On the mid-season premiere of Will & Grace, Megan Mullally shook the house down with her rendition of Judy Garland’s The Man That Got Away from the 1954 version of A Star is Born. Mullally, who plays the iconic Karen Walker, is a force to be reckoned with as she has shown her musical talents in many previous episodes.
Mullally’s musical chops come from many years of professional musical theater training.
The episode of W&G shows Will, Jack, and Karen accidentally taking some hallucinogens. In a dark lounge, wearing a dressed reminiscent of Garland’s during the original scene, Mullally slays a very powerful and personal moment that will give you chills.
Throughout the course of Will & Grace, Karen Walker has struggled with her relationships, especially with that of her wealthy husband Stan. After finalizing her divorce with Stan, and being loopy on chocolate milk, Karen finds herself singing into a hotdog she mistakes for a microphone and giving the performance of a lifetime (in a laundromat turned jazz club). The angst and hurt in Karen’s life truly comes out in Mullally’s sultry performance—which is why we love her as a gay icon!
Watch the extended version of Megan Mullally’s performance below and see how it compares to Judy Garland’s. Different, maybe, but oh so emotional.
Makes you want to see–and hear–more of these types of moments from Karen Walker on W&G.
Megan’s valiant attempt is to
Megan’s valiant attempt is to be admired, however this song is Judy’s signature classic. Judy’s depth of feeling remains unmatched. There were three versions of Judy singing this in ASIB, all surpass Megan’s….
It is isn’t a jazz club; it
It is isn't a jazz club; it is a laundromat. It isn't a microphone; it is a hotdog, got from a street vender a few moments before. This is the most brilliant TV episode I have seen in my life. This segment is one, inspired part of it.