Liza Minnelli STEPPING OUT...

Liza Minnelli Reveals Intimate Details On NJPAC Performance, 'Hot In Cleveland' Role And Judy Garland

2012-02-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/liza-minnelli-njpac-performance-hot-in-cleveland_n_1248412.html#s646833&title=The_Muppet_Show

She's captivated standing-room-only audiences across the globe, nabbed an Oscar for her role in a celebrated Hollywood musical and held court amongst New York's famed glitterati at Studio 54.
However, one week before she is set to take the stage at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) on Feb. 4, Liza Minnelli has something considerably less glamorous on her agenda: a visit to the dentist.
Calling just minutes following her appointment, Minnelli apologizes in advance if she is difficult to understand over the telephone. Of course, something as minor as dental anesthetics would never be able to numb this ever-shining star; after all, it's Minnelli's well-established survival skills -- not to mention her unique brand of wide-eyed, precocious spunk -- that helped make her a gay icon for multiple generations, with a legacy rivaling only her legendary (and similarly tenacious) mother, Judy Garland.
Busy as ever, the 65-year-old singer-actress who Joy Behar once jokingly introduced as having "entertained more gay men than Larry Craig" will be whisked off to rehearsal shortly after the phone call. Still, she speaks enthusiastically and at length about her highly-anticipated NJPAC performance as well as her forthcoming guest-starring turn opposite Betty White on the hit series "Hot In Cleveland," while sharing memories of working with famed Broadway and film choreographer Bob Fosse and, of course, the beloved Judy.
HuffPost Gay Voices: Congratulations on your upcoming NJPAC performance. What sorts of surprises do you have in store for us?
Liza Minnelli: My show is called "Confessions," and it's really a collection of various songs about how I feel about different things, what I believe in, people I've known -- some of whom nobody would ever know. "Confessions" is really all these different points of view; it's something I learned from [Armenian-French singer-songwriter] Charles Aznavour when I was 19. I saw him perform in Paris, and his show just killed me because each one of his songs was like a movie.
I knew I could dance and I knew I could act, but I never thought I could sing, so I went to Aznavour in Paris and I asked if I could be his student, and he said, "Sure." And he really taught me everything I know about singing -- how each song is a different movie.
You've also signed on for an episode of "Hot In Cleveland," set to air later this season. What's your character going to be like?
They haven't told me a thing! I'll be out there Feb. 12, so I'll just see what they tell me and I'll do it, kind of like what I did with "Arrested Development" -- everybody was just so excellent on that show; I just respected everybody on that set so much. Of course having the chance to do anything with Betty White is great.
Two living legends, united on the small screen...
What the hell is a "living legend"? (laughs)
Well, in my opinion, a living legend is someone whose work and career are immensely respected across multiple generations and in various industries.
Well, thank you -- I guess as long as it's a living one, it's OK! (laughs) But I always think of myself as a gypsy, a Broadway performer who travels from show to show.

You're one of the few entertainers who has won an Oscar, an Emmy and a Grammy, not to mention four Tony Awards. Is there anything you're dying to do, either personally or professionally, that you haven't already?
I won't know until it happens -- that's it. I love it because things just come up! I rarely plan anything unless it's a tour or a show I'm working on, and in the meantime, all of these mad, wonderful things have happened, like My Chemical Romance calling me up and asking me to sing with them.
2012 marks 40 years since the release of "Cabaret," for which you won the Academy Award. What comes to mind when you look back on that film?
Bob Fosse. And just how extraordinary it all was. Bob took immense risks in terms of how he depicted sensuality in the choreography, the photography. It was so fun. We were away in Germany and we were doing this kind of outrageous, wonderful film. We wanted to make a musical about Nazis, so we could really kind of do anything we wanted. And our cinematographer, Geoffrey Unsworth, was just so great. At one point they sent him a letter that said there was too much smoke in the cabaret...Bob took the letter from him and tore it up.
What Bob did was just extraordinary. I came on before Bob, as you know...[his work] really reminded me so much of a film called "The Damned," which was just so dark and wonderful and bizarre. I remember seeing that film with my dad [director Vincente Minnelli], who was always there for me. He helped me so much all of the time.
Your mother, Judy Garland, remains one of most fascinating stars in Hollywood history. Even though there's been a tremendous amount of research into her work and analysis of her life, what do you think is the biggest misconception audiences still have about her?
The biggest misconception people have about my mother is that she was so unhappy. I think people enjoy thinking that -- some of them, anyway. They see the tragedy as opposed to the fact that she understood how to play tragedy.
I remember somebody at school once said something really mean about her: "Oh, Judy does too much of this or that, she drinks too much." And I came home from school crying; my mother asked me what was wrong and I told her. And then she said, "You know what? You let everybody say what they're gonna say, and we'll go get a hamburger."
Liza Minnelli performs at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark on Feb. 4. For more information click here.

