Carole J. Bufford & Stephanie Blythe Sing Out HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUDY in Their First Duo-Concert Together

It's an historic pairing and an historic occasion! Two exemplary proponents of the Great American Songbook join voices for the first time next month and share a highly personal celebration of (arguably) the greatest entertainment icon of them all. Carole J. Bufford and Stephanie Blythe are the star vocalists in "Happy Birthday, Judy!," a duo-remembrance of the legendary Judy Garland on the very evening of her centennial.

The one-time-only concert plays at the Birdland Theater, 315 West 44th Street, NYC, on Friday evening, June 10th, as a benefit for The Mabel Mercer Foundation. All tickets include a three-course gourmet dinner at 6:30 p.m., followed by "Bufford & Blythe" at 8 p.m. Prices are $200 for standard seating, and $500.00 for VIP seating; the latter includes prime location and a post-show "meet & greet." A cash bar will be available throughout the evening. (Note: Birdland's $75 bar seating for the Garland event is already sold out.) Tickets are available at birdlandjazz.com or by calling (212) 581-3080.

All proceeds from ticket sales to "Happy Birthday, Judy!" accrue to The Mabel Mercer Foundation, long-time bastion of the Great American Songbook and its interpreters. This is singularly appropriate, as Ms. Mercer was one of the singers Judy Garland most admired.

The trifecta of Stephanie, Carole, and Judy is equally apt. Ms. Bufford and Ms. Blythe share a happily-declared mutual admiration; beyond that, both women possess a fairly limitless admiration for Judy Garland, whose voice, repertoire, and communicative talents impacted on them from childhood. (Ms. Garland herself was born on June 10th, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.)

Ms. Blythe doesn't hesitate at all in pronouncing her partiality. "Celebrating Judy Garland is a no-brainer. She makes me aware of the kind of performer I try to be. She pulled down all the artifice; it's a combination of communication, skill, and voice. She had vulnerability, yet the strength of her voice cut through that. And whenever she sang, it was the words - not the sounds - that came first." There's immediate yet simple concurrence from Ms. Bufford. For her, "Judy Garland was one of the most talented human beings ever to walk the face of the earth: the be-all and end-all. I love the entire career but more the later years, when she could be 'perfectly imperfect.'"

The June 10th roster of musical numbers is presently "in process," but the women confirm that songs will cover the entire Garland career arc: from vaudeville to film, recordings to television, revue to concerts -- and from her standards to less familiar material. Among the titles already in place: "After You've Gone," "Chicago," "The Man That Got Away," "I Remember You," "Look for the Silver Lining," and "It's a New World." Both anticipate the pleasure of performing together and summed up that happy expectation with exclamations of "Medleys!" and "Duets!"

"Happy Birthday, Judy!" is produced by Sanford Fisher; John Boswell serves as the evening's musical director.

Please Note: Birdland is a fully vaccinated Venue, and all patrons must bring/show proof of vaccine or verified medical exemption to enter.