Zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings

Before we get to Miss Garland, I just want to encourage you once again to email me or comment with your general questions for artists. I say artists and not musicians because Ain’t Baroque is branching out a bit in the cultural world; indeed, my first interview is next Wednesday with a videographer for CityDance. So tell me what you want to know or I’ll be forced to guess, and I’m a terrible guesser.

Right, so as I was saying. This week’s BSO Pops concert is a performance of Linda Eder’s Judy Garland Songbook, appropriately featuring a Broadway veteran named Linda Eder performing some Judy Garland favorites.

Kids, I know Judy Garland. Not personally, of course, seeing as how she died in her forties, but I know her music and her movies and her story because my grandmother is borderline obsessed with all things Garland. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve seen The Wizard of Oz, and I’m intimately familiar with her songs, movies, her variety show, her children, her marriages, the weirdness behind her relationship with MGM, and did YOU know her real name was Frances Gumm? I bet you didn’t. I didn’t have to look that up.

In fact, I had intended to take my grandmother to see this concert, except a few weeks ago she developed an electrolyte imbalance and had to be hospitalized; she only just came home a few days ago and is not quite in the proper shape for outings just yet. Ah well.

But you should go. There’s a showing tonight at 8 pm at Strathmore, and then at the Meyerhoff there are performances at January 29, 30, and 31 at 8 pm, 8pm, and 3 pm respectively. I’d buy ’em fast, because ePatrons were just sent a discount code and will be snapping ’em up quick (see what you miss by not being an ePatron?).

To whet your appetite, have a video of “The Trolley Song” from Meet Me in St. Louis, the movie that delivered us “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” the most morbid little girl ever seen on film, and one of my dad’s favorite movie quotes ever:

“Papa, if losing a case depresses you so, why don’t you quit practicing law and go into another line of business?”

“That’s a good idea. Starting tomorrow, I intend to play first base for the Baltimore Orioles!”

Enjoy!