One of the perks of being icon Judy Garland's little daughter was to get Johnny Mercer to set lyrics to Mama's TV show's theme music so you finally have a song with your name in the title — and she sings it to you on TV. That still-riveting film clip opens Lorna Luft's showwhich has emotional pow and her belting packs pow aplenty, too.  She's been doing this tribute show for years now, singing her mother's songs respectfully, lovingly and effectively with vibrato and vigor.  The quick summation is Judy projected vulnerability or joy and Lorna seems the toughened trouper, a survivor with sense and serenity hard won. She talks of struggling to make peace with the overwhelming legacy and embracing it and still missing the mother she lost in 1969 when she was a young teen. Anecdotes feel therapeutically cathartic but interesting nonetheless.  One can understand/forgive indulgences like so forcefully insisting on correcting misconceptions about Garland and singing with or in counterpoint to her voice three times.  Nostalgia is potent.

The long-used scripted narrative patter (some included on the CD of this show) creaks a bit; old tapes play pre-recorded voices of Lorna's now-adult kids querying about "Grandma's" history. She sells the oldies, oldschool style, from "Rockabye Your Baby (With a Dixie Melody") to "The Trolley Song," big gestures and big voice with a blaring band.  Adapted lyrics to "Born in a Trunk" interwoven with truncated versions of trademark songs tell the tale of some steps leading to the legendary Carnegie Hall concert.  Energy, devotion and emotion — mixed with her own charisma — make it all work.  Tears loom, but as demonstrated in a rare quiet moment, one must learn to "Smile" ("...through your fear and sorrow...").  Her mother "taught" more than just songs.

Rob Lester
Cabaret Scenes
January 4, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org