Interview: Debbie Wileman of HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY JUDY GARLAND!

It started as a lark, a way to connect with people during the lockdown, a chance to make people who were alone and lonely, scared and worried, smile. Debbie Wileman had created A SONG A DAY. On day three, one-time singing actress Debbie posted to her Facebook page a video of herself talking and singing as Judy Garland. That was it.

The A Song A Day series garnered fans worldwide, and Debbie Wileman was an internet sensation, connecting with people everywhere who loved her creativity, her impressions of other celebrities, her DIY videos, and, especially, her Judy Garland impression.

Now, Debbie Wileman has an album coming out, and a seven-city tour of the States, including a stop in New York City at Carnegie Hall, all as Judy Garland. Sometimes, it's hard for her to believe what has happened to her, but the album has been recorded (in a very special recording studio), the halls have been booked, and she has some very special costume pieces to make her own version of Judy just a little more authentic.

As Debbie prepares to fly to the States from the UK for the whirlwind adventure arranged by her manager Scott Stander, she took some time out (while Dad was getting their four-year-old daughter ready for bedtime) to get on a video chat with Broadway World Cabaret to talk about how her Judy was born, what her little 'un thinks of all this, and the benefit of listening to strangers talking, while in the cubicle in the loo.

This interview has been edited for space and content.

Debbie Wileman! Two years, we've been doing this by email and messenger and today we actually get to talk.

Yeah!

How are you?

Very well, thanks.

How excited are you?!

This is crazy, right?

Ok, let's start with an easy one. Why Judy Garland?

'Cause I love her. That's the simple answer. It all sort of stemmed from my degree when I was at university. At the end of the three - I did performing arts at the University of Salford, which is part of Manchester, and at the end of the three-year degree, they said you could either do a thesis (which is like 20,000 words) or a performance.

Hello!

Yeah, tough decision. Oh, performance! And you could do anything. And a lot of people did stuff that's already established - like one group did an absurdist version of The Importance of Being Ernest where Miss Prism was played by an orange

As one does.

Yeah. But I thought, given free reign, what would I like to do the most? If I could do anything, I thought I'd love to play Judy Garland just because I've always been a fan and it would give me the chance to sing all those brilliant songs. I thought it would be good and I knew I could do a singing impersonation of her. I'd never tried talking like her before or trying to imitate the way she moved or anything like that, but I knew I could do an impersonation of her singing because I've always been a big fan since I saw her first in Easter Parade when I was about six. My Nana, my dad's mom - I was an only grandchild and we were very close and she loved all of the old Hollywood stuff. It was her who got me into all of that. I'd go around to her house at least once a week, I used to see her all the time - we were really close; she had them all taped off the TV - VHS's with handwritten labels, which I still have, I inherited them and I've kept them even though I don't have a video machine anymore. I can't throw them away, they've got her writing on them and stuff, and the memories. Anyway, she'd introduced me to all these classics. I was a big fan of Fred Astaire by the time I was three and she remembered me crying and crying 'cause I didn't want to go to bed, and she said, "What is it darling?" Rather dramatically, I said, "All my heroes are dead!"... at three.

And she said, "Oh, well, Fred's dancing in heaven with Elvis, and they're all having a lovely time darling." She got me into Judy - she put on Easter Parade, and I already loved all of those sorts of films - Ginger Rogers was great in the Fred films that I'd seen but Judy was different to me because as well as being really pretty and great at singing and dancing and a good actress, in these lovely films, she was also funny. I think that was the thing that got me: she wasn't just a glamorous singing, dancing starlet. She was funny - especially in Easter Parade where she pulls the bloop face and she doesn't know her left from her right; so I was like, "Oh wow, she's a bit different. Oh, I like her, she can poke fun at herself and I really like that." I think that gave it an added dimension. So Easter Parade became a big favorite of ours to watch and when I was about 11... my grandmother was a brilliant pianist - she had a Bechstein at her house, a big black Bechstein grand and I did an impression of Judy singing just to make her laugh. I sort of realized I could do it and said, "Hey Nana, listen to this." She always used to play stuff on the piano and I'd sing for her - it stemmed from there really.

