When Judy Garland took the stage of Carnegie Hall in April, 1961, she had been dismissed by many as a has-been, having lost her movie contract a decade before due to addictions that ironically, the studio system had imposed on her for weight loss since she was a teenager. But Garland had the last laugh, entering into a phase of her career on that night that emphasized live performance and leaving indelible impressions on those who heard her in those years as the prototype for would-be divas ever since. And since it has been a cottage industry to try and imitate her unique blend of melancholy and musicianship, why not take a host of Garlandesque wannabes and imitators and recreate that legendary evening song by song, anecdote by anecdote and costume by costume? That is exactly what “Judy at Carnegie” will do with a host of local talent that includes Amy Armstrong, Elizabeth Doyle, Margie Gibson, Ester Hanna, KT McCammond, Daryl Nitz, Stephen Rader, Spider Saloff and MeKole Wells. (Dennis Polkow) Lakeshore Theater, 3175 N. Broadway; (773)472-3492. Through April 23.
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