Liza Minnelli Stepping Out! 2015

Liza Minnelli Stepping Out! 2015

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Liza Fist Pumps At New York Stock Exchange


Liza Minnelli Rings the NYSE Bell for World AIDS Day from Sam Miro on Vimeo.

Mondo Guerra, Cheyenne Jackson (obscured), Liza Minnelli and Kenneth Cole at the NYSE this morning
gothamist http://gothamist.com/2010/11/30/liza_fist_pumps_at_new_york_stock_e.php

To raise awareness for World AIDS Day, which is tomorrow, December 1, 2010, amfAR ambassadors Liza Minnelli and Cheyenne Jackson, amfAR chairman Kenneth Cole and fashion designer and Project Runway runner-up Mondo Guerra rang the opening bell this morning at the New York Stock Exchange. You can see video here, but we're a little disappointed she didn't wear a fabulous Lucille Austero jacket.

As part of World AIDS Day, the NYSE building facade will be dimmed between 6:15 p.m. and 6:20 p.m. tomorrow, long with other NYC buildings and structures (like Broadway theaters, the Brooklyn Bridge, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, the Museum of Modern Art, Radio City Music Hall and the Apollo Theater). Music Hall and the Apollo Theater. And Minnelli, Cole, and others including City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and actress Stockard Channing will be at Washington Square Park for a World AIDS Day event at 5:30 p.m (tomorrow, 12/1); the park's arch will be "turned off and then re-illuminated as the speakers discuss the importance of emphasizing human rights when confronting the AIDS pandemic," according to Broadway World.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in Arts and Events on November 30, 2010 3:20 PM 0 Comments 0 Likes Likes

LIZA ~ " Song of Hope" (THE DAY AFTER THAT) "World Aids Day" December 1st...

LIZA ~ amfAR Visits the NYSE to Recognize World AIDS Day

http://www.nyse.com/events/1290510057641.html
Liza (VIDEO LINK above)
11/30/2010


A day prior to World AIDS Day (WAD), amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research—one of the leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research—visits the NYSE to raise awareness for World AIDS Day, December 1. In honor of the occasion, amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole and amfAR Ambassadors Liza Minnelli and Cheyenne Jackson ring The Opening BellSM.

-- Global Bell Ringing Across NYSE Euronext Markets in Honor of World AIDS Day --


As part of the World AIDS Day tribute, lights on the facade of the New York Stock Exchange will be dimmed on Wednesday, December 1, from 6:15-6:20 pm. Additionally, in New York City, there will be a ceremony in Washington Square Park and a dimming of the lights on monuments and buildings around New York City to include all of the Broadway theaters, the Brooklyn Bridge, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, the Museum of Modern Art, Radio City Music Hall and the Apollo Theater.

Additionally, on December 1 (World AIDS Day), NYSE Euronext is partnering with Product (RED) and with our issuer community to further bring awareness to the day.

NYSE Euronext markets in Amsterdam, Brussels, Lisbon and Paris will also open or close the trading day on November 30 with executives from various world AIDS organizations in recognition of World AIDS Day.

About amfAR

amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $307 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide.

About World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1 each year around the world. It has become one of the most recognised international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services. (http://www.worldaidscampaign.org)

Monday, November 29, 2010

Liza Minnelli, Jackson to Ring Opening Bell, 11/30

Monday, November 29, 2010; Posted: 07:11 PM - by BWW News Desk

A day prior to World AIDS Day (WAD), amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research-one of the leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research-visits the NYSE to raise awareness for World AIDS Day, December 1. In honor of the occasion, amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole and amfAR Ambassadors Liza Minnelli and Cheyenne Jackson ring The Opening BellSM.


Watch a live webcast of The Opening Bell at 9:29 a.m. ET on November 30, 2010. The archive will be available shortly after the event.

