Liza Minnelli Stepping Out! 2015

Liza Minnelli Stepping Out! 2015

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Can 'Confessions' make Liza Minnelli a grand slam awards champ?

After sitting on third base since 1973, Liza Minnelli could finally become the 11th artist to complete the awards grand slam if she wins a Grammy Award for "Confessions," her first studio album in almost 15 years. The disc dropped Tuesday to good reviews and Dan Aquilante of the New York Post pegs it as a potential contender in the traditional pop album category: "Liza is more Algonquin than Kit Kat Club on this record of cabaret standards and torch burners. Minnelli, in strong voice, sings as if she's lived every world-weary lyric."


Liza Minnelli won the first of her four Tony Awards in 1965 for "Flora the Red Menace." That tuner was by her lifelong pals John Kander and Fred Ebb, who wanted her to star in their next stage show, "Cabaret." While she was passed over for that, Minnelli landed the plum role of Sally Bowles for the 1972 film version and won the lead actress Academy Award. Weeks after picking up that Oscar, she took home an Emmy Award for her TV special "Liza with a Z."

Minnelli has had two Grammy bids in the relatively new traditional pop album category. In 1997, she lost for her last studio album "Gently" to Tony Bennett, who won the fourth of 10 times in this race for "Here's to the Ladies." Last year, she lost for "Liza at the Palace" to Michael Buble, who prevailed for the second time in three years for "Michael Buble Meets Madison Square Garden."

While Minnelli has yet to win a competitive Grammy, she has received accolades from the music academy. In 1990, she was given the Living Legend award, and in 2008 the soundtrack from "Cabaret" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Also missing a Grammy from their awards collections are Jeremy Irons, Al Pacino and Maggie Smith. They may seem unlikely candidates to win this award, but remember that the Grammys have categories for best spoken word and children’s recordings. Spoken word got grand slammers John Gielgud and Helen Hayes their Grammys, while children’s recordings worked for Rita Moreno and Audrey Hepburn.


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Facebook: GoldDerbyMore in: Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Emmys, Grammy Awards, Grammys, Liza Minnelli, Oscars, Tony Awards, Tonys

25 Things You Don't Know About Me: Liza Minnelli

US Magazine.com
Liza Minnelli, 64, (her CD Confessions is out now) shares the 25 things you don't know about her with UsMagazine.com.


1. My favorite TV show is Nurse Jackie.

2. I do not use the internet.

3. As I write this, I am listening to music from my new CD.

4. I always have apple juice and yogurt in my fridge.

5. I'm a really good poker player.

6. My favorite ice cream flavor is dulce de leche.

7. New York is my favorite place to live.

8. I love to swim.

9. I speak fluent French.

10. I drink two cups of coffee a day.

11. I am allergic to scallops.

12. I make a killer pot roast.

13. I love the Olive Garden!

14. I have three dogs.

15. I walk my dogs through Central Park every day.

16. My favorite color is red!

17. I've traveled to France more than anywhere else in the world.

18. I have a crush on countless talented people.

19. The first thing I do in the morning is thank God for another glorious day.

20. I think dancing is one of the most romantic things to do.

21. My favorite perfume is Obsession.

22. I have been to the White House four times.

23. My first pet was a poodle named John Cook, whom I named myself.

24. I have more shoes than I know what to do with!

25. I love Lady Gaga's music.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

SCENE + HEARD: Liza Minnelli "Confesses" to Fans and Insiders at Intimate Listening Party for Her New Album

NEXT MAGAZINE
It may have been a soggy Monday in Manhattan, but that didn’t stop New Yorkers from coming out to see one of the grand dames of showbusiness, Liza Minnelli. The Gramercy Park Hotel's Rose Bar hosted an intimate gathering to celebrate the release of Ms. Minnelli’s new CD, Confessions, a collection of some of her favorite songs. The album was inspired by evenings Liza, 64, used to have at her house. “People like Tony Bennett—or more surprising people like Janet Jackson—would come by and we would end up singing around the piano,” she told us.


The informal party attracted a broad audience, showing Liza’s wide-reaching appeal. All the gay boys—young and old— tried their best to contain their fascination as Liza carefully walked to the stage dressed her signature all-black attire and shared a few numbers from Confessions. Even bold-face attendees like Alan Cumming, Sandra Bernhard, Tony Danza, Michelle Lee and Marie-Louise Parker—were giddy about the intimate performance. “The very first time I met her she said, ‘I want to be your friend forever,’” Cumming said as he waited for Liza to make her entrance. “She also said she thought she knew me from a former life. I love her because she is electrifying to watch on stage. Everything she does is exciting.”



Liza was certainly in good spirits and although she admitted to being nervous, she quickly went into performance mode, joking, “I’ll just shut up and sing!” With her long-time pianist and friend Billy Stritch at the piano and composer and friend John Kander right up front, Liza delivered a touching rendition of the torch song “You Fascinate Me So.” Later she hammed it up with a song recorded by her godmother, Kay Thompson, called “I Must Have That Man,” and Peggy Lee's Disney tune, “He’s a Tramp.” Perhaps the most humorous moment came when Liza paused to show off the CD cover. After glancing at it she asked, “Have you ever seen so much retouching? Sometimes I fool myself into thinking that I really look like this!” If anything proved what a star Liza is, it was her exit. After less than a half hour on stage, she shared her fifth song of the night, “On Such a Night Like This”—which references mama Judy—Liza was whisked away from the hotel before her admirers had a chance to schmooze with her. If they want more, they’ll have to attend her November 20 concert at the St. George Theater in Staten Island. —Dustin Fitzharris

Confessions is available now. For the latest on Liza, visit OfficialLizaMinnelli.com

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Liza (VIDEO) live from The Rose Bar in New York!

BWW TV Special: Liza Sings from CONFESSIONS at The Rose Bar! Video Content (BroadwayWorld.com)

BWW TV Special: Liza Sings from CONFESSIONS at The Rose Bar! Video Content (BroadwayWorld.com)

Avi Duvdevani invited to LIZA at the Rose Bar on NYC Sept 27 2010

From the album:


Mobile Upload by Avi Duvdevani

Avi Duvdevani was thrilled to be among the few invited to see Liza perform several numbers from her new Confessions CD for a small invitation only crowd at the Rose Bar on NYC Sept 27 2010.
Liza is in top form and this material is perfect for her. It reminds


me of her cabaret performances at the Persian Room at the Plaza 45

years ago. From less them 10 feet away she sounds and looks like she

could do this for still another 45 years more.

Avi Duvdevani - Patrick McMullan Company
http://www.patrickmcmullan.com/site/search.aspx?t=eventName&s=rose%20bar

Avi Duvdevani. Gramercy Park Hotel Presents Liza Minnelli Live At The Rose Bar Sessions. September 27, 2010.

