END OF THE RAINBOW
Porchlight Music Theatre (Chicago)
La Mirada Theatre/McCoy Rigby Entertainment (Los Angeles)
Laguna Playhouse (Los Angeles)
Grandel Theatre/Max and Louie Productions (St Louis)
CHICAGO TRIBUNE (Chris Jones)
The best Judy Garland Chicago ever saw. Barring the real one.
“Garland is here performed by Angela Ingersoll. It is a simply magnificent portrayal, especially vocally, which is really what matters the most. It will, I think, be enough to make this show a huge hit as we go into the holiday season and, by rights, it should transform Ingersoll's career in this town.
What makes it so great? …I just found this to be a remarkably profound dive into this very familiar character — at once honest, earnest, vulnerable and live. That last adjective is the one that matters most. That’s what Ingersoll nails… capturing a vitality, even a joie de vivre…
You might find Ingersoll a little young. You'll get over that. Actually, that youth is what makes the performance work — well, that, and Ingersoll's near-flawless command of the songs… It’s not a matter of Ingersoll's voice being a re-creation of Garland's instrument — although if you must go there, you will be impressed — but that Ingersoll works shrewdly on both required levels, singing the songs well and, with equal bravura, singing them as Garland would have sung them in that moment. Ingersoll's lower register is especially formidable. But none of that would matter a hill of beans if Ingersoll did not seem to be improvising everything in the moment, which is pretty much all Garland was doing in 1968 at the Talk of the Town.
This did not come easy to Ingersoll. To be that on, while playing one who was more off than on, takes enormous work and a rich reservoir of interpretative talent. What a performance!”
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CHICAGO TRIBUNE (Chris Jones)
Top 10 stage performances of 2016: Angela Ingersoll, "End of the Rainbow" at Porchlight Music Theatre.
"To play Judy Garland is not just to fight off the comparison with all of that past competition — from the camp to the intensely serious — but to battle against cliche. But Ingersoll soared. The force of her fantastic performance came largely from her richly textured vocal exploration of Garland as a singer, as a woman who clung on to her craft and innate ability to interpret a song, even as all else collapsed. But this work from Ingersoll also flowed from a healthy dose of raw courage. She was willing to dive into the pills, the men, the regrets, the existential angst, as if no one had ever made such a dive before. The strange was made familiar, and the familiar strange. Just as it should be."
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES (Hedy Weiss)
Ingersoll soars to End of the Rainbow and beyond
“Angela Ingersoll was born to play Judy Garland. But the word ‘play’ doesn’t come close to suggesting just what this petite, raven-haired actress with the astonishing voice (and a remarkable physical resemblance to Garland) does during the course of the Porchlight Music Theatre production of End of he Rainbow…
Ingersoll’s tour de force performance is an act of breathtaking alchemy — a simultaneously sublime and chilling act of transformation. And it might well leave you believing you’ve encountered the ghost of the beloved film star…
Along the way there are many opportunities for Ingersoll to sing the songs with which Garland is most closely associated… In all cases it is perfectly placed, and invariably the effect is blistering, hypnotic and altogether shattering.
Ingersoll captures the timbre and phrasing of Garland’s heart-piercing contralto to uncanny effect, but she never gives you the feeling she is doing an “impression,” for she has crawled so far into Garland’s psyche, and captured so much of her edgy gesturing (just watch as she gets entangled in her microphone cord), her tempestuous soul and her hungry heart, that she has made both the anguish and swagger her own. And she makes you see how Garland’s interpretations of the songs came straight from life. A superb physical comedienne (she recently played Hedy LaRue in the Marriott Theatre production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and left indelible marks with roles in The 39 Steps and The Game’s Afoot at Drury Lane Theatre a few seasons back), Ingersoll also knows how to elicit laughs along with tears.
…Bill Morey has recreated Garland’s signature sparkling costumes, which Ingersoll wears as if she were Garland’s clone. By the time you leave the theater you might well believe that is the case."
"Judy Garland has been reborn: Angela Ingersoll is phenomenal in End of the Rainbow at Porchlight Music Theatre. A truly astonishing, tour de force performance.”
