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Published 20:53, June the 26th, 2008
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GarlandGarland
 

Judy Garland gets to sing again

PREVIEW. Watching “Wizard Of Oz” over and over won’t bring Judy Garland back to life, but this weekend’s Boston Pops show might be the next best thing.

In this unique concert event, historic footage, film and the occasional home video of the legendary starlet’s performances are projected onto screens, while the symphony accompanies her recorded voice. The result is a powerful, emotional night, detailing the tragic star’s short life, including  her struggles, her heartbreaks and her ability to captivate audiences, even from beyond the rainbow.

“We tried to ask ourselves, ‘What would be the greatest concert that Judy could do?’” says Chris Giordano, producer and director of “Judy Garland in Concert.”

Giordano worked closely with Judy Garland expert John Fricke to achieve a dramatic performance. They were determined to create a concert experience that Garland would put on today.

“We often asked ourselves, what would Judy do?” says Giordano.

The last time Garland was on stage here was about 40 years ago, when she performed a free concert in the Common for more than 100,000 people.

“I know Boston was very near and dear to her heart,” says Giordano.

Boston is the first stop on the “Judy Garland in Concert” tour, but that didn’t happen by accident. Giordano says the Pops were chosen to accompany Garland because they are undoubtedly the “best orchestra in the country.”

Audience members can expect a concert event designed like a theatrical performance. The wind section seems to make emotional confessions more dramatic while the string section makes way for overpowering videos of rarely seen performances.

“At the end of the first act, she’s losing everything in her career at that moment. She sings ‘Old Man River’ with that line, ‘tired of living and scared of dying,’” says Giordano. “It is a poignant underscore to that moment in her life. It leaves the audience with suspense and wondering what’s going happen.

“We approached it both dramatically and as a great cycle of songs in concert.”

‘Judy Garland in Concert’
Saturday and Sunday
Symphony Hall
301 Mass. Ave., Boston
MBTA: Green E Line to Symphony
$19-$87, 617-266-1200
www.judygarlandinconcert.com