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PHOTO FLASH: Liza Minnelli Performs for Sandra Bernhard, Alan Cumming, Tony Danza, Mary-Louise Parker and More at The Rose Bar


By: Dan Bacalzo · Sep 28, 2010 · New York


Theater News

Liza Minnelli

(© Seth Browarnik/WorldRedEye.com)

Four-time Tony Award winner Liza Minnelli gave an intimate exclusive performance for a hand picked crowed as part of Gramercy Park Hotel's Rose Bar Sessions, on Monday, September 27.

Minnelli was accompanied by Billy Stritch on piano, and sang, "You Fascinate Me So," "I Hadn't Anyone Till You", "On Such a Night as This," "I Must Have That Man," and "He's a Tramp," all of which are featured on her latest CD Confessions, which was released on September 21.

Among the guests at the event were Sandra Bernhard, Alan Cumming, Tony Danza, John Kander, Michele Lee, Charlie Mars, and Mary-Louise Parker.

Minnelli won Tony Awards for her most recent Broadway show, Liza's at the Palace, as well as for her performances in Flora the Red Menace and The Act. She also won a special Tony Award in 1974. She also won the Academy Award for Cabaret and the Emmy Award for Liza With a "Z".

Monday, September 27, 2010

Portland Rolls out Red Carpet for Minnelli

Maine Headline News
09/27/2010 12:38 PM ET


The legendary singer and actress will be presented with a key to the city on the eve of her performance at Merrill Auditorium on Wednesday.

Portland is rolling out the red carpet for megastar and performing legend Liza Minnelli. The singer and actress is scheduled to perform material from her new CD, Confessions, along with some old favorites, at Merrill Auditorium on Wednesday. She'll be accompanied by a sextet of musicians led by pianist Billy Stritch.



Tomorrow afternoon, Portland Mayor Nicholas Mavodones will present Minnelli with a key to the city. Minnelli is the winner of four Tony Awards, an Oscar, a Grammy, two Golden Globes and an Emmy. She is the daughter of two legends, singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli.



At age 64, Minnelli is still performing widely, despite recent knee replacement surgery. Her new CD features material that she says she likes to sing with friends around the piano.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Liza Minnelli's fab factor wins out at Birmingham's Alys Stephens Center

Published: Saturday, September 25, 2010, 10:56 PM
Mary Colurso -- The Birmingham News


Well, for starters, she’s just so Liza.

Liza Minnelli, 64, has made her way in the world with an over-the-top persona, and wouldn’t we be disappointed if she failed that bring that to Birmingham?

A dowdy Liza, a shy Liza, a subdued Liza ... with this iconic singer and actress, anything less than an absolutely fabulous Liza simply wouldn’t cut it.

But Saturday’s audience at the Alys Stephens Center got the goods during Minnelli’s 7:05 p.m. performance in the Jemison Concert Hall.

True, the star’s trademark voice is less powerful than before. The big notes are somewhat smaller, the held notes rather shorter. And the breath control? Minnelli sounded winded after the very first tune, when she began to chat with the crowd, and she stayed that way through the entire show.

Funny thing, though: It didn’t really matter.
Minnelli’s a trouper — always has been — and although she obviously was trying to catch her breath between numbers, she managed to project confidence, charisma and celebrity appeal at the microphone.

Her mature style, if we can call it that, relies less on dazzling vocal strength and more on compelling song interpretation.
On stage at the Stephens Center, the Hollywood actress took over when the Broadway belter needed her.


Nothing wrong with that, and Minnelli made the most of her time in the spotlight, performing with a six-member band.

As you might expect, she runs a classy outfit, and all of the top-notch players (including pianist Billy Stritch) were decked out in fancy white jackets, black trousers and ties.

Minnelli’s fashion statement for the evening? Glittering yet comfy — and again, very Liza: an oversize black-and-silver shirt with velvety black pants.

For nearly 90 minutes, Minnelli applied her alto to a handful of signature songs ("Cabaret," "New York, New York," "And The World Goes ’Round"), several standards ("Our Love Is Here to Stay," "He’s Funny That Way," "I Can’t Give You Anything but Love, Baby") and some material from her next album, "Confessions."

The latter tunes were created by classic composers, but they aren’t the most-grabbed chapters in the Great American Songbook. On Saturday, Minnelli put her throaty stamp on "You Fascinate Me So," "I Must Have That Man," "He’s a Tramp" and "I Hadn’t Anyone ’Til You."

Ticketholders at the Stephens Center had paid fairly large sums for their seats; prices ranged from $85 to $135, and some folks shelled out $1,000 to add a cocktail reception and dinner with Minnelli after the concert.

Was her rare set here — the only time Judy Garland’s daughter has visited Birmingham in 20 years or more — worth the price of admission? Maybe not for casual observers or super-critical listeners.
But for longtime fans, absolutely.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

SOUND OFF: Holy CONFESSIONS

Thursday, September 23, 2010; Posted: 12:09 PM - by Pat Cerasaro 
broadwayWORLD.COM


