"The Perks Of Being A Wallflower"

The other night, Andrew and I went to see "The Perks Of Being A Wallflower".  Like everyone else my age, I read this book my sophomore year of highschool along with my English teacher and now friend, Laurie because everyone insisted we read it.  I remember reading it in about a day and a half and loving it! Everyone always compares it to "The Catcher In The Rye" which I completely disagree with. I hated "Catcher" with a passion. But that's just me.  

Anyway, the story is just a really good not too cliche coming-of-age story with an ending that you just don't see coming but that makes sense. The movie was by far the best book to screen translation I've ever seen along with "Rosemary's Baby".  It was done the right way, most likely because Stephen Chbosky, who wrote the book also wrote the screenplay. 

The casting was flawless, the flow of the film was perfect, there wasn't a single dull moment in the entire two hours.  I just loved it!  It was well worth the wait! Especially since I've been waiting for this movie since I was 14.  Another good thing is that even if you haven't read the book (which Andrew didn't), you'll still enjoy the movie.  Watching it was like rereading the book.  It was just so perfectly executed!  

So, see the movie.  I can't imagine anyone not enjoying it.  And even if you see the movie first, the book is worth reading.  I can't wait for the DVD! 

Essential Judy

Lately, many people have been asking my advice about which Judy movies/music/books, they absolutely must get their hands on.  This post isn't about the more obvious things like "The Wizard Of Oz", "A Star Is Born", "Meet Me In St. Louis",etc... I wanted to make you guys aware of some things that may escape your radar.

Let me start by saying, you really should see ALL of her movies just for her performances alone and to see how she evolved as an actress. But for now, let's start with these films, which, in my opinion, are some of her more important achievements:

In "Judgment At Nuremberg", Judy has a cameo in which she displays some of the best acting of her career. It earned her an academy award nomination for Best Supporting Actress that year.

"A Child Is Waiting" is a very unexpected film for Judy to have chosen to make and also a very important one that was very close to her heart as it's about mentally handicapped children. She worked with them numerous times through the years and again, does a marvelous acting job as a sympathetic teacher faced with a very difficult choice. It's one of the best of her non-musical roles.

"I Could Go On Singing" is my favorite Judy film next to "The Wizard Of Oz", mainly because it's like watching Judy play herself. It's very honest and a bit erie. She has some wonderful musical performances in it and since it turned out to be her last film, I can't think of a better note she could have gone out on.

"Life With Judy Garland: Me & My Shadows" is the film version of Lorna Luft's book.  I think Judy Davis and Tammy Blanchard both gave amazing performances.  While no one can really BE Judy, they came pretty damn close.  Also, not only is it just a good movie, it's probably the best tv biopic I've ever seen. If you're planning on purchasing this, make sure you buy the 2012 release. It contains A LOT of extra footage not in the original release.

Music:

Most of these are live albums or more recent cds of unreleased material. All of the studio albums, particularly the Capitol recordings are a must-have, but these are rare and really great to hear.

This cd was released back in the nineties.  It's Judy's midnight concert in Amsterdam during the tour which ultimately brought her to Carnegie Hall. She's actually in even better voice in this concert and it's absolutely stunning! However, this release omitted "Over The Rainbow" for some reason but included some recordings from the aborted live album, "Judy Takes Broadway". But good news! It's being re-released in a top quality official remastered version in November! So hold out for that one!

Judy at Carnegie Hall. Enough said.

Finally, a few years ago, they released a COMPLETE cd version of Judy's 1958 concert at the Coconut Grove. They cut a few songs from the original lp release, presumably because she was suffering from throat problems, but you'd never know it. She sounds fabulous and powerful!

Another stop on the '61 tour was the Olympia in Paris. This was originally broadcast on the radio. It's basically the Carnegie Hall show with a few addictions. The program is out of order a bit, but it's a great album nonetheless and comes with a really nice booklet of information.

This bootleg record was released sometime in the eighties. It's actually Judy's last AMERICAN concert at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. It's also one of her best live recordings especially considering the year (1968). The album is hard to find, but the complete concert does exist in private collections and if you troll the Judy boards, you can probably find someone to share it with you.  Or you could just ask me! ;)

Judy & Liza Live at The Palladium has one of the most plagued histories of any Judy release. In 2002 there was supposed to be a "complete" two cd release including rehearsals, interviews, and the entire program compiled from the two night run. This never happened due to it's not "showing Judy in her best light". This is utter nonsense especially since Judy herself approved the original release in 64. They did finally release a version of it in 2010 on one disc edited so that there's basically no dialogue, BUT the sound quality is impeccable! Luckily, advance copies of the first aborted full release were sent out and are floating around and available for download at thejudyroom.com so it can be heard in it's entirety anyway. :)

Judy at Home at The Palace was produced by Sid Luft.  It's a compilation of her opening night and I believe the second and third nights of the run.  As with all Luft productions, it's not by any means "complete" but it's still a great album and includes duets with Lorna and Joe.  It's not available on cd, but again, you can most likely find someone to share it in mp3 format or somewhere online.  There are many audience recorded tapes  of various performances from the run floating around as well.  They're not all the best quality, but they are definitely worth seeking out.

