Aesthetically, Rozen-Flannery captures Minnelli with her hair and outfits but further differentiation is needed during her scenes as Garland. The dialogue generally confirms who is speaking, but having distinction in mannerisms or physical appearance for each would benefit the show immensely.
While I'm more familiar with Garland's life than her daughter’s, the material feels thin. Rozen-Flannery touches on their marriages, drug dependency and being adored icons, but she could have gone a little deeper with these issues and given the audience a substantial narrative hook.
Musical numbers are executed smoothly although there are instances when they would have been better served with a microphone to help amplify Rozen-Flannery's vocals. Her use of Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" but Minnelli's cover from Sex and the City 2 displays her fun and creative side, but it's a shame that she chose to lip sync the song instead of singing it live. It is a light-hearted reference to the many husbands the two have had and hearing Minnelli sing it doesn't make it any more impactful or lessen the conceit of having this pair on stage.
Musical Director Martine Wengrow plays a myriad of songs made famous by Garland and Minnelli and the inventive musical arrangement has a refreshing originality to it. At times, they blend together to form a flowing medley and Wengrow provides a great complementary energy for Rozen-Flannery.
At a fleeting 45 minute, Liza’s Good Judy offers some lovely musical performances and conveying the connection between these two Hollywood stars, but based on what Rozen-Flannery has chosen and how she has chosen to highlight these, there's more that could be mined from their lives to build this cabaret up.
SHOW DETAILS
Venue: The Motley Bauhaus, 118 Elgin St, Carlton
Season: Thursday 6 and Friday 7 February | 8:40pm
Duration: 45 minutes
Tickets: $28 Full | $24 Conc
Bookings: Midsumma Festival
Image credit: UCLA Library
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