November 2019
Happy winter
and Happy Holidays. This will be our final newsletter for 2019, so we wanted to
update you on a few things, including next year’s Festivals!
MINNESOTA’S GIVE TO THE MAX DAY –
NOVEMBER 14th
The first
even of importance in our schedule is NOVEMBER 14th. It’s Minnesota’s Give to the Max Day. On
this day, Non-Profit organizations can have their donations matched by others. Please
consider this worthy cause and make your money grow. And, of course, this
donation is tax deductible.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY at the
CHILDREN’S DISCOVERY MUSEUM
This year
our annual children’s HO HO HO Christmas
Party will take place on Saturday, December 7th from 3:00 – 5:00
p.m.
For further
information, please check the CDM website:
http://www.cdmkids.org/ and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechildrensdiscoverymuseum/
THE 2020 CHILDREN’S WIZARD OF OZ
FESTIVAL
Dates have
been announced for our one day children’s Oz Festival. It will take place at
the Judy Garland Children’s Museum on Saturday, June 6th. Again,
please check the web and Facebook for further information as the date gets
closer.
The 2020 Judy Garland Festival
Dates have been announced for the 2020 Judy Garland Festival, which will take place from Thursday, June 11th thru Saturday, June 13th. No other information is available at this time. Just mark your calendars! More announcements will happen this spring. We look forward to seeing you!
JUDY GARLAND BIRTHPLACE HOUSE REPAIRS
As most of you know, fundraising for the house, which has serious repair needs has been in effect since last Spring.
We are happy to report that the roof leak issue has been taken care of with funds raised. In addition, Board Member Vicki Wilcox and her husband are donating the cost of replacing the two upstairs storm windows which would keep the house much warmer and protect the existing interior windows.
Board President Ray Nickel and John Kelsch have been working hard to find the right persons to do the work on the exterior walls and remaining windows. Most Grand Rapids contractors have a long line of work waiting for them and are not available for up to a year out. Meanwhile, we need the right persons and have to figure the cost, which will likely be up to $100,000. A grant is being looked into for part of this money, but it would be a grant which we must match dollar for dollar.
Fundraising continues. While our GoFundMe Page continues, the best way to donate is directly as no fees will be taken out of your donation. Thank you to all who have donated to this very worthy project. We will update you on progress in the spring.
A FEW WORDS FROM JUDY!
While many
fans have loads of material, recently we were happy to discover an interview
Miss Garland gave back in the 1940s. In
it, she answers some questions which you may have had. So we thought we’d share
a few of her comments. The interview was conducted by Jack Holland.
JH: You would prefer, for variety, to do some non-singing,
straight dramatic roles?
Judy: Not at all. After all, dramatic
roles do not mean that the parts have to be non-singing.
JH: You never like yourself on the screen and are very
critical of your work.
Judy: I’m terribly critical, but sometimes
I have liked myself. Not very often, but occasionally I like myself in my
husband’s pictures—and I kind of liked “Easter Parade.”
JH: Your favorite picture was “Easter Parade?”
Judy: No, One of my favorites. My pet was
“Meet Me In St. Louis.”
JH: You were very frightened when you had to do the
first dance with Fred Astaire?
Judy: No. He put me completely at my
ease. He is a gentleman and he is lots of fun to work with.
JH: You drive yourself too hard when you’re working?
Judy: Yes, I have a tendency to never let
down during a picture. This is stimulating but can be very fatiguing.
….
JH: You’re an extremely nervous person?
Judy:
So I’ve heard. I have moments of relaxation. The tension I’m under when
I work at times makes for nerves.
JH: You have a hot temper and fly off the handle easily?
Judy: Not easily. It takes me a long time—but
when I do explode there is no stopping me.
…
JH: You are extravagant in many ways?
Judy: Not at all extravagant. In fact, I
drive a 1941 Ford because it is so broken in, practically broken down, from my own particular style of driving!
JH: You’re inclined to trust people too much and
therefore have been hurt?
Judy: Yes.
…
JH: You dislike publicity and have been annoyed by
stories about you?
Judy: Yes. “Annoyed” is putting it mildly,
however, I realize it is part of my work.
CLOSING THE YEAR OUT
The year
2019 marked the 50th anniversary of Judy Garland’s passing. It seems
amazing that she’s been gone that long because she is still everywhere. Along with musical tributes, this year has marked some very high profile movies and a stage musical about Judy.
“Judy”
starring Rene Zellweger was a surprise as we did not expect much. Many people
love it and those who knew less about Judy have been deeply moved by it.
The
documentary “Sid and Judy,” which includes rare footage of Judy and, in some
cases, actors reading Judy and Sid’s voices is also quite an amazing feat. Put
out by Showtime, we hope at some point it will be released on DVD, though as
you know there are less and less hard copy releases.
Finally, and
not least, the musical show, “Chasing Rainbows” opened for a month at the
Papermill Playhouse with some new cast, new sets, dances and costumes.
The Judy
Garland Museum helped provide photos for Tony Award winning costume designer
Emily Cho, and photos of the Judy Garland Birthplace wallpaper, which was used
in Judy’s Lancaster bedroom – a lovely set.
We can't say enough about this wonderful and deeply moving show. Congratulations to Tina Marie Casamento and all involved. Now the wait is on to hear when it's going to Broadway, which is where
it belongs. It played to sold out houses in New Jersey and rave reviews!
***
Wishing you
all a happy, healthy holiday season and New Year!