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CHICAGO SUN-TIMES (Hedy Weiss)
Best of Chicago Theatre 2016: “END OF THE RAINBOW” (Porchlight Music Theatre)
"Angela Ingersoll’s knockout performance as Judy Garland in “End of the Rainbow — the “play with music” about the last tragic months in the life of the legendary performer, left audiences gasping. Ingersoll, a huge talent, not only looked like a Garland clone, but captured every gesture and note of the iconic performer while at the same time making the role entirely her own. Jon Steinhagen’s portrayal of her piano accompanist also was ideal. As I’ve said many times, these Porchlight productions should be moved to the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place where they would enjoy great tourist traffic."
TIME OUT CHICAGO (Allison Shoemaker)
In a knockout performance, Angela Ingersoll matches Judy Garland’s devastating heights and depths ★★★★
“The story here is Angela Ingersoll, who delivers a performance of staggering beauty that will be talked about for months, if not years, to come.
…Every moment of it belongs to Ingersoll. This is a performance that transcends imitation (though it’s a splendid one), breathing vibrant, aching life into one of the most recognizable cultural figures of all time. That’s true before she sings a single note.
When she does—buckle the hell up… Ingersoll captures the frequent highs and heartbreaking lows of Judy’s live performances. Both are remarkable, the former perhaps more so, as Ingersoll lets loose that incredible voice as its owner fumbles with a microphone cord or forgets what she’s supposed to be doing. It’s tragic, fragile, and just a little bit beautiful… You’re gonna love it, come rain or come shine."
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CHICAGO CRITIC (Tom Williams)
Legendary Judy Garland comes to life in stunning performance by Angela Ingersoll
“Angela Ingersoll’s tour de force performance is one of the most powerful and compelling performances seen on a Chicago stage in years! Ingersoll has all the Garland traits down. From the eager-to-please to the rage to the dependence on stimulants to her command of the stage including a velvet voice, Angela Ingersoll is mesmerizing to watch and listen to. She works extremely hard in this production as she dips to the lows and exalts to highs as Garland. After we see Ingersoll crawling on the floor screaming for stimulants, in the next scene we enjoy her landing one of her signature tunes…
I can’t remember seeing a more complete wide-ranging performance than Angela Ingersoll’s Judy Garland. We both feel sad at what happened to her yet we enjoy her magical stage presence and her amazing contralto voice. This bittersweet show is a must see on several levels. As we see the demise of a star, we see the emergence of another star. Angela Ingersoll’s performance in this tough role will launch a new phase in her career.”
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CHICAGO THEATRE REVIEW (Colin Douglas)
“Judy Garland, played to perfection by Chicago musical theatre actress Angela Ingersoll, suddenly bursts into the room. This actress, who’s an absolute force of nature, sinks her teeth into this role from the start and never lets go until the end. Ms. Ingersoll isn’t simply an actress playing a part. She is Judy Garland and this entire show belongs entirely to her… Playing against Ms. Ingersoll’s wall of unstoppable energy, the other actors are challenged by this diva’s performance.
Angela Ingersoll, who recently showcased her comic talents as sexy Hedy LaRue in the Marriott’s excellent “H2$,” is perfection in director Michael Weber’s fresh, forceful production. She completely inhabits this show business legend, whose private life became riddled with anxiety, loneliness and a desperate need for love. This is no easy task. Ms. Ingersoll throws herself into her portrayal with wild abandon, yet she’s in full control every step of the way. This actress has done her homework, too, and she understands exactly what made the singer tick. As a middle-aged Judy Garland her sheer stamina and drive is inspiring, but Ingersoll also reminds theatergoers of the vulnerable child star beneath…
Ms. Ingersoll has mastered Judy Garland’s signature moves, posturing, speech pattern and vocal styling, as well. She’s even got her laugh down pat, which so frequently erupts out of nowhere… Angela Ingersoll is an accomplished songstress and she’s superbly mastered the diva’s identifiable way with a song. Musically, Ms. Ingersoll is simply impeccable.
…This show belongs entirely to Angela Ingersoll, from start to finish. Both director Michael Weber and musical director Jon Steinhagen understand this and support her performance with all their heart, soul and gentle guidance. Leaving this breathtaking theatrical experience, audiences will find themselves emotionally spent. Moved to tears, they may feel they’ve just been been transported back to 1968 and witnessed firsthand the sadly tragic final days of a true American legend.”
