In 1964, Australia was excited to see Judy Garland perform. Her award-winning live album Judy At Carnegie Hall brought her a new legion of fans, and her television series allowed her public to see she was no longer Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz.
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This was the Garland that Australia was desperate to see. And they did - in Sydney - spectacularly. Her two shows there were received, and reviewed, rapturously.
But by the time she got to Melbourne, she was in bad shape and it seemed a lifetime of personal demons and substance abuse had caught up with her. She arrived at Festival Hall 70-minutes late and gave a performance that angered many in the audience and devastated her die-hard fans.
Judy. Australia.1964 is a musical that recounts the drama of Garland's 12 days Down Under in May that year. It is told from the perspective of Harry M. Miller - who brought the star to Australia, is supported with an eight-piece showband. One of Australia's greatest jazz singers, Nina Ferro, plays the role of Garland, and Helpmann Award winning actor Matt Hetherington plays Miller.
Writer Bill Farr has been fascinated with Garland since the early 70s, when he heard the Carnegie Hall album.
"It was in live performance that Garland was at her most electrifying. At her best, no one could come close to the effect she had on audiences," he said.
"Her Melbourne performance was, therefore, both a shock and a foretaste of what was to come. In writing this show, I wanted to capture both the excitement of the performer at her peak, and the drama of the moment when her legendary ability to triumph over adversity finally failed her."
The show will have three performances at The National Theatre Melbourne, 20 Carlisle Street, St Kilda, VIC from 10-11 February, 2023. Tickets can be bought at www.midsumma.org.au/judy-1964
