium.

Les Miserables - The Dream Cast in Concert (1998), John Caird (Director), Trevor Nunn (Director) The 10th anniversary concert video of the international musical sensation Les Misérables might be the best thing to appease fans until a full-fledged movie comes along. Or it might be even better, as feature films are often subject to extramusical casting considerations and this 1995 dream cast is superb.