Review: JUDY ON TV! Honors Judy Garland Nicely At 92NY

It feels like we've been celebrating the Judy Garland Centenary for about two years, now, and it looks like the celebrations aren't going to stop any time soon. That is as it should be because there is no bad time to celebrate the life and legacy of The World's Greatest Entertainer. Judy Garland doesn't need a one hundredth birthday to be the subject of a show, conversation, or CD - may we all continue to observe her artistry, share our reactions, and celebrate her life.

The latest in a long succession of shows about Judy Garland is JUDY ON TV!, a production that debuted last night at 92NY (the branded version of The 92nd Street Y, New York). With a cast of performers that shine in their individual mediums, this musical revue-style show focused the lion's share of the ninety-five-minute program on the television show that bore Judy Garland's name in the 1963 to 1964 TV season. Naturally, any discussion of Judy Garland would be incomplete without a few biographical details from the legend's life, as well as references to her film work, but at the core of the program was The Judy Garland Show, and at the core of the production was Billy Stritch, and, therein, lies the success of any production.

First of all, you could basically watch Billy Stritch do anything for an entire show. Billy could just play the piano for ninety minutes, he could play and sing for ninety minutes, he could sit and talk for ninety minutes - when it comes to commanding the stage of a nightclub act, cabaret show, or musical revue, having Billy Stritch as your musical director, arranger, pianist, vocalist, and host will give you a leg up. Acting as spirit guide for the evening, Mr. Stritch did everyone proud, from his stellar cast to the fine folks of 92NY to Judy Garland herself. Throughout the evening, he carried notecards in his hand for reference, but Billy rarely even looked at them. The information being imparted is already in his head - it is simply up to him to tell the crowd, which he did with absolute comfort and care - care for the words, care for the facts, care for the audience, care for Judy. He is simply the best.

And as someone who is simply the best, Billy Stritch made sure to take care of his cast by giving them incredible arrangements - for their voices and for the incredible band members who would support the voices. With Pat O'Leary on bass and Mark McLean on drums, there was no chance that the actors would have anything but the very best in musical accompaniment for their own remarkable arrangements, especially for the group numbers. Each time that the players harmonized, the effect was breathtaking, so much so that this writer found himself thinking the unthinkable: fewer solos and more group numbers, please. It seems a crime against nature to take solo time away from these four singing artists, but the truth is that each and every time that the singers worked in conjunction with another singer (or all four at once, for a slice of heaven on earth), the sound these voices made in perfect harmony rose the musical programming to new heights. The vocal chorus was one of the best you've ever heard.

And why shouldn't these voices sound good together? Jazz singer and musical theater actress Aisha de Haas, jazz singer-songwriter and recording artist Gabrielle Stravelli, Broadway actress and cabaret proficient Alysha Umphress, and Broadway Leading Man and cabaret crooner Max Von Essen represent their individual chosen fields with talent and training, with hard work and work ethic, and each artist brought their A-Game to JUDY ON TV!, something that was made easy for them by writer/director Dick Scanlan, who made sure that the evening was completely and totally professionally executed. The actors knew all their lines, nobody read a single word off a script or music stand, there was choreography, there was purpose, and there was intention. From start to finish the production was well-thought and well-executed, with the exception of an uncomfortable segment in which Mr. Von Essen was required to mimic Judy Garland's physical mannerisms and mic technique, a segment that played more embarrassing than humorous. Fortunately, the rest of the evening resonated with such pathos and humanity that it was easy to forgive, if not so easy to forget, the misstep Mr. Scanlan made by his Leading Man. Where the production scored extremely high marks (other than the impressive musical performances) was the choice to turn The Judy Garland Show's "Born In A Trunk" conceit into a way to make Judy Garland's catalogue and artistry into something relevant to today and, particularly, to today's performers. One by one, Misses de Haas, Stravelli, and Umphress, and Mister Von Essen took turns sharing stories from their own life that related to the Garland Mystique. As they shared their personal stories with the audience, the cast was given a chance to open up, to become relatable, to become tangible, in much the same way as Garland did, for everyone knows that Judy Garland was the most personally emotionally accessible performer of all time. When she sang, it always felt as though she was singing right to you. For their own Born In a Trunk segment, these actors got a chance to be that for their audience - especially Billy Stritch who has personal stories that are extremely relevant to the topic at hand. This artistic choice made what might have been a rote revue into something resonant, pushing the production up the quality meter by several points.

Readers will note that there has been no mention of the songs sung in JUDY ON TV! (Subtitled CELEBRATING THE JUDY GARLAND SHOW) and that is on purpose. Anyone with a working knowledge of the history of Judy Garland and her musical canon will be able to guess some of the songs being performed, but since these Born In A Trunk moments are so personal and full of surprise, it would do a disservice to the production to offer up any spoilers, except to say that this writer's personal favorite musical moment of the evening came after Gabrielle Stravelli's Born In A Trunk moment - future audience members will want to prepare for it. There will be a story, there will be a cross to the piano, and there will be greatness.

JUDY ON TV! Is a delightful production, the kind that one might expect when going to see something at 92NY, where the powers that be plan on, nay, insist upon right and proper entertainment for their subscribers and ticket buyers. That demand for quality informs all of their productions, and it is certainly in the room at this show. Stritch, Scanlon, and co. have stepped up to the plate and delivered for everyone involved, but, particularly, for the patrons and for Judy.

There are performances of JUDY ON TV! At 2 pm on Sunday May 7th, and at 7:30 pm on Monday, May 8th. THIS is the link to the event page on the 92NY website.

Among the creative credits for JUDY ON TV! are Richard Stafford, choreography, Kiara Lewis, Eric Van Tielen, performance swings, Kylee Loera, production design, John Kelly, lighting design, Lori Wekselblatt, production stage manager. The producers of JUDY ON TV! are Stephanie Alvarado Prugh and Matt Kunkel.

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