Tommy Femia's JUDY GARLAND LIVE! Season Continues w/ KT Sullivan, Chuck Sweeney, and Adam Feldman

By: Jan. 07, 2010
Get Access To Every Broadway Story

Unlock access to every one of the hundreds of articles published daily on BroadwayWorld by logging in with one click.




Existing user? Just click login.

Tommy Femia, the 7-time Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC) Award-winning impersonator, continues his 20th season at the popular midtown club Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues), with his acclaimed portrayal of the legendary Judy Garland in "Judy Garland LIVE!" on Saturday, January 16, with two shows a month, every other Saturday at 8:30 p.m. announced now through the end of March 2010. Miss Garland's guest for the Saturday, January 16th performance will be the award-winning Broadway and Cabaret Star KT Sullivan, and on Saturday, January 30, she will be joined by the gifted, award-winning impersonator Chuck Sweeney as the iconic Miss Peggy Lee. Guest starring on March 13 will be Time Out New York's Adam Feldman. Other guest stars will be announced later. Christopher Denny and David Maiocco serve as musical directors.

Tommy Femia made his Off Broadway debut in The New American at The Nat Horne Theatre, and toured the country, as Linus in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. In Bucks County he appeared as Tallulah Bankhead in the musical Tallulah! and in New York City as Bette Davis in A Very Bette Christmas. He also starred in the hit Off Broadway production of the Drama Desk Award-winning Whoop-Dee-Doo! at the Actors' Playhouse, and starred as Judy Garland in the one-man show I Will Come Back at The Players Theatre. Television credits include: "The Facts of Life," "One Day at a Time," "The Montel Williams Show," CNBC's "Real Personal" with Bob Berkowitz, "The Jane Whitney Show" and he co-hosted a special edition of "Geraldo" with Geraldo Rivera. Since 1991 he has appeared in almost every New York City nightclub, and at The Blue Angel served as Emcee of the celebrated revue La Cage Aux Folles. Concert appearances include Merkin Hall, Battery Park City, Symphony Space, Theatre Three in Port Jefferson, The Cinegrill and The Gardenia Room in Los Angeles, The Plush Room in San Francisco, The Shubert Theater in New Haven, Earle Hall in London, The Rising Action Theater in Fort Lauderdale, and many clubs around the country, including first and foremost his "home-base" in New York City - Don't Tell Mama.

Guest star performers this season so far have included: Karen Mason, Eric Millegan, Mark Nadler, Zachary James (soon to be seen as Lurch in The Addams Family), Christine Pedi (as Liza Minnelli), and Village Voice columnist and author Michael Musto. Writing in his Voice New York News Blog on 12/23/09 Musto said: "Tommy Femia is the finest Judy Garland impersonator there is!" On 11/27/09 Mark Savitt of the cable TV show Hi! Drama called "Judy Garland LIVE!" - "Cabaret Heaven," and Stu Hamstra of Cabaret Hotline Onlline (10/22/09) said: "Mr. Femia's Garland impersonation is singularly and ultimately the best on the planet. The quirks, the gestures, the unique Garland mispronunciations, they are all here. Mr. Femia delivers a show that you simply will never forget - performance after performance."

The New York Post has called "Judy Garland LIVE!" starring Tommy Femia "the city's cleverest, sharpest Judy Garland impersonation. It keeps fans coming back to his shows because Femia keeps coming up with surprises. He doesn't just give you the great Garland signature songs (from ‘Over the Rainbow' to ‘The Man That Got Away'), he comes up with new songs, in her style, that she never had a chance to do." Time Out New York says: "Turn off your Minnelli on Minnelli CD and put down that gossipy tell-all. If you want the ‘real' Judy, drop by Mama's for Femia's wildly entertaining performance." Back Stage calls it "one of cabaret's best shows by a super talent who always gives 200%;" Where Magazine calls Femia a "female impersonator extraordinaire;" and the Daily News said: "If you think all Judy Garland impersonators are a drag, you haven't seen Tommy Femia. He'll mesmerize you whether you're Garland's most ardent admirer or the fan that got away!"

This coming June will mark the second anniversary of Don't Tell Mama's restaurant in the front of the club. Open 7 days a week for dinner from 4:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. it also serves food on matinee days, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, opening at 11:30 a.m. for lunch. (Credit cards are accepted in the dining room.) Some of Chef Bradley Anderson's specialties in his "seasonal new American cuisine" include: Pan Roasted Long Island Duck, Black & White Mac & Cheese (white cheddar, black truffle essence, and panko gremolata), and Crispy Skin Atlantic Salmon.

There is a $20.00 cover charge and a 2-drink minimum per person (cash only). The reservation number at Don't Tell Mama is 212-757-0788 (after 4:00 PM daily) or on the web at www.donttellmamanyc.com.



Videos