Judy Garland Musical "END OF THE RAINBOW" Headed To Broadway March 2012

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 6:23pm

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/153593-Broadway-Will-See-Judy-Garland-Musical-Drama-End-of-the-Rainbow-in-March-2012

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 6:24pm

Is this any good?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 6:25pm

I gots no clue. I hope the Cream of Wheat song is in it, though.

[NeoNormal]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 6:32pm

If Friend saw it in London and it blew him away!!

I liked it from the clips I saw...

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 6:52pm

Clips

[beagle]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 7:21pm

I saw this in London in March and it was amazing. Tracie Bennett's performance is nothing short of a tour-de-force. It was like she became Judy Garland. The rest of the performers were excellent as well, but it's really Bennett's show. I'm glad she's going to Broadway with it. I was very impressed.

[tazber]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 7:56pm

It's not really a musical. It says it only uses "a few" songs.

I wonder what categories the show and Bennett will compete in.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 8:17pm

While I wonder what the show curtian will look like...

[suttonfoster]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 8:19pm

Tammy Blanchard as Judy?

[CurtainCall]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 8:22pm

As someone who does not pretend to know much about Judy Garland, I've surprised myself by seeing this both with Caroline o'Connor, at the Edinburgh Fringe, and Tracie Bennett in the West End (x2) and really enjoyed it, especially with Bennett, who is a powerhouse. Having seen it in two intimate venues, I'd be concerned about it transferring to a large-scale theatre.

I'm surprised it's being described as a musical - I'd have called it a play with music.

[beagle]

Posted: 8/11/11 at 11:35pm

It was in the Play category at the Olivier Awards. I would definitely call it a play with songs. It takes place when Judy Garland was doing a series of concerts at a nightclub in London, so it mostly takes place in her hotel suite, but shifts to some concert scenes in which she is performing at the club. There are quite a few songs--familiar standards that Garland is known for--mostly done in the context of the concert. Updated On: 8/11/11 at 11:35 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/12/11 at 12:06am

Ugh. Do we really need MORE Drunk Spastic Judy crap.

Do we really need to import this kind of overboiled melodramatic clap-trap from the UK, where their tabloid mentality likes this sort of misery-'n'-madness thing. It allows the middle-class audience to sit there smugly, saying, "Poor dear She was ever so pathetic. It's a wonder she didn't die SOONER."

Here in America, we have tacky drag queens who play Judy with more insight and wit. This one just bugs her eyes out at the end of Over the Rainbow, as if she were channeling Joan Crawfod's performance in TROG.

Updated On: 9/4/11 at 12:06 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 8/12/11 at 12:11am

Yeah, American tabloid mentality is so much more humane.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/12/11 at 12:11am

Yeah, American tabloid mentality is so much more humane.

[algy]

Posted: 8/12/11 at 12:13am

I'm seeing this at my local theatre (where it started it's UK life) in a couple of weeks and really looking forward to it.

Considering the UK (imho) doesn't have the same feeling for Garland that the states has, I can't help feeling it must be more than "misery and madness" and actually be something more.

[scott68]

Posted: 8/12/11 at 2:08am

The Equity call describes it as a play with music, not a musical, though I guess we'll see what it ends up being billed at when it makes its way here. Very, very excited for this one.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 8/12/11 at 5:56am

As an American who saw this in London last year, I can say that it's a fantastic piece of theatre. I am so glad it's coming to the states. It's a fine play (not bad, not great) that really exists to showcase a performer who can capture with accuracy both the unique voice and the late-career madness that was Judy Garland. I guarantee Tracie Bennett will be transferring with the show as it was essentially created around her. Tammy Blanchard won't be allowed anywhere near this play.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/12/11 at 8:25am

"...capture with accuracy the late-career madness..."

As I said before: Ugh.

Sounds like more "Drunk Spastic Judy" crap.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/12/11 at 10:05am

It looks interesting on the surface, but I have to ask those who have seen it ... what's the point?

Is there one?

Or is it just to show an icon flailing around in pain with her substance abuse? Is there anything to glean from sitting through this other than feeling the impact of the situations? Or is it all just sensational melodrama?

(Yeah, I realize you may have to include a few spoilers to answer that question.)

[bjh2114]

Posted: 8/12/11 at 10:54am

Wow PJ, I would expect you more than just about anyone on this site to not judge a book by its cover. Why are you so intent on denouncing this show before even seeing it or really even knowing anything about it?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 8/12/11 at 12:17pm

Friends saw this in London during fashion week and they LOVED it. Its also a big hit in London -- extending its run a few times.

Its basically a play and Tracie Bennett performs the songs as 'Judy in performance in concert', so its really not a book musical in the traditional sense.

[mallardo]

Posted: 8/12/11 at 1:01pm

The night I saw it in London the audience went crazy for it - the biggest and most spontaneous response I have ever seen from a London audience. And certainly Tracie Bennett was spectacularly good. As for the play itself... not so much.

It has two other characters, Judy's husband, a cipher played, in this case, by a cipher of an actor and a worshipful piano player who rehearses Judy in her hotel room and then joins the band in the club moments. He's a fictional character and serves as a kind of everyman Judy fan and for me he was a caricature of sentimentality.

That said, the sudden transitions from the hotel room to the night club were thrillingly done and, as noted, Ms Bennett was awesome. It will be interesting to see how it's received on Broadway.

Updated On: 8/12/11 at 01:01 PM

[Calvin]

Posted: 8/12/11 at 1:18pm

Do we really need to import this kind of overboiled melodramatic clap-trap from the UK, where their tabloid mentality likes this sort of misery-'n'-madness thing. It allows the middle-class audience to sit there smugly, saying, "Poor dear She was ever so pathetic. It's a wonder she didn't die SOONER."

Now you have me pining for a Joyce McKinney musical!

[landryjames2]

Posted: 8/12/11 at 1:21pm

I am willing to give it a shot as a lifetime Judy fan (recently over the moon about the recent few weeks at the Paley Center and Lincoln Center). However, I do not like this fictional character thing (unless he represents a few real people wrapped into one). Judy had more than enough interesting real people in her life that they don't need to invent a fictional one. Uggghhh....but I do agree with Pal Joey's sentiment to a large degree. No desire to see a Drunk Spastic Judy show if that's what it is. Her life and legacy are not that to me at all (nor should it be to anyone).

[beagle]

Posted: 8/12/11 at 1:29pm

As a play, I would say it's good but not great on paper, but as a performance it's wonderful, especially by Bennett. The other actors do a good job, but their main job is to support Bennett, who gives a very well-rounded performance that goes well beyond "drunk spastic Judy". I'd say the "point" is to give us a glimpse into Garland's life and show us what was as well as hints at what could have been. I don't claim to be a huge Judy Garland fan although I do admire her talent, but I enjoyed this show a lot more than I expected to, again largely because of Bennett's incredible performance. I found myself wondering where she got the energy to keep turning out that performance night after night, because she really seemed to put everything into it.
Updated On: 8/12/11 at 01:29 PM