Lorna Luft
Encyclopedia
Lorna Luft is an American television, stage, and film actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland
and Sid Luft, and the half-sister of singer and actress Liza Minnelli
.
, California to Judy Garland
(who was of Irish and Scottish descent) and her third husband, Sid Luft (who was of German and Russian descent). She made her showbusiness debut at age 11 singing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
" on the 1963 Christmas episode of her mother's CBS
television series, The Judy Garland Show
. Siblings Liza Minnelli
and Joey Luft also appeared in this episode.
She soon joined the family act on a summer concert tour, the highlight being Garland’s third and final appearance at New York City's famed Palace Theatre on Broadway in 1967. In this month-long engagement, Judy Garland "shared" the bill with Lorna (then 14 years old) and son Joey (12 years old). The show was recorded live and released on ABC Records
as Judy Garland: At Home At The Palace.
Luft is married to her second husband, musician Colin R. Freeman.
Luft has two children, Vanessa and Jesse Richards, born during her first marriage to musician and artist manager Jake Hooker
.
television series Trapper John, M.D.
during that show's final season, 1985–1986. She appeared in two episodes of the 2007 Logo
animated series Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple In All The World
.
Luft made her Broadway debut in 1971 at the Shubert Theatre
as a replacement cast member in the musical Promises, Promises
, adapted from the classic 1960 Billy Wilder
film The Apartment
. The show is best known for the hit song "I'll Never Fall in Love Again
".
Luft starred in the 1981 national tour of They're Playing Our Song
. In 1983, she played Peppermint Patty
in the Off Broadway production of Snoopy!!! The Musical
(a sequel to You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
) and later that year she co-starred in Extremities
with Farrah Fawcett
.
From 1992 through 1994, she played Adelaide in the American and world tour productions of Guys and Dolls. In 1996, she appeared in an Irish production of Follies
in Dublin with Enda Markey
, Dave Willetts
and Millicent Martin
. In 2002, she starred as Mama Rose in a University of Richmond
school production of Gypsy
.
In November 2006 through January 2007, she performed in the UK premiere of Irving Berlin
's White Christmas
: The Musical, a new stage adaptation based on the film. Lorna reprised her role in White Christmas the next year, playing the Edinburgh Playhouse
from November 19 to December 8, 2007 and the Wales Millennium Centre
in the Donald Gordon Theatre
from December 13, 2007 through January 12, 2008.
In October 2007, she released her debut CD Lorna Luft: Songs My Mother Taught Me in the United Kingdom. Produced by Barry Manilow
and her husband Colin R. Freeman, the album celebrates the music of her mother. In 2005 she toured Ireland with her stage show, Songs My Mother Taught Me. In June 2006, she surprised audiences at Carnegie Hall
by performing a duet with Rufus Wainwright
on the song "After You've Gone
" at the end of Wainwright's tribute concert of Garland's triumphant 1961 comeback at Carnegie Hall.
Luft appeared in The Wizard Of Oz, the stage show of the movie that made her mother famous
, at The Lowry Centre in Manchester
, England. She portrayed the role of the Wicked Witch of the West
, played by Margaret Hamilton
in the 1939 film.
In April 2009, Luft completed a successful UK tour of the critically acclaimed Hugh Whitemore
play Pack of Lies
, in which she played the role of Helen Kroger. She starred alongside Jenny Seagrove
, Simon Shepherd
and Daniel Hill
. In May 2009, she appeared in W magazine
as a special guest performer for the acclaimed avant-garde Theo Adams Company's
latest project, 'Performance', photographed by David Sims.In July 2009, she appeared at the Mermaid Theatre
, London to record for the television series Friday Night is Music Night
. Lorna Luft and Friends – A Tribute to Judy Garland also featured John Barrowman
, Frances Ruffelle
and Linzi Hateley
.
Luft participates in various children's and AIDS-related charities, including the annual Los Angeles AIDS Walk and The Children's Wish Foundation International. She has been an advocate for drug rehabilitation
and has spoken for The Council on Alcohol & Drugs.
(1982). Other films include Where the Boys Are '84
(1984), Fearstalker (1998), 54 (1998) and My Giant
(1998).
. Among its revelations is that she had a romantic crush on Barry Manilow
. In 2001, the book was adapted as an Emmy-winning
TV miniseries
Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows
. It stars Judy Davis
as the adult Judy, Tammy Blanchard
as the teenage Judy, Hugh Laurie
as Vincente Minnelli
, Victor Garber
as Sid Luft, and Marsha Mason
as Ethel Gumm.
