Liza Minnelli Stepping Out! 2015

Liza Minnelli Stepping Out! 2015

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Liza Minnelli: Confessions ~ PopMatters review...

By Christian John Wikane 29 October 2010

PopMatters Contributing Editor


She is an icon. She mesmerizes. She is a towering talent in a five-foot, four-inch frame. She’s earned an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony. Follow that breadcrumb trail of clues and you’ll find Liza (not “Lee-sa”) with a “Z”.


For all of Liza Minnelli’s vital contributions to stage and screen, her output in the recording studio is surprisingly sparse. There have been numerous stage productions documented on albums or, in the case of Liza’s at the Palace (2009), recordings that serve a stage production. Since winning the “Best Actress” Oscar for Cabaret (1972), Minnelli’s studio output can be counted on one hand: The Singer (1973), Tropical Nights (1977), Results (1989), Gently (1996) and now Confessions.

The gap between projects is not because Minnelli cannot be accurately captured on record. One need only listen to “You Stepped Out of a Dream” from Gently or the Pet Shop Boys-produced “Losing My Mind” to hear a vocal approach that contrasts with Minnelli’s definitive renditions of Kander & Ebb songs like “New York, New York” or “Mein Herr”. Besides a packed itinerary that includes the odd film appearance or television guest spot (Arrested Development, anyone?), concert tours, and the occasional Broadway run, it’s the right material, right producer, and, to a lesser extent, right record company that determines when, where, and how Minnelli undertakes a studio album. Fortunately, all three factors work in her favor on Confessions.

Producer Bruce Roberts and Minnelli’s longtime musical arranger Billy Stritch keep the arrangements classy and elegant. The instrumentation is minimal, highlighting every nuance of Minnelli’s wonderfully rich vibrato. Essentially, this is Liza Minnelli fronting a jazz combo. It’s an effective setting for the vocalist, who conjures the twinkling lights of the Manhattan skyline on songs like “I Hadn’t Anyone Till You” and “Close Your Eyes”. The intimacy yielded by these performances is a welcome departure from the booming Radio City Music Hall heights associated with the singer. Indeed, listening to Confessions is like experiencing a private concert with Liza Minnelli at renowned NYC haunts like Birdland or the Metropolitan Room.

The singer casts a beguiling spell as she serenades with her singular vocal style. On nearly every one of the album’s 14 tracks, she employs memorable phrasing. “I get the feeling I’m a powder keg that’s just about to blow-oh-oh-wooahh”, she sings on the Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh-penned “You Fascinate Me”, emphasizing the explosive properties of the last word in the lyric. The guttural moan that punctuates “My heart seems to melt in your glance, oh” on “Moments Like This” further illustrates that no space between the notes is taken for granted. The way Minnelli enunciates the syllables on a cool and snappy makeover of Peggy Lee’s “He’s a Tramp” is like a round of darts hitting an invisible target. When she says, “I could cross the burning desert” on “If I Had You”, not only can you visualize the flames rising from the sand, you can feel the heat. Her humor is as dry as a martini on the title track. The jocular flavor of the song is too tasty to reprint here but will inevitably elicit a “No, she didn’t”-type response by those familiar with the Liza Minnelli story.

Along that continuum, Minnelli name-checks her legendary mother in “On Such a Night As This”. The intertextualization of Liza Minnelli singing a line that paraphrases “The Boy Next Door” from Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) cannot be overestimated, especially since Minnelli herself is now exhibiting traces of ‘60s-era Judy Garland in her voice. For the majority of her career, Minnelli has made a concerted effort, and appropriately so, to distinguish herself from her mother. Only in recent years, and especially in last year’s production of Liza At the Palace, has she formally integrated Garland into her projects. Sweetly singing her mother’s name in “On Such a Night As This” is a small gesture that speaks volumes about how Minnelli can now comfortably acknowledge the impact of her mother without eclipsing the merit of Minnelli’s own self-made talent.

