Tyler Houchins Brings DOWN A YELLOW BRICK ROAD Home to Philadelphia in May

Philadelphia cabaret performer, Tyler Houchins, has announced a return of his solo performance, Down A Yellow Brick Road, celebrating legendary actress and vocalist Judy Garland, Thursday, May 16 and Wednesday, May 22 at 8:00 p.m at Rosy’s Taco Bar East in South Philadelphia, bringing cabaret back to former site of L’Étage, the cabaret venue which shuttered in 2020.

Hailed as “a beautifully sung and masterfully arranged tribute to the voice and art of Judy Garland” by Cabaret Hotspot, Down a Yellow Brick Road takes audiences over the rainbow with a selection of greatest hits from Garland’s catalog in a celebration of the music and artistry of the icon. Audiences will hear favorites from The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, and A Star is Born, with hits like “The Trolley Song,” “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart” and “For Me and My Gal,” in this performance featuring Houchins and music director, Mark Hartman.  

“This was not your normal ‘Judy Garland tribute.’ This was a heartfelt homage from an authentic, emerging artist, to his inspiration, and we believe that she would be very proud indeed. A particular note was a stunning arrangement of Noel Coward‘s ‘If Love Were All,’ coupled with ‘If I Only Had a Brain,’ (from the Wizard of Oz). This piece alone is undoubtedly worth the price of admission.” said Cabaret Hotspot in a review of the September 2022 Don’t Tell Mama NYC debut performance.

“So much of her better-known material is classic Americana,” said Houchins. “There’s something very American and nostalgic about her catalog. It’s good, classic material that, the more it ages, the better it gets. And it’s universal—looking at ‘Over the Rainbow,’ we all have wants and desires that seem unachievable … and we’ve all had that thought: ‘what is that next step?’ ‘What is that next hurdle I have to get over to find what I’m striving for—to bring me happiness?’”

“There is something about the way that she sang that felt like she was crying … it was very open and raw. Growing up, as a young gay kid in the south—not really knowing how I should feel, hearing someone sing their emotions so unabashedly gave me an outlet. That’s only grown since I’ve gotten older. Now I can appreciate the artistry that went into what she was doing,” Houchins said. “She was so present and so vulnerable in her singing and performing. For that time, she was the only one doing that. That’s what draws me to her.” 

Tyler Houchins performs Down a Yellow Brick Road Thursday, May 16 and Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. at Rosy’s Taco Bar East—located at 624 South 6th Street. Tickets are $30, available now here.  Doors open at 7:00 p.m. (I had Friday May 16 & May 22).

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