Virginia Theatre Festival To Wrap 51st Season With GET HAPPY!

The Virginia Theatre Festival will wrap up its 51st season with Get Happy! A Celebration of the World's Greatest Entertainer. The show, performed by nationally acclaimed performer and UVA alumnus Jenna Pastuszek, is a dynamic and electric celebration of the greatest hits and little-known gems from the iconic star, Judy Garland.

Get Happy! will run from July 24-27 in the Ruth Caplin Theatre.  Tickets for Get Happy! begin at only $15 and are on sale now at virginiatheatrefestival.org.

Eighty-five years after the world first heard Judy Garland sing about a place “somewhere over the rainbow,” her star power shines as brightly as ever. Eschewing imitation for celebration, performer, writer, and producer Jenna Pastuszek weaves her own story amongst an evening of carefully calibrated tunes.

Pastuszek will be joined on stage by performer and fellow longtime collaborator Will Stephan Connell and music director Kyle Branzel. 

Get Happy! began as a “very happy accident,” Pastuszek said. After a Cape May, NJ theater asked her to create a Judy Garland tribute for their annual gala in 2019, her New York team suggested putting on a similar show in New York, and they were set to do that in May of 2020 when the pandemic hit. “When theatres began to pivot to COVID-friendly experiences for their sponsors and audiences,” she said, “I saw an opportunity to help the many places I have played and was able to offer a show that can be done simply as one singer and one pianist performing six-feet-apart.”

“Judy's music helped guide people through the end of the Depression, World War II, the Civil Rights Era, and the start of the Vietnam War. It's no wonder to me that audiences looked to her to bring solace during a global pandemic. Her music is so good. It's catchy, it's uplifting, it's simple, and it's real.”

The music of Judy Garland, Pastuszek points out, remains timeless to this day. “What's fun about singing through Judy's catalogue is that not only were many of these hits on Broadway and in musical films, but they were also at the top of the Billboard charts.” This variety is a key ingredient of Get Happy!, she adds. 

The show features another element Judy would want – the deep connection with audiences that was at the core of her star power. “She loved making eye contact, telling stories and jokes, going off the cuff and being fully present with them,” Pastuszek said. “We aim to bring that same level of personal connection to our audiences. You will get to hear Judy's songs, and you will get to know me through my stories.”

Another deep connection Pastuszek is renewing with this show is the one she established in her years as a UVA student, and even before that, with Charlottesville. Her UVA roots began to take hold in her youth when her grandfather taught at the University, and she spent cherished time in the area and firmly set her sights on a future as a student there. 

“My five years at UVA were the most growth-packed, inspirational, challenging, productive, and fun years of my life,” Pastuszek said. “The friends, colleagues, and faculty I met at UVA inspired me to pursue the performance career I secretly knew I always wanted to have and pushed me toward moving to NYC after graduation to study vocal performance at NYU. I am beyond excited to return to Cville ‘all grown up' to share with everyone how one can combine a history major, an elementary education degree, and vocal performance all to honor the life and legacy of Judy Garland. It sounds wild, but I promise if you come spend the evening with us, you'll understand! Wahoowa!”

The Virginia Theatre Festival is a program of the University of Virginia, with support from the Office of the Provost, Vice Provost for the Arts, The Caplin Foundation, The Thomas and Carolyn Witt Foundation, UVA Arts Council, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Department of Drama.

The 2025 Virginia Theatre Festival is also supported by a generous grant from The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation. Get Happy! is presented by CBS19 News and supported by Mincer's.

VTF donors provide essential support to the organization, while enjoying exclusive benefits like complimentary tickets, invitations to special events, behind-the-scenes access, and more. For more information on ways to support the Virginia Theatre Festival, visit virginiatheatrefestival.org/support. 

Central Virginia Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. THE LIGHTNING THIEF (The Hurrah Players)

7.4% of votes

2. RIDE THE CYCLONE (Little Theatre of Norfolk)

6.4% of votes

3. THE COLOR PURPLE (Little Town Players)

5.6% of votes

Vote Now!