Review Excerpts for Angela Ingersoll as Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow, Porchlight Music Theatre

“Simply magnificent… The best Judy Garland Chicago ever saw. Barring the real one. ...What a performance!" -Chicago Tribune

“Angela Ingersoll was born to play Judy Garland. Ingersoll’s tour de force performance is an act of breathtaking alchemy — a simultaneously sublime and chilling act of transformation. And it might well leave you believing you’ve encountered the ghost of the beloved film star… Judy Garland has been reborn. Ingersoll is phenomenal. A truly astonishing, tour de force performance.” -Chicago Sun-Times

“Ingersoll conducts a veritable master class with her acting, and vocally her performance is equally as astounding. She dives into each of the songs with an intoxicating blend of mesmerizing vocal prowess and raw emotion, just as Garland herself was able to do…  And when she sings Over the Rainbow at the show’s end, the effect is both jaw-dropping and heartbreaking.” -PerfomInk

“In a knockout performance, Angela Ingersoll matches Judy Garland’s devastating heights and depths… Ingersoll delivers a performance of staggering beauty that transcends imitation…you’re gonna love it, come rain or come shine.” -Time Out Chicago

“Perfection… Ms. Ingersoll has mastered Judy Garland’s signature moves, posturing, speech pattern and vocal styling, as well. She’s even got her laugh down pat, which so frequently erupts out of nowhere. Angela Ingersoll is an accomplished songstress and she’s superbly mastered the diva’s identifiable way with a song. Musically, Ms. Ingersoll is simply impeccable.” -Chicago Theatre Review

“The amazing Angela Ingersoll brings Judy Garland to life. When I say Amazing, I mean AMAZING!!! She looks like her, she sounds like her, and I would have to say almost made me feel that I had gone back in time… WOW! and double Wow!” -Around the Town Chicago

“Angela Ingersoll’s tour de force performance is one of the most powerful and compelling performances seen on a Chicago stage in years! Ingersoll has all the Garland traits down… Angela Ingersoll is mesmerizing to watch and listen to.” -Chicago Critic

“Brilliant… If you have ever wanted to see Judy live, Ingersoll can show her to you in a remarkable performance that channels the forcefulness and fragility of the legendary woman.” -New City Stage

Showbiz Nation Live: One of Chicago’s most talented entertainers, ANGELA INGERSOLL discusses her critically hailed performance as Judy Garland in Porchlight Music Theatre’s sold out production END OF THE RAINBOW.

SOMEWHERE OVER AT THE ARCADA

Ron Onesti, DAILY HEARLD. Over my 30-plus years in the business of entertainment, I have had the privilege of working with the sons and daughters of some of the biggest names in showbiz history. I can even say I have become as close to some of them as any nonfamily member can get, to the point where we might be considered "unofficial siblings."

By being this close to folks who were thrust into the limelight at birth, I have been able to see their personal sides, the side few people (fans) get to see. I have been witness to emotional moments, career struggles and heartwarming recollections. To be graced with this trust, which allows me "on the inside," is something I have never taken for granted mainly because this connection has not only allowed me to get to know the famous son or daughter much better, but it has also given me great insight about what their legendary parents were like.

My showbiz family -- those with whom I have worked, shared meals and spent quality time -- includes Nancy (Frank) Sinatra, Frank Sinatra Jr., Christopher (Jack) Lemmon, Antonia (Tony) Bennett, Lena and Louis Jr. (Louis) Prima, Ariana (Telly) Savalas, Steve (Mel) Torme, Carlise (Buddy) Guy, Ted (Teddy) Randazzo and Deana (Dean) Martin.

My most recent example would be this past week at the Arcada Theatre when we hosted Joey Luft, the son of silver-screen legend Judy Garland. It was a "Mother's Day Salute to Judy," and a more emotional presentation could not be had.

After Judy and her second husband, director Vincente Minnelli, had their only daughter, Liza, they divorced. Then Judy and her third of five husbands, Sidney Luft, had Joey and Lorna. Judy's three kids remained close through the years. Liza, of course, became a huge star in her own right, and Lorna took the world by storm with her incredible vocal range.

Joey, however, was a shy kid who ran from the world of show business. He preferred the quiet life of photography, audio and video. Even so, he has fond memories of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra at his house, having friendly conversations with Marilyn Monroe while his mother got ready to go out, and took phone calls from JFK.

Joey was 13 years old in 1969, the year his mother passed away from an unintentional overdose at the tragically young age of 47. He recalls watching "The Wizard of Oz" for the first time at the age of 7. Judy was out of the country filming at the time, and he was beside himself that "monkeys kidnapped" his mom. The baby sitter had to track her down by telephone to calm Joey down.

During our lunch together with the show's producer and longtime Luft family friend, John Kimball, Joey said he really didn't want to focus on the "bad" things. "My mom had a fabulous sense of humor, was truly a wonderful person and completely lived for her kids," he said. "My dad (Sid Luft) was truly in love with my mom, even after they divorced. He resurrected her career in 1950 after MGM fired her, and remained her manager up until her death in 1969."

