As I entered the long hallway entrance to the theater, I realized I had never been to the Olympia. A true music hall, this great stage has had some of the most legendary performers including Piaf, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Hallyday, Liza Minelli, the Beatles and of course Judy Garland. When I arrived in the theater itself, it was almost intimate with only about 30 rows of seats and felt I was on hallowed ground.
The crowd of mostly Brits and Americans was anxiously waiting for Rufus, to the point that some even started clapping at 8:10 for the show to begin. They didn’t have to wait long: The handsome 40 piece orchestra played a rousing and dynamic overture and than out came Rufus. He wore a mustard colored Viktor & Rolf suit with purple grey flecks and rhinestone collar. Festive is the best way to describe the mood and the clothes as he belted out “When Your Smiling”. His rendition of “ Do it Again” in a falsetto was sexy and stirring. I am more a fan of Rufus’s style and charismatic presence than actual voice and although his voice was well suited to the music, some of the songs didn’t work vocally. 
Musically and lyrically you could see that these were hard songs to sing and at times it was almost like watching someone who had been dared to do this and seeing if they could pull it off. There were times when he bit off more than he could chew vocally by getting winded and sometimes speaking the lyrics, but he was still a joy to watch with his effortless style. Even in the moments where he had to start over again or forgot the lyrics, he handled it so gracefully and matter of factly, that you laughed and stumbled along with him. I think also it was his love and respect for Judy Garland and the music along with this gallant undertaking that ultimately endeared the audience that later gave him many standing ovations.
Some of the other highlights were second act opening of a lively “That’s Entertainment”, ballads “How Long Has This Been Going On” and “A Foggy Day” which were dreamlike, and an adorable cha cha beat “You Go to My Head”. There were guest appearances by his sister Martha, accompanying him and also doing a solo of a heart wrenching “Stormy Weather” but the real surprise was Lorna Luft, who belted out “After You’ve Gone” in her best Liza/Judy vibrato.
Although I had heard the songs so many times before, I was reminded of just how truly genius the music is of our great composers Harold Arlen, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Noel Coward. Had they and Judy been there last night, they would d have been thrilled that their music and spirit was alive and being well taken care of by Rufus Wainwright.
There is one last concert in London at the Palladium on Feb. 25th.
Tickets
I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour
includes many of the places I have written about including small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.
I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Special Offer for Eye Prefer Paris Tours: Until the end of February, I am offering a 25-euro discount on any tour booking. The regular price is 175 euros (for up to 4 people) and the price will be 150 euros. To receive the discount, please email by clicking the email tab on theleft side above the Google ads and I will send you instructions.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
Mmmm, I enjoyed it too (in spite of Rufie's cold) but had a few reservations, nevertheless...
Posted by: rhino75 | February 22, 2007 at 01:32 AM
Speaking of Judy Garland, there is a new group on Yahoo called THE JUDY GARLAND EXPERIENCE. They have amazingly rare audio files, great photo's, lively discussions, and the most eclectic group of Garland fans you could ever imagine! The only thing missing is you. Please come back and check out our little Judyville, you may never want to leave.
http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/thejudygarlandexperience/
Posted by: Daniel | February 23, 2007 at 10:44 PM
I was in both NYC last summer and in Paris recently and while I must say the show in NYC was unbelievable, I was not so thrilled with the Paris show. Perhaps if I had not seen it done so perfectly I would be more forgiving of the lack of lustre the Paris show held. Rufus had a cold and he was not very into the whole thing - he even made some silly comments, like ..."and im not even on drugs"! C'mon Rufus, this is Paris after all.
Bless him for doing it, but he should have postponed the Paris show until he was in better health.
Posted by: john mcmullan | March 09, 2007 at 10:06 PM