Rufus Wainwright: Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy! Live at the London Palladium

I was very curious to see what this was about, not knowing a thing about Rufus Wainright but a devoted fan to Judy and especially her concert that this is emulating. I wondered since he was male if it was going to be a drag show or what, I couldn't imagine anyone seriously daring to take on this grammy award winning and legendary concert that has never gone out of print.Wow-what a fabulous surprise! The first thing I heard was the orchestra was right on the money, generating the kind of excitement that comes from pure genius. And it never faltered from the first notes till the end. This orchestra man will be heard from again, there is no doubt. His ability to capture the original concert and maybe even making it sound better is unbelievable if I didn't hear it for myself. The sound recording is also superb.Now Mr. Wainright, at first is a little hard to get used too. His voice sounds like its really just one note and nasally kind of flat, but by the third song I realized just how good he is, an original in his own right and he delivers the goods, getting better and better in each song. I really enjoyed the concert and his performance and was so glad it wasn't some tired ole drag show BUT instead a first quality show & performance.I highly recomend this if your thirsty for new talent and love the classic songs. The only negative I could say is he is short on razzle dazzle showmanship (say like a Peter Allen would of done) which would of added another dimension to the performances without having to go over the top or being overtly swishy. Just for an instance, when he sings Get Happy, I would of loved to see him with the hat and some dance steps. Also I didn't like his clothes,(nor his guests, for that matter) they were tacky nightclubbish like and showed a lack of imagination or the wow factor a clever designer could have given.His sister is a wonderful, great singer who surprises in the show with her ability to belt or sing a ballad beautifully. Of course Lorna sounds like Judy at first and belts out a great favorite, never disapointing us.These guest spots add to the show.The concert is thoroughly delightful and I would pay to go see it if it came to NYC. BUT again this orchestra guy -his name is Stephen Oremus, floats Mr. Wainright to the success heights of 5 stars this concert is- thats for sure!!!

...but I knew that going into this and I was still looking forward to seeing him doing this concert as much as I would have looked forward to seeing Judy do it in 1961. I was richly rewarded by the experience, but I can understand that there are those who would not be. I didn't like Rufus the first time I heard him, but a line of one of his songs came back to me again and again after hearing it once: "I don't want to hold you and lose my senses...". It wasn't the words so much as the way he sang them. His voice and delivery got under my skin to the extent that I went back for another listen, then another and another until I was hooked. I can still be initially put off by his tone, phrasing, intonation, but I can't forget it. He goes to my head and stays there beckoning me to return to his music and its better than I remember it when I get there the next time. I have come to love the time I spend with Rufus and his music, and I know I'm not alone.So, here, I don't see Rufus Wainwright trying to be or to imitate Judy Garland or reproduce her original performance note for note. I see Rufus being Rufus and loving Judy Garland and thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to pay tribute to her memory by reinterpreting her most famous set - and share it with his family and part of what's left of Judy's. I found myself pulled into that and having as good a time as he was [and as the audience obviously was]. He also evoked the spirit of Judy Garland for me in a very effective way. Judy was unmistakably Judy. You couldn't have disguised her if you tried, at least not once she started to sing. Rufus is unmistakably Rufus, and you couldn't disguise him if you tried. Both of them have a way of putting themselves out there for an audience that is honest and forthright like no one else.If you're looking for someone who sounds like Judy, looks like her, moves like her, endeavors to be true to her style, this isn't the place to go. If you're looking to see Rufus Wainwright put himself out there in front of god and everybody through these songs the same way Judy did, you'll have a great time.

Ich habe Rufus im Sommer letzten Jahres live erlebt in der Berliner passionskirche. Ich wusste vorher bereits von seiner Existenz ,aber dieses Konzert hat mich sozusagen umgehauen. Seitdem arbeite ich mich stetig durchs netz und finde immer wieder neue wundervolle Musik von ihm.Dieses Album/ Konzert ist großartig. Er hat es geschafft diese wunderbare Musik nach seinem Style zu performen, ohne dabei jemals zu vergessen ,dass es eigentlich um Judy geht.Ich kann verstehen,dass die Art zu singen, einigen Menschen nicht gefällt. Kann aber nicht nachvollziehen,was seine sexuelle Gesinnung mit der künstlerischen Begabung zu tun haben soll (es gab da vorher einen Kommentar ,den ich am liebsten löschen würde).Wer also diesen großartigen Ausnahmekünstler mag, sollte sich dieses Konzert anschauen!Und :again and again and again!

We had the good fortune of seeing Rufus reprise this show at Carnegie Hall July 2016. This DVD is an excellent product which reflects the exuberance and quality of the performance and is a treat. We shall enjoy it many times again.

