There was an episode ending with a theatrical finale. The episode include
CJ" body guard being killed and her shopping with her neice. I beleive
this was in NY. "The Pres" attended the prefomance. I want to know
what is the name of the preformance and where can I locate it . Thank
ytou.

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Request for Question Clarification by markj-ga on 13 Jun 2004 11:07 PDT

issumatuq --

When you say you want to "locate" the performance, do you mean that
you want a link to the text of the play, a source to buy a video of a
production of the play, or what?

markj-ga

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Clarification of Question by issumatuq-ga on 13 Jun 2004 12:47 PDT

Mark ,I would like to purchase the DVD or CDbut even the name would be
helpful. Thank you for looking into this. Issuma

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Request for Question Clarification by endo-ga on 14 Jun 2004 10:49 PDT

Hi,

I can tell you the name of the episode and the Broadway performance if
that's acceptable?
I can also direct you to a book from which the play is derived.

I cannot find a recording of the actual performance though and the
West Wing episode is not available for sale yet.
Please let me know if that information would be acceptable.

Thanks.
endo

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Clarification of Question by issumatuq-ga on 16 Jun 2004 12:40 PDT

Hallo Endo
I know the play is Henry VI. I have the play. Thank you for your response.
Issuma

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Clarification of Question by issumatuq-ga on 16 Jun 2004 12:44 PDT

Dear rebecca
Thank you for this info. Perhaps let your friend know that the play
was the best part of an y episode I have watched. I do watch
reqularly. It would be grand if thye cast got together just to do a
recording of the music.
Thank you
Issuma

issumatuq --

Based on your question and your clarification, I suspect that you are
looking for a DVD of the specific stage performance that was
integrated so convincingly into the West Wing episode in question,
which was the final episode of the 2002 season and was originally
broadcast on May 22, 2002.  The play that was "presented" was a
trilogy of the three Shakespeare plays called "Henry VI, Part I,"
"Henry VI, Part II" and "Henry VI, Part III."

Unfortunately, the version of the play in the West Wing episode was
not an actual production even though it was realistically portrayed as
such. Here is an interesting summary of how it was done:

"NBC's political drama "The West Wing" alluded to the upcoming
Broadway production in the episode "The Black Vera Wang," which aired
May 8. The production -- which supposedly combines Shakespeare's Henry
plays -- will be featured in the season finale, to air May 22, as the
setting of the encounter of President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) and his
upcoming Republican presidential race rival Rob Ritchie (guest star
James Brolin). The final episode of the season "Posse Comitatus" sees
the incumbent President's current situation mirrored by the comparable
struggles of the Plantagenet.

The Booth Theatre was decked out with all things theatrical including
quotes from fictional reviews for the Aaron Sorkin creation. Among
them were New York Times quipping "Magnificent production," the New
York Post imploring "Witness The Wars," "Absolutely exquisite" from
Curtain Up and "Dramatic and stunning!" from Playbill's own faux
reporter Patrina Chin. Detail was taken down to the cast and creative
team as a poster listed the headliners Michael Stassi, Sean Riddle and
Ellen Totleben under the direction of Itamar Kubovy and producer Dan
Bishop."
Source: Playbill Online, ""West Wing" Comes to Broadway, by Ernio
Hernandez (May 14, 2002)
West Wing Episode Guide
http://www.westwingepguide.com/S3/Episodes/67_PC.html

Thus there was no production, so there is no DVD.

If I have misunderstood what you are looking for, let me know.  

markj-ga

issumatuq,

I have a good friend who was an actor in the mock-performance you're
referring to, so while it was not an actual production, I can give you
some info on how it was created for the show.

Most of the actors who were cast do have extensive stage credits,
specifically with Shakespeare. They rehearsed for about 6 days,
including several scenes from the Henry histories, extensive fight
choreography, and the musical number at the end. The song itself was
recorded at the Capitol records building in Hollywood (not sung live
by the actors as you see them on the show.) They also rehearsed and
shot a lot more of the play than made it through the editing
process... My friend was surprised to see that most of the fight work
they did never made it to the screen, since that's what took up the
bulk of their rehearsal time.

The group of actors who made up the cast of the show actually keep in
touch once in a while, and have worked together before and since that
episode.

I hope that info is of some help,
Rebeccam-ga