Liza Minnelli - Liza With A Z Bob Fosse 1972 HQ

2012-02-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey and Debbie Reynolds Set for TCM Classic Film Festival

2012-02-01T18:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/liza-minnelli-joel-grey-debbie-286201

Liza Minnelli

Third annual event also adds Renoir's "Grand Illusion" and a Cinerama Dome showing of wide-screen classic "How the West Was Won."

Silver-screen legends Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Debbie Reynolds and Rhonda Fleming are scheduled to appear at the 2012 TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, it was announced Tuesday.

Cable Notes: TCM Adds 'Hell on Wheels' for U.K., Drew Barrymore to 'Essentials'

The third annual festival, set for April 12-15, will feature the North American premiere of a new 75th anniversary restoration of Jean Renoir’s powerful prisoner-of-war drama Grand Illusion (1937). And the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra will provide a live musical accompaniment for a screening of the silent Douglas Fairbanks fantasy-adventure The Thief of Bagdad (1924).
Minnelli and Grey are slated to join TCM host Robert Osborne to kick off the event with a gala opening-night, world-premiere screening of the 40th anniversary restoration of Cabaret, the 1972 film for which the stars took home two of the musical’s eight Oscars.
Reynolds will be on hand for the world-premiere screening of a new 60th anniversary restoration of Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and appear at a 50th anniversary showing of How the West Was Won (1962). That epic Western will screen in all its Cinerama glory at the Arclight Cinema’s Cinerama Dome.
Also, actresses Peggy Cummins, Rhonda Fleming and Marsha Hunt will appear at screenings of film noir classics, presented as part of a celebration of “The Noir Style.” And Diana Serra Cary, 93, who as “Baby Peggy” was one of Hollywood’s top child stars during the Silent Era, will join filmmaker Vera Iwerebor for the U.S. premiere of the documentary Baby Peggy: The Elephant in the Room.
The festival’s celebration of Style in the Movies will include a tribute to Audrey Hepburn and screenings of Sabrina (1954), Funny Face (1957) and the world premiere of a new 45th anniversary restoration of Two for the Road (1967).
Other films to play at the festival include restored versions of classics including Wings (1927), All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Swing Time (1936) and Casablanca (1942).
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the site of the first Oscar ceremony, serves as the official hotel for the festival.

Liza Minnelli The Happy Time

2012-01-30T21:37:00.000-08:00

Liza Minnelli - Boys and Girls Like You and Me

2012-01-30T21:26:00.000-08:00

Liza Minnelli My Mammy

2012-01-30T11:11:00.000-08:00

LIZA'S upcoming CONCERT APPEARANCE ~ February 4, 2012

2012-01-20T15:29:00.000-08:00

In Concert
8 p.m.

NJPAC - Prudential Hall
One Center Street
Newark, NJ
Box Office: 888-466-5722

www.njpac.org

All tickets for originally scheduled Dec. 16 performance will be valid. Newark,
New Jersey
http://www.officiallizaminnelli.com/appearances.html

LIZA ~ 60"s FLASBACK!

2012-01-19T19:56:00.000-08:00

Le jazz hot - LIZA MINNELLI [Victor_Victoria]

2012-01-17T18:40:00.000-08:00

Liza Minnelli 1982 Bad Gastein/Austria SilvesterGala

2012-01-17T18:33:00.000-08:00

Liza Minnelli-1964

2012-01-17T18:28:00.000-08:00

liza minelli 1967 MAYBE THIS TIME!