Another Luft production.  This is a two disc set.  The first disc contains duets from "The Judy Garland Show" but that's not the real gem here. You want it for the second disc which is the 1951 Palace closing night! The sound quality is excellent!

The following cds have been released by the Savory Jazz label and are all taken from "The Judy Garland Show". These discs are of the best quality and the best available recordings of her material from the show. They contain some of her best performances and all of them are worth owning.

"The Complete Decca Masters" is the only box set with ALL of Judy's Decca recordings along with a few alternate takes. There are more around on various newer releases, but this is the one to get. It has everything!

"The One & Only" box set was released by Capitol in the nineties containing then previously unreleased material including all the "London" recordings. It's a nice compilation of three cds of some of her better Capitol recordings with some extra tidbits.

This is one of the best releases in YEARS! It's two discs, containing the studio work done in London from 57 to 64 and contains not only alternate takes, but a song written for "I Could Go On Singing" that wasn't even known to exist! Amazing set! Amazing restoration! This is the same label that's releasing the Holland Concert in a few months.

This set has a lot of rare radio and concert recordings but the real selling point is the Decca test records Judy made before getting her recording contract in the thirties.  They were thought to be lost but were actually in a private collection and picked from Judy's trash! 

Books:

These are all pretty self explanatory.  Just some of my favorite book pics. Start with "Judy" by Gerald Frank, then "Me and My Shadows" and work your way through. If you have questions about any of these, just ask me. :)

TV:

Aside from "The Judy Garland Show" which is a must have for anyone who loves Judy or just good entertainment, do what you can to find some of her other tv appearances. They're scarce, but they exist!

"End of The Rainbow" on Broadway

Yesterday, Andrew and I went to the closing performance of “End Of The Rainbow” starring Tracie Bennett as Judy Garland. The story takes place in December of 1968 when Judy signed on for a five week engagement at London’s “Talk Of The Town” (which just as a side-note was released as “Judy’s Final Concert” by Mickey Deans. This isn’t true as her last concert was actually in Copenhagen, but it’s a great recording nonetheless).  She’s at the Ritz Hotel with her fiancée (and final husband), Mickey Deans, and her pianist, Anthony  (a fictional character).

The show  basically focuses on Judy’s addiction to pills and alcohol and what they’ve done to her/her career and her relationships with people. It portrays everything in a funny, and sympathetic, if a bit heightened way. 

Okay, so here’s my take on the show.  I’ve read reviews and talked to some Judy fans and other people who have seen it.  The critics love Tracie Bennett, as do I! This woman has one of the most powerful voices I’ve ever heard in the theater and is a truly great actress!  However, a lot of people are upset about how much it focuses on the pills and the booze, and I’m inclined to agree, but honestly, it seemed to work in the context of this production. 

I must admit, I went into this show  knowing full well that it wasn’t an accurate portrayal of Judy.  A lot of the events were fictitious and a lot of things were just far from reality.  The show was not meant to be a biographical representation of her but an entertaining show and that’s EXACTLY what it was.  I personally loved it.  Once I took the Judy factor out of it, I just appreciated and enjoyed the CHARACTER.  It seemed this character was the Judy that a lot of people see, and that was her purpose.  It was not the Judy that was, but the myth.  The legend. 

Anthony represents Judy’s gay fans and the love they have for her.  He’s the only voice of reason in the entire show who actually cares about Judy and her well-being.  Mickey, on the other hand is more an enabler who (and this is true in reality) is no match for Judy and her cunning ways.  Tracie plays Judy as the tragic, flamboyant, and insanely funny woman that so many sensational stories have been written (and largely fabricated and exaggerated) about and she does it brilliantly.  Judy often did things that were completely absurd to “give the people what they want”.  She knew what they wrote and said about her and she took it for what it was and actually at times had a bit of fun with it.  She always knew what she was doing.  Anthony sees past all that and knows that somewhere buried in all that hype is the vulnerable, intelligent woman  he loves and respects.  I think a lot of people missed that point.  This is definitely a play of subtext that makes you think.  In that way, it actually is a good portrait of Judy or at least the circumstances of her life at that time. 

