With Music Director Robert Ollis plus a jazz ensemble

Actress Nancy Hays and her daughter Mary Heffernan will present the story of the famed London Palladium concert which featured Judy Garland on stage with her own daughter - Liza Minnelli, at age 18, in November of 1964. Their performances of the classic numbers from that show will be intertwined with glimpses into the joys, traumas and triumphs of Judy’s long career at its peak and the beginnings of daughter Liza’s thrilling rise to stardom.

This show grew out of the premiere Chicago production of The Boy From Oz, which featured Nancy Hays in the role of Judy Garland, working with music director Robert Ollis. As they developed this tribute, Robert went to great lengths to re-create the unique musical arrangements of Judy and Liza from the original London Palladium concert. Heartfelt torch songs such as “The Man That Got Away” and “Over the Rainbow”, favorite duets like “Get Happy/Happy Days” and “Chicago”, and special mother/daughter medleys are all backed by authentic stylings for piano, percussion, clarinet and sax.

Nancy and Mary have appeared on stage together accompanied by an orchestra at Grant Park’s Summerdance, at Freedom Hall and as guests on popular morning TV shows (NBC, WCIU, WGN) with brother, Matthew, and sister, Caroline, as part of the family band, Nancy Hays & the Heffernans.