Received this press release from Gary Horrocks, publisher of JUDY GARLAND A Celebration, and thought it would be of interest to many of you.
Judy Garland in Beverley
A weekend celebration of the Life and Work of one of the Greatest Entertainers of the 20th Century, held in a stunning town in East Yorkshire
Saturday 25th – Sunday 26th October 2014
The International Judy Garland Club is pleased to host this weekend celebration of Judy Garland’s life. Judy worked for 45 of her 47 years, bequeathing a legacy of films, records, radio broadcasts and TV shows. Her 15-year tenure with MGM generated the greatest Hollywood platinum-coated musicals. Her 1, 100 plus international stage appearances are the stuff of legend. Gene Kelly described her as ‘the most talented performer we’ve ever had.’ For Fred Astaire it was ‘one of the greatest thrills to work with her.’ Frank Sinatra predicted, ‘the rest of us will be forgotten. Never Judy.’ ‘The happy times,’ reminisced Mickey Rooney, ‘were with Judy.’
RARE FILM SHOWS: An exciting aspect of the weekend will be the UK premiere of 12 features focusing on key aspects of Judy’s career. Filmmaker and editor Frank Labrador has created these fascinating films in Judy’s honour and will be coming to Beverley to introduce his work. Most of the films have only been showcased to exclusive audiences in Los Angeles and New York. Frank’s company, Labrador Productions, is an international video production and editing business, originally founded in Chicago, USA, and now based in Frankfurt, Germany.
BOOK SIGNING: British author Joan Coulson has flown in from her home in California for the event to launch her new Judy biography ‘Always for Judy – Witness to the Joy and Genius of Judy Garland.’ Joan has been a member of the Judy Garland Club since it was founded in 1963 and met Judy on a number of occasions. It is a profoundly personal biography. Very few books about Judy capture the human being, the lady with a wicked sense of humour, the performer who offered no artificial Hollywood edifice, who gave her heart and soul in a personal connection with her fans. Joan will be on hand throughout the weekend to reminisce about Judy and to sign copies of her book.www.always4judy.com
Gary Horrocks and Marielle O’Neill will be there to meet, greet and host the event. Beverley-based Gary is head of the international Club and has edited its official journal since 1998 and has contributed to many Garland documentaries and radio shows including, most recently ‘The One Show’ on BBC 1 and ‘Dear Judy’ with Rufus Wainwright on BBC Radio 2. Leeds-based Marielle joined the team in 2013 as editor of the Club newsletter and was recently profiled in the Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post discussing her love of Judy.
Raffle tickets will be sold throughout the event with the chance to win some Judy prizes.
COST:
· A ticket for day one of the event is £15
· A ticket for day two of the event is £35
· A combined ticket for the entire weekend is a bargain £45
Saturday 25th October
We have kept the morning free to enable people to travel and would be happy to arrange a one-hour tour of this very beautiful and historic town for any visitors. Let us know if you’re interested when you make your booking. You may also want to make time to visit Beverley Minster and have lunch in one of the town’s many cafes and restaurants. Maps and a Mini Guide to Beverley are available online and from the Beverley Tourist Information Centre at 34 Butcher Row 01482 391672
All of the venues chosen for the weekend are within walking distance of each other.
1.30 pm – 6.30 pm
Emmaus Conference Room, Parish Hall, Beverley Minster
beverleyminster.org.uk – click on ‘Map and Directions’ and then ‘view a map of the Minster venues’
£15 for a day ticket, includes refreshments & popcorn J
Features:
· Judy at Home at the Palace – a 35 minute overview of her three successful tenures at the New York venue
· Judy at Carnegie Hall – 7 minutes of silent footage synced with Judy’s record-breaking album for the first time ever
· Judy at the Dominion, London, 1957 – the International Club’s 30 minute documentary featuring interviews with members who were there and met Judy, alongside hundreds of archival photographs and press clippings
· ‘I Could Go On Singing’ – a 2013 50th anniversary tribute to Judy’s final and only British movie
· A celebration of ‘The Judy Garland Show’ CBS TV’s 1963/64 26 show extravaganza that paired Judy with some of the greatest stars of her generation
There will also be 2 additional special and VERY RARE features that we will reveal on the day
8. 00 pm onwards
Upstairs at the Westwood Restaurant
This is not part of the formal programme, but you are invited to join us for a three-course dinner at the beautiful Westwood Restaurant. Seating is limited for this special evening, so please let us know if you would like to come along. We’d love to see you there.
Sunday 26th October
11.00 am – 5.00 pm
£35 for a day ticket
11.00 am – 2.00 pm
Elwell Room, Beverley Arms Hotel
‘Judy Garland's love affair with the UK, a photographic tribute.' Judy held the UK in great affection, and her legendary visits here in the 1950s and 1960s included concerts in London, Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester. The presentation by Gary Horrocks will take you on a whirlwind tour, with anecdotes and memories.
‘Always for Judy.’ Author Joan Coulson will discuss some of the anecdotes included in her biography. She will be present throughout the day to answer questions and sign copies.
There will also be some short films including:
· Frances Gumm – From Grand Rapids to MGM
· A Tribute to Judy and Mickey Rooney
· Judy at Capitol Records (1955 – 1964)
2.00 pm – 5.00 pm
Upstairs at The Shed
A complementary Judy Garland cocktail on arrival, followed by a 3-course Sunday lunch, Judy music and videos. (A pay bar will also be available throughout the afternoon.)
How to pay
PayPal www.paypal.com offers the easiest and quickest option. PayPal payments should be made tojudygarlandclub@googlemail.com - please state your ticket choices, your name, address, ‘phone number and/or email contact.
If you want to pay by cheque please call or email us (see ‘About the Club’ below for contact details) and we will provide you with further information. Advance bookings will guarantee you a ticket, but we will accept cash payments at the door if you let us know beforehand that you want to be added to the guest list (subject to availability.)
How to get here
Getting to Beverley is quick and easy from most parts of the country. The Visit Hull & East Yorkshire web pages provide extensive information on both travel and accommodation. Simply click on ‘Visit Beverley.’ You can also download the Beverley Mini Guide from the ‘Brochures’ section. Train tickets to Hull can be amazingly cheap if you book in advance. (See www.hulltrains.co.uk and www.eastcoast.co.uk, for example.) On arrival in Hull local trains to Beverley cost £8 for an open return and take 16 minutes. Taxis from Hull take around 25 minutes and cost approximately £12. If in doubt, call the Beverley Tourist Information Centre for advice.
Where to stay
There are lots of options for accommodation available at the Visit Hull and East Yorkshire web pages or available from the Beverley Tourist Information Centre. The Beverley Arms Hotel will offer a discount rate to Judy fans over the weekend. £53. 95 for a single room, including breakfast or £75.92 for a double or twin room based on two people sharing (also to include breakfast.) www.thebeverleyarms.co.uk
About the Club
The International Judy Garland Club has an amazing history. It was established in March 1963, with Judy's blessing and approval and with Judy as Honorary President. Judy received regular telegrams of support from the Club wherever she appeared and members were in abundance at her opening and closing nights, and many nights in between. Members contributed funds to buy her cards and presents for Christmas and birthdays. In return Judy actively embraced and appreciated her supporters. She arranged for members to attend recording sessions and invited them to first night parties and back stage get-togethers.
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