So, going back to the degree, I thought, "Ooh, I could do that," and decided I'd write this one-woman show for my degree, which is what I did. I did it at the Robert Powell Theater as part of our Uni, and someone saw it there and said, "I'd like to put this on in a small gay bar theater in Manchester, then I did it at the Taurus Bar, Number One Canal Street - I made it a bit longer, we put a second half in and someone from the Lowry Theatre in Manchester saw it and said, "Would you like to do this at the Studio Theatre at the Lowry?" I was only 20 or 21, I was like, "Yeah, brilliant," and that went really well, although there was... you know when you are so into a subject you think everyone else knows a lot about that subject and you forget? In the original version that I did of this, at the end, I came on as the tramp - her tramp look - and I sang Over The Rainbow, sat on the floor of the studio theater, sang it to this crowd, and, after the show, I was in the loo, in a cubicle, and I heard some women outside, in the toilets, discussing my performance. Obviously, you listen. And they said, "Oh, wasn't it a shame, in the end, Judy Garland ended up on the streets like that?" (Laughing heartily) So we changed that and I did it in a glamorous dress. They didn't know "The Tramp" - they thought she WAS a tramp. (Laughter continues) I actually performed at the King's Head Theatre in London - I did it in London for a little bit... and then I got a part in the tour of Little Voice, through doing this show that I'd written. But after that, things just foundered, really, career-wise: I tried singing and acting as my job in my early twenties - I tried it for a while, doing the whole perfume salesperson at the same time, and, in the end, I couldn't make enough money doing it. I tried and just had no luck, and I don't come from a really rich family or anything - I just had to go and get a job. Then, this all came about, with the lockdown. I genuinely had no thought that this would get catapult me to stardom or get me noticed. I just thought that it would be a nice thing for anyone who's by themselves. My friends, when lockdown started, some of them were by themselves. I honestly wouldn't have filmed myself singing and go, "Look at me!" before lockdown 'cause I would've thought it was cringy and a bit show-offy... but we'd locked down, so why not do a song every day? I didn't think anything would come of it. And on day three, some of my friends went, "Do a Judy! Do a Judy! Go on!" And I said, "Ok, I'll get the wig out of mothballs. Why not?" And I did The Man That Got Away and that's what started people sharing stuff.

You started with 600 people on your social media.

Mm-hmm

What are your numbers like now?

4,000 and something, 'cause you're only allowed 5,000 - YouTube isn't as big. I think Facebook's the one where most people watch, but on YouTube, I've got one point something thousand followers, I think 1.2.

So there you are doing A Song A Day, not just doing Judy, but doing Shirley Bassey and Patsy Cline, and even Debbie Wileman.

Yes.

And when the lockdown was lifted, and you hadn't worked in a while as an actor... in how long?

Oh, for 12 or 13 years

You come out of lockdown and BAM!, you're singing at Crazy Coqs.

Crazy.

So did they see you online and call you up and say, "We want you in our club!" or did you call them and say, "Can I book a date?"

Neither, Stephen. That was Ty Jeffries. I've made a lot of really, really lovely friends from doing this, 'cause when I started and people started sending me friend requests, I'd just go, "Oh that's nice." I didn't check anyone, I was just like, "Yeah, great." People have been lovely and it's almost good that I didn't check who anyone was because, then, I've been really surprised when I've realized that I'm friends with... John Meyer, for instance! Judy's ex! When I did, "I'd Like to Hate Myself in the Morning" and he commented, I was like, "What?!" So, one of my new friends that I've made (that I've, since, met and become proper good friends with) is Ty Jeffries, who is a fabulous performer and songwriter. And Ty's performed at Crazy Coqs a lot (as Miss Hope Springs) - he's been working there for 10 years. It was him who said to them, "You should get her at your club," and then said to me, "You should go on there darling." So it was Ty just being very generous and very nice.

And now you are on tour in the States as Judy, during the Judy Garland centenary.

It's just crazy. Brilliant but crazy.

Is it the original show that you created in Uni or have you created something new?

It's entirely different, more a concert, not a play. It's more about the songs and the music - it's also partly to do with the album I just recorded.

Yes, I want to get to the album, but before we do that, tell me more about the concert, please.

So, it's including bits from the album. The idea behind that is doing some of the songs that she didn't do, in the style of Judy. That's what makes it a bit different. We are doing quite a few songs that are more modern, that didn't exist when she was around, or that were written for her that she didn't actually get to do in the end - some of the songs from Mame, in the style of Judy, as well as a lot of classics and favorites from different eras

Because any fan of Judy's who has read the Gerold Frank book knows the story about her and Mame.

Yeah!

Tell me how the album came about.