As part of the World AIDS Day tribute, lights on the facade of the New York Stock Exchange will be dimmed on Wednesday, December 1, from 6:15-6:20 pm. Additionally, in New York City, there will be a ceremony in Washington Square Park and a dimming of the lights on monuments and buildings around New York City to include all of the Broadway theaters, the Brooklyn Bridge, Madison Square Garden, Carnegie Hall, the Museum of Modern Art, Radio City Music Hall and the Apollo Theater.

Additionally, on December 1 (World AIDS Day), NYSE Euronext is partnering with Product (RED) and with our issuer community to further bring awareness to the day.

NYSE Euronext markets in Amsterdam, Brussels, Lisbon and Paris will also open or close the trading day on November 30 with executives from various world AIDS organizations in recognition of World AIDS Day.

amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is one of the world's leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $307 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide.

World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1 each year around the world. It has become one of the most recognised international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services. (http://www.worldaidscampaign.org)

Read more: http://broadwayworld.com/article/Minnelli_Jackson_to_Ring_Opening_BellSM_1130_20010101#ixzz16jP1SO7Q

Liza, - World AIDS day...December 1 · 5:30pm - 6:30pm, Washington Square Park - A Free Event

Kenneth Cole, Liza Minnelli, Stockard Channing and Tyson Beckford Among Celebrities to Commemorate World AIDS Day 2010 as Part of Light for Rights Campaign



A FREE, public event to turn off the lights in Washington Square Park from 5:30-6:30 pm

Lights to be extinguished throughout New York City: participating landmarks across the city include the Brooklyn Bridge; the New York Stock Exchange;the Plaza Hotel; Madison Square Garden; ...Carnegie Hall; Museum of Modern Art; Washington Square Park Arch; the Beacon Theatre; Madison Square Park’s art installation Scattered Light; Radio City Music Hall; the Apollo Theater; the Clock Tower Building; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and 35 Broadway theaters

Commemorating World AIDS Day 2010, Liza Minnelli, Stockard Channing, Tyson Beckford, the Broadway Inspirational Voices choir, and others will lead an event to extinguish the lights on the historic Washington Square Park Memorial Arch to remember those lost to AIDS. Elsewhere in the city, lights will be turned off on other major landmarks. The event is free and open to the public.

The event is part of the Light for Rights campaign, a global initiative organized by UNAIDS; amfAR; Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS; and the World AIDS Campaign. The campaign, in its second year, showcases the importance of fundamental human rights in the worldwide fight against AIDS.

The New York event will be from 5:30 pm-6:30 pm in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. Minnelli, Channing, Beckford, and 30 Rock’s Keith Powell will lead the proceedings and will be joined by the Broadway Inspirational Voices choir.

During the event, the lights on the Washington Square Park Memorial Arch will be turned off and then re-illuminated as the speakers discuss the importance of emphasizing human rights when confronting the AIDS pandemic.

Elsewhere in New York, the marquee lights on many New York City landmarks will be extinguished as part of the campaign. Participating venues include the Brooklyn Bridge; the New York Stock Exchange; the Plaza Hotel; Madison Square Garden; Carnegie Hall; Museum of Modern Art; the Beacon Theatre; Jim Campbell’s Madison Square Park’s art installation Scattered Light; Radio City Music Hall; the Apollo Theater; and 35 Broadway theaters.See More

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Liza Minnelli, Stockard Channing, Broadway Inspirational Voices to Commemorate World AIDS Day

By Thomas Peter


23 Nov 2010
PLAYBILL.COM

Liza Minnelli, Stockard Channing, designer Kenneth Cole, model Tyson Beckford and "30 Rock" star Keith Powell will be joined by the Broadway Inspirational Voices choir for a special commemoration of World AIDS Day in Washington Square Park, Dec. 1 from 5:30-6:30 PM.


The event is part of the Light for Rights campaign, a global initiative organized by UNAIDS; amfAR; Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS; and the World AIDS Campaign. The campaign, in its second year, showcases the importance of fundamental human rights in the worldwide fight against AIDS.

The lights of the park will be turned off to remember those who have died of AIDS, as part of a similar ceremony that will take place at other landmarks throughout the city. The park lights will be extinguished and then re-lighted, after which the speakers will discuss the importance of fundamental human rights in the fight against AIDS.