Today we are taking a listen to one of the most hotly anticipated albums of the year from one of the biggest stars in entertainment history - Hollywood, Broadway and beyond - the incomparably divine Liza Minnelli and her new studio album CONFESSIONS. Having appeared in countless films, concerts, television specials and seemingly every other form of media over the years - not to mention her many appearances on Broadway, among them a 2009 Tony Winner for LIZA'S AT THE PALACE - this lady of the stage and screen needs no introduction. But, if pressed: CABARET, CHICAGO, NEW YORK NEW YORK, ALFIE, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT - and so many more. Surely, we thought she had done it all - and with very good reason - but then comes this moment, this album, this Liza. It's everything you would not expect - plus a few glorious things you would - which makes it the ultimate meta-Minnelli album. Music fans surely won't want to miss this truly Holy CONFESSIONS. Liza-lujah!
The Church of Liza
Like showbiz sacraments, so many moments on Liza Minnelli's road to stardom have heralded her truly transcendental gifts as an actress, a singer and a dancer - and as a performer par excellence. A life like hers deserves deep divining, particularly the depths of her definite divinity. As a world, we witnessed the wedding of Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli and the birth of their only child together. As an audience, our First Communion was when we saw that daughter emerge as a star of the highest caliber in her own right, Baptized by Broadway in FLORA THE RED MENACE, directed by Harold Prince who would soon become the king of Broadway. The Confirmation rituals were the ceremonies where she won the Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and multiple Tony Awards. So, too, was she christened Hollywood royalty through the Holy Orders of Otto PremingerBob FosseMartin Scorsese and others. Her musical Marriage to Kander & Ebb has yielded some of the greatest specialty songs of all-time - and best barn-burners ever written. So, here we are, now, with what could have very well been Liza's Last Rites, yet it‘s a reawakening; a renaissance. And it's just right. CONFESSIONS is the album we have all been waiting for, fans of any and every feather, yellow, blue or grey. CONFESSIONS is consistently charming, cool, classy and carefully constructed. It is intimate, refined, atmospheric and - particularly "At Last" - heavenly.
A deceptively involving, delicate and incandescent album, CONFESSIONS is fodder with which to prove the naysayer wrong with the star of the show doing exactly what we would least and last expect her to do. After all, she always keeps us guessing, that's why she's lasted so long. She has done it all and she has attained it all, so now she is going to take no prisoners and strip it all away. She's going to bare-bones-blues it. Just a piano, maybe an occasional ensemble number, but letting the songs speak and sing and shine for themselves - and letting the supreme storyteller at the center weave her web, spider-like, over the audience with every song she tells and story she sings. In keeping with the naked nature of the album, all revealed: my particular bias lies with the first and last tracks, which I find to be sheer delectable perfection and - like the album itself - for all the most unexpected and surprising reasons. Understated, slightly mysterious and overflowing with emotion - much of it repressed, on the surface - this is not the album one would expect Liza Minnelli to make in 2010, particularly coming after her gaudy and glitzy appearance singing Beyonce's "Single Ladies" in SEX & THE CITY 2. But much like her heritage - familial and religious - she can do a return (never a "comeback") like no one else and become that bright-burning beacon of millions of Broadway marquee bulbs bursting simultaneously. Such is the power of Liza Minnelli, and she doesn't even need to be plugged in (this album is almost entirely unplugged) to wow you with her wattage. You can consider CONFESSIONS psalm-like proof of the fact of Minnelli‘s ever-maturing mastery of music, performance and storytelling through song has never been better - call it the Shroud of Turin. Or, as Sally Bowles (or Irving) would say: the Shroud of Berlin.
A sweet and sexy specialty song for a 1950s Judy Holliday album begets the title track "Confession" which begins the album with a bawdy and brusque bang. What a risqué and rowdy way to start the show! And so it goes... this is a very romantic and intimate album in all senses of both of those words. Furthermore, the sensual nature of Minnelli's delivery abets the enterprise even more alluring and enticing - reaching its apotheosis in the life-affirming glow and unadorned glory of Liza's take on Etta James's classic blues ballad "At Last" which closes out the album. It's ecstasy - religious, sexual, theatrical or otherwise. What comes in between the first and last tracks is consistently concentrated, carefully crafted musical magic. Each selection creates a specific mood, sound, style, feeling and je ne sais quoi. "You Fascinate Me So" evokes a nightclub scene in a 40s noir. "All The Way" goes a long way in showing that that song can be taKen Down a notch or nine from Sinatra and still have resonance as, alternately, an anthem, a war-cry and a proclamation of resilience. In performance, Liza usually takes it all the way - and sometimes much further - but it is the distinct pleasure of CONFESSIONS that she is doing everything but that and showing so many new and exciting sides of her personality, talent, instrument and performance style. CONFESSIONS is the preservation and distillation of all those fine and refined features in one place. "I Hadn't Anyone Til You" is rueful and revealing. "This Heart Of Mine" is succulent, rollicking and just right with just enough punch and pizzazz to appease the Liza lovers who only like their leading lady in one flavor: bold. "I Got Lost In His Arms" also fulfills the fantasy of many fans, and while we never got to see an Annie Oakley ala Minnelli (either mother or daughter) this is just as good. Maybe even better. It's so mature, so elegant, so studied. "Remind Me" reminds us why Liza is the greatest singing storyteller alive, bar none. No one lives her lyrics like Liza lives her lyrics. No one. We experience the story of each song with her as if we are discovering something together. We are always a part of it. With Liza, every performance is as much about the audience as it is about the songs or even the performer or performance itself. So, too, is CONFESSIONS a communal experience - like church. The Church of Liza.


Blessed indeed is "Close Your Eyes", which is probably the best sample track of the album, and if one were to introduce a friend to the world of Ms. Minnelli as she is now, today - not Sally Bowles or Roxie Hart or any of the many faces of Minnelli we have come to know over the years - this would be the very best example to utilize. After you hear it you may be compelled to ask yourself, whether fan or neophyte, "Who could do this better than she just did it?" To which the reply undoubtedly was, is and forever shall be: "No one." Following suit comes "He's A Tramp". A little bit like "Roxie" from CHICAGO - an intentional homage on the parts of les messieurs Kander et Ebb in CHICAGO - Liza may have done these numbers to utter perfection with unmatched energy and electricity in her heyday, but she can find world-weary pathos and add a life-learned lilt and verve to her phrasing now which makes songs of this order even richer as a result. "I Must Have That Man" is much more the sort of song that Liza fans have come to expect from her, and the next track has almost assuredly made its appearance on this album for far more than the lyric referencing her mama - "On Such A Night As This" - but, audience-appeasement aside, both paint a more complete picture of the lady with the torch at the center of the story, the total portrait that is created when the album is viewed as a complete, collective work of art - because, after all, art it is. Albums like this aren't easy. And, as Sondheim would say, neither is art. This is a new phase for Liza, both in the sound and timbre of her instrument and the songs which she can truly excel at performing now more than ever. A storyteller like Liza doesn't need the sparkles and sequins, as nice as they are. Actually, without them, her talent is even more astounding, as this album proves time and time again, moment by moment. "Moments Like This" is fun and funky, with some super-hot riffs and vivid vocalization (even a bit ala Mary J. Blige). "If I Had You" is perhaps a tad too slow at the get-go, but there is a damn good reason - you see, Liza has her own twist on every song she deigns sing, and the songs are almost always the better for it. In concert, you are always aware of her telling you the story but with the visual element eliminated all we have left is the most talented song-storyteller alive on an album like CONFESSIONS. The Aesop of arpeggios and Arlen, song-weaver Liza Minnelli.
If her greatest performance of all time in LIZA WITH A Z (as captured on video by Bob Fosse) is the main course, CONFESSIONS is the coffee, dessert and aperitif that come afterwards. Unquestionably, by the time we reach "At Last" it is clear from the shivers on our spine, the goose-bumps on our arms and the tears on our cheeks - and smiles, so many, many smiles, too - that, at last, we have arrived. We're here, we're home and aren't we lucky? What a trip we've had, what a ride - and what a tour-guide! Simply put, if "At Last" doesn't make you smile, you don't know how. If this album doesn't lift your spirits, you must be a heartless ghost. You can practically - hell, verifiably - hear her smiling. Who else can act that?! CONFESSIONS is so much of what we have loved about Liza in the past, so much of what we enjoy about her now and the enviable embodiment of what we anticipate the future will hold for her immense talent. She could record thirty more albums - this is her twenty-ninth studio album, by the way - in exactly this style and using these composers' song-stacks and the world of recorded music would be a much better place for it. As her husband Peter Allen once wrote, "Everything old is new again," and so is the case with CONFESSIONS - except that condition is compounded by the fact we have the very best getting even better while proving the adage true. This album is comfortably reminiscent of a time gone by in the sound and styling, yet fresh as a single long-stemmed rose in the delivery of the material by Ms. Minnelli. It's like your oldest, best friend showing up on your doorstep in vintage couture and with a perfect (but barely noticeable) face-lift. This album reveals all, spares none and wallows in it. It's brutally honest, unflinchingly real and raw humanity. It's a divine confession. Make it - and be absolutely absolved of your sins. You May Go in peace - and, after all she's been through, peace be with Liza. At last.



