Peter Quilter’s play, End of the Rainbow, looks at the life of Judy Garland as she is putting together a comeback in December of 1968. It’s a controversial depiction of the legendary performer’s life, but it allows for one hell-of-a-part for the actress playing Garland. Angela Ingersoll takes on the role in the La Mirada Theatre & McCoy Rigby Entertainment production of End of the Rainbow which opens this week at the Laguna Playhouse.
What makes the show controversial is its depiction of both her drug use and the men in her life. Die-hard fans and others who have heavily studied Garland’s life think the show is inaccurate and unfair. There are others who believe that Quilter depicts Garland’s life as it truly was.
Whatever view you take, theatre-goers get the opportunity to hear such classic songs as “Just in Time, “The Man That Got Away” and, of course, “Over the Rainbow.”
Michael Matthews, who directed the recent production of Cabaret for Celebration Theatre, directed this production. It played at the La Mirada Center for the Performing Arts earlier this year.
Photo by Amy Boyle Photography