2012-01-17T18:27:00.000-08:00

Liza Minnelli- Late 60's

2012-01-17T18:26:00.000-08:00

LIZA'S AUSTRALIAN MEDLEY 1967

2012-01-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

Shit Liza Minnelli Says

2012-01-12T18:44:00.000-08:00

PHOTO FLASH: Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera Help Paulo Szot Celebrate Opening at Cafe Carlyle

2012-01-11T11:56:00.000-08:00

http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city/news/01-2012/photo-flash-liza-minnelli-chita-rivera-help-paulo-_47865.html#3

By Tristan Fuge • Jan 11, 2012 • New York

0 Comments

On Tuesday, January 10, Paulo Szot debuted his solo show, An Evening with Paulo Szot, which will play the Cafe Carlyle through January 28.

The show, which is his third engagement at the Carlyle Hotel, features songs culled from the Great American Songbook, the worlds of Broadway and Jazz, as well as tunes from his native Brazil. Directed by Casey Childs, the show features Billy Stritch on the piano.
Opening night guests included Karen Akers, Jim Caruso, Jamie deRoy, Nancy Dussault, Christine Ebersole, Marilyn Maye, Liza Minnelli, Laura Osnes, Chita Rivera, Andrew Samonsky, and Tommy Tune.

Click here to read TheaterMania's review of An Evening with Paulo Szot

Click here for more information and An Evening with Paulo Szot tickets.

Judy Garland & Liza Minelli - Together (1963)

2012-01-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

Liza Minnelli Live in concert "What makes a man a man" ( Comme ils dis...

2012-01-06T18:06:00.000-08:00

Liza Minnelli: 'Hot in Cleveland' Guest Star!

2012-01-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2012/01/04/liza-minnelli-hot-in-cleveland-guest-star/

Liza Minnelli is adding some more star power to Hot in Cleveland!

The 64-year-old singer entertainer will be making a guest appearance on season 3 of the TV Land sitcom, which stars Betty White, Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, and Wendie Malick.

TV Line reports Liza has only signed on for one episode so far and will play the agent of Victoria Chase (Malick).

Liza most recently appeared on Drop Dead Diva and can also be seen in the upcoming Arrested Development movie.

Liza Minnelli to Guest Star in TV Land's HOT IN CLEVELAND

2012-01-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

Liza Minnelli to Guest Star in TV Land's HOT IN CLEVELAND

Liza Minnelli - Live at Avo Session (2011)

2012-01-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2011-12-30T15:32:00.000-08:00

Liza with the Cast of Lorna's White Christmas in NJ

2011-12-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

Liza's At The Palace - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Bonus)

2011-12-25T20:24:00.000-08:00

2011-12-22T15:28:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2011-12-19T21:31:00.001-08:00

Liza Minnelli - Long Ago And Far Away & I Have Dreamed

2011-12-17T19:13:00.000-08:00

LIZA MINNELLI @ Avo Session 2011: I'LL BE SEEING YOU (by Adriano)

2011-12-15T14:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-14T20:27:00.001-08:00

Liza Minnelli - Liza Minnelli Postpones Gigs After Leg Injury

2011-12-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.contactmusic.com/news/liza-minnelli-postpones-gigs-after-leg-injury_1275738

Veteran entertainer Liza Minnelli has postponed a handful of gigs as she recovers from a leg operation.

The Cabaret star underwent surgery last month (Nov11) to repair her leg, which was broken in three places after she tripped over her dog.

The singer was left wheelchair-bound following the accident, and she's pulling out of three U.S. dates as she takes time to heal.

The scrapped shows include stops in Newark, New Jersey on Friday (16Dec11), Westbury, New York on Sunday (18Dec11) and another at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania in February (12).

Liza Minnelli im Olympiapark München

2011-12-09T18:40:00.000-08:00

Chita's always prospered...