Read more: http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/SOUND_OFF_Holy_CONFESSIONS_20100923_page2#ixzz10PXcNax9

Music and Nightlife: Superstar icon Liza

She's won an Emmy, a Grammy, a Tony and an Oscar, not to mention the hearts of millions of fans. And she's performing in Portland on Wednesday.


By Bob Keyes bkeyes@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer
The Portland Press Herald
Liza Minnelli is breathless. You can hear it as soon as she takes the phone from her publicist.

"I'm on a band break," she chortles. "Sorry."


Minnelli, 64, has spent the morning working up songs from her new CD, "Confessions." She'll perform some of them, as well as music from throughout her career, in a concert Wednesday at Portland's Merrill Auditorium.

She's touring with a sextet, led by her longtime collaborator and pianist Billy Stritch. The show should be fun and casual, and almost like a house party, Minnelli says.

"I hadn't planned to make this record. They talked me into making it," she says. "Someone said, 'Why don't you sing like you do at parties? Nobody has ever heard you sing like that. It's so intimate and personal.'

"So that's where it started. Billy talked me into it."

"Confessions" is a collection of Minnelli's favorite songs written by the biggest names in popular music of the 20th century, from Jerome Kern and Sammy Cahn to Irving Berlin. These are the songs she likes to sing at dinner parties, in the casual company of friends.

"When we have an evening together, we end up around the piano," she says. "It's the difference between singing to and singing out, and the difference between satisfying the expectations of the fans and serving the expectations of the songwriter."

In today's world of fleeting fame and fast-burning careers, Minnelli stands as a true superstar. She's a star of stage and screen, and has won all the major awards across the spectrum of show business. She's only one of a handful of performers to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, a Tony and an Oscar, as well as countless other honors.

The daughter of actress and singer Judy Garland and film director Vincent Minnelli, she is revered as a living legend in show business circles. She began her career at age 16, and starred on Broadway at age 19 when she became the youngest woman to win a Tony Award. She won her first Oscar in 1972 for her work in "Cabaret," which was recently named one of the best 100 movies of all time by the American Film Institute.

But she's definitely not riding on her past successes. Last year, Minnelli won her third Tony for a monthlong show at the Palace Theatre on Broadway, which also spawned a Grammy-nominated live album, "Liza's at the Palace!"

This year, she appeared in the movie "Sex and the City 2" with Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon. "That was great fun," Minnelli says. "I liked the choreography, and I loved the girls. We've all been friends for a long time."

Minnelli has spent her entire life in front of audiences, and often on the wrong end of the gossip machine. Her health and personal life have been the subject of repeated inquiry and intrigue, and Minnelli swats away a personal question with an abrupt but polite, "I feel great. Really great. Everything is just, just great."

Minnelli's conversation is fast and clipped. She sounds bubbly, and punctuates her sentences with laughter and a sense of casualness. She's not above calling her interviewer "honey" or joking about how hard the band is driving her in preparation of this tour.

She says she feels compelled to perform, and is grateful that work keeps "falling my way, and thank God it does, too." She sees herself not as a glamorous star or the original diva, but as a hard-working showbiz girl.

Her work-first acumen was ingrained in her upbringing, she says.

"I'm a modern vaudevillian," Minnelli says. "In vaudeville, they used to travel city to city and show to show, and people called them gypsies. We're doing the same kind of thing. If you are going from theater to theater, that's what they did with vaudeville. We're just keeping that tradition alive."

Minnelli's fall is fully booked. "Confessions" will be in stores on Tuesday, and she has a full season of work ahead of her with concerts scheduled across the country in cities as small as Portland and as large as Boston and San Francisco.

"I throw myself into everything I am doing at the time," she says. "I never want to disappoint an audience. If they pay the money they have worked for to see me, I will be there."

Staff Writer Bob Keyes can be contacted at 791-6457 or at:

bkeyes@pressherald.com

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Get Liza's Confessions, Darlings by Michael Musto

, Village Voice
Liza Minnelli's new CD, Confessions, is due-dated today, which we should probably rename Gay Day.



The album is "really terrific," as Liza herself would say, so put down the knitting and come hear the music play.

It isn't a "Ring Them Bells" dazzler with Liza pulling out all the Liza-isms to keep your eyes and ears popping.

It's a soft, gentle piece of work, with Liza sounding as if she's sitting right next to you in your luxury apartment -- or cardboard box -- as she croons classic tunes like "You Fascinate Me So" and "I Got Lost in His Arms," backed by the loving tinkles of Billy Stritch.

It's as if Liza re-created the time of her youth when famous people dropped by mama's house to belt a number around the piano, but this time she's the one doing all the entertaining.

So take Liza home with you. If you're gay, she won't mind!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Liza on sings on Oprah!

Liza Minnelli on Her New Album ‘Confessions’ and Perfoming at 64

LIZA screen capture by Richard Zimmerman
By Ellen Gamerman
Liza Minnelli finished her latest album, “Confessions,” earlier this year while recuperating in her New York City apartment after knee replacement surgery. The record is meant to capture the feel of what she calls her laid-back evenings spent around her piano singing with various famous friends.


The album showcases artists she grew up listening to, songs by her godfather Ira Gershwin and classics such as “At Last” and “All the Way.” She is backed by longtime accompanist Billy Stritch on piano. Though she got some notice earlier this year for her cover of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” for the widely-panned movie “Sex and the City 2,” she’s going a more traditional route on this record, which goes on sale today.

