Rating: 
Summary: Powerful and Moving, showbiz in the raw...
Review: Wary as I was of all the so-so and downright negative reviews of this DVD that I've seen strewn about the Web, it was with some reluctance that I bought it from Amazon.
I am deligted to be able to tell you all now to utterly disregard the criticisms, the complaints and the heckling - "Judy Garland Live at the London Palladium with Liza Minnelli" is, in my opinion, one of the best live concert DVDs I have ever seen.
Judy is older, more tired, and in noticably less voice than in previous outings. Liza is sometimes over-ambitious in her range and a shade on the awkward side. The DVD quality is blurry and jerky, and the sound quality, although you can hear pretty much everything perfectly well, is not as good as it could have been.
For all of that, though, the absolute and indefinable screen magic and stage presence that radiates from two of the world's most legendary entertainers is more than palpable here - it's real, heartfelt and honest. Judy and Liza seem both enamoured of and slightly overawed by each other, and their shared medleys and duets (which comprise most of the track listings) are breathtaking. Liza more than holds her own with her opening number "Gypsy In My Soul", and in terms of sheer enjoyment, their rendition of the classic "Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again" beats the Garland-Streisand version hands down.
An absolute and unequivocal must for fans of showbusiness, broadway, craftsmanship in music or either of these two indisputable treasures, "Judy Garland Live at the London Palladium with Liza Minnelli" is an outstanding testament to the power of talent.
To be owned and enjoyed immediately!
Rating:
Summary: Judy and Liza are Dynamite Together
Review: Wow! There cannot possibly be many better ways to spend an hour than this. Judy and Liza give, both independently and collaboratively, an incredible performance. While this is Liza's first public stage performance with her remarkable mother, Liza takes only seconds, despite some apparent and more than understandable nervousness, to prove that she is not just Judy Garland's daughter but is in fact a fantastic singer in her own right. While I have listened to a little bit of Liza in the past, I only did so because she was the daughter of the greatest singer to ever live. I can now say, however, that I am a Liza fan. The Judy Garland in this video is the Judy Garland that so many of us continue to adore, with no trace of the sadness that perpetually haunted her throughout her adult life. She is seemingly very happy to be on stage, which is probably the only place where she was truly ever happy, and she makes everyone in her audience share in that happiness. Obviously, she is delighted and proud to have her daughter on stage performing with her--this is clearly evident when Liza sings "Who's Sorry Now?" because the camera shows Judy sitting on the stage in front of Liza and clearly enjoying her singing. There is a lot of interaction with the audience, as well, both between songs and sometimes even during songs. I am one of those people who always seems to be frowning, but I smiled throughout this entire performance. That is the magic of Judy Garland. On pretty rare occasions, a certain song by a certain singer will give you goosebumps, and those goosebumps usually stop appearing once you have heard that special song a few times. Judy Garland, however, gives me goosebumps on almost every song she sings; I've been a fan since 1989, and those goosebumps haven't stopped yet. This video is only about 55 minutes long, unfortunately; I wish it were longer. As far as the songs, Liza sings two or three on her own, the highlight of which is, in my opinion, "It's Just a Matter of Time," and both she and Judy team up for a number of wonderful duets. Judy herself sings several songs of her own, beginning with a powerful performance of "Once in a Lifetime" and including such favorites as "The Man That Got Away," "San Francisco," and, of course, "Over the Rainbow." This is a particularly interesting version of "Over the Rainbow" in that Judy encourages the audience to sing with her and actually stops and listens while they sing parts of the song. The only drawback associated with this tape is the picture quality. I don't know the origins or originally intended purposes of this tape, but at times is appears to be the work of an amateur. On several occasions, the camera shakes momentarily as if it has been bumped. Along the same lines, the editor of this video would surely garner no rewards for his work. Many of the transitions from one song to another are terribly choppy and poorly done. Don't let these technical flaws deter you from buying this video, however, especially at such a low price. Judy Garland is close to her best throughout the entire performance, and Liza proves that she is much more than just Judy Garland's daughter.
Rating:
Summary: Judy and Liza are Dynamite Together
Review: Wow! There cannot possibly be many better ways to spend an hour than this. Judy and Liza give, both independently and collaboratively, an incredible performance. While this is Liza's first public stage performance with her remarkable mother, Liza takes only seconds, despite some apparent and more than understandable nervousness, to prove that she is not just Judy Garland's daughter but is in fact a fantastic singer in her own right. While I have listened to a little bit of Liza in the past, I only did so because she was the daughter of the greatest singer to ever live. I can now say, however, that I am a Liza fan. The Judy Garland in this video is the Judy Garland that so many of us continue to adore, with no trace of the sadness that perpetually haunted her throughout her adult life. She is seemingly very happy to be on stage, which is probably the only place where she was truly ever happy, and she makes everyone in her audience share in that happiness. Obviously, she is delighted and proud to have her daughter on stage performing with her--this is clearly evident when Liza sings "Who's Sorry Now?" because the camera shows Judy sitting on the stage in front of Liza and clearly enjoying her singing. There is a lot of interaction with the audience, as well, both between songs and sometimes even during songs. I am one of those people who always seems to be frowning, but I smiled throughout this entire performance. That is the magic of Judy Garland. On pretty rare occasions, a certain song by a certain singer will give you goosebumps, and those goosebumps usually stop appearing once you have heard that special song a few times. Judy Garland, however, gives me goosebumps on almost every song she sings; I've been a fan since 1989, and those goosebumps haven't stopped yet. This video is only about 55 minutes long, unfortunately; I wish it were longer. As far as the songs, Liza sings two or three on her own, the highlight of which is, in my opinion, "It's Just a Matter of Time," and both she and Judy team up for a number of wonderful duets. Judy herself sings several songs of her own, beginning with a powerful performance of "Once in a Lifetime" and including such favorites as "The Man That Got Away," "San Francisco," and, of course, "Over the Rainbow." This is a particularly interesting version of "Over the Rainbow" in that Judy encourages the audience to sing with her and actually stops and listens while they sing parts of the song. The only drawback associated with this tape is the picture quality. I don't know the origins or originally intended purposes of this tape, but at times is appears to be the work of an amateur. On several occasions, the camera shakes momentarily as if it has been bumped. Along the same lines, the editor of this video would surely garner no rewards for his work. Many of the transitions from one song to another are terribly choppy and poorly done. Don't let these technical flaws deter you from buying this video, however, especially at such a low price. Judy Garland is close to her best throughout the entire performance, and Liza proves that she is much more than just Judy Garland's daughter.
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