Judy by the Numbers: "Hello, Dolly!"

Anne Marie has been chronicling Judy Garland's career chronologically through musical numbers...

With only two weeks left in the year, how do we cover the five remaining years of Judy Garland's life? I've tried as much as possible to deliver beautiful numbers and biographical details as near as I could verify in between bits of high-spirited hagiography. Unfortunately, the complicated myth built by talent, timing, and Hollywood studios only amplified after her death, making fact and fiction nearly impossible to untangle...

This might be why information on the last five years of Judy's life are comparatively scant, compared to the preceding four decades. After the end of The Judy Garland Show, Judy went on tour, but with no movies and few television shows, she almost disappeared from the public eye. This rarety makes her few appearances all the more dear, and doubly so when they include Liza. 

The Show: Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli "LIVE" at the London Palladium
The Songwriter: Jerry Herman 
The Cast: Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli

The Story: On November 8th and 15th, 1964, Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli performed two sold out concerts at the London Palladium. Though only 55 minutes of the second concert survive, what little footage remains can barely contain the burst of talent. Last time we saw Judy & Liza sing onstage together, Liza was just coming into her musical ability, and their duet almost felt like the audience happened upon an intimate moment between the mother and daughter. This time around, "Hello, Dolly" feels like two old pros inviting the audience in.

The number starts like Liza might be unprepared. She calls out to Judy, who responds by singing to her offstage, before both meet at center, swaying and in-step. Their greatness stems from the contrast between those perfectly choreographed turns, and the improvised interactions with each other and the audience. Liza runs to give Judy a hug, Judy plays with Liza's mic - Liza rushes offstage to change just before Judy yells after her. That ease with each other and the audience feels rare & special, all the moreso because they wouldn't appear on TV together again. Contemporary audiences could sense that specialness as well. When the album was released in 1965, it peaked at 41 on the Billboard charts.

Comments

[joel6]

Wonderful to see them having such a good time together and sharing it with an audience. This might be the appearance that Liza spoke of later where Judy, while still generous and loving, when she became aware of the audience's reaction to Liza switched slightly from shepherding parent to competitor for the audience's attention.

While Judy sings with typical gusto it's hard to believe that only one year separates this from her show. She seems so frail and her physicality has shifted towards that extremely thin birdlike appearance that typified her final years. Perhaps it's just the hairstyle and gown but the change is apparent. Liza on the other hand looks sensational. It's too bad she did stay with this particular look longer it's very flattering but once Cabaret came along she locked into the Sally Bowles mien without variation.