Fri 4/1 @ 8PM
Judy Garland’s career was an endless series of ups and downs before she died of a drug overdose in 1969 at the age of 47. One of the ups (again, interspersed with downs) began the mid ’40s, following the release in 1944 of one of her biggest films, Meet Me in St. Louis. It popularized tunes like “The Trolley Song” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” which remained standards in her repertoire for the rest of her life. Her 1948 musical with Fred Astaire, Easter Parade, was another huge hit. (After that, alas, a series of breakdowns and issues with alcohol and drugs caused her to be dismissed from a number of high-profile roles)
That era is a fertile field for a singer. Cleveland jazz/pop/cabaret singer Joan Ellison, who has already extensively performed Garland programs with orchestras, will explore it in “Get Happy: Judy Garland 1944-54” at the Bop Stop
.She’ll be accompanied by pianist Jason Aquila as she sings songs associated with those popular ’40s films, as well as her 1954 comeback in A Star Is Born. Expect to hear iconic songs such as “The Boy Next Door,” “Get Happy” and “Last Night When We Were Young.” And yes, you’ll hear “Over the Rainbow” even though it’s from 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, and technically outside the timeframe of the program. Admission is $10.
themusicsettlement.org/get-happy-judy-garland