VIDEO: Haley Swindal Recreates Famous Streisand/Garland Duet 'Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy'

In support of live theatre and the Sharon Playhouse in Sharon Connecticut, Broadway's Haley Swindal (Chicago, Jekyll & Hyde) has created a video celebration homage to Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand...recreating their iconic mash up of Happy Days Are Here Again (Milton Ager & Jack Yellen) and Get Happy (Harold Arlen & Ted Koehler).

watch!

As Miss Swindal says, "Three months ago, we began the craziest times of our lives, and became unable to immerse ourselves in that which, in the past, has given humanity comfort throughout history's maddest times: ART! We couldn't go to the theatre to smile and to heal our hearts...when we most needed to be together, we were forced to be apart.

I have tried so hard to focus on gratitude of what I had previously taken for granted, the biggest of which was the theatre. The Sharon Playhouse was the first place that ever offered me a job, as a singer in the chorus of "Annie Get Your Gun." I sadly couldn't take the job because of summer school. I finally performed there in January 2019 when Robert and Alan brought my show "We Just Move On" with Jana Robbins to the Bok Gallery, and had the time of my life. I will always think of the Sharon Playhouse as the place that first believed in me all those years ago, before I toured and before Broadway.

Three months ago, I had no idea how to work an iPhone stand or a microphone while quarantined on a farm in Ocala Florida. When Alan and Robert came to me about this project, I knew I had to do it. And so, I went down a six week rabbit hole of studying these two great artists who came before me, and with the help of Broadway technical genius Susan Goulet, we created this video for you. It's not impersonation, but a tribute. I voiced both Judy and Barbra myself, and I tried to channel them in the video with the honesty and truth I have within me as an actress.

My friends, theatre still lives. Plagues of the past couldn't kill it, and COVID-19 won't kill it either. If you can, I ask you to please donate to the Sharon Playhouse so that theatre will continue to shine as a beacon of light not only for us, but for our children and our grandchildren for generations to come. Portions of all donations will go to the Actors Fund which provides critical help to those in the entertainment community

Stay healthy, stay safe and be well. Happy days will be here again!

Love, Haley"

"We couldn't be more thrilled and appreciative to Haley for putting together this wonderful performance video for our theatre and community", says playhouse Artistic Director, Alan M-L Wager.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sharon Playhouse has decided to move its 2020 season forward by one year, to 2021 in it's entirety.

The original Playhouse plan (before the coronavirus) had been to open the 2020 season with "Singin' in the Rain" on June 12 and continue with "Brigadoon" (July 10), "Mamma Mia" (July 31), "Million Dollar Quartet" (Aug. 21) and Divas Go Hollywood (to end the season with a big bang of music and fun).

Managing Director Robert Levinstein and Artistic Director Alan M-L Wager had announced in April that they would delay this summer's Playhouse season, and open with "Mamma Mia!," based on the songs of the Swedish pop group ABBA, on Aug. 7.

Last week, Levinstein and Wager sent out a new update video saying, "We had hoped to still offer 'Mamma Mia,' 'Million Dollar Quartet' and 'Divas Go Hollywood' this year, but with all that's going on, we thought it safer and more practical to move everything to next year.

However, this does NOT mean that the Sharon Playhouse will be dark this summer. We are still planning on opening our Patio Bar in July, to offer the community a place to come and socialize with social distancing, food trucks and entertainment.

We will be literally 'thinking outside of the Bok' and turning our parking lot into a drive-in theater with live entertainment - specifically, concerts and possibly a laser show; we're still working out the possibilities. The Bok Gallery space itself is also an option for live entertainment with social distancing procedures."

To keep up to date as Playhouse plans come together, subscribe to the Sharon Playhouse on Facebook or Instagram, and

go to the theater's website at www.sharonplayhouse.org for more information, to purchase tickets and/or make a donation.

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