Tracie Bennett had closed her show over the weekend in London, flew to New York and puddle-jumped to Minneapolis for a little meet-and-greet at the Guthrie Theater on Thursday afternoon. She seemed genuinely fragile by being in Judy Garland's home state and overlooking the Mississippi River — really, the Mississippi. Ah, the things we take for granted.
Bennett plays the legend in "End of the Rainbow," which finished an extended run in Bennett's native Britain and is slotted for Jan. 28-March 11 at the Guthrie. Following that U.S. premiere, the show picks up and moved to Broadway in the spring of 2012.
"The play is about the price of fame," Bennett said of the play, which journeys through the last few months of Judy's difficult life in London. She had a nightclub gig, a new hubby in Mickey Deans, and a raging addiction. The Guthrie showed a short trailer with clips portraying the decidedly unglamorous final days and then Bennett talked about the role, her research on Garland and how she has learned to trust Peter Quilter's script. Terry Johnson, who directed the show in London, will also bring it to life at the Guthrie. Be careful if you go watch the trailer. You'll get sucked into a million Garland clips on Youtube and before long, you'll have wasted half the morning on the Liza Minnelli/Lorna Luft "Tale of Two Sisters" show. OK, I've said too much.
See here for more on the show at the Guthrie.
