Doors open at 5:30 and the show begins at 6 p.m., in celebration of Judy Garland's birthday, at La Casa Sena Cantina in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A voice that sounds very much like Judy herself will sing some of her trademark songs, in "Headlines & Heartaches."
The voice actually belongs to Julie Trujillo, with David Geist on piano. Trujillo performs Garland for a company called Stars Never Fade Productions, which also includes re-enactments of the music of Janis Joplin, Lena Horne, and Rosemary Clooney.
Judy Garland's Enduring Appeal Is For Her Movies As Well As Her Songs
Halfway across the country in Minneapolis-St. Paul, fans will arrive for the 35th annual Judy Garland Festival, which will include a screening of the digitally restored “A Star is Born” and “Girl Crazy” at the Historic Heights Theater in Columbia Heights. A game of “Judy Jeopardy” at the Marquette Hotel in Minneapolis will have cash prizes for those who know the most Judy trivia.
One of the last surviving Munchkins from the film "The Wizard of Oz," Jerry Maren, will appear at the Festival to reminisce about his role in the Lollipop Guild. Maren, 90, also helped to unveil a wax figure of Garland at Hollywood's Madame Tussaud's two days before the 88th birthday, on June 8, 2010.
Wax Figure or Not, Garland Is Still A Real-Life Hero to the Gay Community
In New York, where some believe the death of Judy Garland set off the Stonewall Riots in 1969, and in San Francisco, which has a large LGBT population, the rainbow flag inspired by "Over the Rainbow" will fly in Garland's honor, as it does in many households and communities around the country.
"Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland," a movie starring Anne Hathaway in the title role, is in production, scheduled for release in the summer of 2011, perhaps in time for Garland's 89th birthday. It is based on Gerald Clarke's biography by the same name.
The 39-cent Judy Garland postage stamp unveiled by the U.S. Postal Service on June 10, 2006, remains a popular collector's item on e-Bay. in Garland fan clubs, and in stamp collector circles.
Frances Ethel Gumm, also known as Judy Garland, was born on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, the youngest of three daughters. Her parents both performed on the vaudeville stage and added her to their act when she was a toddler. She was sixteen when she played her most famous role as a girl from Kansas named Dorothy.
Judy Garland was barely 47 years old when she died from a drug overdose on June 22, 1969. She is survived by two daughters, Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft, both singers, and one son, Joe Luft.
The Judy Garland Museum is located in Grand Rapids and sponsors the festival each year in honor of her birthday.
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