End of the Rainbow
| End of the Rainbow | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Peter Quilter |
| Characters |
Judy Garland Anthony Mickey Deans Concierge Stage Manager BBC Announcer |
| Date premiered | 2005 |
| Place premiered |
Sydney Opera House Sydney, Australia |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | The last months of Judy Garland's life |
| Genre | Drama / Musical |
| Setting | London, December 1968 |
| End of the Rainbow | |
|---|---|
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|
| Studio album by Tracie Bennett | |
| Released | January 31, 2011 |
| Genre | Showtunes |
End of the Rainbow is a musical drama by Peter Quilter, which focuses on Judy Garland in the months leading up to her death in 1969. After a Sydney premiere in 2005, the show has played on the West End in London and a Broadway production opened in 2012.
Judy Garland is staying in London, along with young new fiancé Mickey Deans and loyal friend and pianist Anthony, preparing for her five-week run of shows at The Talk of the Town. Garland hopes that her act will help her maintain her star profile, especially considering a recent string of bad press against her. However, she still struggles with both her drug addictions and her strained relationships with the men around her.
The show premièred in August 2005 at the Sydney Opera House in Australia starring Caroline O’Connor as Garland. It ran at the Theatre Royal, Sydney in May 2006, again with O'Connor. It also played at the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. O'Connor won three Best Actress awards for her performance.
It was then performed from February 5–20, 2010 at Northampton's Royal & Derngate Theatre. This production was directed by Terry Johnson and starred Tracie Bennett as Judy Garland, with Hilton McRae as Anthony and Stephen Hagan as Mickey Deans.End of the Rainbow ran in the West End from 16 November 2010 to 21 May 2011 at Trafalgar Studios, starring Tracie Bennett. The West End production received nominations for four Olivier Awards, including Best Actress for Bennett, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for McRae and Best New Play. The show then toured in the UK from 25 August and ending in December 2011 at Richmond Theatre. .
End of the Rainbow had its American premiere at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, running from January 28 to March 11, 2012. Directed by Terry Johnson, Tracie Bennett repeated her role as Garland. The play opened on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre on March 19, 2012 in previews and officially on April 2. In addition to Bennett, the cast featured Michael Cumpsty as Anthony, Tom Pelphrey as Mickey Deans, and Jay Russell. Bennett and Cumpsty received Tony Award nominations for their performances. Bennett also received the Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play. The show ran 176 performances on Broadway and subsequently played a critically acclaimed season at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.
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