After Sid Luft's death, Joey and best friend Kimball started rummaging through boxes in storage. They found this tremendous transcript that wound up being Sid's autobiography, including many accounts by Judy, told in her own voice. The book, entitled "Judy and I: My Life with Judy Garland" was released posthumously. Joey's show was based on excerpts from the book, as well as his own accounts of being home and on the road with his iconic mother.

After speaking with both gentlemen on the phone, I suggested they add a live musical element to the presentation. I have a friend who is a professional actress, and she had recently played Judy Garland in several productions. Her resemblance, both physically and vocally, is uncanny, and they agreed to make her part of the show.

Her name is Angela Ingersoll, and she came out like a cannonball out of a cannon, completely taking over the stage, in that larger-than-life style that Judy truly had. Our huge video screen at The Arcada would play a vintage video clip of Judy at Carnegie Hall, and on her own variety show in the early Sixties. Then Angela would sing a classic Judy number with a live band. A gutsy move that could have gone the other way as unavoidable comparisons could have made or broke her performance.

Although we can all agree there will never be another Judy Garland, Ingersoll's performance was nothing short of stellar, and her contribution to the show was the perfect complement to the rare video footage. The evening was magical.

But the biggest quandary of the night, at least as far as the actress was concerned, was whether to go with Judy's video performance of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" or for her to sing it live. As far as Joey was concerned, there was nothing to discuss. "How could we not show my mom doing that song," Joey said. Discussion was over.

The end of the show came and the video played with Garland, as she would regularly end her television show sitting cross-legged on a floor, broke out into her signature song. There was not a dry eye in the house, including Joey. And to be honest with you, after losing my mom just a couple weeks before the show, hearing the song mom would sing to us as kids turned me into a red-faced ball of tears myself.

As an encore, Joey, who was so enthralled with Angela's live portion of the show, allowed her to fulfill the audience's wish of her doing that famed song, which was named the No. 1 film song in history.

So she sat on the edge of the stage, the way Judy did, and broke out into what appeared to be the performance of her life. The audience once again erupted with a combination of cheers and tears, as did Angela herself, overtaken by emotion at the prized opportunity.

In the middle of the song, I pulled a bar stool next to Joey, who was on stage doing his commentary throughout the show. I put my arm around him as he was visibly emotional. I said to him, "Joey, you must have heard this song a million times." He whispered back at me, "That was my mom, and that has always been my favorite song. Those two things will never change."

Conversations with Ed Tracy Podcast

If you have been fortunate to see Angela Ingersoll recently on stage or in concert, you already know what the big buzz is about. She is smart, sassy, sexy, and above all, a natural born talent.

Ingersoll’s critically acclaimed performance as Judy Garland in the recent Porchlight Music Theatre production of End of the Rainbow channeled every ounce of her powerhouse talent to elevate our imagination and richly stir our compassion for the fragile and falling star. It was all there – electrifying stage performances, manic vitality, childlike enthusiasm and reckless abandon – all seeming to unfold effortlessly in the moment in Ingersoll’s unforgettable performance.

Her theatre resume is impressive spanning dozens of stage appearances with Marriott Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Drury Lane, Madison Rep, Playhouse on the Square and others. She has appeared with Second City Hollywood and on television in Chicago PD. No stranger to the Garland songbook, Ingersoll continues to perform concert versions of her one-woman Judy Garland show with the Artists Lounge Live concert series produced by her actor/singer husband, Michael Ingersoll.

Angela joined the conversation on February 1st to discuss the run with Judy, what’s happening next for her live concert career and how she met and fell for the special ‘Jersey Boy’ in her life.

On which Judy Garland song brings her most joy …  

“It’s an impossible question … Of course, ‘Rainbow’. It’s arguably one of the best pop songs ever written.  It so perfectly captures the human experience both musically and lyrically ….  ‘Man Who Got Away’ is the most comfortable … feels like home … it sits right in my body and I have worn the grooves of that record on my throat the longest. I love singing ‘Stormy Weather’ … it really is very important to me … my favorite moment of Carnegie hall … one I have recently taken on is ‘Rock-a-Bye Your Baby’ . I stayed away from it for a few years because I was intimidated … it was maybe her favorite … it is so sexy!”

On her relationship with Judy Garland … 

“I like being old Judy, I’m not a young Judy. I’m an old Judy. … I never really put her on the shelf or put her away. She has been a part of my life my entire life and continues to be. It is just more public now.”

On sharing the human experience in Artists Lounge Live shows …

“We find an artist who is so influenced by an icon that they seem to be the torchbearer for that person’s legacy going forward and there is a real intimacy in the storytelling. It is about the storytelling … the very human aspects of the person’s life.”

Connecting with Judy beyond the music … 

“One of the most important parallels is she had a very strained relationship with her mother and I have had a complicated relationship emotionally with my mother … So many of her emotional scars were handed down to me … not by her own fault … Inheriting a lot of her pain has informed me a lot … It is my window into the kind of pain with which Judy lived.”

What’s ahead … 

“Judy’s centennial is coming up in 2022. In 2021, we will have the 60th anniversary of Carnegie Hall. I am working toward having relationships with orchestras … so I can be the foremost person doing this in the world, quite honestly. I know that is a lofty thing to say but ‘we gotta dream somewhere’ and I am trying not to censor myself.”