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AROUND THE TOWN CHICAGO (Al Bresloff)
★★★★★ “The amazing Angela Ingersoll brings Judy Garland to life. When I say Amazing, I mean AMAZING!!! She looks like her (circa 1968), she sounds like her, and I would have to say almost made me feel that I had gone back in time and was a fly on the wall of the London hotel where Ms. Garland stayed. WOW! and double Wow!
This show is filled with many of Garland’s signature songs, and I must tell you that I had chills up my spine as Ingersoll performed them. When we get to the final number, Over The Rainbow, one can see the tears fall down her cheek and don’t be surprised to find that you are seeing her tears through yours! Yes, I suggest a few tissues in your pocket or purse. You will need them. If you are a Garland fan, I suggest you find a way to see this masterpiece. I am thinking this will be a Jeff Award nominee (several) and probably will garner some 2016 Awards, for sure.”
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PERFORM INK (Rachel Weinberg)
Ingersoll’s Magnificent Performance Anchors Porchlight’s End of the Rainbow
“…A compelling and beautifully realized performance by Angela Ingersoll as Garland, pulls back the curtain and shows us a haunted and broken woman nearing the end of her career.
Just as Judy Garland was the center of her own universe of fame and star worship, so too does Ingersoll own every moment she is on the stage. Ingersoll captures all of Garland’s wildly swinging ups and downs as an addict in a shockingly realistic manner.
Ingersoll conducts a veritable master class with her acting, and vocally her performance is equally as astounding. She dives into each of the songs with an intoxicating blend of mesmerizing vocal prowess and raw emotion, just as Garland herself was able to do. And while Ingersoll sounds uncannily like Garland—particularly on the famous “Trolley Song”—her vulnerable and masterful performance allows her to make the role her own. Decked out in Bill Morey’s glittering costumes, Ingersoll commands the stage but shows us Garland’s tortured soul in each moment. And when she sings “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” at the show’s end, the effect is both jaw-dropping and heartbreaking.”
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HUFFINGTON POST (Bob Bullen)
Angela Ingersoll gives the performance of a lifetime in Porchlight’s End of the Rainbow
“Oh boy, what a star Porchlight has found in Angela Ingersoll. It’s simply remarkable how Ingersoll has managed to cast a portrayal that’s enough impersonation to captivate, and grounded in human truth to haunt. And what a voice! Ingersoll steamrolls through the Garland Songbook like her life depended on it… Sure, the ending is tragic, but you can’t help but feel uplifted by the sheer willpower (mostly due to Ingersoll’s career-making performance) to endure, despite the odds.”
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THE FOURTH WALSH (Katy Walsh)
“I saw Judy Garland last night in this play about her final days. I experienced her as both a tragic trainwreck and a superstar diva. The extraordinary Angela Ingersoll (Judy) embodies the iconic legend… Ingersoll delivers a tour de force performance. At one point, she is full-on moxie refusing to pay her hotel bill. Next, she and Hatley are sniping or pawing at each other. Then, she’s lying in a puddle of despair begging for pills. A reluctant Hatley hands over her fix. And magically the elixir kicks in, Ingersoll steps into the spotlight and belts out a song. Ingersoll plays this role with raw intensity. She visits rock bottom multiple times. She rants. She spirals. She exposes a vulnerability from career substance abuse that started as a child. Ingersoll forces us to experience the real woman behind Dorothy. Her emotional delivery is riveting and exhausting. Still, she continually transforms into the powerhouse singer and even comes back with an encore… Ingersoll’s portrayal of Judy Garland is astonishing. It is a must see!”
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NEW CITY STAGE (Irene Hsiao)
“Every once in a while her parts crystallize into something so brilliant, profound and glorious it almost pains you as much as it must pain her. You think: by gum—if it’s not Judy Garland… If you have ever wanted to see Judy live, Ingersoll can show her to you in a remarkable performance that channels the forcefulness and fragility of the legendary woman. It will hurt.”
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CHICAGOLAND MUSICAL THEATRE (Barry Reszel)
Ingersoll’s pot of gold performance stunningly resurrects Garland
“Indeed to see Ingersoll on stage brings Garland back to life. She is just that good… Ingersoll is extraordinarily convincing… Brilliantly performed.”