There were many things that simply would never have happened, and I don’t mean this critically, because it worked really well on stage.  For one thing, there’s a lot of talk of the hotel bill that Judy refuses (and c an’t) pay.  Mickey at one point is under the impression that she has paid it or was going to pay it herself.  This would NEVER have happened in a million years.  Judy never handled her own money, which is why she had so many people around her who did.  It’s also the reason she had none by 1968.  She knew nothing about finances and would never have been entrusted with a thing like that. 

Another completely unrealistic thing was the way Mickey handled and talked to Judy.  In life (and in the show), Mickey comes off as kind of a weakling.  He wouldn’t have talked to Judy like that in reality for fear he would lose his meal ticket.  I’ve always had a rather low opinion of Mickey Deans.  I hated his character in the show (which was the point) so I guess Tom Pelphrey did an okay job in that respect. 

There’s another scene in which Judy is carried in by the porter after a wild night of drinking after the show.  She’s bloody and has ripped stockings, and is completely belligerent.  Judy wouldn’t have just left without Mickey or someone.  She just didn’t go out alone like that.  But again, for the Judy in the play, it was pretty typical and just as funny as it was sad. 

You catch a lot of glimpses of the real Judy throughout the show, especially in the last scene where she’s talking about her audiences and people wanting her to sing.  One of the last lines in the play is “When they don’t want to hear me sing then THAT will be the end”.  By that time, you could hear a pin drop in the theater and everyone was crying.   My favorite line in the show was Judy’s last line, “Immortality might just make up for everything”.

So, here are some of my favorite things about the show.  First of all, Tracie Bennett.  She walked out to one of the longest ovations I’ve ever witnessed.  It was at least two minutes long.  And she deserved it!  She handled the material SO well and her timing is spot-on.  She made some lines and bits, which done the wrong way could have easily tanked, into hilarious one-liners and digs!  My favorite musical moment, by far was “The Man That Got Away”.  I had chills the entire time she sang and it was a perfect ending to the first act.  It was just haunting and brilliant in a way I can’t even describe in words.  I also adored her encore of “By Myself”, in the middle of which, she made her thank-yous to everyone involved with the show and held some of the longest most powerful notes, I’ve ever heard! 

I think I had the strongest emotional connection with the Anthony character.  Michael Cumpsty, who’s a brilliant actor anyway, did a fantastic job of portraying Judy’s fans and the people who know and love her and the reasons why.  He understands her in a way that Mickey never could and sees her as a person rather than an icon.  It was an incredibly moving performance, and I really do think he deserved the Tony for it. 

After the show, we went to the stage door to stalk out the cast and I’m SO glad we did!  I got to chat with Tracie Bennett and Michael Cumpsty for a few minutes.  Tracie was one of the most grateful and gracious performers I’ve ever met in my life.  She took the time to talk, take pictures, sign things…whatever you wanted.  She thanked me a million times for what I said about her performance and we talked briefly about the respect she had for Judy, which I actually saw on stage.  The thing I have to say that makes her the most like Judy is her gratitude and love for the audience.  At the end of the show, she literally kissed everything on the stage.  It was amazing! 

Michael Cumpsty (he’s so cute) chatted with me for a couple of minutes on his way back into the theater.  He was also really grateful for the comments people were making and he told me about the upcoming tour and just how he felt about everything.  He was really friendly.  They all were. 

I have to say, I’m not overly critical of shows like this in the same way I’m not overly critical about movies that are based on books.  The book and the movie are two completely different things.  Just like real people and dramatic representations of an aspect of them are two different things.  This was simply one view of the Judy Garland legend and I think it really achieved it’s goal, which was to make you think before you pass a judgment and above all, to entertain.  That was Judy’s objective in the long run anyway. 

All in all, it was a hell of a show and I only wish I could have seen it more than once.  Andrew wanted me to have a good time and I had one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.  The whole day was perfect and carefree and I’m incredibly grateful to him for making it happen for me. 

Liza At The Borgata!

On Saturday night, March 24, Andrew took me to see Liza at the Borgata in Atlantic City! As usual, the entire evening was absolutely perfect! Liza was in amazing voice and she looks as fabulous as ever! She opened the show with "Alexander's Ragtime Band", which she sang at Carnegie Hall in the late 80's. I've always loved that arrangement and I'm so glad she did it! She apologized after the song for not "dancing around" as much as she usually does because she recently broke her leg. Even with pins in her ankle, she was incredible!

Since she released "Confessions" a couple of years ago (my favorite by far of all her studio albums), she's been touring with a nightclub act. Instead of her usual huge orchestra, she had a band consisting of six guys, including, of course, Billy Stritch on piano and instead of the usual two act show, it was one act that ran about an hour and a half.

