JUDY AND ME!

THAT LEGENDARY GARLAND MAGIC IS BACK!
----
JUDY AND ME, THE TRIUMPHANT OFF-BROADWAY COMEDY/DRAMA, RETURNS
FOR A LIMITED FOUR-WEEK ENGAGEMENT, BEGINNING JUNE 5TH


(New York, NY) In conjunction with 2008 Gay Pride -- and the 86th birthday anniversary of its inspirational title character -- the critically-acclaimed off-Broadway play, Judy and Me, returns to New York City by popular demand at The Producers Club, Royal Theatre, beginning Thursday, June 5th. After three nights of previews, Peter Mac's happily-remembered comedy/drama has its official opening night on Sunday, June 8th; the Royal Theatre is located at 358 West 44th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues).

Judy and Me plays at 8 p.m. every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening through June 29th, with a special, additional Monday evening show on June 30th. Tickets are $ 25.00 and may be reserved by calling (718) 290-0660; they are also available via Smarttix.com . The Royal Theatre doors open at 7:30 p.m., and a general seating policy is in effect.

Originally reviewed as "the gay play that requires only a heart and humor to enjoy -- regardless of one's own life or lifestyle," the autobiographical Judy and Me was first seen in January 2002 in a cabaret theater engagement at Rose's Turn. Public and critical response was such that the four-performance booking was eventually extended to a nearly three-year run, transferring along the way to the Arthur Seelen Theatre and then The Producers Club; there were additional, interim bookings elsewhere in the TriState area and Pennsylvania.

HX critic Jonathan Warman defined Judy and Me as "a dizzy, happy upward spiral of joy!" and, in Backstage, John Hoglund praised it as "a warmhearted, compelling outing with human issues." There were additional raves for author Mac's portrayal of the legendary rainbow diva ("Judy Garland lives! Peter Mac is brilliant," marveled entertainment veteran Joe Franklin), and the show received a nomination from HX as the Best Gay Themed play of 2003.

Judy and Me addresses the issues of both homophobia and domestic abuse as it recounts the true story of sixteen-year old "Anthony," trapped in the narrow-minded suburb of Elmont, Long Island (and the real hometown of playwright Mac). An outcast at Sewankawa High School in Floral Park, Anthony is the daily target of verbal and physical torment from his classmates. His life at home is equally tenuous; his volatile, violent father is a constant source of pain to both Anthony and his mother. The teen finds his only escape in the music and entertainment of the legendary Judy Garland, who comes to life before his eyes and counsels him through his daily struggles. Garland is herein portrayed as those who knew her best have remembered her: a sage, wise, omniscient, and compassionate human being whose humor, insight, and strength both championed and encouraged those around her. Through her compassion -- and through Anthony's passion for (and camaraderie with) Garland -- the boy learns to deal with his dysfunctional family, his school life, and the realization that he's gay.

The 2008 presentation of Judy and Me stars newcomer Anthony Martinez as Anthony -- the "Me" of Judy and Me. In support are Elyse Beyer, Jean Anne Kump, Chris McCabe, and Basil Meola. Peter Mac reprises his sympathetic portrayal of Garland herself.

The production is directed by Charles Tolliver and produced for the stage by Dr. John Schaefer.

Judy and Me coincides with the June 10th birthday anniversary of its inspiration, as well as the 39th anniversary (June 22nd) of her passing in London. Her death and the subsequent, respectful public and media attention to her wake and funeral here in New York on June 26th and 27th, 1969, are historically and accurately considered to be among the many pieces of the emotional mosaic that helped precipitate the Stonewall Riots -- and the birth of the modern-day gay rights movement -- that weekend.

In the intervening decades, Garland's timelessness and ongoing effectiveness as one of the greatest entertainers of recorded time have proved to be unequalled and unsurpassed by either contemporary or current performers. Her preeminence as an inspiration to audiences both then and now is brilliantly manifested in the story told by Judy and Me; author/actor Mac uniquely demonstrates her everlasting, cross-generational appeal, both in and out of the gay community.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL:
718-290-0660

EMAIL
JUDYANDMEPLAY@AOL.COM

OR VISIT
WWW.JUDYANDME.COM