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
and Sid Luft, and the half-sister of singer and actress Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
.
Biography
Luft was born in Santa MonicaSanta Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, California to Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
(who was of Irish and Scottish descent) and her third husband, Sid Luft (who was of German and Russian descent). She made her showbusiness debut at age 11 singing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
"Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is a Christmas song. It was written by John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie, and was first sung on Eddie Cantor's radio show in November 1934....
" on the 1963 Christmas episode of her mother's CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television series, The Judy Garland Show
The Judy Garland Show
The Judy Garland Show is an American musical variety television series that aired on CBS on Sunday nights during the 1963-1964 television season. Despite a sometimes stormy relationship with Judy Garland, CBS had found success with several television specials featuring the star...
. Siblings Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
and Joey Luft also appeared in this episode.
She soon joined the family act on a summer concert tour, the highlight being Garland’s third and final appearance at New York City's famed Palace Theatre on Broadway in 1967. In this month-long engagement, Judy Garland "shared" the bill with Lorna (then 14 years old) and son Joey (12 years old). The show was recorded live and released on ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
as Judy Garland: At Home At The Palace.
Luft is married to her second husband, musician Colin R. Freeman.
Luft has two children, Vanessa and Jesse Richards, born during her first marriage to musician and artist manager Jake Hooker
Jake Hooker (musician)
Jake Hooker Is an Israeli born Musician. He was the Guitarist for the Rock/Pop band Arrows. His family moved to the United States when he was a child, but Jake moved to England to pursue his Adult life. Now Jake currently lives in Los Angeles,CA.-Career:Jake Hooker was one of the Founders of the...
.
Stage and television career
Luft appeared as Nurse Libby Kegler on the CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television series Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D.
Trapper John, M.D. is an American television medical drama and spin-off of the film MASH, concerning a lovable surgeon who became a mentor and father figure in San Francisco, California. The show ran on CBS from September 23, 1979, to September 4, 1986....
during that show's final season, 1985–1986. She appeared in two episodes of the 2007 Logo
Logo (TV channel)
Logo is an American digital cable television channel owned by Viacom's MTV Networks division. Launched in June 2005, the channel's programs are geared towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community...
animated series Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple In All The World
Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World
Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World is an American-Canadian stop motion animated sitcom created by Q. Allan Brocka, who also acts as director. It is a spin off from Brocka's 1999 short film of the same name, and debuted on the LGBT focused Logo network in July 2007 and on the...
.
Luft made her Broadway debut in 1971 at the Shubert Theatre
Shubert Theatre (Broadway)
The Shubert Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 225 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan, New York, United States.Designed by architect Henry Beaumont Herts, it was named after Sam S. Shubert, the second oldest of the three brothers of the theatrical producing family...
as a replacement cast member in the musical Promises, Promises
Promises, Promises
Promises, Promises is a musical based on the 1960 film The Apartment. The music is by Burt Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David, and book by Neil Simon. Musical numbers for the original Broadway production were choreographed by Michael Bennett; Robert Moore directed and David Merrick produced...
, adapted from the classic 1960 Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder was an Austro-Hungarian born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist, and journalist, whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age...
film The Apartment
The Apartment
The Apartment is a 1960 American comedy-drama film produced and directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. It was Wilder's follow-up to the enormously popular Some Like It Hot and, like its predecessor, was a commercial and critical hit, grossing $25...
. The show is best known for the hit song "I'll Never Fall in Love Again
I'll Never Fall in Love Again
"I'll Never Fall In Love Again" is a popular song by composer Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. Originally written for the 1968 musical Promises, Promises, it soon became one of Bacharach and David's most enduring songs. It was nominated for Song of the Year in the 1969 Grammy awards...
".
Luft starred in the 1981 national tour of They're Playing Our Song
They're Playing Our Song
They're Playing Our Song is a musical with a book by Neil Simon, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, and music by Marvin Hamlisch.In a story based on the real-life relationship of Hamlisch and Sager, a wisecracking composer finds a new, offbeat lyricist, but initially the match is not one made in heaven...
. In 1983, she played Peppermint Patty
Peppermint Patty
Patricia "Peppermint Patty" Reichardt is a fictional character featured in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts. A freckle-faced auburn/brunette, she is one of a small group in the strip who lives across town from Charlie Brown and his school friends...
in the Off Broadway production of Snoopy!!! The Musical
Snoopy!!! The Musical
Snoopy: The Musical is a musical comedy by Larry Grossman and Hal Hackady, with a book by Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw, and Michael Grace. The characters are from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts. This sequel to the musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown focuses more on the life of...