Such passages are wrought in the moment, a quality that constitutes the appeal of Confessions. Through the wise direction of Bruce Roberts, the album is a magnified view of a woman whose greatest gift is touching audiences, even from the distance between a stage to the last row in the balcony or, in this case, from a recording studio to the stereo in your living room. Confessions will make excellent company for the next 14 years.

Rating: 8 of 10

Christian John Wikane is a NYC-based writer and concert producer. In addition to penning liner notes, his essays have appeared in various print and online outlets. He produces an annual benefit in NYC (Three of Hearts) and co-founded the UnFiltered music series with Nona Hendryx. He also hosts The Flying Perfect Parlor on WRFB Radio Free Brooklyn. Wikane is currently a Contributing Editor for PopMatters.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

LIZA ~ VANITY FAIR "Q & A"...

VF.com
Out of the gossip columns and finally back in the studio, this ageless siren is currently on tour in support of her new album, Confessions. Bravely providing the A to our Q, Liza with a Z ponders the intricacies of family, friendship, and broccoli.

Illustration by Risko
November 2010

What is your idea of perfect happiness?


Laughter and peace of mind.

What is your greatest fear?

Fear is something one has to think through and understand.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Charles Aznavour.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Anxiety.


What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Rudeness and inconsideration.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Generosity.

What is your favorite journey?

New York to Paris.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Smiling when I don’t want to.

What is your greatest regret?

I never got to dance with Fred Astaire.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My family and the stage.

When and where were you happiest?

When I’m quietly reading under a good lamp.

What is your current state of mind?

Excellent—how about you?

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

To stand up for myself more.

If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?

Absolutely nothing.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My work on behalf of AIDS.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?

I’m so damn grateful for what I have I wouldn’t be anything else.

What is your most treasured possession?

My friendship with my godmother, Kay Thompson.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Pain of any kind.

Where would you like to live?

Exactly where I am … New York City.

What is your favorite occupation?

Dancer.

What is your most marked characteristic?

I don’t know—what do you think? I guess entertaining people.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Humor.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Humor and honesty.

What do you most value in your friends?

Their friendship.

Who are your favorite writers?

Fred Ebb and John Kander.

What is it that you most dislike?

Broccoli and manipulation.

How would you like to die?

Not today.

What is your motto?

“Reality is something you rise above.”

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Gary Labriola, Liza's longtime road manager, died unexpectedly on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010.

From the Love Liza list group


Very sad to learn today that Gary Labriola, Liza's longtime road manager, died unexpectedly on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010.

His passing has been confirmed by Billy Stritch, who said funeral arrangements were pending and he had no other info

at this time.

To the best of my knowledge Gary and his family lived in Coral Springs, Florida.

Another loss for longtime Liza fans who had come to know Gary.

Beverly Fauvre

Monday, October 18, 2010

My comments on City Lights by Emilio Valdés...

After seeing this number I have tried to wrap my head around how Fred Ebb convinced Liza to do this number. To me it would have sounded something like this: "Listen, Liza. You are going to open the second act of the show in which you sing all but one song with one of the longest numbers (7:00 minutes) in musical theater history.

It is an all-singing, all-dancing, all acting number. As if it weren't enough that you are dancing AND singing throughout the number, John has created a bridge halfway through the number in which you will be dancing for more than 30 seconds.

Oh, BTW, before the dancing bridge you have to toss your mike to one of the dancers, find your balance standing on one leg and once you finish dancing, the dancer will toss the mike back at you. don't you just love the idea??? Right before the end of the song, I'll make you hold a note for 8 seoncds, THEN at the "end" of the number, you will come back on stage for a reprise.
by  Emilio Valdés

Sunday, October 17, 2010

A comment on "The Advocate interview " by John Bassey

The Advocate interview was ridiculous because the interviewer had no idea what Liza has done for the LGBTQ community, which is a big part of why she is a "gay icon" besides her movies and performances. Liza was the first celebrity to raise money for AIDS research and has raised hundreds of millions of dollars over the last 30 years. She performed at the Gay Games in Canada. She led the gay pride parade in Paris last year and gave a speech explaining the connection between the Stonewall Inn uprising and her mother's death.


