Peter Quilter’s drama End of the Rainbow, starring two-time Olivier Award winner Tracie Bennett as Judy Garland, opens at Broadway’s Belasco Theatre on April 2. The production, directed by Terry Johnson, also features Michael Cumpsty, Tom Pelphrey and Jay Russell.
A slew of stars are expected to attend the opening performance including Tony winners Whoopi Goldberg, Joel Grey and Jane Krakowski as well as theater veterans T.R. Knight, Hunter Parrish, Jennifer Tilly, Stephanie J. Block, Tovah Feldshuh, Montego Glover, Stacy Keach, Isabel Keating, Jessica Molaskey, Molly Ranson, Kathleen Chalfant and ballerina Susan Jaffe.
Set in London in 1968, End of the Rainbow offers a glimpse into the period leading up to the Garland’s final days. About to make her comeback at a local nightclub, with her loyal pianist Anthony (Cumpsty) and a new young fiancé Mickey Deans (Pelphrey) at her side, the actress battles her addicition to a tornado of drugs and alcohol. The show features some of Garland's most memorable songs, including “The Man That Got Away,” “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “The Trolley Song” and “Over the Rainbow.”