(a sequel to You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a 1967 musical comedy with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip Peanuts...
) and later that year she co-starred in Extremities
Extremities (play)
(This article is about the off-Broadway play. For the 1986 film, see Extremities (film)Extremities is a play by William Mastrosimone that was first performed off Broadway in 1982...
with Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett was an American actress and artist. A multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill Munroe in the first season of the television series Charlie's Angels, in 1976...
.
From 1992 through 1994, she played Adelaide in the American and world tour productions of Guys and Dolls. In 1996, she appeared in an Irish production of Follies
Follies
Follies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The story concerns a reunion in a crumbling Broadway theatre, scheduled for demolition, of the past performers of the "Weismann's Follies," a musical revue , that played in that theatre between the World Wars...
in Dublin with Enda Markey
Enda Markey
Enda Markey is an Irish-born Sydney, Australia-based stage and television actor. He made his professional stage debut aged eleven in Dylan Thomas's A Child's Christmas in Wales at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin....
, Dave Willetts
Dave Willetts
Dave Willetts is an English singer and actor known for having leading roles in West End musicals.Willetts is something of an enigma in that he has had no formal singing, dancing, or acting lessons. Before he was 20 he rarely visited the theatre...
and Millicent Martin
Millicent Martin
Millicent Mary Lillian Martin is an English actress, singer and comedienne.Martin was born in Romford, England. She made her Broadway debut opposite Julie Andrews in The Boy Friend in 1954...
. In 2002, she starred as Mama Rose in a University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
school production of Gypsy
Gypsy: A Musical Fable
Gypsy is a musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Gypsy is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist, and focuses on her mother, Rose, whose name has become synonymous with "the ultimate show business...
.
In November 2006 through January 2007, she performed in the UK premiere of Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
's White Christmas
White Christmas
A white Christmas refers to the presence of snow on Christmas Day. This phenomenon is most common in the northern countries of the Northern Hemisphere...
: The Musical, a new stage adaptation based on the film. Lorna reprised her role in White Christmas the next year, playing the Edinburgh Playhouse
Edinburgh Playhouse
The Edinburgh Playhouse is a former cinema in Edinburgh, Scotland which now hosts touring musicals and music concerts. Its capacity is 3,059, making it the UK's largest working theatre in terms of audience capacity....
from November 19 to December 8, 2007 and the Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert...
in the Donald Gordon Theatre
Donald Gordon
Sir Donald Gordon is a South African businessman and philanthropist.-Career:Educated at King Edward VII School in Johannesburg before doing his articles to be a Chartered Accountant at the firm Kessel Feinstein .He founded the Liberty Life Association of Africa in 1957 out of which he formed...
from December 13, 2007 through January 12, 2008.
In October 2007, she released her debut CD Lorna Luft: Songs My Mother Taught Me in the United Kingdom. Produced by Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
and her husband Colin R. Freeman, the album celebrates the music of her mother. In 2005 she toured Ireland with her stage show, Songs My Mother Taught Me. In June 2006, she surprised audiences at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
by performing a duet with Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
on the song "After You've Gone
After You've Gone (song)
"After You've Gone" is a 1918 popular song composed by Turner Layton, with lyrics written by Henry Creamer. It was recorded by Marion Harris on July 22, 1918 and released on Victor 18509. It is the basis for many other jazz songs, as it can easily be improvised over...
" at the end of Wainwright's tribute concert of Garland's triumphant 1961 comeback at Carnegie Hall.
Luft appeared in The Wizard Of Oz, the stage show of the movie that made her mother famous
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
, at The Lowry Centre in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England. She portrayed the role of the Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked Witch of the West
The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character and the most significant antagonist in L. Frank Baum's children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
, played by Margaret Hamilton
Margaret Hamilton
Margaret Hamilton was an American film actress known for her portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz...
in the 1939 film.
In April 2009, Luft completed a successful UK tour of the critically acclaimed Hugh Whitemore
Hugh Whitemore
Hugh Whitemore is an English playwright and screenwriter.Whitemore studied for the stage at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he is now a Member of the Council. He began his writing career in British television with both original teleplays and adaptations of classic works by Charles...
play Pack of Lies
Pack of Lies
Pack of Lies is a 1983 play by English writer Hugh Whitemore.Based on a true story, the plot centres on Bob and Barbara Jackson and their teenage daughter Julie The Jacksons are friendly with their neighbours, Peter and Helen Kroger, until the couple is...