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STAGE AND CINEMA (Lawrence Bommer)
“Angela Ingersoll’s Judy is magnificently miserable, and still electrically entertaining… Ingersoll, on stage, in charge and surging with star quality, also delivers the dreamgirl-next-door… Looking and often sounding exactly like the essential original, Ingersoll tears out her heart and the stuffing from Garland favorites… Ingersoll registers everything grand about Garland—the vulnerable tremolo, the flirtatious warble, the velvet vocalizing, the agonizing eagerness to please, the belting to the balcony.”
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CHICAGO THEATRE BEAT (Lauren Whalen)
“Sparkling, transformative, and deeply human, End of the Rainbow is a heartbreaking musical play with a bravura leading performance by Angela Ingersoll… End of the Rainbow belongs to Ingersoll, who captivates from beginning to end. In Ingersoll’s capable hands, Judy is frenetic and demanding, lovable and charming, and always, always a force to be reckoned with onstage… Rich with beautiful music and nuanced portrayals, Porchlight Theatre’s latest is a haunting two and a half hours that will stay with you long after curtain call. End of the Rainbow isn’t always easy, but it is forever memorable.”
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CHICAGO READER (Tony Adler)
“Angela Ingersoll shows us the icon's indomitability amid utter collapse, even as she displays her own diva-level chops. You're simultaneously relieved and enraptured every time she makes it through a song.”
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HYDE PARK HERALD (Anne Spiselman)
“Angela Ingersoll gives a stunning performance as Judy Garland. She bears a striking resemblance to the troubled star and captures all the volatility and vulnerability of a woman on the edge of self-destruction after a lifetime of manipulation by others. She also sings splendidly, incorporating Garland’s tremolo and other vocal signatures…
Some of the scenes are painful to watch, but Ingersoll avoids becoming pathetic. By turns fierce and funny, manic and depressive, angry and needy, imperious and pleading, a screaming harpy and sad child, she shows us a complicated woman who could be foul-mouthed one minute and charming the next, who both loved her audiences and had terrible stage fright, and who was terribly in need of the kind of help she just couldn’t get, inevitably making her feel all alone.
…the main reason to catch End of the Rainbow is the vivid way Ingersoll brings Judy Garland to life in all her many contradictory colors.”
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LOS ANGELES TIMES (Tom Titus)
"With the incandescent star power of the dynamic Angela Ingersoll — a ringer for the original in every respect — lighting the way, End of the Rainbow approaches rare theatrical brilliance under the fiercely sensitive direction of Michael Matthews.
Few actors have landed an impersonation of a famous figure more completely than Ingersoll, from the diminutive physique to the powerful vocal tones that seemingly can hold a note forever. She also has mastered the rushed tones and breaks in the star’s dialogue that switch subjects in mid-sentence... It might be said that Ingersoll was born to play Garland. Certainly the physical and vocal characteristics are there, and if that weren’t enough, her publicity reveals that she once played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. And, of course, she closes her time in the show with Judy’s theme song, Over the Rainbow, sitting plaintively on the stage after her death has been revealed.
End of the Rainbow not only is the best show on the Laguna stage this year, it also outclasses those of any other local theater. This one is worth fighting the arts festival traffic to experience."
BROADWAY WORLD LOS ANGELES (Gil Kaan)
Ingersoll's Garland Reincarnated in An Excruciatingly Raw END OF THE RAINBOW
"Two moments of Rainbow rate as the must, MUST-see moments for any Judy Garland aficionados - when the astonishing Angela Ingersoll totally morphs into Judy Garland singing The Man That Got Away, and when Ingersoll channels Judy Garland in Over the Rainbow. Ingersoll has Judy Garland's breath control, her phrasing, her hand gestures and her posture down pat... What you see and what you hear is Judy Garland concert-performing at her best (and, sadly, at her worst). Ingersoll's STRONG vocal pipes suggest Judy Garland's vocal prowess at her peak as she hits and holds her ending high notes in The Trolley Song, You Made Me Love You, and Come Rain or Come Shine. Ingersoll's heartbreaking acting chops in combination with her stunning vocals will bring tears to your eyes and rip your heart out in her tormented despair in The Man That Got Away and in the most un-optimistic rendition of Over the Rainbow you'll ever have the incredible opportunity to experience. Definitely not the wide-eyed Dorothy's version or the more cheery contemporary takes on Rainbow you're more accustomed to hearing. Brava, Ms. Ingersoll!
