NICOLE CASSESSO stars in “End of the Rainbow” (OMP).

By Thom deMartino/Orange County Tribunee

She’s drinking, again, as she rehearses, the pressure of it all building and becoming too much for her. Her long-suffering friend and pianist talks with her, gently inquiring about her myriad ex-husbands: “Do you miss any of them?” he asks.

A pause.

“I miss being loved” she sighs.

It’s something both mesmerizing and different, as Garden Grove’s renowned Gem Theater and director Damien Lorton present – for a limited engagement – one of the venue’s new “Black Box” shows: “End of the Rainbow”.

Only playing through Feb. 23, “Rainbow” relates the story of the final tour of Hollywood legend Judy Garland (Nicole Cassesso), as she struggles to pick up the pieces of her life and career for a series of shows in London, England.

Acting as her manager and accompanying her is her newest beau, Mickey Deans (Peter Crisafulli): set to become her husband #5 after only weeks of them knowing each other, he tries (and fails) to contain her larger-than-life personality. The drama starts almost as soon as they enter the hotel room – why is the room so much smaller than she remembers? How dare the hotel manager insist they have to pay in advance – don’t they know who she is?

Joining them in the suite is her friend and pianist, Anthony (Trevin Stephenson), there to help her rehearse for her shows, but even he can tell how on edge she is.

It turns out she’s been weaning herself off the pills she’s been self-medicating with: or, more to the point, that Mickey’s been weaning her off to keep her coherent for her shows… particularly after her debacle of a performance in Melbourne. But certainly a little alcohol couldn’t hurt, could it?

What follows is a series of highs and lows for the struggling star – frequently in the medicinal sense. Anthony struggles to get her to focus on her practice and performance, as Mickey goes to lengths to hide Judy’s pills and booze, growing increasingly exasperated with her behavior and manic episodes.

Trapped in the throes of addiction, trying desperately to hold herself together, her self-control growing increasingly tenuous – can Judy find her strength to finish out her performances? Or is she fated to reach the seemingly inevitable end of a downward spiral?

Don’t be surprised if you’re unfamiliar with the Black Box shows – they’re a new addition to the Gem Theater’s season, showcasing a handful of actors for an abbreviated run, in-between the venue’s larger, tentpole productions. (And if “Rainbow” is any indicator, offering more mature, complex fare of a darker tone for theatergoers.)

The work by *all* the players here is, without a doubt, next-level.

Actors you may have seen in brilliant comedic performances in earlier Gem productions now turn those skills to the dramatic, with jaw-dropping success.

Stephenson’s moving Anthony is a gentle soul, a “friend of Dorothy’s” as it were, in a time of arguably less acceptance than today (although that may be up for debate): trying his best to be a friend to Judy, while keeping her away from the drink and drugs, and focused on her show;  Crisafulli’s Mickey could be easily dismissed as her enabler – until you see the conflict in his eyes, when it comes to providing the pills she’s so desperate for.

Despite their acrimony, he seems to truly love her, the best he’s capable. And then there’s Jon Michell, providing a lighthearted dash of comedy with his multiple roles (including the hotel doorman carrying her up to her room, or the radio personality interviewing her.)

And what of the troubled, complicated Ms. Garland?

This – without question – is Nicole Cassesso’s finest performance to date, in an already remarkable career. (and that is saying something.)

Her portrayal of a troubled woman struggling with addiction – laughing, yelling, cursing, smiling, smirking, drinking, pill popping… doing anything, everything to keep that mask in place, to hide her vulnerability and bury her fears … the desperation and depression, beneath that manic exterior, are palpable in Ms. Cassesso’s work here. It is powerful, moving, heart-crushing – and a thing of great beauty and pathos, as well. This is a transcendent performance.

“End of the Rainbow” is hypnotic in its ability to draw you in, to submerse you within the complicated life of Judy Garland. Truly a remarkable show, with phenomenal performances by the entire cast; but only two weeks remain in the show’s limited run, and this is one that Gem and theater fans in general should not miss.

“End of the Rainbow;” Nicole Cassesso, Peter Crisafulli and Trevin Stephenson star in this powerful story of the legendary Judy Garland. Now playing through Feb. 23 at The Gem Theater 12852 Main Street, Garden Grove, CA, 92840. Call 714-741-9550 x221 or email boxoffice@onemoreproductions.com for ticketing information. Some mature language and content.