The album and the tour both came about because I was contacted by a very lovely man called Scott Stander, quite early on into lockdown, through Facebook - he sent me a message and said that he's an agent and manager and producer and he would be interested in talking to me. So, of course, I was like, "Yeah, great. Okay, this sort of thing happens every day," and we had a nice chat in, I think, the summer of 2020 for about an hour or so. And that was it. Then I didn't hear from him for ages. And I just thought, "Well that was nice," because I think he couldn't do anything. But he left it a bit and then phoned me again, maybe six months later, eight months later, we had a nice chat again, and he was saying, "I'd like to do stuff, but at the moment nothing's happening," and we kept chatting and then, as things started to lift, he flew me out to LA to meet him in the flesh, and, I think, for him to see if I do stuff live, 'cause he (like everyone else) had only really seen me just do one song at a time, recorded. Obviously, there's no trickery when I record these things because I've not got any mic. It's just press go and stop... but I could be doing 20 takes and choosing the best one, you know? So I think he wanted to see what I was like, really, as well. He flew me out to LA and we got on really well. I performed with a band, we made a little video, I did eight songs in a row, and he was happy with it and he said, "I'd like to represent you." And I was like, "Brilliant." He was like, "What else do you want to do?" I said, "I fancy doing an album." He was like, "Alright, we'll do an album."

We did it with an orchestra of 30, all playing together in the same room, it was just amazing. When I started doing the videos of A Song A Day, I'd already started doing songs that she didn't do, in the style - I did a few with a lovely pianist called John D. Randall who's a Judy fan. He just did it to be nice - he made me a backing track for whatever songs that she hadn't done: we did "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard, and "The Rainbow Connection" and things like that. Scott had seen these and the one that he liked was "Fifty Percent" from Ballroom - I did that as Judy and it's on the album; we did that, and then the album and the live show sort of merged.

You mentioned that John D. Randall is a Judy fan, and I want to talk to you about the fans. Very few iconic and legendary singers have such devoted and adamant fans as Judy Garland.

Mm-hmm

Did you get any kind of negative blowback?

Yeah. of course.

How do you just shake it off? Or can you shake it off?

I'm not great at that, I've gotta be honest. Obviously, you think, "Well that's it, you put yourself on the internet, you gotta take it." I've been very lucky - I haven't had that much, I really haven't. I mean, I was surprised - I thought I would get more nastiness and I really haven't. People have been very kind... there's been a few, and I think, as it gets more, as it gets bigger, as I get seen by more people, there will be more negativity because it's a percentage of how many people see you, you know? And if I've done a video and there are a hundred lovely comments and there's one real stinker, I, of course, focus on the stinker. Because they stay in your mind. "She's too fat to be Judy Garland." "She needs to lose 40 pounds." I'm quoting because you remember these things - it's hurtful. I wasn't making any money or anything - I was just trying to be nice and do something that might cheer someone up and it's like, "Oh, god, that's a bit much." And, also, factually incorrect, depending on which year of Judy I'm trying to be. She went up and down. Yes, if I'm trying to be 1947 Judy, I'm about a hundred pounds too heavy, but if I'm trying to be 1959 Judy, I might be a little too slim.

But you have, for the most part, been widely embraced by many people, including some very famous people. You became friends with Billy Stritch.

He's lovely. Really, really nice. And I had the absolute joy to sing with him live when he came to Crazy Coqs last month.

And now, like Judy Garland, you are playing Carnegie Hall.

It still doesn't seem real. It still seems a bit unreal.

Your family members must be so proud of you.

They're really pleased.

You're a working actor again.

It's amazing. Who can say what will come from now - hopefully, more, but if it doesn't, it doesn't matter. I'm just trying to enjoy everything because it's completely unexpected. I'm a happy person. I'm quite happy in my life. I'm a mum, I love being a mum, and I'm happily married. I do my stuff, and all this was an amazing happening, a present that I really didn't expect, and I'm just trying to enjoy it and go for however long it lasts, for whatever comes from it. And then that's it: if nothing else comes from it, well I've had a lovely time and I've met lots of lovely people and I think it's quite good that it's happened to me later in life, where I'm a bit settled and stuff. I'm just trying to just have a nice time and enjoy it.

So when does the album come out?

10th of June.

It's right around the corner.

On Judy Garland's hundredth birthday, the 10th of June.

And what's your first city with the tour?

LA

And then you work your way back across country to New York City and Carnegie Hall.

Yes, my last date is on the 26th in Provincetown.

Oh, how lovely.