Et si Rufus était la réincarnation de Judy? Telle est la question que je me suis posé en visionnant le dvd et en écoutant ensuite le cd sans les images. Rufus est un songwriter de génie, ses textes sont magiques, sa musique aussi. Mais quand il reprend le vieux répertoire il est aussi à l'aise que sur ses titres, vieilles chansons françaises ou Judy Garland. Ce qu'il fait avec les chansons de cette grande star est incroyable, un orchestre énorme qui le pousse, son aisance et sa maitrise totale du répertoire, son aisance vocale sidérante, rien n'est moyen on peut user de tous les superlatifs pour parler de ce spectacle. Sa mère et sa sœur, 2 artistes reconnues sont sur scène, l'accompagnent et le regard tendre de maman est intense sur son rejeton lorsqu’elle parcourt les touches de son piano. Rufus est maniéré, gay revendiqué mais surtout artiste génial. S'arrêter à ces détails de tabloïd lorsqu’il est décrit est ridicule. Rufus est un grand, reprendre le légendaire spectacle de Judy Garland dans son intégralité est une prouesse, un acte de dévotion à la musique.Et ses disques de compos persos sont à la musique actuelle ce que furent ceux de Elton John et Bernie Taupin dans les années 70.

Before Kylie, before Madonna, before any other gay icon, there was Judy...This album, for so many gay men, is the I-Ching. I can remember sitting on a train, heading into the bright lights of London town, listening to the original "Judy at Carnegie" album on my Walkman...learning and falling in love with the greatest collection of work in the Great American Songbook. I learnt more about love and life from this album than any other.When I heard that Rufus Wainwright was going to re-create that magic night in 1961, I was both ecstatic and mightily concerned. I had long been a fan, to the point of major obsession, and was aware of his pretentious daring, but THIS?!?!?I missed the Carnegie shows, and had to content myself with recorded snippets on YouTube. Then, the announcement...two shows at The Palladium and one in Paris...I had to see all three! Tickets bought, pressed and dressed, and it's showtime, folks!As that legendary overture reached its climax, my heart was pounding...could he pull this off? Opening number, "When you're smiling"...it's THOSE arrangements with THAT voice, and it is all working brilliantly! "Almost like being in love", and that bell is ringing for maaaaaay..."Do it again", in the original key, and I can't breathe as his falsetto rides on top of the shimmering strings. This is magical!"You go to my head", and he even slips in the "forgot the goddam words" bit...you've done your homework, Rufus, even to the point of standing on the same part of the stage as Judy did to deliver "Alone Together"...dedicated to his partner, Jorn, and sung with such intensity and passion. The next four songs take us from swing to ragtime to late-night jazz and he wins each time, peaking with "How long has this been going on", which is just perfect. Then, the big one..."The Man that got away". It is a well-known fact that Judy's arranger always pitched her songs a note above where she thought she could sing, so that she had to fight for it. I think that Rufus does this too. At times, you can feel him literally clawing his way up to the top notes...it makes for electrifying listening and viewing. The first half closes with "San Francisco", a barn-storming performance, full of kitsch and bravado...glorious!Second half..."That's Entertainment"...all those tricky lyrics just fall off his tongue! "I can't give you anything but love"...so gentle and sublime, taken slowly and sung so beautifully. "Come Rain or come shine"...you try singing along with this, and see how many key changes you make! The "parlour" section of voice and piano is possibly Rufus at his best...three songs, concluding with "If love were all"...you can't screw around with Noel Coward, and he doesn't...glorious!"Zing when the strings of my heart", and Rufus displays his dancing "talent"! You get the feeling that he has just "come out to play" and is still the little lad who got up first at the family hootenanny and wouldn't sit down! He plays the fool and you love him all the more for it! His sister, the sultry Martha, brings down the house with a wonderful rendition of "Stormy Weather"...the ghost of Lotte Lenya burns in her soul!Down to the old folks home; "You made me love you", "Me and my gal" and then...the highlight; "The Trolley Song"...the sheer joy of this performance just bursts through the screen...cue mad mad mad applause! "Rock a bye your baby" and he is still hitting notes that defy gravity. "Over the Rainbow", with Mama at the piano...it's impossible to to take the ownership of this song away from Garland and he doesn't even try...just sings the song...lovely!Final furlong..."Swanee" and he is living out his Jolson fantasies as well! "After you've gone" and Lorna Luft joins him and shakes her vibrato all about! "Chicago"...and I never thought I would get to shout the response to "and you will never guess where"!!! Fabulous stuff! "Get Happy"...not part of the original concert, but why the hell not!! A solo spot for Lorna and Martha, and gentle "Everytime we say Goodbye"...and it's all over!This may read like a love letter...and so it should!There will be those who say he should never have attempted this project. But watch this DVD and see the absolute passion and artistic integrity in every song, every note, every moment of this performance. Rufus does not impersonate Garland...THAT would be foolish! It is a tribute to one of the greatest singers of all time and to some of the greatest composers.At one point, having struggled gamely to the end of "Come Rain or Come Shine", Rufus flops on a stool, messes his hair up for the umpteenth time and says "Insanity"...it is! It was! But it was a night I will never forget. He will never do the show again, and rightly so. He is an composer and singer, not a cabaret artist...but if you are going to bring your favourite "miming in the mirror" fantasy to life, do it with this much style!Love you, Rufus!!!Buy this DVD now!

I just love this... from start to finish....I can't believe that this is the first review this product has received....