She won many awards from LGBTQ organizations for her fundraising and attention she brings to equal rights for all LGBTQ Americans and people worldwide. During the GLAAD awards she sang What Makes a Man a Man. She continues to be an outspoken advocate for our right to marry and to have equal rights in all spheres of our lives. She has done this more than any other celebrity of her age or stature.

She is also all about survival, and she has said that many times. Besides her movies (I have seen Cabaret at least 200 times - no really - obsessed) and performances, she inspires me to keep going whatever challenges I face. If I have some difficulty to deal with, I think, "What does Liza do," and then I try to do the same thing to survive and thrive. Her latest message - Do what you want and do it well - is on my refrigerator.

I get so fed up with stupid articles like the one in the Advocate written by clueless people who have no idea what Liza has done for our rights, I could scream.

Why do her gay fans love Liza? Why do her str8 fans love her?
by John Bassey

Liza Minnelli Cancels Concerts Due To Illness







by Regina Avalos
entertainment.gather.com
Liza Minnelli has been forced to cancel shows due to pneumonia. The singer released a statement on Friday talking about the cancellation of seven of her upcoming concerts after doctors advised her she needed to do so. The sixty-four year old singer is suffering from bronchial pneumonia. The first canceled performance was scheduled for Friday in Spokane, Washington.


According to Reuters, Minnelli released the following statement about having to cancel the performances: "Performing live is my passion and I'm greatly disappointed that I will not be able to continue my tour. I do not want to let down my fans as my loyalty to them has always been of prime importance in my life."

Liza Minnelli will be back on the concert stage on November 2oth with a performance in Staten Island, New York. Concerts will follow on November 22nd in the Dominican Republic, and a holiday concert on December 5th.

The singer is performing tracks from her "Confessions" album on this tour. Best of luck to Liza on a quick recovery, so she can return to the stage she loves! Go here for the latest in entertainment news and gossip.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Due to illness, Liza has cancelled the following concerts:

Due to illness, Liza has cancelled the following concerts:


October 15: Spokane, WA

October 22: Appleton, WI

October 29: Joilet, IL

October 30: Indianapolis, IN

November 7: Boston, MA

November 12: Memphis, TN

November 13: Nashville, TN

Thursday, October 14, 2010

LIZA ~ LARRY KING LIVE!

part 1part 2part 3part 4part 5part 6part 7part 8

Monday, October 11, 2010

Liza Minnelli doesn't get gay fans' affinity for her...

So much for Ms. Minnelli feeding off of the love from her gay fans. In an interview for the November issue of The Advocate, she barely acknowledges her gay fan base and says she doesn't think they like her for any special reason.


"I don't know what gay people see in my music," she tells journalist Michael Joseph Gross. "I really haven't thought about it. I think they see what everyone else sees in my music."

Minnelli also shies away from questions about the sexuality of some of her former husbands and concedes – after some prodding – that she and her mother Judy Garland may have what Gross calls a "shared affinity for gay men."

"That makes sense," she says after Gross details that Garland and Minnelli both married gay men. "I understand. And I'm glad you said it. ... And, honey, I wish I had more to say about it, but I don't."

At the end of the interview, Minnelli apologizes to Gross for not being "dreary enough."

"I think you wanted to talk about pain an darkness and suffering and difficulty, and I think I disappointed you, because I see the glass as half full, and I want to talk about what's happy and positive, because that's what life is about."

Tags:Judy Garland Liza Minnelli

Liza Minnelli says everything by saying nothing

By Greg Hernandez

HollywoodNews.com: When I think about why I love Liza Minnelli, it’s because of her strength as a performer in her live stage shows and in films including Cabaret, New York, New York, and The Sterile Cuckoo.

