Garland, Judy
The Two A Day Is Back In Town-closing Night At The Pale
Restored from a new transfer of original transcription discs and other sources by famed audio engineer John H. Haley, Garlands last Palace performance on February 24, 1952 has never sounded as good as on this JSP Records release, and now it is also heard complete. The historic run, which had begun on October 16, 1951, was originally booked for four weeks but was extended to nineteen by popular demand. Life magazine called it "a miracle," Variety "a tour-de-force of no small caliber." Many in the public called it one of the greatest experiences of their lives. Garland would play the Palace again in 1956 and 1967, but it was the overwhelming success of this initial engagement that gave her wings to conquer other concert stages in the years to come. As the cover of the 1967 LP released to mark her return there states, Garland was "at home" at the Palace. On stage, on record, and on television, Garland performed her Palace medley in remembranceof all the legendary stars who played the theater before her. Part of the lyric goes: "And so with deep humility/I stand in front of you/Im proud to play the Palace/Its like a dream come true/Which is why Id like to shout it up and down/Just to tell Broadway/That the two-a-day is back in town." Today it is a privilege to hear the closing night of this unforgettable show that brought Garland to a new level of performing artistry