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September 19, 2007
Rufus Wainwright Sings Judy Garland
When the Hollywood Bowl schedule listed "Rufus Wainwright sings Judy Garland", I thought this is a show I don't want to miss. Now that his website says that this is the last time he will recreate the famous 1961 Carnegie Hall show, I have started packing my picnic basket. As I sit here listening to tracks from his CD "Release the Stars", I am counting down the days until Sunday.
In addition to his prolific songwriting, Wainwright has covered "Hallelujah" and "Everybody Knows" by Leonard Cohen and "One Man Guy" by his father Loudon Wainwright III. In this tribute to Judy Garland he sings every song from her legendary 1961 recording. Those of us who heard about his daring choice to recreate this historic performance can finally see it for ourselves. With the Hollywood Bowl orchestra and conductor Stephen Oremus, Los Angeles will be the last place on earth that anyone will get to witness the magical event that brought Rufus such acclaim.
Back in June of 2006, as he was preparing for his big night at Carnegie Hall, Wainwright spoke with Guy Trebay of the New York Times. He described his reaction to Judy Garland's recording:
"After 9/11, when we first were going to war and the state of things looked pretty dismal, I bought the rerelease. Somehow that album, no matter how dark things seemed, made everything brighten. She had this capacity to lighten the world through the innocence of her sound. Her anchor to the material was obviously through her devotion to music. You never feel that she didn't believe every word of every song she ever sang."
For Sunday night at the Bowl, Wainwright has donated tickets to benefit Project Angel Food. This event supports Project Angel Food's mission of cooking and delivering food to people struggling with HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses throughout Los Angeles County. You will have the opportunity to see Rufus up close and meet him at an after show reception.
I can't wait to hear "When You're Smiling the Whole World Smiles with You", but we'll have to wait until Sunday.
Rufus Wainwright Sings Judy Garland:
Live at the
Hollywood Bowl
Sun, Sep 23, 2007 07:00 PM
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I saw the concert. His voice was shredded and on the occasion when he tried to do a "big finish" on a song he failed miserably, with his voice breaking. But most of the time, you could see the "aw f*** it" and he didn't even really try to sell the ending. I was disappointed. He's a beautiful man, and a fantastic singer, but this material did not fit his voice when it's in his prime. But in it's shredded state, it was kinda embarrassing to hear.
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After spending much of the summer anticipating this heralded event, I left the Bowl feeling disappointed and let down by Rufus' performance. I've been a fan of his voice and style, neither of which ever materialized on stage. It was painfully obvious his voice could not keep up with this genre of music, unable to belt out the big endings, and although he has a charming stage presence, it could not compensate for his weak, straining renditions of most of the songs. Low point, and most comical of the evening, was his sister's rendering of "Stormy Weather". I had difficulty concentrating on the song itself, distracted by her gyrations, flutterings, and straining under the weight of the lyrics. High point, Lorna Luft.
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I paid money for this? The sock puppet singer on the walk down to the busses could have given a better Judy Garland concert with his puppets. Rufus is big on glitter, short on voice. Judy probably rolled over three times in her grave.