Review: GET HAPPY is a Triumphant Tribute to Judy Garland at the MILWAUKEE REP

Close your eyes, and you might think Judy Garland is in the room. Open them, and you might still think she's in the room. Angela Ingersoll is both every-inch a blazing star in her own right and a glorious tribute to one of America's all-time greatest voices.

Get Happy is now on stage at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. The show is an Artists Lounge Live production, which essentially means it has played all over the country and will now enjoy some time in Milwaukee (through July 1st), courtesy of The Rep. The star of the show, Angela Ingersoll, created, wrote, and directs Get Happy. She was even nominated for an Emmy Award for the PBS recording of her show. Is there anything she can't do?

From corseted Judy to pantsuit Judy, Get Happy is a revue of Judy Garland's iconic hits, as well as a tour through her life with Ingersoll as our singular guide. She tells us how she's been "likened to Ms. Garland" all her life, her love of Judy reaching back into childhood. Ingersoll's genuine admiration for Judy comes through like crazy, and that's just part of what makes this show so splendid.

The main bit is, of course, the music and the immense voice with which Ingersoll is blessed. From swingin', upbeat numbers where she barely catches a breath to soft, intimate ballads, her voice finds a home in every single one. From the start, Ingersoll sets out to "pump some life into these old songs" and she does all that and more. Some standouts: "The Boy Nextdoor," transporting us back to our teenage first love. "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart," in which Ingersoll first takes us to the edge of tears, then snaps into a zippy tempo. "Make Someone Happy," which feels like tender advice for a life well-lived.

Ingersoll is backed by a marvelous trio of musicians: Chuck Larkin on piano (Jeremy Kahn starting May 15th), Charles Heath on percussion, and Milwaukee's own Jeff Harmann on the upright bass. Together with Ingersoll, they tear through Garland's catalog of work, but it never feels rushed. Of course "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is teased throughout the show, but is saved for the very end. And did you know that Judy's most iconic song was nearly left on the cutting room floor? This is just one of the many historic gems Ingersoll shares throughout Get Happy.

Which gets me thinking: What is it, aside from Ingersoll's big voice, that makes Get Happy a step above other cabaret musical revues? To me, it's the history sprinkled throughout. It's also the way Ingersoll breaks up the show with on-stage costume changes and even a balloon animal. And then there's Ingersoll's authentic performance. She's likable, charming, fiery -- like Judy, she has that spark of something you just can't fake. The honesty with which Ingersoll shares her own story as it weaves with Judy's, the sincere gratitude she shows for the chance to step into her icon's shoes night after night -- this is what makes Get Happy such a sensation in every way.

Get Happy is on stage at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater through July 1st, 2022.

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