Minnelli, the 64-year-old Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar award-winner (“Four Tonys—ha, ha!” she corrects), has been performing the new material in cities including Chicago, San Diego and Roanoke, Va., with more stops planned in the next few months. She recently took a break from rehearsing that show to talk with Speakeasy—a 10-minute phone call in which she called us “baby,” insisted we call her Liza and realized she had to call Tony Bennett.

The Wall Street Journal: You recorded some of this album at your home?

Yeah, I mean, we were in the piano room. Some of it was in my bedroom. The days I couldn’t walk on (the knee), we had to do in the bedroom. It was hilarious.

Did the record help you get through your knee surgery?

It was slow and painful, you know. I’ve got two false hips and a wired-up knee, so the hips were nothing. This was painful.

Do you and other performers your age talk about what happens as you get older, the changes that happen to your voice and body?

Yeah, but you know what? You’re sitting with people who are going through all of the same thing. We don’t have to discuss it. We just get up and sing and have dinner and laugh.

How did you choose the songs for this album?

They’re songs that we’ve done at my house forever when I have musical parties—people come over, (eat) Italian food, and then everyone would end up gathered around the piano, from Tony Bennett to Janet Jackson. We were relaxed because we were only singing in front of each other, so it had a quality to it, and that’s the quality I tried to achieve on this.

How’d your recent performances go? Any snafus?

Well, nothing in these last three, but I’ve had costumes that break on stage and I have to go behind the piano and say, “Uh, can somebody please bring me a new pair of pants?” And I do it because the audience is in it with me. What am I supposed to do, pretend it’s not happening? No!

What do you think of the plans to remake your 1981 movie, “Arthur”?

“Arthur”? I have no idea. What do you think?

I’m wondering whether you think Russell Brand can play the Dudley Moore role.

I remember saying, “Oh, really?” And thinking of Dudley and then saying, “Well, you know, time marches on, so you go ahead and march, honey, but there’ll never be another Dudley Moore.”

When you make an album, do you think about whether you’ll win a Grammy?

I never think of that. …I think from the audience’s point of view—like, the new album would be great at a dinner party, in the bedroom and just listening to it if you’ve had a hard day, in the car.

What do you tend to listen to in those circumstances?

Oh, so much, I guess because I’m a dancer I love Lady Gaga…. Tom Waits I used to love and then I’ll listen to “Ella Sings Gershwin” or Tony Bennett. At one point when I moved to New York, all I had was a record player, a small one you plugged in, right? And every Tony Bennett album in the world—before furniture.

Has Tony Bennett heard your album?

I don’t know. I just got back. I must call him—thanks.

LIZA "Confessions" review ~ Sultry Minnelli vocal magic~Bravo Liza!, September 21, 2010 by Bradly Briggs

Sketch Liza Minelli by Sandy Dvore
Sultry Minnelli vocal magic~Bravo Liza!, September 21, 2010


By Bradly Briggs (TOLUCA LAKE, CALIFORNIA) - See all my reviews

(VINE VOICE) (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)


This review is from: Confessions (Audio CD)

Legendary Liza Minnelli has a tremendous musical frame of reference to draw from and went deep in to her trunk of classics during a recent recovery with the result being an intimate & extraordinary collection of timeless songs from the past done in sublime fashion by the iconic legend along with the incredibly talented Billy Stritch at piano...anyone luckily attending Minnelli concerts in recent years, all being incredible events to experience, know chemisty between these two is magical & sheer musical genius and all of that magic transferred beautifully to these superb sessions!

Opening with a throaty sensual vocal, "Confessions" slow-burn vocal set a jazz inspired soulful tone to a surprising set featuring tight rhythmic timing sounding more like a wondrous set of classic songs recorded in a sophisicated Jazz Club on a quite rainy night. Liza playful with "You Fascinate Me So", gives an enchanting light-hearted performance with great rhythmic timing...nights on the road with Sinatra must have inspired a richly sung "All The Way" and Frank would be proud...full voice & sultry "I Hadn't Anyone Til You" weaves enchantment & great rhythmic timing make "This Heart Of Mine" a winner.

"I Got Lost In His Arms" given new life by Liza as are all these grand chestnuts from the past and the torchy "At Last" is soulfully sublime...today music needs a boost like this from the legendary singer and nobody finer around today to savor and enjoy than the amazing Liza Minnelli!!!

Five Stars plus should equal "Grammy Award" for "Confessions"...

Liza Minnelli Releases 'Confessions' 9/21

Tuesday, September 21, 2010; Posted: 12:09 AM - by BWW News Desk


broadwayWORLD.COM
Today, Liza Minnelli releases her newest album, Confessions.




The daughter of actress/singer Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli, Liza Minnelli was destined for stardom, beginning her professional career at age 16 in an off-Broadway revival of the musical Best Foot Forward. In 1965, Minnelli became the youngest woman ever to win a leading actress Tony Award for Flora the Red Menace at the age of 19. Since her early stage performances, Minnelli has continued to appear on Broadway in musicals such as Chicago, Victor/Victoria and The Act. In 1999, she paid tribute to her father in a show called Minnelli on Minnelli. Her most recent stint on Broadway in 2008's Liza's at the Palace... garnered her fourth Tony Award.



Minnelli's concert performances have electrified audiences around the world including London's Palladium, Sydney's Opera House, Paris' Olympia Theatre and New York's Carnegie Hall. In 1991, Minnelli's Radio City Music Hall concert engagement broke box office records playing to sold-out audiences for three weeks. She is noted as having starred in the first concert ever filmed for television in 1972. The resulting album "Liza with a Z" was a Top 20 album and won the Emmy for Outstanding Single Program and the prestigious Peabody Award. It has been released in recent years on DVD and aired on Showtime. This year, she will release a new CD, "Confessions" with her longtime collaborator pianist Billy Stritch.



Minnelli has also lit up the big screen in films such as "Charlie Bubbles," "The Sterile Cuckoo," "New York, New York" opposite Robert DeNiro, "Arthur," "Arthur 2" and, most famously, the 1972 film "Cabaret." In 2010, Minnelli will make a much talked about cameo appearance in "Sex and the City 2."



To learn more about Liza Minnelli, visit www.officiallizaminnelli.com.

Read more: http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Liza_Minnelli_Reveals_Confessions_Cover_Art_Album_Out_921_20100920#ixzz109zcPwAY

Monday, September 20, 2010

Liza Minnelli shows her softer side on 'Confessions'

By Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY
NEW YORK — For her new album, Confessions, out today, Liza Minnelli decided to go back to her roots — way, way back.


"When I was a kid, my father would always play music in the house," says Minnelli, 64. "And I'd sit on the piano at my mother's parties, or go to my godfather's house. That's how I first fell in love with songs, with lyrics."

