FLAT ROCK — “Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz,” the show that traces the life of Judy Garland, sparkled in its world premiere Nov. 27 on the mainstage of Flat Rock Playhouse.

The premise of the musical (which closed Dec. 19) is that, to understand Garland, one must listen to the music. Indeed, the iconic singer once said that “the history of my life is in my songs.”

The show gives an overview of Garland’s life from ages 6 to 16 and includes such classics as “Over the Rainbow,” “I Can Give You Anything But Love” and “Broadway Rhythm.” She was neither a beauty queen nor had a big voice, but she had amazing talent, as the show reveals.

After Flat Rock, the show, staged by Tina Marie Casamento Libby, will travel next year to Connecticut’s Godspeed Opera House, which is famous for having ushered several shows to Broadway.

The show uses Garland’s songs to tell how a young girl named Frances Ethel Gumm became a singing legend and beloved star of “The Wizard of Oz.”

As the show depicts, an early inspiration for Garland was her father Frank, who was the love of her life.  He died when she was 14 years old — and Garland claimed that his death haunted her the rest of her life.

Disappointingly, “Chasing Rainbows” follows Garland only as far as the big break in “The Wizard of Oz.” It would have been interesting if a quick overview of the rest of her rather interesting and often tragic life were depicted.

As the show notes, the role of Dorothy almost went to someone else. The studio wanted a box office star who could sell tickets. In fact, studio director Louis B. Mayer referred to Garland as his “little hunchback” but she instead proved to be a spark plug of a girl.