Judy and Liza musical heads to Halifax this month at Square Chapel Arts Centre

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A heart-warming stage show charting the careers and relationship between Hollywood mother and daughter Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli is coming to Halifax this month.

Captivating audiences for over a decade, Judy & Liza is heading to Halifax for a special one-off show. It plays the Square Chapel Arts Centre on Thursday, November 24 at 7.30pm.

Judy & Liza is produced by Bill Elms Productions and On Song Productions; created and written by West End performer, Emma Dears who appears as Liza Minnelli; with Francis Goodhand as musical director.

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Emma performs alongside Helen Sheals, who plays Judy Garland. Together they belt out timeless classics with uncanny resemblance of Judy and Liza, bursting with their unrivalled and elusive star quality.

Judy And Liza. Picture: Andrew ABJudy And Liza. Picture: Andrew AB
Judy And Liza. Picture: Andrew AB

The incredible talents of two of the biggest names in Hollywood showbusiness – mother and daughter Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli – are reunited thanks to this sensational musical experience. This dazzling production tells the turbulent tale of the stars against the backdrop of their infamous 1964 London Palladium concert. Audiences are taken on an emotional rollercoaster journey as they discover the uncanny parallels between some of Judy and Liza’s most iconic songs and their own personal lives.

The show features performances of iconic songs including Cabaret, Maybe This Time, Over The Rainbow, The Man That Got Away, The Trolley Song, and Together Wherever We Go.

Liverpool-born actress Emma Dears self-penned the musical biopic to critical acclaim. Emma’s acting career began at the age of nine when she toured the UK in the title role of Annie. Emma’s West End roles have included Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, and Oliver. Television roles include Emmerdale, Nice Guy Eddie, Shameless, Hollyoaks, Brookside, and Second Coming.

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Helen is widely known for her roles in Coronation Street and Downton Abbey. However, Helen is no stranger to portraying Judy Garland having previously played the title role in the West End musical Judy! at The Arts Theatre in London.

Helen Shields as Judy. Picture: Andrew ABHelen Shields as Judy. Picture: Andrew AB
Helen Shields as Judy. Picture: Andrew AB

Producer Bill Elms commented: “We are thrilled to bring back this wonderful show Yorkshire, Judy & Liza is a show very close to my heart as I worked on the very first run over 10 years ago and have watched it grow. The show always goes down a storm with audiences and this will be a special pre-Christmas night out. We can promise audiences a very memorable experience as they rediscover the joy of live entertainment through this captivating show.”

Writer and actress Emma Dears added: “It is with pure excitement that we can take Judy and Liza’s emotional and iconic story Halifax later this month. As performers, we crave being in front of a live audience – seeing, hearing and feeling their reactions, it gets no better than that. Whether you’re a fan of Judy or Liza, or both, their story is unique.

"The show is full of love, heartache, and passion, and Helen and I have worked tirelessly to make sure we get every tiny detail just right. Join us for an evening with the mother and daughter who really did put the ‘show’ into showbiz.”