But when I watched Liza being interviewed on Larry King Live last week, I was struck by her ability to say nothing.

I wondered if Larry was off his game at first but soon realized that Liza is a far better performer than she is an interesting or introspective interview.
This new cover story in the new issue of “The Advocate” is further proof, in my opinion.

Some examples include when she was asked about the affinity she and her mother, Judy Garland, had for gay men. Both married at least one gay man. Liza at first said she had to go to the john. Then she said, “I haven’t really thought about it.” And finally she tells the writer she’s glad he said it and brought it out there but: “Honey, I wish I had more to say about it, but I don’t.”

It is perhaps most disappointing that Liza apparently has no idea why the gays are so devoted to her: “I don’t know what gay people see in my music. I really haven’t thought about it. I think they see what everyone else sees in my music.”

To read more go to GregInHollywood.com.

Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Liza Minnelli Just Waiting on the Call to Play Lucille 2 in an Arrested Development Movie

(PHOTO) Gary Lee Boas
Liza's been busy, naturally. She recorded her new album, Confessions, while she was in bed recovering from

knee surgery, she says. She goes to dance class at 11 a.m. every single morning now, to recover. Soon she's


even leaving for a nationwide tour ("Indiana, here I come!"). But the one professional wish she hasn't fulfilled


yet? Playing Lucille 2 in the actually happening Arrested Development movie. "I haven't heard anything. And

neither have the people that I know. So I'm not sure. There've been rumors for quite a while. But nobody's


called me yet." That's Liza, begging. [NYDN]

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Concert review: Liza Minnelli is sassy and sublime at Meyerson Symphony Center

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/101010dngdminnelli.497d7a9.html
dallasnews.com
By MARIO TARRADELL Music Critic mtarradell@dallasnews.com


Liza Minnelli knows how to wring drama out of a nondescript director's chair. Recovering from knee replacement surgery, the 64-year-old Minnelli needed to sit down a few times during her Friday night concert at the Meyerson Symphony Center.

But that didn't stop the singer-actress from turning the high seat into a performance-enhancing prop. As she enunciated the lyrics to "He's Funny That Way," Minnelli brought the standard to a big finish by tilting her head back, crossing one leg diagonally over the other and dropping an arm for supreme effect.

The nearly sold-out, well-dressed adult crowd roared its approval. Minnelli then got up, belted "Cabaret," the old-school show biz anthem that helped her win an Oscar, and enjoyed the first of three standing ovations.

Minnelli was in fine form for the first of a two-night stand backed by six of her own musicians and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The gigs support Confessions, her new studio album of sterling jazz and pop numbers where she's accompanied only by Billy Stritch's piano. She sang five of the Confessions tunes. All were sublime. Yet "He's a Tramp" deserves special mention. She vamped her way through it and even did a little dancing.

The show was a marked improvement from her uneven stint two years ago at Fort Worth's Bass Performance Hall. Back then Minnelli was scattered and long-winded. This time she was focused, vivacious for 75 minutes. Her voice was brassy, sassy. The between-song stories were short, sweet and humorous.

That's how we always hope to experience Minnelli. Hers has been a ridiculously tumultuous life. A child of legends Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli, Liza has trudged through failed marriages, substance abuse and bad career choices. To see her in relish mode again is an accomplishment and a joy.

She was in total control hitting the notes on "New York, New York," another timeless Minnelli staple, as the stage lights brightened for a dramatic crescendo. That was another deserved standing ovation.

Whole lotta Liza: Minnelli still sings, still struts and still sells...

By Patrick Huguenin


Daily News Writer
Saturday, October 9th 2010, 4:00 AM
Liza Minnelli recorded parts of her new album, "Confessions," in the comfort of her New York City living room. She was recovering from knee surgery, and she'd chosen songs she was used to singing around the piano with friends. Of course, Minnelli's friends are people like Tony Bennett and Janet Jackson, so her home-style CD has plenty of razzle-dazzle.