, in which she played the role of Helen Kroger. She starred alongside Jenny Seagrove
Jenny Seagrove
Jennifer Ann Seagrove is an English actress. She trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and rose to fame playing the lead in a TV dramatisation of Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Woman of Substance and the 1983 film Local Hero...
, Simon Shepherd
Simon Shepherd
Simon Shepherd is a British actor. He is well known to TV audiences from many appearances, including Dr Will Preston in five series of ITV's Peak Practice....
and Daniel Hill
Daniel Hill
Daniel Hill or Dan Hill may refer to:* Daniel Hill , British actor* Daniel G. Hill , Canadian sociologist, civil servant, human rights specialist, and Black Canadian historian...
. In May 2009, she appeared in W magazine
W (magazine)
W is a monthly American fashion magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, who purchased original owner Fairchild Publications in 1999. It was created in 1971 by the publisher of sister magazine Woman's Wear Daily, James Brady. The magazine is an oversize format – ten inches wide and...
as a special guest performer for the acclaimed avant-garde Theo Adams Company's
Theo Adams
Theo Adams , previously referred to as The-O, is a performance artist and director of the contemporary theatrical performance art group Theo Adams Company.-Personal life:...
latest project, 'Performance', photographed by David Sims.In July 2009, she appeared at the Mermaid Theatre
Mermaid Theatre
The Mermaid Theatre was a theatre at Puddle Dock, in Blackfriars, in the City of London and the first built there since the time of Shakespeare...
, London to record for the television series Friday Night is Music Night
Friday Night is Music Night
Friday Night is Music Night is a long running live BBC radio concert programme featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra, broadcast most Fridays on BBC Radio 2 at 8.00pm. It is the world's longest-running live music radio programme....
. Lorna Luft and Friends – A Tribute to Judy Garland also featured John Barrowman
John Barrowman
John Scot Barrowman is a Scottish-American singer, actor, dancer, musical theatre performer and media personality. Born in Glasgow yet growing up in Illinois after his family emigrated to the United States when he was eight years old, Barrowman was encouraged to further his love for music and...
, Frances Ruffelle
Frances Ruffelle
Frances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and recording artist. Her mother is Sylvia Young, the founder of the famous theatre school at which Frances trained, and her daughter is recording artist Eliza Doolittle. Her younger sister is actress Alison Ruffelle...
and Linzi Hateley
Linzi Hateley
Linzi Hateley is an English stage actress who is currently starring as one of the leads in the West End production of the musical Mamma Mia!. Her performance as Donna started on 5 March 2007....
.
Luft participates in various children's and AIDS-related charities, including the annual Los Angeles AIDS Walk and The Children's Wish Foundation International. She has been an advocate for drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
and has spoken for The Council on Alcohol & Drugs.
Film career
In film, Luft played Paulette Rebchuck in the feature film Grease 2Grease 2
Grease 2 is a 1982 American musical film and sequel to Grease, which is based upon the musical of the same name by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Grease 2 was produced by Allan Carr and Robert Stigwood, and directed and choreographed by Patricia Birch, who also choreographed the first film...
(1982). Other films include Where the Boys Are '84
Where the Boys Are '84
Where the Boys Are '84 is a 1984 remake of the 1960 teen sex comedy film Where the Boys Are, starring Lisa Hartman, Lorna Luft, Wendy Schaal and Lynn-Holly Johnson...
(1984), Fearstalker (1998), 54 (1998) and My Giant
My Giant
My Giant is a 1998 comedy drama film starring Billy Crystal, and NBA player Gheorghe Muresan in his only film appearance. Crystal also co-wrote the story.-Synopsis:A huckster named Sammy travels to Romania on business...
(1998).
Published works
She is the author of the 1998 book Me and My Shadows: A Family MemoirMe and My Shadows: A Family Memoir
Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir is a memoir written by Lorna Luft recounting her mother Judy Garland's life, Luft's life with mother and dealing with life after her mother's passing...
. Among its revelations is that she had a romantic crush on Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
. In 2001, the book was adapted as an Emmy-winning
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
TV miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows
Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows
Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows is a 2001 television film based on the memoirs of Lorna Luft, the daughter of Garland. The production is notable for its meticulous recreations of her films and concerts, and verisimilitudinous impressions of her by Tammy Blanchard and Judy Davis.The film,...
