"Next Year All Our Troubles Will Be Out of Sight": A Song for 2020

Although written for Judy Garland to sing in the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” seems like it could have been written today. Back then, America was knee-deep in World War II, and now we’re nine months into another world-wide crisis, in many cases without even the comfort of friends and family to help us get through it. Here’s hoping that “someday soon we all will be together” and that 2021 will be much brighter than 2020. And in the meantime, Merry Christmas.

(Song by Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane; Original orchestral arrangement by Conrad Salinger; Piano arrangement by Joan Ellison based on the original orchestration.)

Joan EllisonDecember 19, 2020Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Judy Garland, Meet Me in St. Louis, Joan Ellison, Conrad Salinger, Hugh Martin, Classic Movie Musicals, Classic Hollywood, World War II, Pandemic Songs, Corona Concert, Living Room Concert, RCA-44 microphone, vintage fashion, retro music, retro singerComment

Playing Dress-Up

One of the things I love the most about getting to sing music of the MGM-era is that I get to wear clothes that suggest — and sometimes more than suggest — the era. I figure my upcoming NYC cabaret debut with a show about Judy Garland circa 1944-1954 calls for very specific costuming; however, I've learned the hard way that going vintage can end up with your mother asking you why you're wearing that schmatta. So, when we put together our first Garland theatrical radio show in 2009 (Love Finds Judy Garland), I took the plunge and ordered an actual vintage pattern, picked out the exact color of sky-blue silk chiffon that I'd seen in my mind's eye, and had it made to fit.

Joan EllisonApril 15, 2016MGM costumes, Judy Garland, Get Happy! Judy Garland 1944-'54, Joan Ellison, 1950 fashion, vintage fashion, In the Good Old Summertime, A Star Is Born Comment