Now, with the album in stores, the 64-year-old is getting ready to tour. "I feel like a neovaudevillian," she says when reached by phone. She'll go all the way to the West Coast and come back for a Nov. 20 concert at the St. George Theatre in Staten Island.

Liza's interview answers are full of italics ("I'm having a wonderful time.") and peppered with husky laughter. She has enjoyed a recent pop-culture resurgence that included a cameo shimmying to Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" in "Sex and the City 2," giving Kathy Griffin acting pointers on "My Life on the D-List" and sending up her image in a Snickers commercial with Aretha Franklin. This summer she hawked her clothing and jewelry line, The Liza Connection, on HSN, where callers couldn't get enough of the spangled jackets and velvet pants.

She has no plans to slow down. Ask her what's up next and she laughs before she says, "I'm working! That's it!"

You recorded a lot of your album at home, is that right?

Yes I did! I was recovering from knee surgery. First of all, I had to have knee surgery.

Well that's a pain.

Truly! And then I was recovering and I did the album before and after. It was so comfortable! (Laughs.)

How did you choose the songs?

They're all songs that people have sung throughout the years — or I've heard — in different people's homes.

Who would you invite to your perfect home sing-along?

I mean, my God. First of all, I guess Billy Stritch [who collaborated with me on the album], because he plays the piano like he's orchestrating the song as opposed to, you know, playing the piano. And Tony Bennett. Janet Jackson. I had a birthday party once for Barbra Streisand and all these different people got up and sang — and it was some people she'd never heard of that I just thought were really talented — and she got so inspired that she went back onstage!

Sounds like a fun party.

You know, they were Saturday evenings at home.

And now you're going on tour?

We're going to Alabama next. I love it there. Spokane. I love that. I just love that. Houston. Indiana, here I come! It's a real tour. Do you know what I mean? It's hitting all the places that I haven't hit in years. And people seem so excited about it. I'm just thrilled.

How do you travel? Plane? Tour bus?


Depends on where we're going. This last traveling session, we would do the show, get in the car and off we'd go. It was a real bus-and-truck tour. Which was fun because we were all together!

Fans of "Arrested Development" are desperate for the movie version. Will you reprise your role as Lucille 2?

I haven't heard anything. And neither have the people that I know. So I'm not sure. There've been rumors for quite a while. But nobody's called me yet.

What made you want to design a clothing collection for HSN?

Well, it was stuff that I was comfortable in. I find everything now cuts you off at the waist. Or the, you know, the mid-thigh. And it all seems to be in layers. And I wanted to have that long line that's comfortable for women — so that you move your arm and the dress moves with you. The clothes are like your dancing partner.

Do you think you'll do another collection?

Oh, I'd love to! I'd love to.

The ice skater Johnny Weir was at Fashion Week and some people said he was borrowing from your look. How does it feel to be a style icon?

I meet people who admire me and I guess if they tell them they look like me ... I'm so flattered! I hope they like it!

How's your knee now? Are you dancing?

Oh yes. I go to Luigi's class in the mornings and I'm active through the whole day, so that keeps me in shape and I'm passionate about it.

You go to dance class every day?

Yes, every day. At 11 every morning.
What do you like best about living in New York?

I guess it's the activity of the city and the passion of the city. You can't even walk down the street without somebody looking like they have a mission.

Friday, October 8, 2010

LIZA"S "Confessions" reveals the truth...

Guide Live
http://listings.guidelive.com/dallas-tx/events/show/132908085-liza-minnelli#
There’s no studio trickery here, no Auto-Tune. When it’s just one voice and one piano, everything is naked and on display. Minnelli proves her pipes remain beguiling. Producer Bruce Roberts lets the proceedings breathe. So we get 14 standards — thankfully, not the same stale, over-covered songs — that Minnelli treats as mini movies. She makes these songs believable, even for someone who’s lived as public and tumultuous a life as she has. “Confession,” which opens the opus, has a delicious, wink-and-nod ambiance; on “Moments Like This” she oozes vintage romanticism. Throughout, Minnelli’s diction is flawless, as is her vocal control. The breezy, jazzy sense of discovery in “You Fascinate Me So” frames the mood. With Confessions, Liza Minnelli reveals she can still deliver the artistic truth.


