Quiet Please, There's a Lady on Stage by Peter Allen

Album: Taught By Experts (1976)

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Songfacts®:

Peter Allen was married to Liza Minnelli from 1967-1974, and he credits Minnelli's mother, Judy Garland (Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz), with bringing him to New York and launching his career. Garland died in 1969, and Allen later wrote this song in her memory.
The song was featured in a musical about Allen's life called The Boy From Oz, starring Hugh Jackman as Allen (he won the Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for the role in 2004). In the musical, the song fits the storyline, paying tribute to the memory of Garland.
Allen came up with the title for this song during at a cabaret performance of the singer Julie Wilson. Peter sat next to a table of rude patrons who kept talking while Ms. Wilson sang. Peter, who admired Julie, slipped a note to the chattering class that read: "Quiet please, there's a lady on stage."
Allen wrote this song with Carole Bayer Sager. They were a formidable songwriting team, co-writing several hits, including "Don't Cry Out Loud" for Melissa Manchester, "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love" for Rita Coolidge and "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" for Christopher Cross.
Hugh Jackman sang this at Joan Rivers' funeral on September 7, 2014. Rivers had seen him perform in The Boy From Oz and loved it.

Comments: 6

AnonymousSong for Judy Garland indeed , Peter Allen said it at his concert, I was there
David from U.s.a.Matt is correct. Go to YouTube and find Peter Allen and the Rockettes 1981 show at Radio City and you'll see and hear Peter introduce the song saying he wrote it for his mother in law, Judy Garland.
Matt from Brisbane, AustraliaPeter Allen wrote Quiet Please for a TV special on Judy Garland, so it is indeed about her. The Julie Wilson story is correct in that Peter was at a performance of hers and did write a note that read "Quiet please there is a lady on stage".. later when he was writing the song for Judy he decided it was a great song title and used it. I think the song is Peter paying homage to a women he loved dearly and all those others out there that didn't quite make it.
Richard from New York, NyOn his Carnegie Hall live CD, Peter intros this song as "the only song written for an ex-mother-in-law who's worked here". Judy Garland, no?
Sara from Silver Spring, MdPeter Allen never performed shows in drag! It's a shame not to many people were aware of who he was. He was the guy whom Hugh Jackman portrayed in THE BOY FROM OZ on Broadway (in the show the song is sung by Peter and company after he tells Liza the news of her mother's tragic death.
It is on an album called Taught By Experts which has not yet been on CD though many of the songs have including the international hit I Go to Rio.
Rick from Columbus, GaI'd heard he wrote this for himself when he did shows in drag. The Judy Garland thing makes sense, too, though.

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