End of the Rainbow

        For those who are lucky, once in a while a show will come along that has the ability to transport you out of your seat in the theater and bring you right into the room of the action. End of The Rainbow is one of those plays. Peter Quiller has constructed a masterpiece that recounts Judy Garlands final London concert series just months before her untimely death.

       There is no doubt that the star of this wonderful play is the brilliant performance of Tracie Bennett as Judy Garland. Some may say that she doesn't exactly do the most wonderful impersonation of Judy Garland, and I would tend to agree with them. You may find someone who looks more like her, or does her voice better, but we're talking about the full and complete package. There isn't a moment that you don't forget you're not actually watching Judy Garland in her final months of life.

   End of the Rainbow takes place over the course of the five week engagement of what was supposed to have been Judy Garland's comeback tour, which was entitled Talk of the Town. Most of the action takes place in her London hotel suite. At her side is Mickey Deans, her charismatic young lover and caretaker, and new manager. Also on hand is her pianist and old friend Anthony. Through the course of the play we are given a window into what the private struggle for Judy may have been like, and it is both breath taking and tear inducing.

    Tracie Bennett does all of her own singing through out the entire evening. The songs are used poignantly to comment on and enhance the action. The show is not a musical, though it does have about 5 or 6 songs sung both at rehearsal in her hotel suite, and on stage at the theater backed by a live band.

   Ms. Bennett is joined onstage by Michael Cumpsty as Anthony, her confidant, and the one man who may have been able to save her life had she been willing to let him. Tom Pelphry is passable as Mickey Deans though he doesn't really have the range to match Bennett. In a series of smaller roles Jay Russel does exactly what he needs to do.

      The opulent set and costumes by William Dudley is used to wonderful effect through the course of the night. Terry Johnson's direction is absolutely superb. The lighting is serviceable if not magical. There are some beautifully lit moments but for the most part it's merely functional.

    People, I kid you not when I tell you that this show, this performance in this show, is the kind of performance that in 20 years or so is going to be the answer to the question "If you could go back in time and catch any performance on Broadway what would it be".

  End of the Rainbow plays on Broadway at The Belasco Theater until Sunday August 19th. There are $30 rush tickets available to anyone the day of the show. Go and get one, and be one of the people who gets to say they saw the performance of a lifetime. You will not be disappointed.