-- Mario Tarradell

Liza "Confessions" cd review ~ THEATERMANIIA - 15 Versatile Vocalists

Reviews of new CDs from Liza Minnelli, Michael Feinstein, Fantasia, Kerry Ellis, Eric Jordan Young, and more...

By: Andy Propst · Oct 6, 2010  · New York
Liza Minnelli - Confessions (Decca)
This splendid new CD reveals the legendary singer in a subdued, jazzy light. Indeed, the overall tone brings to mind not the Halston sequined ensembles which have long been her signature for her concerts where she's entertained thousands, but rather a smartly tailored black cocktail dress which might be worn for a small gathering at an intimate cabaret venue or in someone's home.
The delicious subtlety of her work becomes evident as soon as one starts listening. The disc's title track finds Minnelli deftly delivering Howard Dietz's cunning lyrics with perfect phrasing and a shrewd sense of understatement; she never overemphasizes either their comic or bittersweet meaning. And even when she moves to a more uptempo number such as Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh's "You Fascinate Me So," the singer resists the temptation to oversell the song.
Other highlights include a wistfully languorous take on Irving Berlin's "I Got Lost in His Arms;" a bluesy and richly earthy version of Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh's "I Must Have That Man;" and the disc's final track, in which Minnelli takes Harry Warren and Mack Gordon's "At Last" and turns it into a new anthem for herself.
Throughout, Bruce Roberts, Billy Stritch and David Tobocman's arrangements beautifully support Minnelli's vocals and Stritch's efforts at the piano consistently complements the singer's work. The disc has been released in both a 10-track standard edition and a 14-track deluxe edition, and it's an easy call which version listeners should gravitate toward. The additional four tracks are all gems, from a deeply felt rendition of Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen's "All the Way" to her gloriously playful delivery of Peggy Lee and Francis J. Burke's "He's a Tramp."
Next Page: Michael Feinstein Fly Me to the Moon

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Liza's "Journey Back To Oz" Soundtrack"

I was recently searching the world wide web for a CD copy of the soundtrack to "Journey Back To Oz" with Liza. I've come to find that it never received an official CD release. But I found something interesting. Check out the following link:


http://castalbums.org/recordings/Journey_Back_to_Oz_1964_Film_Soundtrack/3245

The first LP release on the "Filmation" label has the original songs as I remember them from the film. The second LP release listed from the "Rescued from Oblivion" label has a couple of slight differences. First, Peter Lawford is listed as performing all the Scarecrow's songs (done in the film by Mickey Rooney.) Then, there's an extra song listed for Ethel Merman's Mombi the Witch. A tune called "Keep a Gloomy Thought" which is obviously to work in contrast against Liza's "Keep a Happy Thought".

This is all new to me! I had never seen this listing before. Is there indeed an alternate soundtrack in existence? Was Peter Lawford hired originally to play the Scarecrow? Did Merman have an extra song? Does this mean there's an alternate version of the movie or are these just outtakes? Is there a interesting behind the scenes story about the creation of the film?

If there is an alternate version....I'd LOVE to hear it. In the meantime, anyone know where I might lay my hand on a copy of the complete soundtrack?

-Bobby

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Liza "SIZZLES" on The View!

Liz Smith: Liza Minnelli's Intimate 'Confessions'

WOWOWOW
The Women on the Web
10/04/2010
Liza Minnelli’s new CD is titled "Confessions," and the fabled star appeared at NYC’s Gramercy Hotel the other night to croon a few numbers from the album. (This was another installment of the Rose Bar Sessions, featuring exclusive performances for a hand-picked crowd.)


