EOTR hits LA on 12th March, with the Stunning Tracie Bennett as 'Judy Garland'. Miss Bennett revives her recent Broadway & UK success telling the story of the last days in the Life of Judy Garland. Not To Be Missed......
(Michael Cumpsty is also very good, as is the stage band.)
Alas, it seemed to me that every time the play got near an interesting subject, it interrupted itself with a great musical number. (The exception of course is the Judy-on-ritalin number which does follow logically from the preceding scene.)
Which was too bad (not the great numbers, but the lack of follow-through in the scenes). There is an interest play to be written about what it is like to be THAT big a star and THAT big a talent, and to live one's life as tabloid fodder. END OF THE RAINBOW does not have the skill to explore such complex topics.
ALL THAT BEING SAID, I was greatly relieved to discover the entire evening IS NOT "Judy as on-stage train wreck"! Except for the one number which is supposed to show us what a stoned Garland was like on stage, Tracie Bennett sings Garland very, very well!
I am so grateful to the friends who absolutely insisted I see it!