BWW Interviews: Ashley Brown Talks Judy Garland, Kennedy Center and More

On March 11th the New York Pops (led by Steven Reineke) will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Judy Garland's iconic 1961 concert at Carnegie Hall. The concert was a comeback of sorts for Garland, who had taken a few years off to rest and recover from various problems. She came back with a bang. The Carnegie Hall show was loved by America, recorded for prosperity and the recording is popular to this day.

Steven Reineke is conducting the concert, which features three remarkable Broadway stars singing Judy's songs. Ashley Brown, Heather Headley and Karen Olivo will be joined by Judy's daughter Lorna Luft for one night only to pay homage to Judy Garland and her music. The show will feature many popular songs such as "Over The Rainbow", "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "The Trolley Song" and also a few that are perhaps not as well known.

BWW had the opportunity to talk to everyone involved in what promises to be a very magical evening, and will be featuring interviews with all the parties during the week leading up to the big event. Today we are talking to Ashley Brown (soon returning to Broadway in the lead role in Mary Poppins) about taking on Judy Garland's work, joining Twitter, and what comes next:

Congratulations on getting to be a part of this magical concert. What has the experience been like so far?

It has been a dream come true! I have only had one rehearsal, I got my music and met with Steve and the orchestra. It is really exciting. We will probably only rehearse maybe twice together before we do the show - so it's very "do your own homework and be prepared." That's how orchestra stuff works. It is a lot of work that you have to do on your own.

What is it like performing with a full orchestra as opposed to performing with a standard Broadway orchestra?

It is a totally different ballgame. I love singing with orchestras because you have the whole symphony onstage and you are sharing the stage with them. You really can't beat it. With Broadway shows the orchestras are so small, and they are down in the pit so you don't get to see them as much. It's a bit sad because they work so hard down there and they don't get to take the final bow. Orchestra shows are amazing because everything is organic and it's all about the art, The Players and the music.

Have you ever performed in Carnegie Hall before?

Yes! This is actually going to be my third time but it's a big one for me. The first few times I only had one or two solos and now I have nine solos and four trios. Plus to get to be on stage with Heather and Karen, I'm in very good company and extremely excited.

Judy Garland has so many amazing songs, would you be able to pick a favourite?

That's so hard! But at this concert I get to sing "Over The Rainbow" so I'm very excited to be assigned that song. I also love "Me and My Gal" and "The Trolley Song." What is really exciting for me is that we are using all of Judy's charts, so everything is in her key. We aren't trying to sound like her but it's very cool to have her original arrangements and orchestrations and to get to hear the music the way it was written fifty years ago.

Some people have been calling this concert a "re-creation" but Steven was explaining in his interview that it is really more of a "re-imagination" - do you agree with that?

Absolutely, we would never try and  mimic Judy, and you can't re-create a night like that. Instead we are paying homage to her.

Judy's daughter Lorna (Luft) is also going to be performing, have you met her yet?

Not yet but I'm so excited to be in her company and it's really great that she is on board with the show!

What's up next for you?

Well, I'm heading back to Mary Poppins shortly and will be joining back up with my original co-star Gavin Lee so I'm really pumped. It's great to be back in NYC and going back to the Mary Poppins family. It's a bit strange to be going back into rehearsals for a show that you did for so long, but I have been away for over a year so I need to practice!

I'm also performing In Barbara Cook's Spotlight at the Kennedy Center on March 25th, so super excited for that!

It's a great time to be coming back to NYC, with a lot of new shows opening up on Broadway for the season. Is there anything on your "must-see" list?

The Book of Mormon is at the top, I have a lot of friends in it and it sounds like its going to be really amazing. I think it will get a lot of people talking and that is wonderful. Whether it's positive or negative, it will be really great to have something brand new and fresh on Broadway. My friends have been saying that the show is a lot of fun so I hope people will go and check it out.

Finally, for a show like "The Great Judy Garland", what would you say to our young readers to encourage them to check it out?

It is music that every young person should know. It's about hope and love and seeing it at Carnegie Hall will be amazing. If you love music you have to starT Loving this kind of music. It's the real deal and they don't write them like this anymore. Plus it's great for young artists because it's a style that they should know and hopefully they will be able to relate to it.

When and Where?

The Great Judy Garland
Carnegie Hall

March 11th, 2011 at 8PM

Tickets range from $16.50 to $106 and can be purchased at the box office, by phone at 212-247-7800 or online here

Follow Ashley Brown on Twitter at @ashleybrown9