Before Amy Winehouse, even before Janis Joplin; there was Judy Garland, the patron saint of self-destruction. The raw vitriol may be too uncomfortable and disturbing for the more staid of audience, but Ingersoll's singing's totally worth it. Ingersoll! Singing! Judy! Oh, my!"
BROADWAY WORLD LOS ANGELES (Michael Quintos)
POWERFUL LEAD PERFORMANCE ELEVATES END OF THE RAINBOW
A powerful, breathtaking performance from Angela Ingersoll showcases a can't-look-away implosion of a beloved icon whose battles with her personal demons make her a relatable human being with real, tangible problems... And in between tantrums, crying, and melodramatic pleas for help, we watch as Garland sings classic after classic in flawless perfection---a vivid reminder of why we love her in the first place.
In an astonishing portrayal that will give you chills throughout, Ingersoll embodies Garland in a way that transcends mere acting or even impersonation (though, to be sure, she basically has her vocal mannerisms and body language mastered). As Garland, Ingersoll is transcendent, hilarious, awkward, luminous, sensuous, and, ultimately, heartbreaking. When she triumphantly sings through tears in "The Man That Got Away" with the same ache and longing that Garland displayed in her Oscar-nominated turn in A Star Is Born, it's not difficult to heap praises on her performance. And, damn, can this girl BELT a song!
Really, it's a role written to be purposely tumultuous and over-the-top erratic and Ingersoll definitely has the acting and singing chops to carry it off. Seriously, whether she's acting up a brewing storm of emotions in a hotel room or singing the divalicious crap out of a torch song on a stage while crazily futzing with an unruly microphone cord, Ingersoll gives her Garland her deserved icon status and a down-to-earth humanity that easily earns our affections and empathy.
Ingersoll is so amazing in the role that the performance really helped sell the believability of this version of Garland: one that, despite having an undeniable musical prowess, being able to spout out wonderful, witty comebacks at any given moment, and having romantic notions of love, is deep down a woman who's also in desperate inner turmoil---pain that can only be alleviated by substances that has already done its damage and doomed her to a shorter than normal life. Even by today's standards, watching someone who brought so much joy to so many people just fall apart at the seams before our very eyes is still gut-wrenching, no matter where your affection for this star may stand. Ingersoll's beautiful, gutsy portrait helped paint a picture---and as an audience, we can't help but ache for Garland.
I must say that the true draw for this new production of END OF THE RAINBOW is to witness Ingersoll's note-perfect portrait of Garland in the latter stage of her life. Rendered with great humanity and empathy, you may never look at Garland the same after seeing this captivating performance.
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Eric Marchese)
"Stellar... Angela Ingersoll gives an astonishingly accurate portrayal of the tortured, late-career Garland... Ingersoll deftly brings out the star’s competent exterior while showing the needy, vulnerable soul beneath that façade.
“Rainbow” isn’t a musical, but no show about Garland would be complete without some of the star’s singular, killer vocal performances. The 11 musical numbers evoke Garland the singer to an incredible degree. None of the songs are more compelling than “The Man That Got Away.” Prompted by Mickey’s walking out on her, Garland crumbles to the floor, with Ingersoll nailing the singer’s trademark fragile emotions and quivering vocals.
Ingersoll captures the mercurial star’s look and complex persona – near manic, marvelously vibrant and alive, wildly unpredictable, craving of attention, and so unruly it’s easy to sympathize with Deans. She also has the rhythms and inflections of Garland’s well-known speaking voice and, in her vocals, shows us the star’s instinctive approach to each of her songs... positively uncanny.