The second song of the evening sent me right in my bag for a tissue, "Liza With A Z". It brought me right back to hearing her sing it the first time I saw her live when I was about six and ironically, in Atlantic City. There's nothing like seeing her live and hearing that voice and seeing that great showmanship in person! Entertainers just don't do what she does anymore. The intimacy she manages to create as if she's talking directly to you is incredible. That's something that Judy had and what makes both of them so special and allows them to touch people the way they've touched me over the years. At one point, someone yelled out, "You're just like Mama!" and Liza said, "Oh no. And you know why? My Mama taught me never to be second best!"... You go, Girl!

The highest point of the evening for me, naturally, was when she sang "He's Funny that Way" which is the song I always sing to Andrew. She sang it when we saw her at the Palace in 2009 and it's really our song. I couldn't let go of his hand throughout most of the evening. Being able to share the experience with him made it so much more meaningful and wonderful than it would have been otherwise. The amount of love in that room was just indescribable. I'm so grateful I had him to share it with.

There were so many highlights in the evening. She did an adorable duet with Billy of "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", ending with the two of them holding hands over the piano. She also sang EVERY ONE of my favorite songs from "Confessions" (Confession, You Fascinate Me So, On Such A Night As This, and He's a Tramp). As usual, she brought the house down with "Cabaret", leading into it by saying "I have a new song that I've never done before, let me know what you think". Oh, Liza May...

She also sang "What Makes a Man a Man" and then she told the story about how she stood in for Gwen Verdon in "Chicago" and launched into a stunning rendition of "My Own Best Friend", another one we saw her do at The Palace. At the end of the show, of course, she did "New York, New York" and she sort of faltered on the last note. Even though we were all on our feet screaming with admiration, she said "Hang on, guys. Sit down. I can do this better!" She then took a sip of water, and started the last verse again. The applause and shouting were THUNDEROUS! She knocked that note over the moon! She did two encores: "Every Time We Say Goodbye", a marvelous Cole Porter song which is on the "Sex & The City 2" album (she sang it at the wrap party for the cast), and then she showed everyone why she's a show business legend... she did an acapella version of "I'll Be Seeing You".

Liza never fails to deliver and she works harder than most performers today to please the audience. Never have I seen her just coast through a performance. She's truly one of the last great ladies we have. To be able to spend the night watching one of my heros with the one person who's always there for me, loving me just as much as I love him, made me feel like the luckiest guy in the world. And I'll never forget it as long as I live.

Oh, I almost forgot! There was one more thing that really hit close to home at the show. Sitting right behind me was a little girl. She had to be about seven or eight. She was so excited to be there! She was singing along with every song and saying little things to her mother about Liza and how much she loved and idolized her. It was like staring at my own past. Even Andrew pointed out that she reminded him of me. I was just like that at her age and I can remember seeing Liza for the first time when I was just a bit younger than her and being completely blown away and ecstatic! It was really a full circle moment for me and it was nice to see a new generation touched the same way I was.

Here's a video from a recent performance in Reno, just to give you an idea of what the show was like:

Elizabeth Taylor and Women's Rights

This article was sent to me the other day by my friend, Donna. It's about a new book published about Elizabeth that came out last week called "Elizabeth Taylor: An Accidental Feminist". I can't wait to pick it up! The article was great and I had a lot of thoughts on the subject, which I sent to Donna in an email. Instead of going into it again, I just decided to post the email I sent her underneath the article. If anyone has any thoughts, please comment! :)

The Article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/books/review/what-elizabeth-taylor-did-for-womens-rights.html?pagewanted=all

My thoughts (from my email to Donna):

I completely agree with what this article said. The thing about Elizabeth is that she was truly the first Hollywood star (of her caliber) that simply didn't give a damn and lived her life on her own terms. I don't think she ever meant to be a feminist, she simply wanted to live her life and did to the fullest. What's also interesting is that all those roles she played that are supposed to have done so much for feminism were written by men. She had a way of playing them while maintaining complete control over herself, and more importantly, her own sexuality. A lot of people forget that she wasn't just a pretty starlet. She was one of the smartest, shrewdest, business-minded women in showbusiness and eventually in other endeavors like her perfume business and the creation of AMFAR. She was the first star ever to be paid a million dollars for a single role when she signed to do "Cleopatra" and that was only because she didn't want to do it and sarcastically said, "I'll do it for a million dollars and ten percent of the gross" and they said "okay". Then the whole scandal around "Cleopatra" when she met Richard Burton while they were both married really helped to kick start the sexual revolution in the early 60's. People today forget how huge that was. Brad & Jen and Angelina have nothing on what went on then! lol Another great story is that after Mike Todd (her fourth husband) died, she was forced under contract to do "Butterfield 8". She didn't want to do it and when she finally saw the film, she openly hated it. In the movie, her character writes "No Sale" in lipstick on a mirror, so after she saw the film, she went and wrote on the mirror there "Piece of Shit". And then she won an oscar for it! So, as I said, she just didn't care. She was going to live the way she wanted to regardless of what everyone thought. This was a woman who was thrown out of the catholic church, Britain threatened to take away her dual citizenship, then later named her a Dame, and the Vatican even tried to take her children away at one point all because of her personal life, regardless of the kind of person she was. She's a perfect example of what people (women especially) can go through and SURVIVE. So, she truly was an "Accidental Feminist". She was a human being and she embraced it.

