Judy Garland (aka Tracie Bennett) just played Rose.

Well, the final dressing room scene to end of show (all lines) as she shared the role with 6 others in a London concert. She did not disappoint. Her dressing room scene is dark - she is tired and depressed. She is well, well beyond “the hills of tomorrow”. It’s just sad. Then suddenly she has a manic energy for the first verse of Rose’s Turn and it is clear that not only does she have it, she truly wants and needs it for happiness. The breakdown is intensely depressing, including hand slapping on her head and babbling.  Unlike Staunton, Tracie in my opinion is not playing the role as a psychotic abusive angry woman but as a very dark, hopeless, fractured woman who is probably not sober. I wish we could see the full thing and I wish it was the performance we had on record. 

 

Keala Settle was the other highlight who did the train station scene and Coming Up Roses. She was nuanced in her lines, fierce and sung it better than almost any other version I’ve heard. I actually would be much more interested that we see this kind of performance on Broadway than Sutton Foster.

 

The show has been done to death but I’m so happy people are still able to mine it for new interpretations. 
 
 

Updated On: 2/22/22 at 06:42 PM

Tracie Bennett captured zero of Garland in END OF THE RAINBOW.  Zero.  The only person ever to capture Garland exactly, both vocally and in her mannerisms, was Isabel Keating in THE BOY FROM OZ.  Lots of footage on YouTube.  

BrodyFosse123 said: "Tracie Bennett captured zero of Garland in END OF THE RAINBOW. Zero. The only person ever to capture Garland exactly, both vocally and in her mannerisms, was Isabel Keating in THE BOY FROM OZ. Lots of footage on YouTube. "

Guess you’ve never heard of Jim Bailey! No one else even comes close.

I’m still hoping for a one night concert with Christine Pedi as a different impersonation each scene. Start out as Ethel, go through all the Roses,  put Christina Bianco as Louise, like, COME ON. . 

I think I missed something. What is this with Tracie and Keala? 

binau said: "https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/watch-the-gypsy-cast-in-their-sitzprobe_55957.html"

Holy crap how am I only hearing about this now! This sounds incredible, thanks for the link.

Balthazar Chasen said: "BrodyFosse123 said: "Tracie Bennett captured zero of Garland in END OF THE RAINBOW. Zero. The only person ever to capture Garland exactly, both vocally and in her mannerisms, was Isabel Keating in THE BOY FROM OZ. Lots of footage on YouTube."

I'm thinking Donna Kane was a most acceptable Judy in 1989's Meet Me In St. Louis revival. It's on YouTube also.

We’re talking about people singing/acting like Judy Garland - the person.  Donna Kane was playing the character Esther Smith in MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, not Judy Garland.  Also, Kane’s voice is uniquely her own and sounds NOTHING like Garland’s which is rightly so as she wasn’t playing Judy Garland.  








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