. It stars Judy Davis
Judy Davis
Judy Davis is an Australian actress best known for her roles in Husbands and Wives, Barton Fink, A Passage to India and in the TV miniseries Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows....
as the adult Judy, Tammy Blanchard
Tammy Blanchard
Tammy Blanchard is an American actress. She has worked primarily in films and television, making her professional start in the soap opera Guiding Light...
as the teenage Judy, Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
as Vincente Minnelli
Vincente Minnelli
Vincente Minnelli was an American stage director and film director, famous for directing such classic movie musicals as Meet Me in St. Louis, The Band Wagon, and An American in Paris. In addition to having directed some of the most famous and well-remembered musicals of his time, Minnelli made...
, Victor Garber
Victor Garber
Victor Joseph Garber is a Canadian film, stage and television actor and singer. Garber is known for playing Jesus in Godspell, Jack Bristow in the television series Alias, Max in Lend Me a Tenor, and Thomas Andrews in James Cameron's Titanic.-Early life:Born in London, Ontario, Canada, Garber is...
as Sid Luft, and Marsha Mason
Marsha Mason
Marsha Mason is an American actress and television director.She received four Academy Award nominations as Best Actress for her performances in Cinderella Liberty, The Goodbye Girl, Chapter Two, and Only When I Laugh. She is also known for starring in the 1986 film Heartbreak Ridge.-Life:Mason was...
as Ethel Gumm.
Singles
- "Our Day Will Come" (Epic Records single)
- "Long Time" (European single)
- "Born Again" (European single)
- "Where the Boys Are" (CBS Records single)
- "The Whole World's Goin' Crazee" (CBS Records dance single)
Cast albums and compilations
- Grease 2 (film soundtrack)
- George and Ira Gershwin's Girl Crazy: Complete Original Soundtrack
- Stairway to the Stars (live concert recording)
- Cole Porter Centennial Gala (live concert recording)
- The Christmas Album...A Gift of Hope
Other recordings
- She released a single version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little ChristmasHave Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, which has become more common than the original. The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane...
", an electronic duet with her mother. - She sang backing vocals on the BlondieBlondie (band)Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
album Eat to the BeatEat to the BeatEat to the Beat is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Blondie. It reached no.1 on the UK album charts in October 1979, no.9 in Australia and no.17 in the US.-History:...
. - She performed "After You've Gone" with Rufus Wainwright for Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie HallRufus Does Judy at Carnegie HallRufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall is the sixth album by the Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released through Geffen Records in December 2007. The album consists of live recordings from his sold-out June 14–15, 2006 tribute concerts at Carnegie Hall to the legendary American...
in June 2006.
Stage appearances
- Judy Garland: At Home at the Palace (July 31 – August 26, 1967) (Palace Theater) (one-woman show)
- The Boy FriendThe Boy FriendThe Boy Friend is a musical by Sandy Wilson. The musical's original 1954 London production ran for 2,078 performances, making it briefly the third-longest running musical in West End or Broadway history until it was surpassed by Salad Days...
(July 5 – August 14, 1970) (Banff CentreBanff CentreThe Banff Centre, formerly known as The Banff Centre for Continuing Education, is an arts, cultural, and educational institution and conference complex located in Banff, Alberta...
) - Promises, PromisesPromises, PromisesPromises, Promises is a musical based on the 1960 film The Apartment. The music is by Burt Bacharach, lyrics by Hal David, and book by Neil Simon. Musical numbers for the original Broadway production were choreographed by Michael Bennett; Robert Moore directed and David Merrick produced...
(cast member from October 1971 – January 1972) (replacement for Jill O'Hara) - GreaseGrease (musical)Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
(July 8–13, 1980) (DaytonDayton, OhioDayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, Ohio) - Carnival!Carnival!Carnival is a 1961 musical with the book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical is based on the 1953 film Lili.-Background:...
(November 1980) (Club Benet, New Jersey) - They're Playing Our SongThey're Playing Our SongThey're Playing Our Song is a musical with a book by Neil Simon, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, and music by Marvin Hamlisch.In a story based on the real-life relationship of Hamlisch and Sager, a wisecracking composer finds a new, offbeat lyricist, but initially the match is not one made in heaven...
(February–April 1981) (national tour) - Snoopy!!! The MusicalSnoopy!!! The MusicalSnoopy: The Musical is a musical comedy by Larry Grossman and Hal Hackady, with a book by Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw, and Michael Grace. The characters are from the Charles M. Schulz comic strip Peanuts. This sequel to the musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown focuses more on the life of...