2011-12-08T20:05:00.001-08:00

http://www.ebar.com/arts/art_article.php?sec=music&article=925

Broadway legend Chita Rivera lends voice to San Francisco Symphony's 'Peter and the Wolf'

Chita Rivera isn't part of American musical theatre, she is American musical theatre. The Broadway star originated the roles of Anita in West Side Story, Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie, Velma Kelly in Chicago, and created starring roles in Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Rink (opposite Liza Minnelli).
While those roles often went to others when the shows were made into movies, Rivera's stellar acting, singing, and dancing gifts were immortalized on screen in the 1969 film Sweet Charity. ("Hey Big Spender," anyone?)
At 73, Rivera is as busy as ever. She'll narrate SF Symphony's Peter and the Wolf this Saturday, Dec. 10, and her rehearsal and performance calendar this past month has been so full that our phone chat had to be rescheduled three times.
"I just did a staged reading of Kander and Ebb's musical The Visit," she tells me when we finally connect. "And I'm in rehearsal for a reading of a new show called Zarra. It's a take-off on Zorro, only she's a dress designer. The important thing is to keep working."
When I ask her for specific memories that stand out from her landmark performances, two themes emerge again and again: her admiration and love for her collaborators, and the fact that no one knew what show would be a hit until it opened.
West Side Story "On opening night in D.C., we had no idea what we had, but it blew the roof off the theatre. That's when we realized it was something really special. 'America' stopped the show dead. We said to [director] Jerome Robbins, 'What do we do now?' He said, 'Go downstairs, get ready for the next scene, and go on with the show!'
"Sitting in Leonard Bernstein's apartment while he was teaching me the score to West Side Story, I was so nervous. I thought, 'Please God, don't let me throw up.'"
Bye Bye Birdie "Dick Van Dyke and [director] Gower Champion were so wonderful. I first went in to read with my friend Tom Poston, and he thought the show was awful. 'No one's gonna wanna hear these kids on telephones.' That shows you how much you know.
"Being on the inside, you're so busy working and trying to get it right, you don't think about how it will play. But hearing that laughter from the audience was mind-blowing; you realize why you're in the business."
Rivera chalks up her success to four elements, which she shares with aspiring young performers. "I've had the best company in the world, a lot of it is luck, you have to be ready to give it 200% – and believe in what you're doing."
Sweet Charity "When I first saw the musical starring Gwen Verdon I fell in love with it, and with her. Then I played Charity in the national touring company, then I did the film with Shirley MacLaine. We were old friends; we'd studied together. Gwen was the first to breathe life into the character, so she really owned it. But Shirley was adorable."
The Rink What was it like to star opposite (insert gay gasp here) Liza Minnelli? "We'd always wanted to work together and play girlfriends. Fred Ebb and John Kander called and said they had a new show, and would I star in it? I jokingly said, 'Let me think about it.' Then they said, 'How would you like to work with Liza Minnelli?' I said, 'Let me think about it.'
"They said it's about a mother and daughter. I said, 'Who plays the mother?'" But her role as the mother opposite Liza Minnelli in The Rink earned Rivera her first of two Tony Awards. She would win again for Kiss of the Spider Woman .
Chicago Rivera played Velma Kelly opposite Gwen Verdon's Roxie Hart in the original 1975 production. "Gwen was always one of the performers I looked up to, and one night I thought, 'Oh my god, I'm sharing the stage with Gwen Verdon!' The two of us worked so well together; we were both of the same school, both workhorses, and the whole show had such style."
Twenty-two years later, director Rob Marshall cast Rivera in a cameo role (as a tough female prisoner) in the film version. "Rob was in the chorus of The Rink, and he was determined to have me in the film. When I saw it, I thought, 'Oh my God, I look like Cher in drag!' But I loved the movie, and Catherine Zeta-Jones was wonderful."
Rivera has since received the highest honors a performer can hope for. She was the first Latina to be a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2002, when a new generation of performers re-created her greatest numbers. "It reminded me of all the things I've done, and that I really represented all the dancers in the theatre. All those wonderful chorus kids came down and danced for me, and I jumped up and one of my diamond earrings popped off. I thought, 'Oh my god – they're not mine!'"
She was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. "You have to have humor in your life, and when someone tells you you're getting the Medal of Freedom from Obama, I thought, 'Why?' Then I saw my whole family there and all these amazing people.
"There was an adorable Marine there, and I wondered, 'What if he leaned in to me and said, 'We've made a mistake.' But the award is really saying thank you for being an example to young kids.
"It really was breathtaking, especially since I'm from D.C. I looked down from the Oval Office window at the Washington Monument, and saw the lawn where I ran around as a kid."
Rivera jumped at the chance to narrate Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf with the San Francisco Symphony. "It's another lovely stone in my brooch, another bright moment to give an audience some enjoyment. And San Francisco is one of my favorite cities in the entire world, but you guys must hear that all the time."

