Judy – The Songbook Of Judy Garland

Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, Tuesday, July 7, to Saturday, July 11

SINCE her death at the age of 47, the tragedy of Judy Garland has dominated her depiction in popular culture.

Shows like End Of The Rainbow and The Judy Monologues focused on the former child star’s final years, as substance abuse began to take over her life.

But Judy - The Songbook Of Judy Garland is set to remind audiences why she remains a musical icon, by celebrating the music and performances which made her famous.

Stretching from The Wizard Of Oz to her later television career, the show mixes live song and dance with rare archive film clips and stories from her daughter Lorna Luft.

Perhaps unsurprisingly it is the first show to be officially licensed by the Judy Garland estate.

“There is a lot of footage of her talking to audiences in concert,” says creative director Arlene Phillips. “They were things I had never seen before.

“You realise what an extraordinary artist Judy was – every word she sang had a story and a meaning behind it. The beautiful notes floated so easily out of her mouth. She was such a star and is still burning brightly.”

Phillips believes anyone growing up with The Wizard Of Oz becomes a Garland fan.

“Watching her sing Over The Rainbow even as a child your heart goes out to her,” she says. “You want to know what is behind the rainbow. Even as a child I was fascinated by her.”

At the centre of the show is the songs, which are taken from different eras of Garland’s life. Phillips deliberately avoided following a chronological arc, turning the show into more of a compilation piece.

Rather than having one actress playing Judy, the show sees her work performed by an ensemble cast, including Wicked’s Louise Dearman, former X Factor finalist Ray Quinn and Luft herself.

“Lorna and I go back a long time,” says Phillips. “In the late 1970s and early 1980s I was in New York and we became quite close friends, going to Studio 54 together. I wanted an opportunity to work with her as a creative director.”

Phillips believes Luft’s contribution is central to the show.

“Her voice is magnificent,” she says. “She has this edge to it which puts the bite into any song she sings. She’s getting standing ovations during the show – the audiences love her.

“What is so wonderful is she goes from singing these big songs to telling stories about life with her mother which are so funny. They are stories that haven’t been heard before about what happened to her and her sister and brother as children.”

One of Phillips's highlights is when Luft and Dearman recreate one of Garland’s most iconic moments – a television duet with Barbra Streisand.

But Phillips says one of the biggest revelations was Quinn’s performance.

“I have worked with him before, but never knew what an extraordinary dancer he was,” she says.

“He’s like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly rolled into one. It’s so magnificent watching him dance up and down the stairs.”

Brighton is set to be Luft’s last stop on the tour, after the breast cancer she battled in 2012 and 2013 was discovered to have returned. She will return to the US after the Brighton run for extensive surgery.

“We are getting together to discuss what we can do,” says Phillips of the tour, which is scheduled to come to Eastbourne from Wednesday, August 19 to Saturday, August 22.

“When Lorna finishes in Brighton and goes back to the US it is going to be very emotional. She has been unbelievable. As soon as the dates came up for her operation being the trouper she is she said she would carry on, and go straight to hospital when she went home. She has got this extraordinary strength and is an inspiring performer.

“They say her mother was born in a trunk, going from performance to performance. I think Lorna watched her mother and saw nothing could stop her going on stage – Lorna is like that.”

Starts 7.45pm, 2.30pm matinees on Thurs and Sat, tickets from £12.90. Call 08448 717650.