Judy Garland at 100: Rufus Wainwright & Kristin Chenoweth Pay Tribute
Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios, a new performance of his earlier tribute to Garland, Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall, recorded last year at Los Angeles’s Capitol Studios and released today.
He used the same microphone Garland used at the studio and performed before an audience of one, Renée Zellweger, who won the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Garland in the 2019 film Judy.
Wainwright’s performance was livestreamed last year, and the album is available on CD, vinyl, and digital from a variety of platforms.It's one of many tributes to the great star for her centenary.
The Empire State Building in New York City is lit up in rainbow colors tonight in honor of Garland’s most beloved song, “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz. (It also works well for Pride Month.) Wainwright sang with Garland’s daughter Lorna Luft at a Garland birthday event at the building, and he also recently sang at New York’s Stonewall Inn when Luft unveiled a photo of Garland that will be hung at the historic LGBTQ+ venue.The theory that Garland’s death sparked the June 1969 uprising against police harassment at Stonewall has been debunked, but Garland’s status as an icon to LGBTQ+ people is beyond question. “She was our goddess.
