Judy & Liza
Judy & Liza was the Friday evening show as the Liverpool Theatre Festival starts to near its climax during its extremely well-received run at the Bombed Out Church, and this was another home-run success of a production.
Synopsis
Judy & Liza refers to Judy Garland (an iconic American singer and actress) and her daughter Liza Minnelli, herself a major star in the same fields. Judy was played here by Helen Sheals, while Liza was played by Emma Dears, and together they told the story of one of the most famous mother-daughter teams in showbusiness.
The show consisted of a play with a light-hearted comedic touch, whereby Judy would explain to Liza the stories behind a photo album contained within a trunk on the stage, one that Judy carries everywhere with her. This covered both their personal and professional lives, as we learned about their relationship together both on and off the stage. In between hearing about the moments that defined the lives of both mother and daughter, we of course were treated to a plethora of songs that made each of these iconic performers the major stars that they were and, in Liza’s case, still is.
Analysis
A show like this suggests a feeling of high class, and that is what we got. The red velvet curtain with a starry backdrop provided prestige to proceedings, and the costumes were both authentic and eye-catching, being true to the personalities of both Garland and Minnelli while remaining true to the garb that celebrities wore during the 1960s and 1970s. The costume changes themselves were cleverly handled, demonstrating the attention to detail that this production had.
There was a lengthy introduction to really set the stage for what was to come, and the performances from both were spot-on. Helen Sheals did a great job as Judy, and Emma Dears was exuberant in the role of Liza. As noted, there was good humour to be found, an example being when Judy invited Liza to one of her many weddings, to which Liza replied “I can’t attend this one, but I will definitely attend the next one!” And, of course, the musical renditions were first-class: the stand-out songs were The Trolley Song and Liza With A Z Not An S, during which we were treated to excellent harmonies. The show closed with Garland’s most famous tune of all, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and Liza singing Maybe This Time, to which the crowd reacted with great applause.
Summary
Judy & Liza lived up to all expectations by delivering a fantastic hour of entertainment. It was a superb reminder to longtime devotees as to why Garland and Minnelli were so special together, and also a nice introduction to these two showbusiness legends for any new fans.
