Michael Feinstein Celebrates 100th Anniversary Of The Birth Of Hollywood Legend Judy Garland

Michael Feinstein tonight will bring his tribute celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Judy Garland to Carnegie Hall.

Part of his “Standard Time” series at Carnegie Hall, this multi-media program will feature photos that have never been seen before; big-screen clips from Garland’s films; and rare audio recordings.

Garland was born on June 10, 1922 in Grand Rapids, Minn., and died on June 22, 1969 in London of an accidental barbiturate overdose.

The program is executive-produced by Liza Minnelli, the older of Garland’s daughters and a longtime friend of Feinstein. Feinstein is also a former trustee of Garland’s estate and friendly with her other children, Joey and Lorna Luft.

In a recent interview, Feinstein said, “Most people discover Judy because of ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ She had an amazing legacy—the film musical wouldn’t exist without Judy Garland.

”She deserves to be celebrated, experienced because she uplifts the human spirit,” he added.

Also important, he said, is her connection to the gay world.

“She was created by a lot of gay men (including Roger Edens, a Hollywood composer and arranger, and Conrad Salinger, a composer for film and TV). She understood the human condition and what oppression was. She related to the underdog—she was honest, pure and true.”

Feinstein also finds “the best of her work so incredibly uplifting and inspiring, a miracle of interpretation. It bothers me to see the way her legend is sensationalized. Her art is what matters.”

Feinstein also will perform his Garland centennial celebration program on April 29 at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Ind.

He is the center’s artistic director; it is also the home of the Great American Songbook Foundation, a nonprofit organization he founded in 2007 to “inspire and educate by celebrating the timeless standards of pop, jazz, Broadway and Hollywood, otherwise known as the Great American Songbook.”