Ingenue: Deanna Durbin, Judy Garland and the Golden Age of Hollywood
After the death of Judy Garland, a reporter comes to interview Deanna Durbin about their supposed rivalry. She reminisces about their friendship and her time in Hollywood as a major child movie star during the 1930s and 1940s. The story tells Durbin’s incredible life story including being born in Winnipeg, hired and fired by MGM, how she saved Universal Studios, became an inspiration for the soldiers during World War II and left movies to start a family.
The music is terrific and I liked how writer/performer Melanie Gall presents both the cheery songs of the 1930s and the patriotic war songs of the 1940s. By showing both Deanna and Judy, this show acts as a nice compare and contrast between two different child stars — one who stayed in show business and ran into problems with drugs and one who left and lived a quiet life. However, too many fumbled lines on Monday night reduced my enjoyment, but still it’s a nice little Fringe show.
Venue 6 — Tom Hendry Warehouse
Musical
60 Minutes
General Audience
Accessibility: low vision/blind