OVER
THE RAINBOW AND HOW It’s hard enough playing away from home let alone
winning. Yet it looks as though she’s done it – well, she most certainly has
done it as far as the critics and the audiences go because from all accounts
Tracie Bennett has knocked ‘em dead on Broadway and that is a very mighty thing
indeed - because not only has another British theatrical import hit the heights
in the U.S.A. but it has defied all odds by having Judy Garland, one of America’s
greatest show business icons, played by a Limey. Quite understandably the
Americans don’t take too kindly to attempts by aliens to portray their national
idols; we’d feel quite the same if some dam’ Yankee came over here with a show
about one of our stars – although I’m having a little trouble here thinking up
a good comparison. Do we have a British Judy Garland? I don’t we have anyone alive or dead to match
Miss Garland – do we? Try and imagine a musical say about the trials and
tribulations of Elaine Page played by Jennifer
Aniston, or the life and times of Cilla Black played by Meryl Streep and you’ll
get my thinking. Yet this month the doors of Broadway burst open, in stormed Miss
Bennett as the ailing Miss Garland and in one electrifying moment another splash
of theatrical history was made. The audience were on their feet whooping and a-hollering
as they saw another star being born and now the Great White Way belongs to the iridescent
talent of Miss Tracie Bennett. Nothing good ever comes easy and as anyone who has
seen Tracie Bennett’s incredible performance will attest this was one of the
hardest asks you may ever see an actor try and answer. And that was just here in
familiar old England. To go and try and conquer America is a totally different
matter. Furthermore there was little on her side. End of the Rainbow is no lavish audience blinding production with a
big busy-busy cast and a stonking great band to blind you with stunning set
piece numbers and a fat and noisy sound; it has no smoke and no mirrors - this
is a show with a cast of just four – that’s right - four – one and a half sets
and a six piece on stage band. Nor here in London did it play in one of the big
and fashionable theatres. Instead the cast and the show made themselves known to
those of us lucky enough to catch them in a limited run at the Trafalgar Studios
and then in a brief regional tour. Hardly the stuff of potential legend I think
you’ll agree. Yet because of the huge reputation this little show earned in only
a few weeks, the devotion of its newly won fan base, and the unstinting support
and belief of its management - EOTR made
it across the pond, got itself a new cast and band – besides the leading lady,
natch – ran itself in down in Baltimore finally to open to a thousand huzzahs on
a star studded night at the Belasco Theatre on West 44 Street. I don’t know how tough it was out there on the road
in Baltimore but I do know that in spite of the standing ovations Tracie and
her fellow actors and musicians earned nightly there were plenty of side line sourpusses
all too ready and eager to have a go and She Who Dares Play Judy. But then show
business wouldn’t be show business with the snipers. Battles take place under
fire and happily this one was over after a few short and badly aimed volleys,
so much so that Baltimore audiences demanded Tracie take an encore every night.
Even so, out of town is still only out of town, and Tracie was out of town on
her own, the show and the band having been recast totally with all American
performers. I understand the new cast and musicians have been and still are
terrific both in their playing and their support of the interloper but Tracie was
still out there on her own and playing far, far away from home. To do that you
have to have a lot of courage, a lot of self-belief, and a lot of love and I
imagine Miss Bennett to be blessed with all of that. I bet she has one heck of
a mum. Probably sisters, too. Now I see there’s a lot of hot stuff on Broadway at
the moment, yet I doubt if there is a performance quite able to match Tracie’s
astonishing tour de force – certainly
not in a musical which is why everyone is saying she’s a shoe-in for a Tony. No
such thing as a racing certainty of course, nor is there any matter if she doesn’t
win a Tony because as I have said before in a way she doesn’t need to. Tracie’s done it. Tracie Bennett does it every
night to a standing ovation and while some can say the Americans do more
standing ovations than anyone else yes they do – but they also turn down their
thumbs, put their noses up in the air and make raspberry noises with their
tongues quicker than anyone else, too. They might love and worship success Stateside
but that is only because they so dreadfully fear failure. You do it wrong over
there and you are not forgiven – but not Tracie. Tracie Bennett has done it right
and she has done it so very right the Americans have taken her to their hearts
and now Miss Bennett has surely found her own pot of gold that lies at the foot
of her very special rainbow. Who cares about
Tony? Tracie Bennett’s talent is her award and our reward is having been lucky
enough to witness it. Bravo, star. |
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CategoriesBrendan BehanCannes Film Festival 2012 community police Dance, art and healing End of the Rainbow Films and filming humour, books music OLYMPICS AND THE FUTURE Sexual innocence The Nanny State the price of fame Vision why do you write? |
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