Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Ambassadors Theatre
Cast: Debbie Wileman
I'm Still Here, A Musical Celebration of Judy Garland starring Debbie Wileman comes to the Ambassadors this Summer!
Direct from Carnegie Hall, Debbie sings Judy's classics as well as hits from Adele, Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga.
Live music orchestrated by Jersey Boys' Steve Orich.
Debbie Wileman - Judy: I'm Still Here played for one night only in London's West End at the Ambassadors Theatre on 30th June. Debbie Wileman literally sparkled as Judy Garland in this one night show. She wore a full sequined trouser suit and her "Judy" make-up was perfect.
Debbie was charming and funny, engaging the audience between songs with stories about musical movies, Judy Garland, the Ambassadors theatre itself and the family that influenced her love of old musical films. Her love and knowledge of this genre shone through, as well as her passion.
The show started with I'm Still Here, a song so relevant to Judy Garland's life. From the first bars of music, we get to see Debbie as Judy, and it only takes a few seconds to be lost in this illusion. Her make up, voice and ability to mimic Judy's mannerisms were marvellous, particularly when singing Back to Black, Crazy and Yesterday.
Debbie sang a few classics, The Boy Next Door, The Trolley Song, A Foggy Day, Get Happy but by far my highlight of the evening was her rendition of The Man Who Got Away. The set would not be complete without her encore piece, Over the Rainbow. It was beautifully performed and was met with rapturous applause from the audience, myself included.
Lastly, I must mention the fabulous musical arrangements and wonderful band who accompanied Debbie. Steve Orich conducted the evening with ease. The setup was simple; a microphone and a band, but this is all Debbie Wileman needed to captivate the audience for the show's duration. If you love musical films and you're happy to lose yourself in the illusion, you will not be disappointed.
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**photo credit: Joseph Marzullo/The Stander Group**
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