Other New York landmarks that will participate include the Brooklyn Bridge; the New York Stock Exchange; the Plaza Hotel; Madison Square Garden; Carnegie Hall; Museum of Modern Art; Washington Square Park Arch; the Beacon Theatre; Madison Square Park’s art installation Scattered Light; Radio City Music Hall; the Apollo Theater; and 35 Broadway theatres.

Dominican Government honors Liza Minnelli

DominicanToday
People - 23 November 2010, 11:35 AM
SD. - President Leonel Fernandez Decree 647-10 bestowed the Heraldic Order of Cristóbal Columbus on the American actress and singer Liza Minnelli, in a brief National Palace ceremony on Monday.


The first lady Margarita Cedeño and other senior officials accompanied Fernandez in the ceremony for Minnelli, who thanked the President for the honor.
After receiving the Dominican Government’s recognition, the American entertainer said “it is far better than having received the Oscar.”

Liza Finale video at St George in Staten Island...


Liza Minnelli finale "Everytime We Say Good-bye" at the St George Theater in Staten Island from Sam Miro on Vimeo.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Liza's show stopping "My Own Best Friend" from St George Theater!

Liza singing "Maybe This Time" from The St George theater in Staten Island...Review by Gary Smiler

Maybe  This Time
In a magnificent venue tucked away in a corner of Staten island NY at the St george Theatre old but very beautifully preserved Palace, Liza returned last night. The audience went wild and welcomed her back with shouts of bravos and loud applause. Liza looks great and admitted she was happy to be back perfoming instead of recuperating from what she called Walking Pneumonia. She wowed the audience from the opening Alexanders Ragtime Band to the quiet and touching finale of Eveytime we Say Goodbye(I die a little). Its amazing that her 8 piece group sounds as big as a 40 piece orchestra. With the always wondrous Billy Stritch leading the way the intermissionless 90 minutes had no dull spots to say the least!! The first part of her act was some of her best numbers such as He's Funny That Way, My Own Best Friend, So What from the original Cabaret, Here I'll Stay/Our Love Is Here to stay, and of course Cabaret. Liza then devoted much time to the many beautiful songs from the new CD Confessions, including, He's Fascinating, I Must Have That Man, This Heart Of Mine,  He's a tramp, and I Hadn't Anyone Till You. A special moment was when Liza and Billy Stritch did a duet on I Cant Give You Anything But Love Baby. How wonderful this sounded and how well Billy and Liza blended voices with his beautiful accompaniment backing them up. A priceless memorable moment of perfection. Liza seemed happy, at ease, in great voice and full of energy. Naturally the show included an incredible and intense performance of And The World Goes Round and a double ending whammy of NY NY. Ya know last night there was almost a full moon out about 98%. But for Liza it was more like 110%. Welcome back darling Liza and long may she stay healthy and keep entertaining us for years to come. By the way if you havent bought the new Confessions CD what the heck are you waiting for its simply grand and a wonderful listen with Liza  sure to be Grammy nominated for this marvelous piece of work. Did i say I like the show, hell I loved it!! Gary S from TBA =

Liza Minnelli performs at the St. George Theatre with an all-out, non-stop, razz-ma-tazz, feel-good show!

Kiawana Rich

 http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/11/liza_minnelli_performs_at_the.html
Published: Sunday, November 21, 2010, 12:07 AM
Those eyes. That face. That voice.


The inimitable, unmistakable Liza Minnelli took the stage last night with an all-out, non-stop, razz-ma-tazz, feel-good show that marked the living legend's debut performance inside Staten Island's majestic St. George Theatre.

"I thank you so much! Yes, I am here! Staten Island -- yeah! And at the beautiful St. George Theatre!" an awed Ms. Minnelli said. "I heard about it my whole life."

Last night's show was Ms. Minnelli's comeback performance after being sidelined by bronchial pneumonia so badly that she had to cancel several shows nationwide last month.