As Minnelli fans and most students of 20th-century pop culture know, that father was legendary Hollywood director Vincente Minnelli; her mom, the legendary singer/actress Judy Garland. The godfather, a fellow named Ira Gershwin, was pretty accomplished himself.

Garland and Minnelli's little girl grew up to be an icon in her own right, of course, a multifaceted stage and screen performer who garnered Oscar, Emmy, Grammy (Living Legend trophy) and Tony awards. Her most recent Broadway outing, 2008's Liza's at the Palace, earned a Tony for special theatrical event, drawing ecstatic crowds who reveled in the unbridled showbiz flash and unabashed sentimentality that have come to define the persona of "Liza with a Z."

That side of Minnelli is much less pronounced on Confessions, a collection of spare, mostly piano-driven ballads delivered with an understated warmth and intimacy that may surprise both skeptics and the faithful.

"This is jazz singing," says Minnelli, settling back on a pillow-laden hotel chair and puffing on a cigarette. "I wanted to do an album that you could put on at a dinner party, where people wouldn't have to stop to hear me hit a big note. It wasn't about screaming my head off; it was about grooving on it and enjoying it."

Minnelli notes that Confessions was recorded while she was recovering from surgery for an injured knee, "so we wanted everything to be really comfortable." Working with longtime accompanist Billy Stritch, she compiled a track list that includes oft-covered standards such as I Got Lost in His Arms and At Last but also digs deeper into the American songbook, mining lesser-known personal favorites.

Minnelli's relatively subdued, organic approach could endear her to a broader audience, says Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis. "She found a nice place earlier in her career, where she was able to split the difference between that self-conscious grandeur of her background and making contemporary statements. Maybe she can do that again."

Not that Minnelli takes enduring devotion for granted. A four-time divorcée, Minnelli is now adamantly single; asked if she's dating anyone, she says, "Are you crazy? I've been there and done that. Over!" But she describes a mutually passionate relationship with her fans and stays close to them by touring exhaustively. She's currently playing theaters, with a sextet or symphony. "Every performance is a dialogue with the audience, which I love. They define the experience, so it's always different."

In fact, when asked what advice she would have for fledgling entertainers, this daughter of a child star — a teen prodigy herself — says, "Don't think about yourself that much, because it's not your job. Your job is to think about your audience.

"And stay friends with everyone you work with, because they do their jobs, too," Minnelli adds. "And stay healthy. And just keep loving what you do."

UPCOMING TOUR DATES


Birmingham, Ala.: Saturday

Portland, Maine: Sept. 29

Dallas: Oct. 8-9

Spokane, Wash.: Oct. 15

Appleton, Wis.: Oct. 22

Joilet, Ill.: Oct. 29

Indianapolis: Oct. 30

Boston: Nov. 7

Memphis: Nov. 12

Nashville: Nov. 13

Staten Island, N.Y.: Nov. 20

San Francisco: Dec. 5

Liza Minnelli - Up coming tv appearances...

LIZA MINNELLI RELEASES

CONFESSIONS – AVAILABLE TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 21 ON DECCA


MINNELLI TO APPEAR ON



OPRAH, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, THE VIEW, LARRY KING LIVE AND CNN INTERNATIONAL

September 20, 2010 – (New York, NY) – Liza Minnelli is about to release the most intimate and revealing recording of her career, Confesssions, available everywhere on Tuesday, September 21st (Decca). A collection of American classics, Confessions features some of Minnelli’s favorite songs of all time, arranged simply and elegantly, with accompaniment by her long-time pianist Billy Stritch.


To celebrate the release Minnelli will make a rare television appearance on Oprah the same day (September 21). Liza will perform on the program and speak to Oprah Winfrey about her storied career. She will also appear on Good Morning America (October 1), The View (October 5), Larry King Live (October 5) and CNN International's Connect The World (October 6).


With Confessions, Minnelli dug deeper into the catalogues of great writers, balancing beloved numbers like “All the Way” and “At Last” with such hidden gems as “You Fascinate Me So” and “Moments Like This.” The timeless songs were written by the accomplished likes of Jerome Kern, Cy Coleman, Irving Berlin and Sammy Cahn to name a few.


Liza Minnelli remains one of the world’s most beloved performers, and belongs to an elite group of entertainers who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar Award. Confessions is the follow-up to her wildly acclaimed 2008 return to Broadway, “Liza’s at the Palace…” which was nominated for a Grammy, and also won the Tony Award (her fourth) for Best Special Theatrical Event. As someone who represents the whole package, Liza Minnelli is a one-a-of-kind, multi-talented, larger-than-life superstar the world over.



###


Contact: Olga Makrias For Liza Minnelli:



Decca Label Group Scott Gorenstein:



Olga.makrias@umusic sheridansq@verizon.net





212.333.1485  917.470.1282

LIZA & BILLY STRITCH Tuesday, September 21st guest on "The Oprah Winfrey Show"...

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Non-stop Liza: Minnelli stays busy, making rare appearance in Birmingham

Mary Colurso -- The Birmingham News
There’s a breathless little catch when she speaks, familiar to anyone who’s heard Liza Minnelli perform on stage or in the movies.


Her phrasing ranges from staccato to serene, depending on the subject at hand.

Then there’s that laugh — a giggle, a blurt, a chuckle, a cackle — erupting into the conversation when you least expect it.

"Has my voice changed over the years? Gosh, I don’t know," Minnelli says. "All I can tell you is that my doctor is amazed. He said, ‘How do you do it?’"

At age 64, this singer and actress could spend her time relaxing by the pool at Chateau Marmont, sipping tea at the Plaza or basking in the adoration of her fans.

Minnelli, after all, is a Broadway icon and a member of Hollywood royalty. She’s a household name and a much-decorated one — with Oscar, Grammy, Tony and Emmy awards in her trophy case.

But Minnelli’s back on tour this fall, performing concert dates with a sextet that includes her longtime pianist, Billy Stritch.

She’ll make a rare appearance in Birmingham on Saturday at the Alys Stephens Center, just three days before the release of her new album, "Confessions."

How long has it been since Minnelli graced us with her presence?

"I’ve been everywhere, and I really can’t say," she says. "But I’m really looking forward to it. It’s beautiful there."

Minnelli’s 7 p.m. show is likely to include selections from "Confessions," along with some of her signature tunes. (These range from "Cabaret" to "New York, New York.")

Complications from a knee-replacement surgery forced her to cancel a July show with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, but Minnelli says she’s recovered and feeling fit.

DETAILS

Who: Liza Minnelli.

When: 7 p.m. Sept. 25.

Where: Jemison Concert Hall, Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South, Birmingham, Alabama.

Tickets: $85-$135; $1,000 for premium seats, a cocktail reception and dinner with the star after the show.

