Judy Garland: Is It Just Me, or Is It Just Me?
Judy Garland: Is It Just Me, or Is It Just Me?
By Mark Baratelli
Musical Direction by Steve Merritt
Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, Blue Venue</strong>
One great mystery to me is the faciantion with burned out divas in a certain subset of the theater community, but it’s a fertile source of material for entertaining us masses. It’s almost impossible to be unaware of Judy Garland’s downward spiral, she grew up famous and unloved and all the demons of Hollywood fed her pain and emptiness with drugs and alcohol and meaningless relations. Mark Baratelli captures this public angst with Steve Merritt on Piano and MC Chris. Merritt looks elegant while Chris tries valiantly to keep Judy on topic and in her light. She answers fluffy audience questions like: “what was your vest time on stage?” and makes up songs on the spot in a dreamy, drunken lounge style. My favorite was “Hand Me a Roy Rodgers”. Try one at the Stonewall bar; it’s mostly vodka and Monomethylhydrazine. It’s a laugh a tonight minute even though you know you’re looking at the ghost of a sad, sad woman. But at the end all is resolved: there are cupcakes for everyone! Yeah!
This production is part of the 2014 Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival. Information on tickets and show times may be found at http://OrlandoFringe.org/
