An Evening with Rufus, and almost Judy

Friday, June 16. 2006

Last night my partner and I had the fortune to see the seconf of Rufus Wainwright's performances in Carnegie Hall as he recreated Judy Garland's famous April 23rd, 1961 concert in the same venue.

The NYTimes, although harsh in their review described it as "a tour de force of politically empowering performance art in which a proudly gay male performer paid homage to the original and most durable gay icon in the crowded pantheon of pop divas." Yes, he was proud, we felt proud, and the entire hall had the gayest, most wonderful vibe. The only downside, of course, was the longest line I have ever seen for the bar at intermission!

For a detailed recount, and a more generous review than the Times, read today's review in Reuters.

Do I hear any other Rufus fans out there?

Posted by Alice at 18:38 | Comments (2) | Trackbacks (0) |

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I'm a HUGE Rufus fan, but I honestly, despite admiring the concept, wasn't that jazzed about hearing him do a night of covers. It was a cool idea though.

Did you love it?

#1 EL (Homepage) on 2006-06-17 12:25

Well, if you're a HUGE fan, you would've loved it. The last time I heard Rufus in concert (a few months ago), he lost his voice in the middle of it. This time (despite the NY Times' harsh description), his voice was impeccable. He hit all the highs & lows, and even sang one of the songs in the same key as Judy Garland.

His mother was on stage twice playing the piano, and when sister Martha joined in, it was almost a Partridge Family moment!

Rufus really took ownership of the songs, with some awkward choreographic moments, but great wardrobe choices, and an elegant, yet informal interaction with the orchestra & audience.

Maybe next time?

#1.1 Alice on 2006-06-23 12:36

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