Here is an excerpt from Lance Wawer's review of Lorna Luft's performance with the Glendale Renaissance Orchestra at the Alex Theatre this past Sunday.
"The second half of the show was all about Lorna Luft. The author/singer/producer/actor and daughter of Judy Garland had a set that was a tribute to her mother, Broadway and Hollywood. The performance, however, was pure Vegas. If one word could describe her performance it would be "big." Another would be "fantastic."
Luft's first number was a lapel-grabbing rendition of "It's Today." She didn't let go of the lapels for the rest of her time on stage. From "Blue Skies," a medley of tunes from "Babes in Arms," a moving version of "The Man That Got Away" to a show-stopping "Rockabye," she held the audience in the palm of her hand.
Then came the topper: a medley of amazing Hollywood musical songs that were not nominated for Academy Awards. "Singin' in the Rain," "Hooray for Hollywood" and "New York, New York" highlighted the array of unforgettable songs that somehow escaped nomination.
Luft interspersed the medley with several amusing asides and was given a well-deserved standing ovation at the conclusion of her set. She returned for an encore with "Carolina in the Morning" and received another standing ovation."
Flanking Lorna's husband (and conductor) Colin Freeman on the left and Lorna on the right are Mitzie and Ken Welch, who assembled the original "Songs My Mother Taught Me" back in 1999 (and have written special material for just about anyone who has sung on television in the past several decades).
Mort and Judy Lindsey are center. Mort is Judy Garland's legendary orchestrater and conductor, his wife Judy was Garland's stand in on The Judy Garland Show circa 1964.
In the other photo Lorna is seen with the eternally perky Mitzi Gaynor, who is in the middle of a resurgence thanks to release of her vintage television specials (photos courtesy of Shane Rosamonda).
No comments:
Post a Comment