Judy's Encore

Have you ever been to a show where you were borderline convinced you were literally watching the person a performer was portraying? That happened in Ali Harper’s Judy’s Encore. I was utterly lost in Judy Garland’s world, felt transported to another time, when Garland’s life and career spanned some of the most tumultuous and transformative decades of the 20th Century. Born in 1922, Garland came of age during the Great Depression, a time of deep economic hardship. By the late 1930s, she was already a house hold name, catapulted to fame by The Wizard of Oz – a film that offered escapism during an era of uncertainty. Harper’s depiction of Garland is superb. As the woman sitting next to me said at half time, “She’s a better Judy Garland than Judy Garland.” And I couldn’t agree more. Harper has written a piece of art. But it wouldn’t be complete without the undeniable talent of musical director and arranger Tom Rainey. The 1940s saw Garland at the height of her stardom, performing in lavishMGM musicals that defined the Golden Age of Hollywood. However, behind the glamorous facade was a highly controlled studio system that often treated young stars like commodities. Garland, like many others, was subjected to intense scrutiny, overwork, and a reliance on prescription drugs – all of which would haunt her throughout her life. And it’s all of this that comes out in this piece.

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