And Now Ladies and Gentlemen, Miss Judy Garland

 And Now Ladies and Gentlemen, Miss Judy Garland

A Musical Event Starring Kathy St. George

With TIM EVANS at the piano

Adapted and Directed by Tony McLean

Christopher Ostrom, Lighting & Scenic Design; Charles Schoonmaker, Costume Design; John Tracey, Sound Design; Bernie Ardia, Hair & Wig Design; Catherine Stornetta, Musical Supervisor/Arranger; Janet Howes, Production Stage Manager

Performances through July 1 at The Lyric Stage Theater

Box Office 617-585-5678 or www.lyricstage.com, www.andnowjudygarland.com

Judy Garland would have turned 85 years old on June 10^th, but she remains forever young in the hearts and minds of her adoring legion of fans. Kathy St. George, a local artist with her own cadre of loving admirers, brings her vividly to life at the Lyric Stage Theater in And Now Ladies and Gentlemen, Miss Judy Garland. It is both a first-rate concert and an affectionate tribute to the great star whose light burned out prematurely.

Producer/Director Tony McLean adapted Miss Garland's own tape recordings to craft Part One For Openers, featuring the actress in a London hotel suite at 2:00 a.m. on November 2, 1964.  Following a concert performance at the Palladium, she is taping her memoirs for an autobiography that will tell her side of all the tabloid stories. The diminutive Ms. St. George appears in white silk lounging pajamas, with a microphone in one hand and a wine glass in the other. She saunters about the room, talking in a stream-of-consciousness style to the big old reel-to-reel recorder. As she flits from one subject to another, the story of her life and career unfold.

Mirroring the ups and downs of Garland's life, and perhaps because she was a Gemini ("the personality most likely to split"), the monologue covers a range of emotions. St. George is especially effective in showing Judy's pride in her children, as well as the comfort that she so obviously received from Liza, Lorna, and Joey. Her flashes of anger at business associates who duped her and her conviction to be more assertive are at the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, but ring as true. However, the theme that underlies the whole segment is Judy's loneliness and McLean chooses to illustrate that in song as he has St. George pick out "By Myself" on the piano.

The segue to Part Two The Concert features a lively entr'acte with Tim Evans at the piano. He is an amazing artist who makes the instrument sound like it has far more than 88 keys. With a backdrop of row upon row of white lights, footlights around the perimeter of the stage, and Evans pounding out a medley of Judy's songs, the excitement in the theater builds. When she makes her entrance to the strains of "Over the Rainbow" it is as if she is the real thing and the crowd goes wild. I don't think I'd believe it if I hadn't witnessed it, but the audience reacts as if they're convinced that it is Judy, not Kathy onstage.

The concert is unquestionably the most entertaining element of the show. It features St. George singing a baker's dozen of Garland's hits with Evans' nimble accompaniment. She has Judy's stage persona down pat as she is absolutely kinetic, moving from one part of the stage to another, nervously pulling at her hair or tossing the microphone cord over her shoulder. Her banter with the audience is relaxed, funny, and reminiscent of the way Garland talked to her fans. She makes a couple of costume changes onstage, discreetly blocked from view behind an open steamer trunk, and she never misses a beat. 

The song selection is nicely balanced with a variety of tempos and moods represented. Among the Garland standards are "Almost Like Being in Love," "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart," "You Made Me Love You," and "Chicago." It is eerie to watch St. George don the familiar black fedora and take the memorable splayed stance which signals the Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler tune "Get Happy," but she gives it a good dose of playfulness. She successfully changes her demeanor (and catches her breath) for "The Man That Got Away" (Arlen/Ira Gershwin), looking very forlorn in what is arguably the best song of the show.

While there is some physical resemblance between Ms. St. George and Miss Garland, she is not doing an impersonation in And Now Ladies and Gentlemen. She is an actress playing the part of Judy Garland and playing it well, with lots of heart. During the concert, she is able to convey the needy little girl wanting to please, to love and be loved by the audience. She soaks up the applause like a sponge and beams with pride and appreciation. But she can also relax and be the clown as she does in "A Couple of Swells," including the blackened tooth and charcoal beard, and then bring it back down for the poignancy of her signature song "Over the Rainbow." There are enough recognizable postures and gestures to suggest the icon, but this is Kathy St. George showing her acting (and singing) chops.

Charles Schoonmaker dresses his star in attire that is evocative of Judy's style. In concert she wears a sequin top and long skirt before changing into a black sheath street length dress that subtly sparkles in the spotlight. The tramp outfit for "A Couple of Swells" is spot on. And speaking of spots, Christopher Ostrom's lighting is very effective in creating diverse moods and complementing the costumes. The sound during the musical portion is satisfactory, but in Part One some of the lines are difficult to hear. That may contribute to the feeling of tedium that sets in about ten minutes before the end of the segment. But taken as a whole this is a very entertaining piece of theater carried on the petite shoulders of Kathy St. George and the fond memories of Judy Garland.

 

 

 

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