Info: 205-975-2787or Stephens Center website.

"I take dance class every morning and it’s so much better than before," she says. "I just had a bad knee. I think so many people get them at my age. From the waist down, I’m the Tin Man’s kid."

Not so creaky, though, as evidenced by her glam cameo in this summer’s "Sex and the City 2." Wearing a glittering shirt and black boots, Minnelli offered a mini-cover of "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," complete with flashy dance moves.

"I love all the girls," she says, "and the choreography is so brilliant."

Like her new album, Minnelli’s show here will lean to jazz classics and composers such as Irving Berlin and Cy Coleman. Still, the numbers she pulls from "Confessions" might not be the chestnuts listeners expect.

Minnelli put her stamp on famous numbers such as "All The Way" and "At Last," but also chose less standard fare, including "I Got Lost in His Arms" and "You Fascinate Me So."

"People would come over to my house and we’d be singing in the back room, every night, where the piano is," Minnelli says. "These are the kinds of songs we would do."

She and Stritch took a stripped-down approach during recording sessions for "Confessions," emphasizing her throaty vocals and subtle piano accompaniment.



"What’s the point of singing if you hide your voice?" Minnelli says. "It felt very natural to sing with Billy. He’s a friend and he thinks musically. From the get-go, Billy was so incredibly imaginative. I’d describe an emotion to him, and he’d play it."

Minnelli’s always been a theatrical soul, so it’s no surprise when she mentions that acting and singing are intimately linked for her.

"My hero, Charles Aznavour, just killed me with the way he sang songs," Minnelli says. "It was not only a song, but an acting experience. You believed every word."

Saturday, September 18, 2010

"Confessions" This album receives FIVE Country Stars Central Stars without a doubt!!

By Christian Scalise
International phenomenon and living legend Liza Minnelli has made her long-awaited return to the studio on her latest release “Confessions,” and its result is a glorious full length album of new material that transposes the iconic songstress into a sultry and captivating vocalist all over again as if it were the very first time we heard her limitless vocal prowess.


Produced by Bruce Roberts, the album features exceptionally flawless performances on the piano by the incomparable Billy Stritch. His delicate musicianship embodies class, elegance and mystery. The harmonious blend of Liza’s smooth approach to the songs and Billy’s dedicated involvement on the piano creates absolute musical ecstasy to the senses.

Known for her larger than life persona and effervescently intriguing existence in each and every one of the many facets of her storied career, Liza has withstood the tumultuous moments in her life and has managed to rise above them by proving her critics wrong.


Whether it’s a show-stopping performance on the Broadway stage, award winning acting roles in movies and on television, or singing onstage to sold-out audiences all over the world, Liza has created a universal image of herself and it is one that will never lose its significance. She’s not just the daughter of a legendary Hollywood star (Judy Garland) and a famed movie director (Vincent Minnelli), Liza Minnelli is one of the most influential and pragmatic entertainers of our time.


Music aficionados of all types will discover a common thread that will ensure a liking to this record, for it contains a pure yet honest definition of love, life and tradition. There are a handful of sensual ballads; relaxing to the mind and soothing to the body and spirit.


Liza provides pure bliss on her astonishing tribute to the late great Frank Sinatra on “All The Way” and places a sensationally bluesy take on the Etta James classic “At Last.” Romantic endeavors of excitement, heartbreak and innocence are found on “Confession,” “I Hadn’t Anyone Till You,” and “I Got Lost In His Arms.”

Showing off her signature sass and a whole lot of sparkle, Liza turns the tables on the cabaret infused “He’s A Tramp” and brings the essence of serenity on the beautifully crafted “On Such A Night As This.”

Never one to disappoint, Liza has left us speechless once again with her latest masterpiece “Confessions.” It is sure to garner Grammy awards and many more of the same to follow. Take a moment to buy this record and savor every minute of it.

FOR MORE ON LIZA MINNELLI: http://www.officiallizaminnelli.com/index.html

Liza Minnelli "And the World Goes 'Round" Roanoke Civic Center ~ 9-10 -2010

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Minnelli to Guest on 'Oprah' in Final Season ~ Sept 21st

Tuesday, September 14, 2010; Posted: 02:09 PM - by BWW News Desk


broadwat world.com
As Perez Hilton first revealed, Liza Minnelli, Jon Stewart and Martha Stewart will be among the guests on Oprah's last season this year. Sources tell BroadwayWorld.com that it is indeed true and they are now working on a date for Minnelli's appearance. As of 2010, The Oprah Winfrey Show is the longest-running daytime television talk show in the United States, having run nationally since September 8, 1986, for over 24 seasons and nearly 5,000 episodes. On November 19, 2009, Oprah Winfrey's Production Company announced that the show will be ending on September 9, 2011.


After 28,000 guests, Oprah is saying goodbye to The Oprah Winfrey Show, but not goodbye to what she loves to do. As part of her OWN network, in Oprah's Next Chapter she'll have more riveting conversations with the people we all want to hear from, in some very unexpected places. Oprah's getting untethered from the chairs, opening up her world and taking you with her. From the Taj Mahal to her beloved oak tree, the Great Wall to her own teahouse, it's a whole new kind of Oprah show. If she can dream it, she'll do it! This one-hour regular series is produced by Harpo Studios.

A joint venture between Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications, OWN: THE Oprah Winfrey NETWORK is a multiplatform media company designed to entertain, inform and inspire people to live their best lives. OWN will debut in January 1, 2011 in approximately 80 million homes, on what is currently the Discovery Health Channel. The venture also will include the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. For more information, please visit www.oprah.com/own.

Read more: http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Minnelli_to_Guest_on_Oprah_in_Final_Season_20100914#ixzz0zbXCjgWE

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Liza Minnelli Performs at Keith-Albee in Huntington

CLICK LINK TO SEE VIDEO ~ Liza Minnelli Performs at Keith-Albee in Huntington

Liza with a Z speaks to The Lady In Question: Charles Busch ~This October on IN THE LIFE - "Surviving the Past"

Catch the Season Premiere of IN THE LIFE this October featuring Florida's past and present struggles to overcome discrimination, a look at the Gill family's challenge to Florida's homosexual ban on adoption, and Liza with a Z speaks to The Lady In Question: Charles Busch.

Legendary Minnelli Becomes Most Recent Entertainment Icon to Perform at Keith















Story By Tony E. Rutherford


Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor


Photos By Chris Spencer

Huntingtonnews.net Photographer

Huntington, WV (HNN) – Her list of film credits began with two dramatic performances as two different socially needy and eccentric dysfunctional women in “The Sterile Cuckoo” (1969) and “Tell Me That You Love Me , Junie Moon” (1970). However, just as her mother will always been remembered as “Dorothy” , Liza Minnelli will be Sally Bowles from “Cabaret” for which she took home an Oscar.