(February 21 – May 1, 1983) (Lamb's TheatreLamb's TheatreLamb's Theatre was an Off-Broadway theater located at 130 West 44th Street, New York City inside the Manhattan Church of the Nazarene, near Times Square in New York City. It seated approximately 350 and specialized in musical productions...
) - ExtremitiesExtremities (play)(This article is about the off-Broadway play. For the 1986 film, see Extremities (film)Extremities is a play by William Mastrosimone that was first performed off Broadway in 1982...
(cast member from July–September 1983) (West Side Arts Center/Cheryl Crawford Theater) - Little Shop of HorrorsLittle Shop of Horrors (musical)Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...
(April 1986) (Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CaliforniaSanta Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, California) - Mame (December 5, 1986 – January 9, 1987) (JupiterJupiter, FloridaJupiter is a town located in Palm Beach County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 39,328. The estimate population for 2009 is 50,606. As of 2006, the population had grown to 50,028, according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research....
, Florida) - The Unsinkable Molly BrownThe Unsinkable Molly Brown (musical)The Unsinkable Molly Brown is a musical with music and lyrics by Meredith Willson and book by Richard Morris. The plot is a fictionalized account of the life of Margaret Brown, who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic, and her wealthy miner-husband....
(June 16 – July 12, 1987) (JupiterJupiter, FloridaJupiter is a town located in Palm Beach County, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 39,328. The estimate population for 2009 is 50,606. As of 2006, the population had grown to 50,028, according to the University of Florida, Bureau of Economic and Business Research....
, Florida) - A Bawdy Evening (August 1987) (Village Cabaret Theater, California)
- Girl CrazyGirl CrazyGirl Crazy is a 1930 musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in this musical production....
(May 17–27, 1988) (BirminghamBirmingham, MichiganBirmingham is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan and an affluent suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103...
, Michigan) - Jerry Herman's Broadway Years (March 18 – May 7, 1990) (national tour)
- Hollywood & Broadway (February 27 – May 24, 1992) (UK/European tour)
- Guys and DollsGuys and DollsGuys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
(September 1992 – April 1994) (national and world tour) - Magical World of Musicals (April 12 – July 9, 1995) (UK/European tour)
- FolliesFolliesFollies is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The story concerns a reunion in a crumbling Broadway theatre, scheduled for demolition, of the past performers of the "Weismann's Follies," a musical revue , that played in that theatre between the World Wars...
(May 26, 1996) (Dublin, Ireland) - Songs My Mother Taught Me (1999–present) (one-woman show)
- Caged (February 19, 2001) (New York City HallNew York City HallNew York City Hall is located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA, between Broadway, Park Row, and Chambers Street. The building is the oldest City Hall in the United States that still houses its original governmental functions, such as...
) - GypsyGypsy: A Musical FableGypsy is a musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Gypsy is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist, and focuses on her mother, Rose, whose name has become synonymous with "the ultimate show business...
(November 21–24, 2002) (RichmondRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Virginia) - White ChristmasWhite Christmas (musical)White Christmas is a musical based on the Paramount Pictures 1954 film of the same name. The libretto is by David Ives and Paul Blake, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin...
(November 19, 2006 – January 12, 2008) (US national tour, UK/Scotland tour) - Babes in ArmsBabes in ArmsBabes in Arms is a 1937 musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a teen-age boy who puts on a show with his friends to avoid being sent to a work farm.- Production history:...
(May 25 – July 7, 2007) (Chichester Festival TheatreChichester Festival TheatreChichester Festival Theatre, located in Chichester, England, was designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, and opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin in 1962. Subsequently the smaller and more intimate Minerva Theatre was built nearby in 1989....
) - The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (1987 stage play)The Wizard of Oz is a musical with a book by John Kane, music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It has additional background music by Herbert Stothart. It is based on the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L...
(November 29, 2008 – January 4, 2009) (The LowryThe LowryThe Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex situated on Pier 8 at Salford Quays, in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early-20th century painter, L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England...
) - Pack of LiesPack of LiesPack of Lies is a 1983 play by English writer Hugh Whitemore.Based on a true story, the plot centres on Bob and Barbara Jackson and their teenage daughter Julie The Jacksons are friendly with their neighbours, Peter and Helen Kroger, until the couple is...
(February–April 2009) (UK tour)
External links
- Official website
- Lorna Luft at MySpace
- July 2008 interview with Lorna Luft on BroadwayWorld.com