The Book That I'm Going to Write, By Judy Garland

The Book That I'm Going to Write by Judy Garland is a mesmerizing exploration of the private thoughts and darkest moments of one of the greatest stars of all time. This is not a drag act, or camp, or even an impersonation. It is simply a breath for breath, stammer for stammer, and, yes, sip for sip recreation of the tapes that Judy Garland began recording in 1964 as preparation for her never-released autobiography. Through Jason Powell's delicate, febrile performance, we see a hopeful, loving, haunted woman finally getting the opportunity to speak for herself. The simplicity of the concept and design allow Ms. Garland's words and Powell's performance to immerse the audience in the true, terribly painful experiences of an icon. This is the re... full review

Halfway into Jason's show I had the thought "Is this the same person who got up on stage at the beginning of the show?" Through the course of his performance I'd seen him transform in front of my very eyes. Not to Judy per se, but into this perfect conduit, emotion and energy on display, the inside of a cathode tube. His performance lacks any ego and judgement, it richly savors the words of Judy with love and empathy and humor. The show is funny, heartbreaking, and informative. Highly recommend!... full review

Tonight I saw Jason Powell perform excerpts of Judy Garland’s infamous late-night reel-to-reel tape recordings at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Having performed it myself for years, I know this challenging, fascinating, witty, heartbreaking material backwards & forwards & let me tell you... he nailed every pause, every stutter, every klink of the vodka-soaked ice cubes w/surgical precision. But more importantly, in performing her words with incredible accuracy & loving attention to detail, he still never lost sight of the huge ❤️ (Judy’s heart) at the center of this whole operation. Bravo Jason! Brava Judy! Tomorrow (Sun June 10th) is Judy Garland’s birthday, so go see this show and give her the gift of your applause. She gave us al... full review

A roller coaster hour of Judy Garland. I've never heard the tapes the show is based on but that did not stop my enjoyment of Jason Powell's tour-de-force performance. He captured every nuance and cadence of Judy's nature with something I wouldn't call an impression. He just was Judy for an hour and the audience bought it hook, line and sinker. It's different and fresh and I loved it. The intimate space lends itself well to the material.... full review

This show is the real thing. Honest, funny, moving. The things I always cross my fingers for when I go to the theater. It’s also a truly unique and original experience. This actor has meticulously translated some recordings of Judy Garland, not singing or performing, but unpacking her most private thoughts with a reel-to-reel recorder and a bottle of vodka. But let me tell you, it’s no shtick. It feels like this actor has drilled down into it, with compassion and breathtaking commitment. What he’s discovered is the humor, passion, rage, and hope inside Judy and, one can’t help but feel, in himself. A truly satisfying night at the theater. ... full review

Being familiar with the recordings, I didn’t expect a full recitation, but was pleasantly surprised at the staging and execution. Overall excellent job at depicting these last few years of Judy’s life and the desperation she felt along with the humor she still was able muster toward it. ... full review

This is a beautifully scripted and acted solo show.The tragedy of Judy Garland's life and all her troubles;demons;and betrayals are evoked with passion.A very clever piece.Jason was Judy,not in a camp characiture way,but in a real flesh and blood human way.... full review

Funny, dramatic, caustic, sad, angry, crazy, thoughtful, witty, classic, timely, timeless, fresh, all that and more! An intriguing choice of subject matter, very well presented. ... full review

Truly lovely! This play gives us such a unique view of Judy Garland that I don't think anyone in the audience is expecting. Right from the start, as Powell takes the stage, you get an idea of what you're about to see. The fact that Jason Powell doesn't dress in drag or try to impersonate Garland is the true beauty of this play! He embodies her so well that you become immediately tuned in to her dialogue and feel so much for her. Powell has put together one of the best solo shows I've seen in awhile and I can't wait to see how this piece evolves and what he does next!... full review

A very impressive show. First of all I found it to be an interesting and original concept, as a play based on spoken word recordings. Even more impressive was how well it was executed. It's not easy to play a character, let alone an iconic celebrity. Jason is a fantastic actor. He became the character, moving effortlessly around the stage and speaking monologues as if they were his own internal thoughts. Hats off to you for this performance!... full review