LA EXCITES (Imaan Jalali)
“End of the Rainbow” stars the astonishing Angela Ingersoll as Garland. As uncanny as Angela Ingersoll is as Garland, while giving the part her own personal stamp, it is the meaningful message she imparts that supersedes everything else. Having earned the respect of Garland’s son, Joey Luft, Ingersoll does more than just pay her respects to Garland’s memory with resounding renditions of “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love, Baby,” “Just in Time,” “The Trolley Song,” “Get Happy,” and “For Me and My Gal;” she brings much-needed awareness to the very human struggle of the towering icon. Ingersoll is searingly realistic as a big ball of energy in a petite body, evincing Garland’s maladaptive ways, including, but not limited to, her irascibility, contriving the threat of her suicide as a negotiating ploy for settling an unpaid hotel debt, and manically begging for just one more pill of Ritalin.
“Over the Rainbow,” too, takes on a deeper substance echoing Garland’s harrowing life, with Ingersoll plaintively on her knees, arms stretched to the sky, channeling the international darling, who regrettably never reached her full potential. When the classic song movingly ends on “…why, oh why, can’t I?”, with Ingersoll’s sustained, goosebumps-inducing note to finish, we aren’t thinking of “The Wizard of Oz” anymore, but rather the tragedy that was Garland’s unfinished journey.
SPLASH MAGAZINE (Elaine Mura)
END OF THE RAINBOW is a potent and penetrating slice of Judy Garland’s life, and the formidable Ms. Ingersoll brilliantly depicts her pain, her fears, and her manic confusion. To add the cherry on top, Angela Ingersoll has a powerful voice that eerily mimics Garland’s; and those strong vocal cords enchant the audience as they enjoy some of Judy Garland’s biggest hits. This is Judy Garland’s show, and Angela Ingersoll has cloned her to a tee.
LADUE NEWS (Mark Bretz)
Brilliant, extraordinary performance propels End of the Rainbow
Angela Ingersoll packs a powerful wallop in a searing and astounding performance as the diminutive and tragic talent who loved her audiences but, in her own words, “often wished for just a few words of love from one man, rather than the applause of thousands of people.” Ingersoll is both brilliant and extraordinary in her portrayal of the doomed star. It’s a performance which any fan of Garland should not miss.
Ingersoll was ingratiating and indefatigable in her Come Rain or Come Shine tribute concert to the fabled Hollywood star, pointing out that at 5 feet tall she is an inch taller than was Garland. Sure, the raven-haired singer/actress bears a strong physical resemblance to Judy Garland, nee Frances Gumm, but it’s her singing and acting which propel her riveting and horrific depiction. Horrific in the sense that with playwright Peter Quilter’s haunting dialogue she exposes all of the vulnerability and loneliness which ravaged the American screen idol.
Audience won’t forget Ingersoll’s stunning portrayal, which explodes as soon as the stage is lit and doesn’t diminish until the final light goes out.
Ingersoll won a Jeff Award in Chicago for her portrayal, and it’s easy to see why. In addition to her blistering acting performance, Ingersoll is a force of nature as she belts out many of Garland’s signature tunes, such as The Trolley Song from Meet Me in St. Louis, When You’re Smiling, Come Rain or Come Shine and the iconic Over the Rainbow, sung poignantly and powerfully at the edge of the stage... It’s a performance truly over the rainbow in its heartbreaking brilliance.
KDHX (Tina Farmer)
Angela Ingersoll transforms into a legend in the tragically beautiful ‘End of the Rainbow’
The production is made all the more effective by the mesmerizing performance of Angela Ingersoll, who captures Garland to near perfection, from her petite stature and crooked teeth to her gestures and vocal inflections.
Ingersoll has clearly studied her subject and her hard work is apparent, as is her considerable personal talent. She effortlessly moves from drunken brawl backstage to the charming, self-deprecating wit of a Judy Garland concert. Her vocal phrasing and rhythms are resonant of Garland’s whether she’s singing, speaking, or screaming. It is more than just the superficial, however. Through her performance Ingersoll lets us peak into the frightened and neglected soul of the woman behind the star. We see the weight she carries, the depth of her insecurities and addictions, and her ability to still charm us, even when we know her demons are present.
Though this is a play, Ingersoll’s pitch perfect renditions of Garland’s music can’t be overlooked. Whether she’s singing a snippet of a favorite tune as a way of cajoling someone or in front of the full band and on stage in Garland’s cabaret show, Ingersoll has the range, inflection and sense of timing that burns with the fire of the original. She lights up and delivers spectacular interpretations that seem much bigger than the petite actress on the stage. Ingersoll becomes Garland as easy as Garland blossomed from insecure and frightened girl to legendary star the moment the spotlight hit her.
