| Revision as of 10:13, 29 December 2010 edit85.65.99.40 (talk) →Stage and television career: right← Previous edit | Revision as of 10:14, 29 December 2010 edit undo85.65.99.40 (talk) →Stage and television careerNext edit → | ||
| Line 25: | Line 25: | ||
| ==Stage and television career== | ==Stage and television career== | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| Luft appeared as Nurse Libby Kegler on the ] television series '']'' during that show's final season, 1985–1986. She appeared in two episodes of the 2007 ] animated series '']''. | Luft appeared as Nurse Libby Kegler on the ] television series '']'' during that show's final season, 1985–1986. She appeared in two episodes of the 2007 ] animated series '']''. | ||
| Luft made her ] debut in 1971 at the ] as a replacement cast member in the musical '']'',<ref> at ]</ref> adapted from the classic 1960 ] film '']''. The show is best known for the hit song "]". | Luft made her ] debut in 1971 at the ] as a replacement cast member in the musical '']'',<ref> at ]</ref> adapted from the classic 1960 ] film '']''. The show is best known for the hit song "]". | ||
Revision as of 10:14, 29 December 2010
| Lorna Luft | |
|---|---|
 Luft in May 2010 | |
| Born | (1952-11-21) November 21, 1952 (age 72) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, author, singer |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Spouse(s) | Jake Hooker (1977–1993) Colin Freeman (1996–present) |
Lorna Luft (born November 21, 1952) is an American television, stage, and film actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and Sid Luft, and the half-sister of singer and actress Liza Minnelli.
Biography
Luft was born in Santa Monica, California to Judy Garland and her third husband, Sid Luft. She had her debut at age 11 on the 1963 Christmas episode of her mother's CBS television series, The Judy Garland Show, with siblings Liza and Joey; Lorna sang "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town".
She soon joined the family act on a summer concert tour, the highlight being Garland’s third and final appearance at New York City's famed Palace Theatre on Broadway in 1967. In this month-long engagement Judy Garland "shared" the bill with two of her children, Lorna (14 years old) and Joey (12 years old). The show was recorded live and released on ABC Records as Judy Garland: At Home At The Palace.
Luft lives with her second husband, musician Colin R. Freeman.
With first husband musician and artist manager Jake Hooker, she has children Vanessa and Jesse Richards.
Stage and television career
Luft appeared as Nurse Libby Kegler on the CBS television series Trapper John, M.D. during that show's final season, 1985–1986. She appeared in two episodes of the 2007 Logo animated series Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple In All The World. Luft made her Broadway debut in 1971 at the Shubert Theatre as a replacement cast member in the musical Promises, Promises, adapted from the classic 1960 Billy Wilder film The Apartment. The show is best known for the hit song "I'll Never Fall in Love Again".
Luft starred in the 1981 national tour of They're Playing Our Song. In 1983, she played Peppermint Patty in the Off-Broadway production of Snoopy!!! The Musical (a sequel to You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown) and later that year she co-starred in Extremities with Farrah Fawcett.
From 1992 through 1994, she played Adelaide in the American and world tour productions of Guys and Dolls. In 1996, she appeared in an Irish production of Follies in Dublin with Enda Markey, Dave Willetts and Millicent Martin. In 2002, she starred as Mama Rose in a University of Richmond school production of Gypsy.
In November 2006 through January 2007, she performed in the UK premiere of Irving Berlin's White Christmas: The Musical, a new stage adaptation based on the film. Lorna reprised her role in White Christmas the next year, playing the Edinburgh Playhouse from November 19 to December 8, 2007 and the Wales Millennium Centre in the Donald Gordon Theatre from December 13, 2007 through January 12, 2008.
In October 2007, she released her debut CD Lorna Luft: Songs My Mother Taught Me in the United Kingdom. Produced by Barry Manilow and her husband Colin R. Freeman, the album celebrates the music of her mother, Judy Garland. In 2005 she toured Ireland with her stage show, Songs My Mother Taught Me. In June 2006, she surprised audiences at Carnegie Hall by performing a duet with Rufus Wainwright on the song "After You've Gone" at the end of Wainwright's tribute concert of Judy Garland's triumphant 1961 comeback at Carnegie Hall.
Luft appeared in The Wizard Of Oz, the stage show of the movie that made her mother famous, at The Lowry Centre in Manchester, England. She portrayed the role of the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Margaret Hamilton in the 1939 film.
In April 2009, Lorna completed a successful UK tour of the critically acclaimed Hugh Whitemore play Pack of Lies, in which she played the role of Helen Kroger. She starred alongside Jenny Seagrove, Simon Shepherd and Daniel Hill. In May 2009, Lorna appeared in W magazine as a special guest performer for the acclaimed avant-garde Theo Adams Company's latest project, 'Performance', photographed by David Sims.In July 2009, Lorna appeared at the Mermaid Theatre, London to record for the television series Friday Night is Music Night. Lorna Luft and Friends — A Tribute to Judy Garland also featured John Barrowman, Frances Ruffelle and Linzi Hateley.