At one point, looking out at the sold-out audience, which gave her a standing ovation even before she sang her first note, she remarked: "What a way to come back from pneumonia ... They locked me up in my room for 5-and-a-half weeks ... but this is my first time out," she said to almost unstoppable applause.

And last night, the 64-year-old entertainer showed no signs of slowing down as she opened the evening with "Alexander's Ragtime Band."

Ms. Minnelli sparkled in a sequined black top that caught every glint of light as she moved, black pants and a flowing red scarf that kept the spotlight on her.

No one could take their eyes of this powerhouse performer as Ms. Minnelli moved, shimmied and danced, accompanied by a six-piece band that included longtime pianist and friend Billy Strich as her wingman on stage.

The 5-foot, 4-inch entertainment icon has compiled an impressive list of accolades: An Oscar, an Emmy, three Tony Awards, two-time Golden Globe winner
and Grammy awardee.

She is, of course, the consummate performer -- to the audience's sheer delight. And in a lavish theater built in 1929 and noted for its history as a Vaudeville playhouse, Ms. Minnelli, in her own special way, paid tribute to her family's theatrical roots; both her maternal grandparents as well as her mother, the beloved Judy Garland, performed in Vaudeville.

Ms. Minnelli told jokes, had fun, danced and sang throughout the evening. She clearly enjoys entertaining, but even more, loves being in an intimate setting and connecting with her audience. Even while on stage, she makes one feel as if she is a good friend sitting right next to you in the living room.

And she's at her best telling stories. At one point, Ms. Minnelli recalled how she stepped in to fill the shoes of Gwen Verdon to play Roxie Hart in "Chicago" on Broadway in 1975.

She said he reached out to friend Bob Fosse; Fosse said he was concerned, because an actress had never done this before (the role was usually filled by the understudy). Ms. Minnelli said she told Fosse: "Let's not tell anyone."

Audiences attending the shows didn't know Liza had taken over until they were in their seats, she said. "I loved it," she said of the opportunity, for which she received rave reviews and critical acclaim. "And I love this song," she said, before launching into "My Own Best Friend."

She didn't skimp on the jokes either. While introducing the song, Ms. Minnelli talked about why her character was in jail.

"Roxie Hart murders her husband." Alluding to her four failed marriages, she deadpanned: "I know exactly how she feels," garnering heavy laughter.

Before she even belted a note, "Cabaret" had the audience on its feet, applauding; she even threw in a few of the famed dance moves she featured while playing the role that won her an Oscar in 1972.

Island fans couldn't have been happier.

"My mom is a big fan," said Georgena Russo, 62, of Great Kills, who came with her husband, John, 63. They brought along her mother, Georgina Ulrich, 80, as a birthday gift.

"I love her. I love everything about her," Mrs. Ulrich said.

"I love Liza -- and that's Liza with a Z," chimed a smitten Louis Campanella, 63, accompanied by his wife, Anna, 59, of Brooklyn. "Her voice is great."

And it wasn't just run-of-the-mill fans in the theater. Newly retired Alberta Brescia and her friend, Dr. Anne Merlino, of Silver Lake said they are both Minnelli fans.

"She's an amazing headliner and it doesn't get any better than this," said Fred Cerullo, president and chief executive officer of the Grand Central Partnership.

While Dr. Larry Arann, chairman of the theater's board of trustees, added that Ms. Minnelli's presence proves how much the theater is becoming a legitimate venue for top-notch performers.

Sisters Doreen Cugno and Luanne Sorrentino, the theater's executive director and CFO/director of operations, respectively, spent their day smitten, talking to Ms. Minnelli and watching her during the pre-show sound check.
"She was great," Mrs. Cugno said.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Liza Minnelli Plays 'One Night Only' Concert at St. George Theatre, 11/20

Saturday, November 20, 2010; Posted: 12:11 AM - by BWW News Desk broadway WORLD.COM

Liza Minnelli will perform 'Liza Minnelli In Concert' for one night only on November 20, at the St. George Theatre in Staten Island, the singer has announced on her official website.


