For two nights last June, Rufus Wainwright performed in New York City to sold-out crowds, recreating Judy Garland’s iconic 1961 concert at Carnegie Hall. Critics showered the performance with praise, and seemingly every gay on the planet caught the show at least once. Luckily for the few of us who didn’t get to see the concert in person, it was released on CD and DVD on Tuesday, just in time for the holidays. I opted for the DVD, entitled Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy!, over the CD recording, figuring it was the closer of the two in approximating the concert-going experience.

A couple things surprised me right off the bat. First, when I first picked up the DVD, I was mystified to note that the performance filmed was not at Carnegie Hall. Instead, we get one of the following wave of performances, when Rufus took the act on the road. This DVD captures the performance at the London Palladium theater. This isn’t a bad thing, just odd considering that Carnegie Hall is the venue that’s synonymous with the legendary Garland concert.

Second, I was shocked at how bad Rufus is at talking to the audience. The few sections where he stops singing and regales the audience with amusing anecdotes and stories are rather rambling. From interviews, I always had the impression that Wainwright was fairly well-spoken and loquacious, so it’s somewhat jarring to see him fumble his way through some of the stories. Of course, I’ve never seen a live Rufus performance before, so maybe that’s just his way.

But that’s a minor quibble; people came to hear him sing, not chat, and he does put on a fantastic show. At over two hours, the performance must have been exhausting and it’s obvious he’s giving it everything he’s got, stretching his voice to its limits.

(More on the DVD and a video clip of the show can be found after the break!)

It’s a show full of highlights, but forced to choose, I’d have to say "That’s Entertainment," "Chicago" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine" were my favorite renditions. The concert includes a few guests, though thankfully they were tastefully handled, with nary a Beyoncé or a Fergie in sight. (Coincidentally, those longing for a special Beyoncé take on "Over the Rainbow" will only have to wait until tonight, when CBS airs Movies Rock, a special concert in which current chart-toppers offer their takes on some classic movie soundtracks.)

I was especially blown away by Martha Wainwright’s (Rufus’ sister) "Stormy Weather" and I loved the dynamic between Rufus and his mother, Kate McGarrigle, as she accompanied him on piano for a few songs toward the end of the show. "What’d you forget?" asks a bewildered Wainwright, sounding very much the son, as his mother suddenly sprints off stage to grab her purse. The final guest singer is Judy Garland’s daughter, Lorna Luft, who sings two songs, "After You’ve Gone" (a duet with Rufus), and an emotional solo of "Hello Bluebird," during the encore (which you can only see on the DVD, for some reason the encore is not included on the CD recording).

As for the DVD itself, the presentation is adequate, though never approaches the level of the best concert recordings I’ve seen. The director, Russell Thomas, does a decent enough job re-creating the feel of being in the audience, though he’s a bit overly fond of the extreme close-up. I was disappointed to note that the DVD doesn’t include any extra bonus material or behind-the-scenes footage; it would have been nice to have an interview with Rufus, at the very least.

Despite a few minor shortcomings, Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy! is a great presentation of a spectacular concert, and will make a great stocking stuffer for the Rufus Wainwright or Judy Garland fan on your holiday shopping list.

Here's a clip from the London performance to whet your whistle.