The property Known As Garland

[JOJO249]

Posted: 3/20/06 at 11:21pm

I just went to see THE Property Known As Garland. And all I can say is that 20 minutes of this show was enough for me. First off Adrienne Barbeau is totally miscast in the part of Judy.I am no Judy expert but from the moment she enters and opens her mouth you wonder who she is trying to play. I sat through 20 minutes in that time I saw enough to say i could not sit through the rest of it.

I have seen many people play Judy Garland from Drag Queens to women, I have never seen anything like this. The direction as well as the writing is all C--p. I know Judy Garland had many problems in life as we all saw in the miniseries about her with Judy Davis however Davis played Judy the way Judy deserved to be played. Showing all sides of her.

For those of you who really are Judy Garland Fans I think you would be very upset to see such a wonderful entertainer portrayed this way.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 8:23am

I think those of us who are Judy Garland fans sniffed this out as a stinker from the get-go.

Sorry you had to sit through it. Go listen to Carnegie Hall.

[cricket]

Posted: 3/21/06 at 11:55pm

I was there last night, when Jojo walked out. It was about 10 minutes into the show. I have to say, I've left shows before but I've always tried to be discrete. The way Jojo and party left wasn't. But anyway, I think they had a rocky start, but it got better and better. It's clear that Ms. Barbeau isn't trying to impersonate Garland, so I didn't judge her on that. I did think the play - or 'piece' because it seems more like one long monologue than a play - showed how wickedly funny and dirty Judy could be, which surprised me - I thought it would be another "drunk Judy" play. I wish they'd had less vignettes with more details, if you see what I mean. Barbeau is very good; I think the writing might be a bit better than she is.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 3:39pm

Closing graf of Charles Isherwood's Times review seems to sum it up:

"Mr. Van Zandt's play was inspired by a ghoulish recording of Garland's ramblings backstage on the evening being depicted here. It is not particularly honorable to capitalize on Garland's lowest moments in this way, but perhaps the greater betrayal here is that Mr. Van Zandt has transformed his volatile subject into something I suspect she never was: a dreadful bore."

[cricket]

Posted: 3/24/06 at 4:32pm

I have to say, I wasn't wild about the writing - but I thought Barbeau did some really interesting work. I know Isherwood is Isherwood, but thought he was unneccessarily cruel. I'm glad I saw the show.