As dazzling and exciting as Liza is when she’s standing onstage at the Palace, or some other big theater – revving up her engine, dancing, finger-snapping, hitting those big notes – a tiny force of nature, a whirl of sequins – she is perhaps more impressive when she cozies up to the microphone and draws you in.

Sandra Bernhard, John Kander, Mary Louise Parker, Alan Cumming, Cynthia McFadden and about one hundred other intimate friends waited patiently for Liza to appear. She was only a little late – the prerogative of all great stars. Suddenly, with no fuss, she was there, taking the small stage briskly, giving no sign of her recent knee surgeries. She wore a simple black pants outfit – chic, with not a sequin to be seen. She embraced her pianist, Billy Stritch, exclaimed she was "nervous" and then got right down to the business of wrapping her arms around her audience.

Liza sang five numbers, including "I Must Have That Man" and "You Fascinate Me So." Her voice was warm, husky and rich, and she used her great gift of storytelling through song. She made every lyric count, and conveyed that in these moments, she believes with all her heart what she is singing.

When she finished with an exquisite "On a Night Such as This," there was a simple good-bye and she was off. Applause was heartfelt, and to a man and woman, everybody was more than satisfied. I have to admit it was something of a relief to see Liza in this kind of setting. No (annoying to me) repeated shouts of "Liza, we love you!" No worrying if she is going to hit that impossible note or execute that intricate dance step. She didn’t have to project her voice and her personality to the back of the theater. At the Gramercy, everything that is unique and beloved about Liza was close enough to touch.

I know that big venues are where the big money is, but a few more of these intimate cabaret-style appearances wouldn’t break the bank.

Liza as chanteuse …why not?

Saturday, October 2, 2010

A CONVERSATION WITH... LIZA MINNELLI AND CHARLES BUSCH

Gay icon and legendary star of stage and screen, Liza Minnelli, sits down with her friend, the actor and playwright, Charles Busch for a conversation about her career and life as a darling of the gay community.

Liza Minnelli: 'I Love Lady Gaga'

Metrolyrics.com : Lady Gaga has a passionate fan in showbiz legend Liza Minnelli. "I love Lady Gaga!" the 64-year-old declared. Explaining what she liked about the 24-year-old Bad Romance singer, Minnelli explained, "I haven't had a chance to see her live yet, but I like that she goes for it.


I like somebody who says 'wait a minute, watch this' Ha! And that's what she does." The actress, singer and dancer, made the comments as she gears up to release her 11th studio album, Confessions. "I'm running around like a wild woman," she told PopEater. Though she is still regaining strength after knee surgery, the Cabaret star is getting back into the swing of things.

"I'm back in dance class every day, plus I go to the trainer. The strength is getting really great, and I'm touring all over the place. My god I'm everywhere."...

Friday, October 1, 2010

Liza Minnelli’s Furriest Fans: Her Schnauzers

Liza Minnelli, 64, is unattached and flaunting it. (Did you catch her rendition of "Single Ladies" in Sex and the City 2?) She is not beyond playing matchmaker, however — at least when it comes to her dogs.


In 2007, the singer and her friend, actress Arlene Dahl, decided to mate their Schnauzers. Minnelli's Emelina and Dahl's Max were a successful love match. From their litter of four puppies, Minnelli got Oscar, whom she calls "the big one."

But a few years later, much to Minnelli's surprise, Emelina and Oscar collaborated on another litter. "Nobody told them you're not supposed to [mate]," Minnelli tells PEOPLE. "And that's how Blaize came along."

The trio of Schnauzers hangs out with Minnelli in her New York City apartment, where she hosts the parties that inspired her new album of jazz tunes, called Confessions. The dogs serve as a good audience for Minnelli, sitting calmly and listening intently as she sings. "I've always loved them," she says.

Read more about celebrities and their pets on PEOPLEPets.com: