Review: END OF THE RAINBOW IS STUNNING! at Performing Artists Repertory Theatre

END OF THE RAINBOW, the story of iconic Judy Garland’s last months of her short 47  years will throw you for a loop. There was no quiet or peace in her tumultuous life of pain, pills and booze. Not matter how talented this woman was, she could not “Get Happy.”

Gordon P. Cantiello directs a small cast with huge skill. The show feels more like a peek through a window into Judy Garland's life rather than a staged production.  It is intimate. It is powerful. And it will take you to emotional depths you weren’t expecting. It is exciting as the scenes shift from the Ritz hotel room in London to the stage at the Talk of the Town Theatre. It feels like they are taking us with them and we become the audience.

I didn’t know that much about Judy Garland until I saw this musical by Peter Quilter. He did a marvelous job of showing us the struggles of surviving in the spotlight. From an early age, Judy had been given amphetamines to energize her performances and barbiturates to enable her to rest. She was insecure about her appearance and her ability to capture an audience. Four marriages ended. She was now engaged to Mickey Deans after a very short time. He was her manager and her fiance’, but was he good for her? The only stability in her life appeared to be her pianist, Anthony, who was a gay man who truly loved her.

Curtis Reynolds (Anthony) is the mild mannered pianist and loyal friend to Judy. He is voice of reason, the anchor in the chaos. But even he cannot stop the storm.

Mackenzie Zielke paints Judy with all the emotions. She runs from a wry sense of humor to outright hilarity; from doldrums to excitement; from playfulness to deep depression. It is evident that Zielke spent hours studying Judy because her facial expressions, her accent, her musical tone are spot on. She captures Judy in a way that left me spellbound. With a voice strong and sure, her vocals are mesmerizing. She is Judy.

Matt Karasek is wonderful as Mickey Deans. His progression from someone who loves Judy and tries his best to deal with her addictions to a pragmatic manager who knows what must be done to keep her earning money to dig out of debt is impressive. He maintains his cool, but eventually blows up in response to her raging.

Trevor Larsen, the fourth member of this dynamic cast, serves a dual role as radio interviewer and porter, showing his versatility.

Reynolds also plays keyboards and serves as an excellent Musical Director. The six piece band with orchestrations by Chris Egan is so good! The music alone is reason enough to buy a ticket.

Rob Lohman, Costume Designer, came up with some gorgeous costumes that are completely in sync with Judy’s style, including her signature scarf. Julia Parker, Lightboard Operator, adds mood with subtle lighting that at times surprises with dramatic effect.

It’s hard to adequately describe the depth of this production. I don’t think you can watch it and not be drawn in to the point where you are feeling their pain as we all watch Judy self destruct. It's brutal. It's beautiful.

This is one of the TOP productions I have seen in local theatre. Zielke’s performance is probably the best I’ve seen anywhere. See for yourself.

END OF THE RAINBOW is showing at Duchesne Academy, 3601 Burt Street, Omaha, NE on August 7, 8 and 9 at 7:00 pm and on August 10 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are available at www.performingartistsrepertorytheatre.org. Or call 402-706-0778.