'Liza Minnelli In Concert' features American standards with accompaniment by Minnelli's quartet.

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.



Ticket for 'Liza Minnelli In Concert' are $50 to $200 and are available through Ticketmaster.

Read more: http://broadwayworld.com/article/_Liza_Minnelli_Plays_One_Night_Only_Concert_at_St_George_Theatre_1120_20101120##ixzz15pqJ

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Liza Minnelli returning to stage

Liza Minnelli returning to stage

Stacey Doyle

NY City Buzz Examiner
Legendary Liza Minnelli will be returning to the stage after a short absence. A bout with bronchial pneumonia took Liza Minnelli away from her fans but it seems she has made a full recovery. She will start performing again on Saturday, November 20 in Staten Island at the St. George Theater.


Liza Minnelli appeared on Today to discuss her recovery and return to stage. Her CD Confessions was universally acclaimed after its release in September. Much of Minelli's program will include material from Confessions.


According to Broadway World, Liza Minnelli will make further appearances in the Dominican Republic on November 22 then Tucson, Arizona on December 3 and San Francisco, California on December 5 before continuing to Indiana. New Yorkers look forward to Liza Minnelli's returning performance in Staten Island.


Recently Liza Minnelli was spotted in New York attending a ribbon cutting ceremony. She was there for the grand re-opening of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science Theater at the Lighthouse Cinema. Liza arrived with fellow Hollywood star Arlene Dahl to support the opening of the East 59th Street cinema.


According to the Daily Mail, property developer and film Fan Charle Cohen paid to rebuild the theater. It is now official open again to the public. Cohen stated about the theater founded in 1905, “After four months of construction, it's now the best-looking, best-sounding screening venue in the city.”


Liza Minnelli is a singer and actress known for performances in film and on stage. Dramatic performances include New York, New York, The Sterile Cuckoo and Cabaret, for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress. Minnelli toured internationally in shows such as Liza Live from Radio City Music Hall. Minnelli won three Tony Awards, an Oscar, an Emmy Award, two Golden Globes and a Grammy Legend Award with many other honors and philanthropic contributions.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Liza Minnelli To Appear On TODAY Before Resuming Tour

broadwayWORLD.COM
Monday, November 15, 2010; Posted: 09:11 AM - by BWW News Desk


The legendary Liza Minnelli, whose latest CD Confessions was released to universal acclaim, will soon return to the stage after a short absence. Minnelli, who had been sidelined with bronchial pneumonia, has made a compete recovery and will appear on TODAY on Wednesday, November 17 before she resumes her tour.


Minnelli has been touring throughout the year in a new show. An early stop in the tour had Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune say, "To see Minnelli standing stage center and plunging into 'The World Goes 'Round' - an anthem of survival if ever there were one - was to appreciate anew the clenched-fist defiance of both the singer and the song. If any vocalists today approach the ferocity and drive of Minnelli's version of 'Maybe This Time,' they have yet to make themselves known."
The centerpiece of the program is Liza's spotlight on the material found on Confessions which was released by Decca in September.

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. The Los Angeles Times summed up the recording, "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 Acquilante 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.'"

Most recently Minnnelli performed in Dallas and the Dallas Morning News said, "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."

Minnelli will resume performing on Saturday, November 20 at the St. George Theatre in Staten Island, NY.

Additional appearances include:

November 22 - Dominican Republic- Santo Domingo National Theater

December 3 - Tucson, AZ - CentenniAl Hall

December 5 - San Francisco, CA - Davies Symphony Hall

January 12 - Indianapolis, IN - Hilbert Circle Theatre

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Liza Minnelli to bounce back from illness at Staten Island concert

 LIZA MINNELLI PERFORMING "I GOT TO HAVE THAT MAN" from the new cd "CONFESSIONS"
silive.com
Published: Thursday, November 11, 2010, 9:15 AM


Ben Johnson

STATEN ISLAND, NY -- Do you know of the fake E.G.O.T. necklace that Tracy Morgan wears on NBC’s “30 Rock,” which represents the winning of every major award in the entertainment world? Well, Liza Minnelli is one of the few entertainers who should actually own one: She counts an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and three Tonys among the many accolades she’s received in her lifetime.


