Judy Garland Musical "END OF THE RAINBOW" Headed To Broadway March 2012 — Page 9

Algy, I always have to remind myself that "I Could Have Danced All Night" is not, in fact, about the ball; it's about her breakthrough with Higgins and follows "The Rain in Spain" scene.

But I agree with your point about songs that advance the plot versus those that "fit" the plot.

Sorry Reginald *blush* - it's a long time since I've seen My Fair Lady, if that can excuse my mistake. In fact I'm not sure I've ever seen it live, though I've got the Andrews/Harrison CD. My Grandad however, did see the orignal in the West End along with pretty much all the other Golden Ages musicals.

Amen!

Wow, OK, so that wasn't meant in a patronising way. How on earth you got that tone from words on a screen is beyond me.

I've seen her performances in movies and one of my particular favourite thing of hers to watch is the DVD release of her CBS show: "Judy, Frank and Dean: Once in a Lifetime" :)

She actually made 5 movies in the 1960's. And you also quoted a fraction of what I originally said, ignoring the fact that I was talking of how much I love her 1960's CBS show.

But the point is that fundamentally, her performance style never underwent a huge change. Most performers perform in a certain way. Michael Jackson's final videos were not of him in his prime in the 80's. They weren't Thriller or Beat It. But they were still Michael Jackson. That much is obvious. When Garland performed, it was obvious that it was Garland (as it should be with any decent performer); and when Bennett performs as Garland, there is no doubt how much she becomes her character and how closely their styles match. Vocally, as I've said, and physically.

P.S I am not suggesting that Judy at Talk of the Town was Judy past her prime, in case that lead to confusion.

Updated On: 9/29/11 at 06:44 PM

"her performance style never underwent a huge change."

I strongly disagree with this. I'd say there are at least three wildly distinct Garland performance styles over the years. The voice itself underwent a profound change in the late 50s.

Perhaps I could have worded it differently. What I'm trying to say is that despite the changes that did happen to her, she was still Judy at her core. And that was obvious more than anything.

Bennett has Judy at her core.

I've just thought of a way to explain it to those that haven't seen the play. Bennett's portrayal of Garland is as brilliant as Judy Davies' but in addition, Bennett sings the numbers live in each performance whereas Davies in the film, lip synced to Garlands records

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Updated On: 9/30/11 at 07:09 PM

TIGGOSAURUS - I thought Bennett was really really good, don't get me wrong, I'm just not sure the rest of the material lives up to the performance that she's giving.

I don't know how she gives that performance 8 shows a week and as far as my rather limited knowledge goes, she was doing a very good job of capturing latter-day Judy. But there were some bits, like the already mentioned Cocker Spaniel moment, where I wasn't sure about the material she was working with. The audience laughed, and I guess it was funny, and maybe play needed the comic relief but I wasn't sure that was the way to do it.

I don't know why, but...

Each time I read that the dramatic highlight of this play is a scene in which an overemoting actress imitates Garland imitating a cocker spaniel, I have the distinct urge to find the theater where this is playing and urinate on the set.

I dunno why. I just do...

I watched the clips again, and Tracie Bennett is NOT Garland. What Tracie Bennett IS...is Amy Winehouse. Or perhaps Joe Cocker.

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It may not be the dramatic highlight but watching Judy Garland portrayed as crawling around a hotel room floor pretending to be a dog urinating on the furniture made me realise I wasn't watching a play about Judy Garland: I was watching an episode of Shameless projected on to the life of Judy Garland.

And that's why I think the play is tabloid sensationalism.

As such I refuse to jump on the bandwagon of blind praise that this has generated. Everyone seems to think they know what Judy Garland was like at this stage of her career and personal life when there is relatively little evidence:

Remembering the publicity from the time of the Talk of the Town performances does not qualify anyone to judge that Tracie's is the definitive Garland performance.

Listening to a CD played in a theatre bar does not qualify anyone to judge that Tracie's is the definitive Garland performance.

Even watching a few short vids of Judy in the 1960s on YouTube does not qualify anyone to judge that Tracie's is the definitive Garland performance.

For the record I think that Tracie emulates Judy's style but I certainly knew I wasn't hearing Judy Garland sing.

I really wish Tracie was making her Broadway debut in something other than this.

Updated On: 9/30/11 at 04:06 AM

So sorry Scripps but at my age one has to be grateful that one remembers one has a computer, never mind who's posted what/when.
I don't think any poster has said 'definitive', it's that Bennett does an amazing portrayal of Judy; and she has said in interview that she is astonished at the accolades received but delighted, obviously, and adds that she is just doing her job to the best of her ability.
Regarding the dog scene, there is poetic license; but then again you are assuming Judy wouldn't behave like that, when it is well known her wit was so sharp and she had a great sense of fun. I feel sure the writer of the play did a vast amount of research and who's to say whether or not he knows people that were around Judy at that time, and from her time at the London Palladium too etc.
But let us at least agree to disagree.
And to Paljoey who said...
#I will go see this wretched thing if it actually opens here in March. If her performance rises to the level of Judy Davis's and overcomes the lazy and stupid "drunk Judy" in the script, I will eat my hat. And if it doesn't, I will say so.#

You seem to think Davis sang in the film; she didn't, she was lip syncing to Judy's records. Even I can lip sync. Maybe you can say you were wrong about that. BTW, I am no troll.

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Updated On: 9/30/11 at 05:31 AM

Hermajesty, since you've brought it up several times, let me assure you NO ONE thinks Judy Davis did her own singing.

That's not the reason she won the American Film Institute Award, the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, the Primetime Emmy Award, the Golden Globe, the Satellite Award, and the
Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance.

It was because it was a great performance; not because she fooled anyone.