March 25, 2014 Arts » Pop Music & Jazz
Liza Minnelli keeping things simple and having fun on 2014 concert tour
by Robert Sokol @robertsokol
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The concert title is unintentionally ironic, since there’s rarely been
anything simple about Liza Minnelli. Complexity is in her genes. The
triple-threat artist — the child of Judy Garland, one of the world’s
legendary performers, and masterful film director Vincent Minnelli — has
been in the spotlight since she made her film debut as a toddler in her
parents’ film “In the Good Old Summertime” in 1949.
“This one’s called ‘Simply Liza’ because it’s small,” says Minnelli. “There’s only six or seven musicians and me. That’s it!”
She laughs at the suggestion that it could have been called “Unencumbered Liza” when compared with her lavish and Emmy-winning television concert “Liza with a Z” or her many returns to Broadway’s Palace Theater. “Absolutely! But I’m having such fun with this one.”
She’s having fun with lots of things. She turned 68 this month and is
making several tour stops in California. In between concerts she
continues her philanthropic efforts, including appearing at a Los
Angeles fundraiser last week.
The event was hosted by drag performer Miss Coco Peru and Liza commented
online, “Coco and I are going to share an intimate conversation between
a couple of girlfriends and raise a whole bunch of money for the LGBT
homeless youth.”
Earlier this month, Minnelli had another drag moment, but only by proxy, when Oscar ceremony host Ellen DeGeneres made reference to her as “one of the most amazing Liza Minnelli impersonators I have ever seen in my life,” closing with, “Good job, sir!”
Minnelli shrugged it off, later commenting that she didn’t think the joke landed, as comedians say, and that she didn’t think Ellen meant anything disrespectful on the night when Minnelli was there with half-siblings Lorna and Joe Luft to pay tribute to their mother, an experience she called “so emotional and so thrilling.”
Honoring her parental legacy — the Minnellis are the only Oscar-winning mother-father-daughter clan, among so many other accomplishments — has always been important to the also Tony-winning star. Still, she demurs when asked about what she sees as her own legacy.
“I think you think about that when you think you’re gonna die, don’t you?” She’d rather keep it in the present. “I’m excited about the new show,” she says, “and I’m really excited about coming to you!”
IF YOU GO
Liza Minnelli
Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., S.F.
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Tickets: $25 to $150
Contact: (415) 864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org
“This one’s called ‘Simply Liza’ because it’s small,” says Minnelli. “There’s only six or seven musicians and me. That’s it!”
She laughs at the suggestion that it could have been called “Unencumbered Liza” when compared with her lavish and Emmy-winning television concert “Liza with a Z” or her many returns to Broadway’s Palace Theater. “Absolutely! But I’m having such fun with this one.”
She’s having fun with lots of things. She turned 68 this month and is
making several tour stops in California. In between concerts she
continues her philanthropic efforts, including appearing at a Los
Angeles fundraiser last week.Earlier this month, Minnelli had another drag moment, but only by proxy, when Oscar ceremony host Ellen DeGeneres made reference to her as “one of the most amazing Liza Minnelli impersonators I have ever seen in my life,” closing with, “Good job, sir!”
Minnelli shrugged it off, later commenting that she didn’t think the joke landed, as comedians say, and that she didn’t think Ellen meant anything disrespectful on the night when Minnelli was there with half-siblings Lorna and Joe Luft to pay tribute to their mother, an experience she called “so emotional and so thrilling.”
Honoring her parental legacy — the Minnellis are the only Oscar-winning mother-father-daughter clan, among so many other accomplishments — has always been important to the also Tony-winning star. Still, she demurs when asked about what she sees as her own legacy.
“I think you think about that when you think you’re gonna die, don’t you?” She’d rather keep it in the present. “I’m excited about the new show,” she says, “and I’m really excited about coming to you!”
IF YOU GO
Liza Minnelli
Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., S.F.
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Tickets: $25 to $150
Contact: (415) 864-6000, www.sfsymphony.org
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