With three Golden Globes under her sequined sash as well, this irrepressible five-foot, four-inch living legend long ago proved she is a must-see performer on the stage. Maybe that’s why tickets for her Nov. 20 performance at the historic St. George Theatre are nearly sold out.

Staten Island is lucky, too, considering Minnelli had to cancel seven shows in October while she battled bronchial pneumonia.

“I do not want to let down my fans as my loyalty to them has always been of prime importance in my life,” the 64-year-old said in a statement Oct. 15. “Performing live is my passion and I’m greatly disappointed that I will not be able to continue my tour.”

The St. George show will be Minnelli’s first gig back on the road. Her recent tour is in support of a new album, “Confessions” (Decca Records), which strips away her usual propensity for big-arrangements in favor of 14 intimate takes on American standards with the help of longtime accompanist Billy Stritch (whom Islanders might recall from his sterling solo gig at Bloomfield’s Lorenzo’s Cabaret, circa 2006).

The raven-haired wraps her unmistakable vibrato around classics made famous by everyone from Peggy Lee to to Ella Fitzgerald.

“I listen to Ella Fitzgerald records and I think ‘that’s how I feel,’” said Minnelli, in a new promo video for “Confessions” featured below.

“That’s why I learned them, because they explained things to me so much better than I could.”


The daughter of legendary singer/actress Judy Garland and filmmaker Vincente Minnelli, Liza came into her own as a singular night club performer and recording artist as a teen in the 1960s. She scored her first best actress Tony at 19 (for Kander and Ebb’s “Flora the Red Menace”), and her first Oscar nod at 23, as eccentric Pookie Adams in “The Sterile Cuckoo.”

Of course, she she achieved bona fide international superstardom with her Academy Award-winning performance as Sally Bowles in Bob Fosse’s 1972 film adaptation of “Cabaret.”


Live tours, Broadway bows, TV specials, Studio 54, more films and much tabloid coverage followed. While not all were received well, Minnelli’s natural and honed abilities for comedy and drama — her raw vulnerabilty and steely perseverance in the harsh spotlight — has kept fans coming back.


In 2000, Minnelli was nearly sentenced to a mute life in a wheelchair by a bad case of viral encephalitis, but miraculously survived. By 2001, she was already back performing for longtime friend Michael Jackson’s 30th Anniversary Special Concert. A high-profile marriage/divorce, two more Broadway smashes and multiple hip and knee-replacements followed for the self-proclaimed “old hoofer.”

But the last decade has seen the veteran performer — and survivor — continue to broaden her horizons.

“You have to have the instinct,” said Minnelli to Larry King in October, while describing younger trail-blazer Lady Gaga, “and you also have to have the courage to do something that’s not quite like everybody else does.”

Anyone who performed Mary J. Blige’s “Family Affair,” as Minnelli did on stage in 2002, or cover Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” as she did in 2010’s “Sex and The City 2,” has a sense of humor about her place in the world. But the actress was also introduced to a whole new set of potential fans with her raucous turn as balance-challenged retiree Lucille Austero, in TV’s critically-championed-but-short-lived-cult-hit “Arrested Development.” (A big screen version has been confirmed for 2012).

At the St. George Theatre, Minnelli will surely bring some laughs, some tears — and her unique voice — to the stage. At 64, it’s what she still does best.

“I’ll never write a book,” Minnelli said on “The View” last month, just before falling ill. “I’m just not that kind of person. But this album, I think it’s all the loves I’ve ever had in my life.”

Related topics: liza-minnelli, st.-george-theatre



LIZA MINELLI LIVE!


Performing original songs from the new CD "Confessions" & much more

When: 8 p.m. Nov. 20

Where: St. George Theatre, 35 Hyatt St., St. George; 718-442-2900; StGeorgeTheatre.com.

