Early life

Lorna Luft was born in Santa Monica, California. She attended University High School in Los Angeles during her Senior year and was a member of the school's Choir.

Career

Stage and television

She made her show business debut at age 11 singing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" on the 1963 Christmas episode of her mother's CBS television series, The Judy Garland Show. Siblings Liza Minnelli and Joey Luft also appeared in this episode.

She soon joined the family act on a summer concert tour, the highlight being Garland’s third and final appearance at New York City's famed Palace Theatre on Broadway in 1967. In this month-long engagement, Judy Garland "shared" the bill with Lorna (then 14 years old) and son Joey (12 years old). The show was recorded live and released on ABC Records as Judy Garland: At Home At The Palace.

Luft is married to her second husband, musician Colin R. Freeman.

Luft made her Broadway debut in 1971 at the Shubert Theatre as a replacement cast member in the musical Promises, Promises, adapted from the classic 1960 Billy Wilder film The Apartment. The show is best known for the hit song "I'll Never Fall in Love Again".

Luft starred in the 1981 national tour of They're Playing Our Song and in 1982 she played Paulette Rebchuck in Grease 2. In 1983, she played Peppermint Patty in the Off Broadway production of Snoopy!!! The Musical (a sequel to You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown) and later that year she co-starred in Extremities with Farrah Fawcett.

Luft appeared as Nurse Libby Kegler on the CBS television series Trapper John, M.D. during that show's final season of 1985-1986 and also appeared as Patti Bristol in a 1985 episode of Murder, She Wrote entitled Broadway Malady.

From 1992 through 1994, she played Adelaide in the American and world tour productions of Guys and Dolls. In 1996, she appeared in an Irish production of Follies in Dublin with Mary Millar, Alex Sharpe, Christine Scarry, Aidan Conway, Enda Markey, Dave Willetts and Millicent Martin. In 2002, she starred as Mama Rose in a University of Richmond school production of Gypsy.

In November 2006 through January 2007, she performed in the UK premiere of Irving Berlin's White Christmas: The Musical, a new stage adaptation based on the film. Lorna reprised her role in White Christmas the next year, playing the Edinburgh Playhouse from November 19 to December 8, 2007 and the Wales Millennium Centre in the Donald Gordon Theatre from December 13, 2007 through January 12, 2008.

She appeared in two episodes of the 2007 Logo animated series Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple In All The World.

In October 2007, she released her debut CD Lorna Luft: Songs My Mother Taught Me in the United Kingdom. Produced by Barry Manilow and her husband Colin R. Freeman, the album celebrates the music of her mother. In 2005 she toured Ireland with her stage show, Songs My Mother Taught Me. In June 2006, she surprised audiences at Carnegie Hall by performing a duet with Rufus Wainwright on the song "After You've Gone" at the end of Wainwright's tribute concert of Garland's triumphant 1961 comeback at Carnegie Hall.

Luft appeared in The Wizard Of Oz, the stage show of the movie that made her mother famous, at The Lowry Centre in Manchester, England. She portrayed the role of the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Margaret Hamilton in the 1939 film.

In April 2009, Luft completed a successful UK tour of the critically acclaimed Hugh Whitemore play Pack of Lies, in which she played the role of Helen Kroger. She starred alongside Jenny Seagrove, Simon Shepherd and Daniel Hill. In May 2009, she appeared in W magazine as a special guest performer for the acclaimed avant-garde Theo Adams Company's latest project, 'Performance', photographed by David Sims. In July 2009, she appeared at the Mermaid Theatre, London to record for the radio series Friday Night is Music Night. Lorna Luft and Friends - A Tribute to Judy Garland also featured John Barrowman, Frances Ruffelle and Linzi Hateley.

Luft participates in various children's and AIDS-related charities, including the annual Los Angeles AIDS Walk and The Children's Wish Foundation International. She has been an advocate for drug rehabilitation and has spoken for The Council on Alcohol & Drugs.

In May - July 2015, Luft toured the UK in Judy - The Songbook of Judy Garland, a show highlighting her mother's life and music. The show featured Garland's signature songs and recreations of film scenes from her MGM years.