I've never been, I'm looking forward to it. Everyone says, "Oh my god, you will love Provincetown."

And Provincetown will love you. Is the family coming with you?

They're gonna come out and visit me because my husband has to work - he's just starting a new job on Monday, and my daughter - this is gonna be, by far, the longest time I've ever been away from my daughter. I mean, when we recorded the album I was away for a week, I've never been away that long and it's quite difficult, but you've gotta do it.

What does she think of all this?

She's not bothered.

It's just mum being cuckoo again.

Yeah. She's gotten used to it.

You know, when I was in my twenties, having grown up like you, a Judy Garland fan, I had a chance to see Jim Bailey, and Judy was already dead at this point, and watching Jim as Judy Garland was the closest I ever got to seeing Judy live - and it WAS like seeing Judy live. I really feel like there are going to be a lot of people that are going to have that same experience watching you.

Wow. Jim's physicality was amazing. I haven't got that physicality, yet. It's more her singing voice, which is what my main focus is. He, so, got her physicality, it's astounding to watch. I'm currently working on trying to replicate more of her movement and physicality. When you are actually singing (I've had a bit of criticism on some of my videos, like, "Ugh, she didn't make that particular move when she hit that note,"), that's difficult. When you are really singing and belting out and trying to make your voice do these certain things, you just can't control the way... or I just can't control the way my body moves. There were just some things you can't control.

I'm very lucky to have the connection with Steve Campbell, who was Jim's manager for 27 years - Steve is absolutely lovely, and he's let me wear Jim's jackets. He's lending me Jim's jackets for the tour, and they fit perfectly. They're beautiful pieces and I feel really honored to sort of carry on a bit of Jim as well, to continue his legacy and his memory, as well as Judy's. I almost feel like he's almost handing me a torch in a way, like, "Go on your turn, be a bit of Judy for me now." And he's helping me, you know? And I got to wear the ring!

Nice.

The pearl ring that Liza gave to Jim - Steve let me wear it for when we were recording some of the album at MGM.

Shut up.

Yeah.

Shut up. Shut up.

The sound stage where they recorded every MGM musical, the music for it, and the singing for every MGM musical, was recorded in this room where I recorded four hours worth of the album. And I'm wearing her ring. It was one of the best days ever, following the birth of my child and my wedding day.

Now we just have to wait for June 10th and then watch you fly.

Hopefully.

Listen, you've got a lot of supporters. There are more people out there that want you to succeed at this than want you to fail.

That's really nice.

Keep that on the front burner. We want you to succeed at this.

Like I say, I initially did these videos to try and do something nice and helpful, but it was very helpful for me; to be honest, it was like a mutual thing, making all these new friends, and I've made actual friends with people that I wouldn't have met at all. I've met some really lovely people and connected with people and just thought, "Wow, that is the real good side to the internet." You just sort of think, "Wow, there are some lovely people out there. There are some really interesting people."

Debbie, I'm so happy that we finally got to do this after two years of just messaging each other and doing digital interviews; to finally get to chat is a delight.

Thank you! It's so weird. Honestly. It's brilliant but so weird.

You get back what you put out and the good will that you put out from doing A Song A Day, the joy that you brought people - that energy will sustain you for a long time to come.

And it was for me as well. I didn't initially do it for me, but it really helped me - every day it was something to think about. And nice people saying stuff, it was really helpful for me, as well. Even though I didn't go into it thinking that way, it ended up helping me through it.

Well, it got you a lot of fans and supporters, including me, as I'm sure you know.

Thank you so much, Stephen.

I'll see you at Carnegie Hall!

Bye, Stephen. Thank you!

The album I'M STILL HERE Introducing Debbie Wileman As Judy Garland will be released on June 10th on all digital platforms.

Debbie Wileman has a Facebook page HERE and one HERE and a YouTube Channel HERE.

When You Wish Upon a Star

Debbie Wileman:

Judy Garland 100th Birthday Celebration

Tour Dates:

June 10 and 11, 2022

Catalina Jazz Club, Los Angeles, CA

June 14, 2022

Castro Theatre, San Francisco, CA

June 17, 2022

Balboa Theatre, San Diego, CA

June 20, 2022

Parker Playhouse, Fort Lauderdale, FL

June 22, 2022

The Plaza Live, Orlando, FL

June 25, 2022

Carnegie Hall, New York City, NY

June 26, 2022

Provincetown Town Hall, Provincetown, MA

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