Review: JUDY & LIZA: THE LONDON PALLADIUM CONCERT- A TRIBUTE at The Palace Theater

http://www.alexacastelvecchi.com

Judy & Liza: The London Palladium Concert- A Tribute

November, 1964, for two nights only, two iconic performers came together to perform in song, mother and daughter live at the London Palladium, Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli. Nearly 54 years later, as their legacy lives on you can experience this concert at the Palace Theater in Wisconsin Dells.

Nancy Hays is a dynamic sometimes sorrowful Judy Garland. From Garland's need to be in the spotlight right down to her vulnerability, Hays does an amazing job of bringing a subtle level of sadness to the tortured Garland that the audience finds palpable.

Alexa Castelvecchi's, joyful almost naïve Liza Minnelli, is played in contrast to the wiser yet sometimes sullen Garland. Playing off Hays, Castelvecchi's portrayal of Liza as the fixer tells much of the mother and daughter's relationship. Doing her best to sometimes bolster her mother's spirits, we at one point see her plead with the audience, "Quiet Please, There's a lady on Stage", breaking into a moment of genuine honestly as she sings the song of the same name, that Peter Allen wrote in memory of Judy Garand. In this moment of truth, we see Liza's anger at the audience's disrespect of her mother, but more importantly, we feel her overwhelming grief as she witnesses the pressure put upon Judy.

This is a truly beautiful tribute and one I would not want you to miss. Take the entire family but take them soon. Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity.

JUDY & LIZA: THE LONDON PALLADIUM- A TRIBUTE, THE NEW MUSICAL WILL MAKE ITS THEATRICAL DEBUT AT THE PALACE THEATER IN THE DELLS The Wisconsin Dells - Judy & Liza: The London Palladium- A Tribute will make its theatrical debut at The Palace Theater in the Dells, starring Nancy Hays as Judy Garland and Alexa Castelvecchi as Liza Minnelli. "Once in a Lifetime" is a re-creation of the iconic 1964 concert of the legendary mother-daughter duo of Judy Garland and an 18-year-old Liza Minnelli at the Palladium theatre in London. The Palladium show was the only time in history that these two performed together in front of a live concert audience. The Palace Theater in the Dells theatrical presentation will include the classic songs, vocal arrangements and costumes from the original concert to help the audience relive this historic occasion. In its new form, the debut theatrical show will also include expanded scenes, dialogue and choreography backed by a jazz combo led by musical director Robert Ollis. This show grew out of the hugely successful Chicago premiere-production of The Boy From Oz (which also featured Nancy Hays as Judy Garland and Robert Ollis as musical director) - a musical about the interaction of Peter Allen, Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli. Shortly after The Boy from Oz closed, Nancy and Robert worked to create this musical tribute with help from others for costume design, choreography and direction, and brought in actress/singer Alexa Castelvecchi (http://www.alexacastelvecchi.com) to portray the young Liza. The show in its earlier concert format has been performed to sold out crowds in Chicago and at the famed Metropolitan Room in New York City, receiving critical acclaim in the Chicago and New York press. Background information, bios of the performers and a gallery of photos and videos are found at the website www.JudyLizatribute.com. For tickets, please contact www.dellspalace.com or the Palace Theatre box office at 608-253-4000. (Press comps are available through mitch@dellspalace.com).

To post a comment, you must register and login.

 

---

Join Team BroadwayWorld

Are you an avid theatergoer? We're looking for people like you to share your thoughts and insights with our readers. Team BroadwayWorld members get access to shows to review, conduct interviews with artists, and the opportunity to meet and network with fellow theatre lovers and arts workers.

Interested? Learn more here.

---