THERE'S A LADY ON STAGE

CHRISSIE AMPLETT IS ELECTRIFYING AS JUDY GARLAND IN THE BOY FROM OZ. HERE SHE TALKS ABOUT CREATING THE CHARACTER OF A TROUBLED SUPERSTAR. BY DEAN DURBER.

How do you solve a problem like Judy Garland?? She's a entertainment icon of unrecognised significance. And yet equally a person who experienced the harsh suffering of immense insecurities and pill addictions. how do you fit these two personae on one stage? "Triumphantly!" whispers Chrissie Amphlett. This is no self praise. She's too shyly modest for all that. It's merely a response born from an eager desire to give her utmost to a role that was always destined to attract a great deal of attention.

The very moment this woman stepped out from behind the curtain opening night, I knew I had lost my heart. Forgive the cliches, but I cannot stop myself from getting mushy. This is one Lady From Oz who is so humbly suited to skip down that road. There are few who would even dare what she has attempted to do. Let alone succeed. Remember, we are not talking about a one-hit wonder celebrity here. This is Judy, for Christ's sake. Judy Garland. And that's a terrifying prospect.

"I found people to be quite protective of here and her memory," Amphlett says, "She was a very loved person. An icon. It was daunting. Whin I was in rehearsal, I thought. "What have I done," But that's just me. I like a challenge. She's so complex because she's a great performer. And then she was attacked by these addiction. It's hard to portray her at that period of her life - a pretty unhealthy period of her life during her last five years - to be truthful, but to also be triumphant."

I am not one of those '78ers. I honestly don't even have any memories of the '60's. My personal liberation finds its roots in the tunes of Boy George and the tears of "Tainted Love". Of course, I know who Judy was. I've read all about those Stonewall drag queen. But I never quite manages to grasp the emotional connection of all this. That is until I met Chrissie's Judy in a multi-million dollar educational extravaganza that simply refuses to shut up.

The factual link between her fall and the birth of a revolution is finally publicly mourned and celebrated as a vivid and belated reminder that the death of an icon can result in far more than a few tears and the sweeping of tossed flowers from the street.

When Chrissie first received that letter from the producer, she was totally unaware of what it was asking her to do: assume central responsibility for retelling a crucial turning point in the history of homosexuality for all in attendance at the queens' theatre.

"I was a bit hesitant at first. But by the end of the audition I really cared if I got it or not." A pile of books, videos and audio cassettes later and Judy comes to life in a way that makes me wonder if there was ever really any competition out there. "It was scary because I didn't know how I was going to do it. I had all these bits and pieces lying around. I had to find her essence and try and portray that. It was not until I started putting on the wig and the clothes that I found more of the body. First I had to find the American accent. My boyfriend is American, but I have always avoided that. I couldn't just play a drunk. She also took a lot of pills. But to also make it positive and make her triumphant at the same time, because she's got this lovely sense of humour. She had a very spirit. Physically she was broken down. But she had enormous strength. She always went on, no matter what state she was in. It's an interesting role because there is such a range there. It had to be a real person"

The reality of this figure is what impresses me most. Judy is symbolic of somebody who was well ahead of her time. It wasn't so commonplace then to casually stumble into the Betty Ford and emerge a few week's later with enough pride to sell your heart-wrenching story in exchange for cash to pay for the treatment. She was a performer trapped in no man's land. "She was around all the starlets and the glamour girls, and they were getting all the boyfriends. The costume people were thinking what are we going to do with you. Getting her to lose weight all the time. Building up that insecurity from an early age. Being the ugly duckling, like she thought she was, you can really see where it all comes from."

She evokes compassion because she went through confusion and misunderstanding which were not open to discussion. Whatever opinions exist on drugs or homosexuality or whatever, it's surely vital to recognise that freedom to talk. this wasn't available to Judy. Nor to the gay men of her time.

Thirty years on and we now witness to an Australian star playing the coveted role of a lady who had such an effect on yet another Australian star. "It's finally Australians celebrating an Australian life. And being proud of that. And doing it well. We've come of age. We can do this. We have the funeral of Judy with all the boys and girls and all the girls and boys. It's beautiful and it's hilarious. And acceptance is the key word here. It's so important. Every night people are standing up and applauding. It's great to be part of. Priscilla came from Australia. And look what that has done."

As Chrissie develops her character, the initial fears grow into pride. "I could really relate to her. She's like me, but she's had it a thousand times worse. I really had enormous compassion and understanding for her as a singer and what you go through. I am used to falling down and getting up. I've got to trust that and to trust myself. You have just got to be brave. I can't begin to tell you, it's just wonderful that the character I portray has been accepted by people. Opening night I had the best compliment. I had Carlotta (*for all of the readers out of Australia, Carlotta is a famous, and well respected Drag Queen that has performed for many years and runs Le Girls*) loving what I did. And that meant a lot to me. It has been a huge growth experience."

I believe Chrissie will end up achieving more than her modesty will ever admit to. Maybe even more than she can yet appreciate. Enter Judy Garland. A performer with a habit of impressing. And somebody who, albeit unintentionally, forced open the gateway towards the land of recognition. Enter Chrissie Amphlett. A performer with a history of impressing. And somebody who is now centre stage at such an important point in the history of Australia. And gay acceptability.

this article from xtra!, capitol weekly, a local Sydney Gay publication

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