“Judy Garland: Come Rain or Come Shine”

[rating=5]If you are a fan of Judy Garland and have not had the opportunity ( or good fortune) to witness Angela Ingersoll bring her back to life, you owe it to yourself to hightail it to Evanston for Music Theater Works latest production, “Judy Garland: Come Rain or Come Shine”! Ingersoll, a Jeff-Award winner, who we learned last night has been nominated for an Emmy for her PBS special on Judy Garland, becomes the great Garland for two glorious hours in the intimate space called Nichols Hall in downtown Evanston. This is a show NOT to be missed!

Ms Ingersoll along with her musicians take the stage for two hours and within minutes she has you under her spell. She opens with “Smile” leading into “I’ve Got Rhythm”. Swiftly she moves to the wonders of “Meet Me In St, Louis”  and then her enchanting “But Not For Me”. Along the way, we hear stories of The Gumm Sisters and their vaudeville days. Ms. Ingersoll takes on the look of Ms Garland and tells us her story of falling in love with her idol and that she knew at a very young age that she was meant to play this role. As one who has seen her do the role in “Over The Rainbow” and bearing witness last night to this concert, I could not agree more. She becomes Judy Garland, with the sound, the stories, the laughs, the giggles and every little detail. The songs are powerful! The stories, accurate! The evening ( or matinée) will me memorable!

Oh, yes. She ends the show with “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” that will take you back in time, as you will swear you are at Carnegie Hall watching THE Judy Garland herself!

The music (conducted by Jeremy Kahn, at the keyboards) is wonderful and the musicians are sheer perfection. This is a special production for Music Theater Works, in association with Michael Ingersoll and his Artists Lounge Live ( some of the best Cabaret entertainment in the area) and a special event that will only be available thru October 14th.

The performances are as follows:

Saturday   10/13  at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Sundays 10/7 and 10/14  at 2 p.m.

Wednesday 10/10 at 2 p.m.

Thursday 10/11  2 p.m.

Friday  10/12 8 p.m.

The show runs about two hours, but feels much shorter and there is a chance to meet this fabulous performer after the show. This is a show worth the trip .

Tickets are from $34 and can be purchased by calling 847-920-5360 or online at http://www,MusicTheaterWorks.com

Nichols Hall is located at 1490 Chicago Avenue in Evanston ( one block south of Davis Street)

ages 25 and younger half-off on tickets

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Judy Garland: Come Rain or Come Shine”.