Film

In film, Luft played Paulette Rebchuck in the feature film Grease 2 (1982). Other films include Where the Boys Are '84 (1984), Fear Stalk (TV 1989), 54 (1998) and My Giant (1998). She and her brother Joey Luft had cameo appearances in the 1963 film I Could Go On Singing as Children on Boat.

Published works

She is the author of the 1998 book Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir. Among its revelations is that she had an affair with Barry Manilow in 1971. In 2001, the book was adapted as an Emmy-winning TV miniseries Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows. It stars Judy Davis as the adult Judy, Tammy Blanchard as the teenage Judy, Hugh Laurie as Vincente Minnelli, Victor Garber as Sid Luft, and Marsha Mason as Ethel Gumm.

Health

On December 17, 2012, Luft discovered a lump on her right breast. "I was in total denial," Luft said. Three weeks later, her radiographer informed her that she had grade-2A breast cancer. Luft called her close friend Barry Manilow, who connected her with cancer specialist David Agus. After reviewing the tests, Agus told her, "I’m looking at your biopsy and I can tell you right now, Lorna, you’re going to be OK." In order to save her breast, Luft opted for a lumpectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation. She completed her final chemotherapy treatment in 2013.

In June 2015, Luft revealed that her cancer had reemerged. Consequently, the UK tour of Judy - The Songbook of Judy Garland concluded early on July 11th, and Luft returned to the United States for surgical treatment.

Recordings

Singles

• "Our Day Will Come"'Is it Really Love At All" (Epic Records single)
• "Long Time"/"Somethings Got A Hold of My heart" (European single)
• "Born Again" (European single)
• "Where the Boys Are"/"Prove Me Wrong" (CBS Records single)
• "The Whole World's Goin' Crazee"/"Jesse's Theme" (CBS Records dance single)
• "Dancin' In The Street"
• "the Music That Makes me Dance"
• "Too Many Lonely people"/"Go Now"
• "Hopelessly Devoted To You"/"I Still Believe In Love"
• "Head Over Heals"/"I Did it All For Love"

Albums

• Songs My Mother Taught Me (October 2007, UK)

DVDs

• Lorna Live in Oz (2009, Australia)
• Rufus Wainwright sings Judy at Carnegie Hall Live in London
• Judy Garland The Concert Years
• Jerry Herman's Broadway At the Hollywood Bowl

Cast albums and compilations

• Grease 2 (film soundtrack)
• George and Ira Gershwin's Girl Crazy: Complete Original Soundtrack
• Stairway to the Stars (live concert recording)
• Cole Porter Centennial Gala (live concert recording)
• The Christmas Album...A Gift of Hope
• Rick Derringer and friends
• Hilly Michaels Calling All Girls
• Adrian Zmed as guest vocalist
• Matt Dusk Live in Las Vegas
• Rufus Wainwright Does Judy at Carnegie Hall

Other recordings

• She released a single version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", an electronic duet with her mother.
• She sang backing vocals on the Blondie album Eat to the Beat.
• She performed "After You've Gone" with Rufus Wainwright for Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall in June 2006.

Stage appearances

• Judy Garland: At Home at the Palace (1967)
• The Boy Friend (1971)
• Promises, Promises (1971) (replacement for Jill O'Hara)
• Grease (1980)
• Carnival! (1980)
• They're Playing Our Song (1981)
• Snoopy!!! The Musical (1983)
• Extremities (1983)
• Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
• Mame (1986)
• The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1987)
• A Bawdy Evening (1987)
• Girl Crazy (1988)
• Jerry Herman's Broadway Years (1990)
• Hollywood & Broadway (1992)
• Guys and Dolls (1992)
• Magical World of Musicals
• Follies (1996)
• Songs My Mother Taught Me (1999-present)
• Caged (2001)
• Gypsy (2002)
• White Christmas (2006)
• Babes in Arms (2007)
• The Wizard of Oz (2008)
• Pack of Lies (2009)
• White Christmas (2011)
• Hello, Dolly! (2012) (replaced prior to opening due to back injury)
• Judy - The Songbook of Judy Garland (May 2015-present)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]