Ingersoll’s realistic and thoroughly integrated performance as Garland goes well beyond impersonation, seemingly transforming herself into the icon. In the age of reality TV, her captivating portrayal and the believable supporting characters make it easy for audiences to suspend their disbelief and feel like they just witnessed the tragic and beautiful descent of a phenomenal star.
STL TODAY (Judy Newmark)
Angela Ingersoll leaps over the rainbow
Angela Ingersoll won the Chicago's Jeff for this play. It’s not hard to see why. This juicy role give lots of latitude to the rare performer who is also capable of singing it. Ingersoll is that performer. Her work dazzles when she portrays Garland in concert in London... She sparkles more than the sequins she wears, confident that the audience rests in the palm of her hand... Ingersoll performs with feeling, flair and an uncanny resemblance to Garland.
SNOOPS THEATRE THOUGHTS (Michelle Kenyon)
End of the Rainbow showcases great talent
End of the Rainbow is an excellent opportunity for the showcasing of two remarkable talents–the legendary Garland, of course, and also the wonderful performer who portrays her, Angela Ingersoll.
This is a tour-de-force kind of show. The role of Judy Garland is a demanding one, both in terms of talent and of energy. I’ve seen the Olivier and Tony Award nominated Tracie Bennett play the role impressively in London, and now this challenging, intense role is taken by Angela Ingersoll, who is every bit as impressive, if not more so. Ingersoll has the vocal stylings as close as I can imagine to Garland’s. She’s also got an explosive kind of energy, able to portray Garland in this era at her worst, as well as her best, allowing a youthful glow to shine through.
It’s the performances that make this show, and particularly Ingersoll’s seemingly boundless energy and evocation of the spirit of the legendary Garland. It’s a performance not to be missed.
ST LOUIS LIMELIGHT MAGAZINE (Bradley Rohlf)
At her first entrance, Angela Ingersoll was met with a brief moment of stunned silence followed by welcoming applause – she had brought Judy back to life before even uttering a word. From there, her gripping personality steamrolls over everyone in the room, and we all thank her for it. It is impossible not to fall in love with her... one feels compelled to leap out of their seat, push Hatley and Conroy out of the way and declare, “No, I can save her!” But of course, she was beyond that.
TALKIN' BROADWAY (Richard Green)
Do you ever catch yourself, when you're really entranced by a show, secretly imagining the actors on stage are slyly performing it all to you? That's just one of the seductive powers of End of the Rainbow: it sucks you in, with thrilling songs and torrid heartbreak, perfect for the 60-year-old gay man, at least. Another trance-inducing element is just getting lost, staring out over the dizzying brink of sanity, trying to figure out what crazy thing Angela Ingersoll, extremely credible as Judy Garland, is going to do next.
More than a concert piece, more than a tell-all, behind-the-scenes scandalmonger's dream, there is a pure intelligence at work in Ms. Ingersoll's performance... And there's swagger and sequins to burn, and chaser-lights and deep insights into the art of impersonation that still catch my breath, the next day, from Ms. Ingersoll... Ms. Ingersoll's performance has something deeper, something enigmatic at its center—like the mysterious, silky sands in the holy ark in the first Indiana Jones movie. And like Spielberg's Nazis, with their melting faces, none of us can turn away. There's something dangerous and unreadable in the actress herself. Every kind of beauty and seduction and monstrous power rises out of her, through great acting and singing.
TWO ON THE AISLE (Bob Wilcox & Gerry Kowarsky)
How good is Angela's Ingersoll's impersonation of Judy Garland? When Ingersoll first rushed onto the stage the audience burst in to the sort of ovation that only greets a star of the highest magnitude. Throughout the show, everything about Ingersoll is a reminder of Garland: the singing, the speech patterns, the gestures, the hair and makeup. As remarkable as Ingersoll's impersonation is, however, the characterization she builds on top of the outward resemblance is even better.
Ingersoll is an enthralling performer... She performs several Garland standards with striking authenticity. The final number is the one everyone is waiting for. Nothing could make the hopelessness of the play's conclusion more compelling than Ingersoll's heartbreaking interpretation of Over the Rainbow. It's wonderful.