Her father, Vincent Minnelli, has a stellar directing career with his fame coming mostly from such musicals as “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “ Brigadoon,” “An American in Paris,” “Gigi,” and “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.” He won best director for “Gigi,” making himself, his daughter and wife the only Hollywood “family” who each had their own Oscar.


Liza newest album, “Confessions” is due September 28 features some of her favorite songs, including “All the Way,””This Heart of Mine,” “He’s a Tramp” and “Moments Like This.” The release celebrates her sixty years in show business.

According to a news release, the origins of Confessions were entirely organic, almost accidental. "It just sort of happened," she says. "I used to have these evenings at my house, usually on a weekend, and people like Tony Bennett or more surprising people like Janet Jackson would come by, and we would end up singing around the piano." Inspired by the intimacy of those incredible evenings, Liza decided to start recording some of her favorite songs with long time pianist Billy Stritch, and producer Bruce Roberts.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Liza ~ "CONFESSIONS" CD PREVIEW!

Minnelli delights fans at Keith-Albee




Mark Webb/The Herald-Dispatch

Liza Minnelli performs at Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010, in Huntington

September 12, 2010 @ 10:30 PM

JEAN TARBETT HARDIMAN
The Herald-Dispatch

HUNTINGTON -- Kim and John Gross simply had to go see Liza Minnelli Sunday night in downtown Huntington. She's helped them make memories.


When the two were still dating 23 years ago in Miami, Fla., they went to see the Broadway performer during a show in Fort Lauderdale. They taught their three daughters all about her. And when they found out she was coming to Huntington, they knew they had to be there. Kim's mother, Ann Larsen, came along, too.

"It's so exciting that she's here," Kim Gross said. "She's beautiful, and she's wonderful."

Their family was among those who packed the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center on Sunday evening for Minnelli's show, which kicked off this season's Marshall Artists Series. Among the audience were fans of Minnelli's Broadway, movie and TV work, and fans of her mother, the late Judy Garland.

Marshall University junior Leslee Rice came with friends to the show partly because of Minnelli's talent and partly because of her loyalty to Minnelli's mother.

"I love the 'Wizard of Oz.' I have everything 'Wizard of Oz' ever made," she said. And seeing "Dorothy's" daughter live in Huntington seemed like a rare opportunity.

Minnelli, who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Oscar, shared songs from "Confessions," her new Decca Records CD that will be out Sept. 28.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Jay-Z, but Liza With a ‘Z,’ Too



The New York Times included "Confessions" in their September 12 pop music fall preview.


The New Season

Pop

Jay-Z, but Liza With a ‘Z,’ Too

LIZA MINNELLI “Confessions” is a toned-down bunch of arrangements, with only the pianist Billy Stritch, on standards and Broadway songs — “Close Your Eyes,” “He’s a Tramp,” “At Last” — from one of the least-toned-down humans on earth. Sept 28. Decca

LIZA LIVE ! "Roanoke Civic Center" 9-10-2010

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Concert review: Liza Minnelli proves she's still got it...

KYLE GREEN The Roanoke Times

Liza Minnelli performs Friday at the Roanoke Civic Center Coliseum. She revisited her Broadway past and did a few tunes from her upcoming album, "Confessions."

roanoke.com
By Tad Dickens


777-6474
Most folks at 64 are settling into a life that's a little easier. Not Liza Minnelli.

Hip and knee replacements, not to mention a legendary showbiz life of some wildness, haven't slowed her down much.

From the moment Minnelli sashayed onstage at the Roanoke Civic Center Coliseum on Friday night, she owned the place.

Her dancing isn't what it once was, and she sang a few numbers from a director's chair onstage, but she spun, strutted and swayed anyway. Her voice cracked in a couple of places, but elsewhere in the one-hour and 15-minute show, it was articulate and resonant, nailing the high notes with the trademark, slow-cycling tremolo.

A crowd of 2,096 in the 5,000-capacity room got a nostalgia-laden, dinner theater-style Broadway revue, with a few jazzy tunes from Minnelli's upcoming album, "Confessions," in the mix. About 700 people sat at tables on the floor, 500 of them enjoying the show after big plates of supper.

Minnelli, with her own six-piece band and an ultimately underutilized Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, was not looking to reinvent herself. Opening with a rousing "Alexander's Ragtime Band," she worked much of the stage, her sequined blouse reflecting the stage lights.

She went slow and slinky on "Teach Me Tonight," then showed her still-solid technique on George Gershwin's "Our Love Is Here To Stay."

Minnelli revisited her Broadway past, doing "My Own Best Friend," from "Chicago." She told the audience that she took over the Roxie Hart role years ago after star Gwen Verdon fell ill.
A star didn't take over for a star -- the job typically goes to the understudy -- but Minnelli talked director/choreographer Bob Fosse into it.

She had a way of breaking ground back then. But on Friday, it was about holding the ground she had. She closed with "New York, New York" -- milking it for all it was worth -- and an intimate take on "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye." The crowd responded with a standing ovation.
The symphony opened with a professional and tight 25-minute set of Broadway standards, including a medley from "The Sound of Music."

Friday, September 10, 2010

Anthology-Cabaret...and All That Jazz [Double-CD]


avaiable to order on amazon.com U.S. link ~ http://www.amazon.com/Cabaret-All-That-Jazz-Minnelli/dp/B003Z5926K/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1284252102&sr=1-14
cd track listing...
Disk: 1


1. Cabaret (Live)

2. All that jazz

3. Losing my mind

4. Love pains

5. Use me

6. I believe in music

7. Tropical nights / Bali ha'I

8. A beautiful thing

9. Oh, babe, what would you say?

10. You are the sunshine of my life

11. I'm your new best friend

12. Where is the love?

13. Don't let me be lonely

14. The singer

15. Baby don't get hooked on me

16. Jimi Jimi

17. Don't drop bombs

18. So sorry, I said

19. Tonight is forever

20. I can't say goodnight

Disk: 2

1. Cabaret

2. Exactly like me (Live)

3. The circle (Live)

4. More than you know (Live)

5. I'm one of the smart ones (Live)

6. Natural man (Live)

7. And I in my chair (Et moi dans dans mon coin) (Live)

8. There is a time (Le temps) (Live)

9. Quiet thing (Live)

10. Son of a preacher man (Live)

11. God bless the child (Live)

12. It was a good time (Live)

13. Stepping out (Live)

14. Some people (Live)

15. If you could read my mind / Come back to me (Live)

16. My mammy (Live)

17. Anywhere you are / I believe you (Live)

18. New York, New York (Live)