DP: Isn’t that the very same studio Judy recorded at?

DW: Yes! And there’s a mark on the floor that they say is where she stood to sing “Over the Rainbow,” so I obviously stood on it. This is also where they recorded the soundtracks and everything to every MGM musical, and nothing’s changed. They even still have the original music stands.  I was talking to the orchestra because they’ve worked there before as well, and if you look closely, you can see the burns on the stands where the musicians put out their cigarettes. The history there is very inspiring. 

DP: When did you discover that you had a knack for impersonating Judy?

DW: When I was about 11 years old. Judy was a big favorite of mine and my grandmother, who I refer to as Nana, because grandma sounds too old [laughs]. We watched all the old MGM musicals together, that was our thing, and a big favorite of ours was Easter Parade. That’s the first Judy film I ever saw, and that’s really what got me into liking her. We used to watch that all the time, from when I was about six. My grandmother was a brilliant pianist, and I’ve always sung for fun, but I realized one day I could imitate her voice. I didn’t try talking like her until much later, but singing like her, I felt I could do that when I was about 11. Honestly, I did it just to make my grandmother laugh. I was like, Nana, listen to this, and I sang “I Love a Piano.”

DP: You started posting videos of your Judy impressions during the pandemic?

DW: To be honest, it was videos of all sorts of things. I pursued a performing arts degree and my early young dreams were to be a singer/actress, but it just didn’t happen in my early 20s. I got a few gigs and did a few things, but I didn’t get enough work or make enough money to have a career. I’m not from a rich family or anything, so after a couple of years, I was like, guess I’ve got to get a job. I did, and I’ve done all sorts of jobs. Then I became a stay-at-home mum, and the pandemic hit when my daughter was two years old. We’re stuck inside, not seeing anyone, and some of my friends were self-isolating. Totally by themselves. I wouldn’t have posted videos of myself singing otherwise because I thought it was a bit cringey or show-offish, but I thought, why not do like a song a day just to try and help cheer up those who are having a difficult time? And it wasn’t just Judy. I didn’t do her until day three. I thought, I haven’t done anything Judy-ish for years and years and I still love her stuff, so I got my wig out and sang “The Man That Got Away.” Then I thought, I’m on Facebook, I might as well share it with a Judy Garland group to see what they think. Everything suddenly began to take off, and it was astounding because that really wasn’t what I was thinking about when I started doing these videos. It was purely for my 650 friends. I started to receive all these friend requests, and it was really lovely. A lot of people said watching my videos helped them, and reading all these comments helped me in return. It was a mutual thing. It became a silver lining to what was a horrible situation. 

DP: Do you know if Liza has ever seen your videos?

DW: I don’t know. A couple of people have said she’s seen them, but I’m not entirely sure. 

DP: If Judy were still alive today, what would you like to say to her?

DW: I would probably be really nerdy and starstruck [laughs]. Without trying to sound too corny, I’d probably just say you’re brilliant and I’ve loved you since I was a little girl. You bring me inspiration and so on. I actually went to visit her grave a while ago in L.A., and it was so lovely.

DP: What more do you hope to accomplish with your Judy platform?

DW: Everything I’ve accomplished so far, it’s been brilliant, but I would love to meet a lot of the people who have been so nice to me on Facebook. I now know people by name and stuff. It would be lovely to meet a lot of these people that I’ve connected with online and go, hey! It’s you in person! Give me a hug! It’s quite nice for me because I’m a bit older, and I’m a happy person. I’m married to a lovely man, I’ve got a wonderful daughter, I’ve got lovely friends, and I’m a happy person in my life. This is just like an extra layer of delicious icing and squishy cherry on top of everything. I’m just enjoying everything that’s coming along because you don’t know how long it’s going to last or how it’s going to go. Everything I’m doing at the moment, it’s a trip. Let’s enjoy the experience and see what happens. I don’t really have any long-term plans, but anything that comes from this is a bonus and wonderful.

DP: Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you would like to mention or plug?

DW: The album is a big one, and that will be out on Judy’s 100th birthday, which is also the first night of my tour. So, keep your peepers open for that as well. It’s very exciting.