End Of The Rainbow - Judy Garland

Saturday 2nd March Playhouse Theatre QPAC
The biographical last decline of the phenomenal talent that was Judy Garland written by Peter Quilter and starring Christen O'Leary. Just a short while before her death she appeared at the Talk of the Town in London with her new husband manager (12 years her junior) Mickey Deans (Anthony Standish) and the adoring gay accompanist Anthony (Hayden Spencer). The play originally inspired by the observation of a washed up artist being reluctantly and literally pushed on stage to perform as the old professional he was. So many similarities were seen by others with the Garland story that Peter Quilter (an Englishman) re-wrote it to fit the story of Judy Garlands last days and this version premiered in Australia in 2005 and is hence thought of as an Australian play by and Englishman about an American.

 Christen O'Leary has played Judy Garland before in what has been described as a powerhouse performance in 'The Boy From Oz'. Here for The Queensland Theatre Company she gets to fill a whole show with all the passion of an exaggerated life of fame, talent, strength, love, drugs and alcohol. About a dozen of Garland's songs are delivered with the power and conviction of a trouper as we switch from the anguish to the hysteria to the sadness that was the life of one of the 20th century's truly fabulous icons.

The evening ended with a standing ovation for the awesome performance of the multi award winning actress and divine singer Christen O'Leary. As a friend said to be able to successfully inhabit the role of a person so well known and loved is remarkable.

A great review I wish I had written myself Click here