"Shockaholic" By: Carrie Fisher

First of all, let me start by saying I LOVE CARRIE FISHER! I've read all of her books and will listen to her talk about just about anything. She has a great wit, a captivating mind, and most importantly a terrific sense of humor about her all too unusual life and struggles with addiction and mental illness. "Shockaholic" is sort of a companion to her lat book "Wishful Drinking", which I've read more than once, then bought the audio book to listen to on my iPod whenever I need a good laugh. She also turned the book into a one woman show which eventually ended up as an HBO special and is available on dvd. Definitely check it out! It's basically the book in stand-up form. She's probably the most candid writer/celebrity alive today, she holds nothing back, and according to her mom, Debbie Reynolds is incapable of keeping a secret. There's an interview with her as a special feature on the dvd version of "Wishful Drinking" where she says, "Don't tell Carrie anything unless you want it to wind up in a book!"

The title refers to her fairly recent discovery of ECT (Electro Convulsive Therapy). She mentions it briefly in the first book, but in this one, she explains in a little more depth how it plays with the memory. Her stream of consciousness writing style makes you feel like you're sitting at a kitchen table with a cup of coffee (or a martini and a xanax) dishing and reminiscing with an old friend. She goes into her relationship with her dad, Eddie Fisher, a lot more than she ever has before and explains how she finally came to figure out what kind of "relationship" worked for them. I found all of that particularly interesting, especially towards the end of his life. There's also, unexpectedly, a really great chapter a bout Michael Jackson, his quirks, their casual friendship (they were practically neighbors), and some wonderful anecdotes and observations about him and of course, Elizabeth Taylor.

Like "Wishful Drinking", "Shockaholic" is short (106 pages), sweet, funny, honest, and to the point. It's an amazing book for just about anyone because you'll ultimately relate to something in Carrie's seemingly un-relatable life. Her books have gotten me through some pretty dark times, so one can only hope she continues these little autobiographical memoirs for us to enjoy over and over again.

Judy Garland: The London Studio Recordings 1957-1964

Judy always had a special place in her heart for London. She loved the town ever since her first concert there at the Palladium in 1951. The people of England embraced her with open arms and she embraced them and their culture with great appreciation and mutual admiration.

In the 50's and 60's, she was one of the top-selling recording artists in the world under the Capitol/EMI label and it's never more apparent than when she worked in England. This set spans seven years and is comprised of recordings made at Abbey Road studios. The producers and engineers who worked on this are really a class act! The sound quality (not surprisingly) is off the charts and the material is a gold mine!

There are a total of 14 alternate takes, 12 of which have never been heard before and one ("Please Say, 'Ah'") that until now was completely undocumented and unheard. That alone is worth getting the set, but there are so many amazing things to hear! Judy's conversations with the guitarist about fixing the intro to "It Never Was You", The audience at the studio breaking into applause when she finishes "Hello, Bluebird", her hilariously accusing one of the engineers of being a pot head... I could go on, but you really should hear for yourself! The "Please Say, 'Ah'" number was recorded during the sessions for "I Could Go On Singing" as a demo with Saul Chaplin for Dirk Bogarde to learn and sing in the film. As the script and music progressed, clearly it had no place in the film, but the song itself is absolutely priceless! It's perky and adorable and Mort Lindsay's arrangement is of the highest quality.

At this stage in my life, hearing something that Judy has done that I haven't already heard is a pretty rare occurrence, but when it does happen, boy do I get excited! And in this case, ecstatic because the material here is incredible in itself! If you didn't know these tracks had never been heard before, you'd still enjoy them just because they're that great.

All in all, this is by far the best Judy release of 2011 and I really hope that whatever else is lurking in the vaults is made available for us to hear and enjoy. There is a reason why she's a legend and this cd is a perfect example of it.