Judy – The Songbook of Judy Garland continues at the New Wimbledon Theatre and on tour. Picture: Roy Tan
Judy – The Songbook of Judy Garland continues at the New Wimbledon Theatre until 20 June, and then tours until 1 August.
Star rating: 5 stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
It was an emotional night at Wimbledon Theatre, there were moments of joy and tears to be cherished. Just like that marvellous Sinatra show Stephen Mear choreographed at the Palladium almost a decade ago, Judy – The Songbook of Judy Garland is a song and dance spectacular that manages, through the enormously talented cast involved (including Lorna Luft, Garland’s daughter), to convey the spirit and magic of the legendary performer without trying to tell her story at all.
Though Act I is clearly about the MGM period, and Act II revolves more around the movie A Star is Born and Garland’s concert career, chronology is not the backbone of this highly polished yet emotionally charged evening. The link between all these impeccably danced and sung numbers seems to be the love, generously shared by the audience, for the legendary artist that was Judy Garland.
Louise Dearman once again proves herself an incredible vocalist, particularly with a rendition of ‘Stormy Weather’ and during the re-creation of a Garland/Streisand duet.
Rachel Stanley offers a show-stopping performance throughout, conveying something of the Garland waif-like persona in ‘A Couple of Swells’ and ‘The Trolley Song’.
Georgina Hagen, X Factor star Ray Quinn, Darren Bennett and Alexander Evans all have their moments to shine (including a great ‘Puttin’ On the Ritz’), while Becky O Brien – fresh from her success in Britain’s Got Talent – delivers a brilliant ‘Just in Time’.
The icing on the cake, however, is of course Luft, bearer of Garland’s legacy, always at the top of her game vocally, and bringing a tear to the eye as she starts to belt ‘The Man That Got Away’. And she still finds time to tell some funny anecdotes.
What separates this show from other Garland tributes Luft has taken part in is the presence of a six-piece virtuoso male dancing chorus billed as ‘The Boyfriends’, executing incredible choreography, reminiscent of the best dancing moments of 1960s TV specials. These are devised by Richard Roe and Douglas Mills in the tap department, under the expert helm of creative director, West End veteran Arlene Phillips, and director Christopher Manoe.
All in all, a truly classy and highly entertaining tribute to arguably the greatest entertainer of all time, but most importantly one you don’t have to be a hard core Garland fan to fully appreciate. What better way to pass on the knowledge of that timeless entertainer to the next generation?
Patrick Honoré
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