In Celtic folklore, the end of the rainbow signifies the end of a treasure hunt, a triumphant place where one finds the leprechaun’s pot of gold. Of course, science is always here to dash whimsical lore — because rainbows are simply an optical illusion created by light refracting through raindrops, there is no actual ‘end of the rainbow.’ The refracted light creates a colorful arc that only seems to touch the ground because it shifts with the body in pursuit.
It can feel one is forever in pursuit of the end of the rainbow.
“End of the Rainbow” is the title for Peter Quilter’s play with music about the final months of Judy Garland’s life, playing at JCC CenterStage through December 21. Used here, the phrase is less optical illusion and more of a nod to Garland’s career-defining role as Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” when she was just 16 years old.
The show begins with Garland (played by Jasmin Singer) arriving in London for her 1968 comeback concerts at the Talk of the Town (a venue known today as the Hippodrome). She’s reunited with her longtime British friend and pianist, Anthony (Daniel Mejak), who she introduces to her new, younger fiance and manager, Mickey Deans (John Ashley Brown).
In an effort to not bury the lede: the small cast, which also includes Ross Amstey in bit roles, is so strong and directed so well by Kerry Young it’s easy to forget the show is playing at a community center in Brighton.
“Good acting so far,” whispered a voice on the first blackout. And it only got better.
Every so often in local theater, a role comes along that seems tailor-made for an actor, and this is one of those times. As Judy Garland, Singer is luminous, personifying the legendary starlet from her wavy black pixie cut and staccato laugh to her throaty singing voice and red patent leather shoes. Singer’s emotional range captures Garland’s high and lows with such fervor that it didn’t feel like a performance. For two hours, Singer was Garland.
Anthony is a “friend of Dorothy” in every sense of the word — the character’s sexuality is no secret, and he has a deep collaborative history with Garland. (While Anthony has no last name and appears to be fictional, Garland had many loyal accompanists over the years.) Mejak, who wowed audiences last year in the one-man show “Every Brilliant Thing” at Blackfriars Theatre, is the perfect foil to Singer’s Garland (and a wildly convincing stage pianist). The two have excellent chemistry and comedic timing, their snappy banter eliciting many of the evening’s laughs. But the poignant moments are here, too — Anthony has seen Garland with and without the makeup and spotlight, and loves her still.
“If only you saw what I saw,” he says. “Vicki Lester from ‘A Star is Born’ and Esther Smith from ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ and Dorothy from ‘The Wizard of Oz.’”
As a teenager, Garland was thrust into a role that was too heavy for her 4’11” frame. She became addicted to many things: drugs, alcohol, love. Fame did not seem to be part of that list; but was rather the impetus for her coping mechanisms. There are echoes of Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe and Amy Winehouse.
Garland’s love interest (addiction?) here, Mickey Deans, played by Brown, is more than a decade younger and soon realizes he cannot manage Garland. The toxicity of the relationship is on full display throughout the show, with both Brown and Singer delivering wince-inducing versions of misery and frustration in a romantic relationship. Deans, in real life, was Garland’s fifth and final husband.
“All you can really do is find someone who is a little less scared than you are,” says Anthony as Garland weeps over never being fully loved.
Lush scenic design by John Haldoupis and jewel-toned, patterned costume design by Cathy Johnson create the 1969 backdrop. Lighting design by Jennifer DeHollander transitions the audience from day to night and hotel room to stage. Hidden musicians Alex Durr and Schuyler Skuse directed by Andy Pratt provide a fluid soundtrack almost the entire show, to such extent it feels more like a musical than a play.
There’s a line in J. M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan” that reads, “Stars are beautiful, but they may not take an active part in anything, they must just look on forever.” While the line refers to celestial beings, there’s a glimmer of Garland’s reality there as well.
Beautiful, tormented, isolated — yet remembered forever.
“End of the Rainbow” runs through December 21 at JCC CenterStage; more info and tickets here.
