Review: End of the Rainbow at Birmingham Hippodrome
A fascinating snapshot into the last six months of the life of superstar Judy Garland, Peter Quilter's End of the Rainbow completely captivated the audience last night at the Birmingham Hippodrome, at the start of a week's run.
End of the Rainbow
Birmingham Hippodrome
Review by Alison Norton
A fascinating snapshot into the last six months of the life of superstar Judy Garland, Peter Quilter's End of the Rainbow completely captivated the audience last night at the Birmingham Hippodrome, at the start of a week's run.
Starring award-winning West Endand Coronation Street star, Tracie Bennett, it is impossible to imagine how such a huge voice can come from such a tiny body, but it just kept on coming and coming as her outstanding vocals created a perfect characterisation of the star.
There are emotional performances of Garland classics including Just in Time, You Made Me Love You, Come Rain or Come Shine, Somewhere Over The Rainbow and a show stopping rendition of The Man That Got Away.
Although Norman Bowman is well cast as long suffering fiance, Mickey Deans and there is a wonderfully droll performance from Hilton McCrae as Anthony, the night absolutely belongs to Ms Bennett, whose portrayal of this tragic woman is the closest thing to reality you are ever likely to see.
The witty script is a little shocking in parts, but sadly very realistic, perfectly depicting her outrageous lifestyle scattered with the booze and pills that controlled Garland from an early age.
A well deserved standing ovation from the whole theatre concluded an evening of outstanding entertainment, which must surely be a guaranteed Broadway success as it heads for the States in March next year.
The show runs until Saturday. Tickets range from £13.50-£32.50. For information visit www.birminghamhippodrome.com or call 0844 338 5000.
