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Jim BuiIev’s liurlnnd Flies over the Rainbow

APRILIZOO6 l MOUNTAlNPRlDEMED|A.ORG

and into Heene fur IIIIJS Benefit

BY PAUL BROGAN

udy Garland passed away
in 1969 at the age of 47,
right about the time that a
young man she had befriended
was beginning a career that
has not only kept Garland

alive but has encompassed a
plethora of dazzling highpoints.

Jim Bailey is an illusionist,

something he is very clear about.
What he does, no one else in
show business does. On Satur-

 

speaking by phone with Jim Bai-
ley, who is in Florida selling out
more than a dozen venues and
capturing new audiences with his
special gift.

He makes it very clear that
what he does is to create an il-

-lusion. His shows are not “drag”

acts and at no point does he

pull off his wig. What he does is
create an illusion and he never
falters in the totality of his per-
formance. From the moment he
walks on stage until the final bow,

Judy Garland heard about Bailey,
who had begun performing
in his teens, and decided to
"check him out" for herself.

day, April 29th, audiences in New
Hampshire will learn first-hand
why Bailey was voted Las Vegas
Entertainer of the Year five times
as well as-winning a prestigious
People‘s Choice Award.

Jim will bring Judy Garland to
life on the stage of Keene's vener-
able Colonial Theatre for one un-
forgettable performance, which
is a benefit for AIDS Services for
the Monadnock Region (ASMR).

Susan MacNeil, Executive Di-
rector of the agency is thrilled at
the prospect of having Bailey ap-
pear in this benefit performance.

“We're very fortunate to host
Jim for his only New England
appearance this year and hope
that many familiar and new
friends will travel somewhere
over the rainbow to join us for
this spectacular show”, MacNeil
noted. “Jim's generosity is rivaled
only by his professionalism and
talent. This is the first show we’ve
conducted at the Colonial, and I
couldn't be more pleased to host
Jim Bailey as Judy Garland”.

For more than three decades,
Jim Bailey has carved a niche for
himself in show business. With
multiple appearances on “The T0-
night Show," performances before
several sitting'U.S. presidents,
not to mention the Royal Family
in England and sold-out engage-
ments at Carnegie Hall; plus the
London Palladium as well as film
and television appearances, no-

_ body does it like Bailey does.

I recently had the pleasure of

he walks, speaks and sings like
Judy Garland. The banter that

he does between songs is total
Garland and audiences have been
heard to ask one another during
his show, “Judy Garland is dead
isn't she?”

At an early age, Jim Bailey
knew that his life would be
anything but normal. Family
members recognized that Bailey
had real talent and an amazing
voice, and he was enrolled at the
famous Conservatory of Music
in Philadelphia where he studied
opera for several years. There he
learned vocal technique which
has served him well throughout
the years.

Judy Garland heard about Bai-
ley, who had begun performing in
his teens, and decided to “check
him out" for herself.

A waiter informed Bailey one
evening that Judy was sitting up
front and any nervousness Bailey
might have felt was eradicated
when Garland joined him on
stage, put her arm around his
waist and said “Oh My God, let's
sing!" They did, and “I loved every
minute of it,” Bailey recalls.

The first encounter led to a
friendship that lasted until Gar-
la.nd’s passing.

Miss Garland's daughter Liza
Minnelli also became not only a
supporter but a friend. Together
Bailey and Minnelli have per-
formed “mother-daughter” duets
to great success.

At one point in his career, Bai-

 
 

ley considered dropping his per-
formances as “the ladies” (Gar-
land, Barbara Streisand, Phyllis
Diller and Peggy Lee). Upon
hearing of this possibility, Minnel-
li exclaimed to Bailey, “Jim, if you
drop the ladies show, how would
I ever see my mother?” His abil-
ity to make an audience believe
they are seeing Judy or Barbra is
still a very important part of his
career. His performance a couple
of years ago as Streisand at her
home for a roomful of guests,
including such stars as Clint East-
wood and Warren Beatty, made
headlines as the guests were to-
tally fooled by the illusion created
by Bailey.

I asked Jim why he continues
to work so hard at his career. He
explained it in the effusive style
that is uniquely his. “It’s my life. I
don't know what else I’d do. I am
constantly finding new ways to
grow as a performer. I truly find
such a joy in my work. I love to
travel and to entertain.”

“Unfortunately in the world

of today, there are many people
who are unhappy for any number
of reasons. I like to believe that
I have the ability to bring some
joy into their lives and that for

money for a great cause, then all
the better.

The benefit is very important
for AIDS Services for the Monad-'
nock Region, as Susan MacNeil
explains.

“At this time, we’ve lost all
our state and federal funding, so
his show is critically important
to our goal of raising $70,000 in
2006. We may be the smallest

Hampshire, but we strive to make
a big impression with the services
we provide and that includes an I
ambitious community fundraising
schedule.”

to doing what he can for people
living with AIDS. “I've done many‘
benefits since 1987/88," Bailey

 . said, adding “This isa.sii;uati‘an....-e

a couple of hours they are able
to forget andbe transported to
something very special. If so,
then I have done something of
which I can be very proud.”

In‘ October of 2004, Bailey
performed as Garland to a
sold-out theater of Hollywood
celebrities‘ in Los Angeles. The
crowd of sometimes-jaded no-
tables who had seen it all were
left thunderstruck when Bailey
concluded his three—hour show
with a rendition of “Over The
Rainbow," delivered without a
microphone and accompanied
only by a piano. Every word and
note were crystal clear and the
prolonged standing ovation that
followed was a testament to the
reality that Bailey brings to ev-
erything he does.

When not on stage, Bailey is
busily at work penning his autobi-
ography, which promises to be a
best-seller. He promises to tell his
story in the honest and forthright
ma.nner that is his style.

His performance in Keene is,
like so many of his performances
in recent years, a benefit. He is
passionate about making a dif-
ference in the world and feels
that if his performing can raise

that needs more support. When *0

sexual cases and babies are being-
born with it. I’ve made visits to
hospitals with sick babies and
believe me it is hard not to fall
apart. It is just so unfair.”

Jim believes that if Garland
were still alive, she would share
this passion for doing benefits for
this cause. “Judy was very kind
and very humane,” he explains.
“She would definitely give her time
and talent to raise money.”

On April 29th, lucky concert-
goers in Keene will see for them-
selves what all the critical and
popular acclaim have been about
for more than three decades. By
the final curtain, they too will A
be believers, having contributed
money to a most worthy cause

and in the process finding they ' —

have been transported to the Em-
erald City. V '

Jim Bailey lS Judy Garland: ‘
Saturday, April 29, 2006 at 8
pm at The Colonial Theatre,
Keene, NH. For tickets con-
tact the box office at 603-352-
2033 or visit the web at www.

TheColonia|.org. For additional.’

information Contact AIDS
Services fo_r the Monadnock 7.
Region at 603-357-6855.

_________ ______ __________ ____ __,_;:

Paul Brogan is executive direc-if
tor of ACORN, A Community ,

AIDS service organization in New -

it first began, AIDS was a gay dis- ‘
ease. Now there are more hetero- .

Bailey has a firm commitment 

F

Resource Network in Lebanofls 
New Hampshire. "5