How much: $50, $75, $125 at the box office and Ticketmaster.com ($200 VIP ticket includes prime seating and complimentary champagne reception at 6:30 p.m.)

More info: OfficialLizaMinnelli.com

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Friday, November 5, 2010

Review: Judy & Liza at Hope Theatre, Liverpool

by Philip Coppell. Published Fri 05 Nov 2010 15:22, Last updated: 2010-11-05


You know when two of the West End's finest musical talents get together that you are not going to experience your average night in the theatre and so it proved with the opening of “Judy & Liza” in the surprisingly intimate surrounding of the Hope Theatre.


Liverpool born Emma Dears had long cherished the idea of bringing a musical based on the lives of Judy Garland and her daughter Liza Minnelli to the stage. People had often commented, not only on Emma’s resemblance to Liza Minnelli, but also that she sounded like Liza.

It was not until two years ago, when Emma met fellow singer Lucy Williamson, that she could finally bring the story to the stage. “It is alright to have an idea found until I found the perfect Judy there was not a lot I could do.

Lucy Williamson is the perfect Judy Garland; Lucy gives a very powerful and emotional performance. Lucy has the great songs to sing, her vocal range really does bring that something extra to these songs and you realise why Emma knew that Lucy Williamson was The One to play Judy Garland, her performance is a triumph.

Judy Garland was born into a theatrical family and was on the stage literally from birth. She sang on stage with her two elder sisters as The Gumm Sisters, her name being Francis Gumm, not very successfully until Mother Gumm changed the name to The Garland Sisters and Francis took the opportunity to change her name to Judy Garland, success rapidly followed. Hollywood beckoned and at the age of 13 Judy was a contract player at MGM Studios, were MGM Studio boss Louis Mayer took a special interest in her career, Mayer introduced her to the pills, which were to blight her life.

It was “The Wizard of Oz” that made Judy Garland an international star at the tender age of 16. The film cost $3 million dollars to make, a staggering amount of money in 1939. Strange now to think that Louis Mayer wanted to drop the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from the film because he did not think it was an appropriate song for Judy to sing, shows what he knew.

Judy’s troubled life is well covered; it does have to be asked if some of the great songs associated with her would have become standards had she not sung them.

Judy Garland played The Empire in the 1950s and after one show went to Alan Williams Blue Angel Club, Alan asked her to pay for her drink, Judy told him that she never paid for drinks, to which Alan said, “You do here love” Alan maintains that he did not throw Judy out of the club, she flounced out when she was asked to pay.

“Judy & Liza” runs chronologically, first with Judy and then uses the famous 1964 concert Judy and 19 year old Liza gave at the London Palladium to bring on Liza’s story. Liza is the daughter of Judy and her second husband Vincent Minnelli.

The Michael England Orchestra makes the musical changes through the decades from the sound of the thirties to Emma’s show stopping rendition of “Cabaret” Their musical contribution is a highlight.

This is a two-woman show that benefits from the intimate staging and very effective lighting. Judy does have the better costumes, from that Golden Age of Hollywood, Emma Dears must have felt that some of Liza’s fashion choices were of the time, but have not stood the test of time, apart from that famous white suit, she does loose out in the costume stakes.

As a person who knows the pain name mispronunciation, not the Philip part, I sympathise with Liza and loved Emma’s “Liza with a Z” or Zee as the Americans pronounce it, very funny.

A beautiful and entertaining evening that you will really enjoy, a theatrical masterpiece or should that be Mistresspiece. “Judy & Liza” runs the emotions from A to Zee.


Judy & Liza will be showing at Theatre Royal St Helens on Saturday 6th November.

The Floral Pavilion New Brighton on Saturday 13th November when there will be two performances.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

CD: Liza Minnelli - Confessions review...

samesame.com
Reviews, By aurengzebe, 3rd November, 2010

For me, one of the great moments in cinema comes near the end of Cabaret and it’s not Liza Minnelli’s luciferous rendition of the title song. No, the moment that really gets me is the instant before.