Luft participates in various children's and AIDS-related charities, including the annual Los Angeles AIDS Walk and The Children's Wish Foundation International. She has been an advocate for drug rehabilitation and has spoken for The Council on Alcohol & Drugs.
Film career
In film, Lorna Luft played Paulette Rebchuck in the feature film Grease 2. Other films include Where the Boys Are '84, 54 and My Giant.
Published works
She is the author of the 1998 book Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir. Among its revelations is that she had a romantic crush on Barry Manilow. In 2001, the book was adapted as an Emmy-winning TV miniseries Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows. It stars Judy Davis as the adult Judy Garland, with Tammy Blanchard as Judy in her teenage years. Hugh Laurie portrayed Vincente Minnelli, Victor Garber as Sid Luft, and Marsha Mason as Ethel Gumm.
Recordings
Singles
- "Our Day Will Come" (Epic Records single)
- "Long Time" (European single)
- "Born Again" (European single)
- "Where the Boys Are" (CBS Records single)
- "The Whole World's Goin' Crazee" (CBS Records dance single)
Albums
- Songs My Mother Taught Me (October 2007, UK)
DVDs
- Lorna Live in Oz (2009, Australia)
Cast albums and compilations
- Grease 2 (film soundtrack)
- George and Ira Gershwin's Girl Crazy: Complete Original Soundtrack
- Stairway to the Stars (live concert recording)
- Cole Porter Centennial Gala (live concert recording)
- The Christmas Album...A Gift of Hope
Other recordings
- She released a single version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", an electronic duet with her mother.
- She sang backing vocals on the Blondie album Eat to the Beat.
- She performed "After You've Gone" with Rufus Wainwright for Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall in June 2006.
Stage appearances
- Judy Garland: At Home at the Palace (July 31 – August 26, 1967) (Palace Theater) (one-woman show)
- The Boy Friend (July 5 – August 14, 1970) (Banff Centre)
- Promises, Promises (cast member from October 1971 – January 1972) (replacement for Jill O'Hara)
- Grease (July 8–13, 1980) (Dayton, Ohio)
- Carnival! (November 1980) (Club Benet, New Jersey)
- They're Playing Our Song (February–April 1981) (national tour)
- Snoopy!!! The Musical (February 21 – May 1, 1983) (Lamb's Theatre)
- Extremities (cast member from July–September 1983) (West Side Arts Center/Cheryl Crawford Theater)
- Little Shop of Horrors (April 1986) (Santa Barbara, California)
- Mame (December 5, 1986 – January 9, 1987) (Jupiter, Florida)
- The Unsinkable Molly Brown (June 16 – July 12, 1987) (Jupiter, Florida)
- A Bawdy Evening (August 1987) (Village Cabaret Theater, California)
- Girl Crazy (May 17–27, 1988) (Birmingham, Michigan)
- Jerry Herman's Broadway Years (March 18 – May 7, 1990) (national tour)
- Hollywood & Broadway (February 27 – May 24, 1992) (UK/European tour)
- Guys and Dolls (September 1992 – April 1994) (national and world tour)
- Magical World of Musicals (April 12 – July 9, 1995) (UK/European tour)
- Follies (May 26, 1996) (Dublin, Ireland)
- Songs My Mother Taught Me (1999–present) (one-woman show)
- Caged (February 19, 2001) (New York City Hall)
- Gypsy (November 21–24, 2002) (Richmond, Virginia)
- White Christmas (November 19, 2006 – January 12, 2008) (UK/Scotland tour)
- Babes in Arms (May 25 – July 7, 2007) (Chichester Festival Theatre)
- The Wizard of Oz (November 29, 2008 – January 4, 2009) (The Lowry)
- Pack of Lies (February–April 2009) (UK tour)
References
- The Judy Garland Show, episode #1.15, aka "The Judy Garland Christmas Special" (home video title) at Internet Movie Database
- Judy Garland: At Home at the Palace (show) at Internet Broadway Database
- Judy Garland: At Home at the Palace (recording) at Allmusic
- ^ Luft, Lorna (May 1998). Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir. Living with the Legacy of Judy Garland. New York: Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. p. 20. ISBN 0-671-01899-X.
{{cite book}}:|format=requires|url=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - Promises, Promises replacement cast at Internet Broadway Database
- Snoopy!!! The Musical at Internet Off-Broadway Database
- ^ Me and My Shadows, p. 321.
- Extremities at Internet Off-Broadway Database
- W magazine article, 23 April 2009.
- Lorna Luft biography at her official website, "Theatre and Concerts" section
- Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (miniseries) - Awards at Internet Movie Database
External links
- Official website
- Lorna Luft at MySpace
- Lorna Luft at IMDb
- Lorna Luft at the Internet Broadway Database
- Please use a more specific IOBDB template. See the template documentation for available templates.
- July 2008 interview with Lorna Luft on BroadwayWorld.com