PicksInSix Review: JUDY & LIZA—Once In A Lifetime
TOGETHER AGAIN… FOR THE FIRST TIME.
By the time Nancy Hays and Alexa Castelvecchi settle in together for the glorious signature duet “Get Happy/Happy Days” in the second act of “JUDY & LIZA—ONCE IN A LIFETIME: The London Palladium Concert—A Tribute!” now playing at the Greenhouse Theater Center, they have already performed a brilliant series of classic solos and duets from the songbooks of Judy Garland and her daughter, Liza Minnelli.
The essential spark at the center of this show is the marvelous chemistry and remarkable vocal precision of these two vocalists who create a genuine sense of what it might have been like to see Judy and Liza perform together. The song selections—many from their only live concert appearance at the Palladium Theatre in London in November 1964—along with a few surprises, punctuate a storyline that reveals a lot about their relationship and allows the show to breeze by focused on the music and the performances without the weight of scene changes, elaborate costumes or projections.
Hays, who has played the role of Judy on stage previously, as well as in an earlier version with Castelvecchi, is a gifted and dynamic singer/actor whose captivating presence on stage alone allows you to escape into the music, particularly in a 1960s period setting where even the microphone and cable become part of the action. Hays gives an exuberant and moving performance, at one point bringing the tender “Make Someone Happy” directly into the audience in Greenhouse’s intimate studio space. So seamless are the transitions throughout that it is difficult to determine when the talent of Hays merges into one with the iconic star.
Castelvecchi plays the younger version of Minnelli with ease, at once enamored of her famous “Mama” even as she forges a style that is all her own. Fans of the concert will recognize the bursting talent of the young superstar, and it is in those moments, when Liza is alone on stage, that you can visualize the charismatic entertainer that she will become. Castelvecchi’s terrific vocal range and superb dancing ability establish a fresh contrast between the two stars. In many loving and real moments, director Dale Calandra explores how Liza might have watched and learned from her famous mother.
For the record, this is not a recreation of the concert. Hays and Castelvecchi remind you at the top and along the way that this is more a story of their lives through the songs. Often heartwarming, but always energetic and fun, the story behind “JUDY & LIZA” is a splendid trip down memory lane.
And when they dive singularly and collectively into music director Robert Ollis’s arrangements, all that we know about entertainment history peels away and we are left with two gifted performers delivering powerful ballads and crisp medleys that feel warm and familiar.
PHOTOS|Mike Hendzell
GREENHOUSE THEATER CENTER
presents
JUDY & LIZA
ONCE IN A LIFETIME
THE LONDON PALLADIUM CONCERT-A TRIBUTE
through April 5, 2020
2257 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago
(773) 404-7336
WEBSITE
TICKETS
TRIBUTE WEBSITE
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