- Diplomat Hotel -

Judy Lifts Them Out of Their Seats
By Pat Mascola, Hollywood, Florida Sun Tattler

The unpredictable Judy Garland electrified her opening night (Wednesday) audience at the Diplomat Hotel with enough current to lift them off their seats for the first standing ovation  seen this year along the strip.  Judy was never in better voice and never better composed when she ran into a mike problem at the beginning of her act.  Hotel proxy Irving Cowan wanted everything to be just right for the star and had the newest type mike installed for her.  Unfortunately the new equipment was strange to her and after fiddling with it for a short time asked for the conventional type.  Dressed in a two piece bright melon colored cocktail dress, she opened with 'I've Got The Whole Wide World In My Hand' and spun right in a big 'Almost Like Being In Love,' followed by 'Just in Time' with a zillion key-changes.  Miss Garland is, without question, the queen of phrasing and can get more out of the lyrics of a song than most pros.  Her deliveries of  'Joey, Joey,' 'Do It Again' and of course her theme song 'Over the Rainbow' were gems.  'Rockabye,' 'Chicago' and 'San Francisco' filled the room that has the 26 piece Van Smith Orchestra (the largest ever assembled at the Diplomat) under the skillful baton of the singer's personal conductor Nick Perito.  Nick had his chores cut out, with Miss Garland going to him on several occasions to change the scheduled lineup of songs.  As we have said in previous reviews of Judy, she can do no wrong.  Just being on stage generates excitement.  OPening showtime was comedian Pat Henry,  a New Yorker who scored big with a bundle of fresh material.  Henry is a fast-witted guy whose material in part is just shaded enough to make it fine adult humor.  Opening line was 'Hi, pale-faces...  Where's the sun?'  He walked up and down the stage like he was looking for a lost relative in the audience, while triggering off sure-fire material.  Avery funny talent.  Show time is nightly at 10 p.m.  Room carries a $7.50 dinner charge or a $10. beverage minimum.

Judy Garland's fans, and fans is short for fanatics as in demonstrated wherever and whenever Miss Garland makes an appearance here, turned out strong at the Diplomat Hotel's Cafe Cristal for the start of singer's one-stanza booking and gave her the wild reception she's used to.  Less frantic and less devoted listeners, however, were not nearly as pleased with the performance as the claque.  With Van Smith's orchestra built to 26 pieces for the date, including a large string section and French horn, Nick Perito batons them behind Miss Garland in basically the same show she did at the Fountainbleau last season, down to duplication of her overture.  Comic Pat Henry opens the bill, with a completely new act from one he showed here last season.  Henry has a strong comic delivery and laugh line after laugh line, scoring very well with an audience which was obviously waiting for the singer.  His nitery dates and vidshots are increasing in frequency and importance.  He displays the sort of comic touch which could go over well on legit stage or vidseries as in standup spots.  Miss Garland's performance, in which she is on 45 minutes, opens as usual with 'He's Got the Whole World In His Hands' and ends with inevitable 'Over the Rainbow.'  She hits her high spot with 'Rock a Bye Your Baby' and 'Trolley Song.'  Voice shows even more tremolo than usual, and early nervousness and mike problems may be the reason her pipes cracked occasionally.  She also has tendency to lose both the key and rhythm, but neither factor is deterrent to fans.  If musical perfection were sole criterion, Miss Garland would be in trouble for this engagement.  But doing the one show nightly and with her large following, it is likely she'll be strong boxoffice for Irving Cowan during the week.  George Foster emcees and intros both performers.  Miss Garland closes Feb. 8, with Buddy Hackett and Jerry Vale opening 10-day stand Feb. 10. 

I don't think there's a thing in the world that Judy Garland could do for which she wouldn't be forgiven.  All she'll have to do would be to break into song with 'Over the Rainbow' and all would be forgotten.  We look at her on the stage and try to convince ourselves she's a woman, but the image of the pretty little girl in pigtails and big brown eyes stays with us.  She stirs memories and all of them are happy ones.  Judy is singing in the Diplomat's big Cafe Cristal and it's a very good room for her.  She's not so far away that she looks like a pygmy standing in front of the 26-piece orchestra.  We're close to her and that's the way we want it.   Judy is a belter.  No soft songs for her.  She pours out 'He's Got the Whole World in His Hands' and we clap like at a revival.  'Joey, Joey,' 'Rock-a-By My Baby,' 'Chicago,' 'The Bells Are Ringing,' 'Trolley Song,' even 'What Now My Love?' are delivered with force and that's the way they should be.  Requests are shouted from all corners of the nightclub and she meets as many as she can.  Every other one is for 'Over the Rainbow.'   And then comes time for her to leave.  Her conductor lifts the baton and the orchestra moves into 'Rainbow.'  There's applause and then a hush.  And when we hear her sing, 'some day I'll wish upon a star,' we forget that here's a woman who's had problems and grief and unhappiness.  She's Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz and she's waved the magic wand over us all.  Judy comes on with a warmed up audience.  Pat Henry is sad-faced comedian with a stream of one and two line jokes and he's hilarious.  Like 'Who needs show business?  Veronica Lake is a waitress, Jane Withers a plumber and Hedy Lamar's stealing.'  He's gone one bad gag referring to the Pope and a Rabbi and Puerto Ricans which he ought to flush down.  Pat has too much good material for stuff like that.