Minnelli’s character, Sally Bowles, has aborted a child in order to break with the probable father. Germany is crumpling into Hitler’s grasp all around her. Harassed, exhausted, she assumes her place onstage as her number is announced.


Then, the lights of the fleabitten nightclub dawn on Minnelli’s face, lifting from folorn apathy into a gracious smile of welcome. The cabaret is her home.

The moment passes. Liza saunters downstage and sings. She’s the daughter of Judy Garland all right: same lung power, same lush sonority. But Minnelli’s consonants are just a little sharper, the vowels a slightly darker hue – a legacy, most likely, of time spent in England during her early years. The voice tags her as belonging to the postwar generation of interational stars, independent of the Hollywood studio system that made then all but broke her mother.

But can you be a film star on a single great performance? Although thoroughly deserving her acting Oscar for Cabaret – she runs an impressive gamut from dirty high comedy to pricking-the-back-of-your-eyes drama – never again would there come a role that seemed worthy of Minnelli’s distinctive bourgignon of abilities.

What followed, then, seemed not so much a career as a sporadic series of firebursts, like the 1989 single of Sondheim’s ‘Losing My Mind’ in collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys, or her winding up of the Freddie Mercury AIDS benefit concert with a roof-raising ‘We are the Champions’. Most recently she cameoed in Sex in the City 2 taking on Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies’.

Throughout these years Liza Minelli has remained a favourite of many LGBT people. It seems to have started way back with the androgynous pageboy haircut she sported in Cabaret. This, coupled with her characteristic gangly movements, has reminded many a gay man of his own adolescence, while some of our sisters have found her combination of commanding vocals and black suspenders in the number ‘Mein Herr’ giving them plenty to think about.

Perhaps, though, our strongest connection with Liza comes from the way that her ‘too much is never enough’ performance style somehow seems to embody gay pride at its most exuberant. It’s no surprise that Minnelli’s stage persona has inspired drag queens the world over, a compliment she repaid in 2005 by singing Aznavour’s ‘What Makes a Man a Man’ when accepting her Vanguard Award from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

Now, having reached 60, Minnelli offers us Confessions, a bouquet of rarer jazz standards, released simultaneously with the DVD of her Broadway return Liza’s at the Palace.


The backing is minimal, mainly the elegant piano of Billy Stritch plus the odd touch of keyboard and drum brushes. It exposes her completely, and the recording engineers have done an excellent job of presenting in an optimal acoustic Minnelli’s voice as it now is. There’s still the trademark dark lower register, and some admirable rich sustaining at top. It remains a voice worth listening to, despite the increased huskiness and even occasional rasping.

It may even be that Liza remains compelling because of her very imperfections; they suggest survival in the face of suffering. I know next to nothing about Minnelli’s sufferings (having only the media coverage to go on) but it’s probably enough to say that if you’re human, you’ve suffered – and Liza has always been one of the most vulnerably human of performers.

Not that she betrays any sense of self-pity, that was never her style. On the contrary, a somewhat dry, chuckling quality is sometimes present, as in the opening track:

I always go to bed at ten,

Now isn’t that a bore?

I always go to bed at ten

Then I go home at four…

But there is also plenty of room on this disc for the things Liza always does so well. There’s devotion in ‘All the Way’; seduction (yes, seduction!) in ‘Close Your Eyes’; and it would take a truly deadhearted critic not to respond to her wide-eyed account of ‘I Got Lost in His Arms’. Personally, though, I like her best in the one-eyebrow-raised mood of such bluesy numbers as ‘He’s a Tramp’ and ‘I Must Have That Man’.

This album is definitely a keeper, there’s much that you want to keep coming back to. What it captures above all is the Minnelli presence, her total commitment to the performing moment, that moment captured, all those years ago, in Cabaret. Paradoxically, then, this uncharacteristic Liza Minnelli offering gives us the performer as she has always been: happily, completely, uniquely – herself.

Tim Passmore