San Francisco Symphony performs Peter and the Wolf, narrated by Chita Rivera. Sat., Dec. 10 at 1 & 4 p.m., Davies Symphony Hall, SF. Tickets ($15-$57) at http://www.sfsymphony.org/ or (415) 864-6000.

Cortés Alexander talks about performing with the legendary Liza Minnelli and his upcoming show at Davenport's

2011-12-08T19:22:00.001-08:00

http://chicago.gopride.com/news/interview.cfm/articleid/313729

I think touring with Liza gave me a confidence I wouldn't have mustered on my own."

After recently touring and performing with the legendary Liza Minnelli, including her recent Tony winning Broadway show, the multi-talented Cortés Alexander is bringing his "Swell Show" to Davenport's Piano Bar for one night only on Thursday, December 15th at 8pm. I recently caught up with my friend Cortes who told me about his new cabaret show and how his friendship with Liza and shaped his career.

MJR: (Michael J. Roberts) First of all, I can't believe it has been over three years since I last saw you when you were here with Liza. How did "The Swell Show" come about?

CA: (Cortés Alexander) "The Swell Show" came about because after "Liza's At The Palace" ended, I had a real bad case of PTSD (post traumatic show disorder) & needed to figure out my next move. It seemed I was working so much with groups, that I needed to figure out if I was worth my salt alone. I'm still working on that.
MJR: What do you like best about doing cabaret?

CA: I think the best thing about cabaret is the proximity of the audience. They are literally in your space, so it forces you to get comfortable & to make your audience feel like they're in your living room. I think all the salon nights at Liza's helped me with that one.

MJR: How has touring with Liza shaped you as an artist and what advice has she given you about the entertainment business?

CA: I think touring with Liza gave me a confidence I wouldn't have mustered on my own. In the beginning, I had to remind myself over & over, that she wouldn't share the stage with someone, unless she felt they could hold their own. So it was sink or swim. As for advice? The best piece of advice she gave me was to remain kind. You meet the same people on the way up, as you do on the way down

MJR: Tell me about your "Swell Girls".

CA: My "Swell Girls". I love them beyond words! Jennifer Rappo & Melissa Bailey. Jennifer I met at an open mic night & she was so beautiful & sang so great & just forced myself upon her (musically speaking, of course) & Melissa Bailey & I did our first B'way show together (Marilyn-An American Fable) with Kenny Ortega. She played Louella Parsons & stopped the show. Jennifer & Melissa stop my show too. At first I was just going to have them do some basic "ooh's & aah's", but they were so fast, that I had to integrate them more. In fact, I gave them a duet which they kill, thus making it even harder for me to come back on stage. But I like a challenge. [smiles]

MJR: Marketing and managing has changed a lot in the past decade. How has social media impacted your exposure?

CA: Social media is really all there is at my level. While I retain a publicist (Grapevine PR) thankfully, this is where I make no bones about my limitations. Facebook is about all I can handle & that's almost a full time job. So friend me.

MJR: What is happening with The Tonics?

CA: The Tonics & I keep talking about getting back & doing something. It'll happen, but everyone is so busy doing other projects, that scheduling is really a nightmare. But we want to do something, it's just not a priority right now.

MJR: Besides touring with The Swell Show, what else are you working on?

CA: . I am desperate to get The Swell Show" on an Atlantis or RSVP cruise. The Tonics did it years ago & we had a blast & I think the Swell Girls would LOVE. Until then, I flog away...

MJR: What do you want the audience to take away from your songs?

CA: What I want the audience to take away from my songs is really that, while I've had an extraordinary time in life thus far, everyone's life is extraordinary in their own way, & that's the beauty of getting older. It's never too late to dream & have aspirations, change a career or do the thing that scares you the most. It's our one shot, this life, so really truly make it count. Kay Thompson told me once how she doesn't believe in regret. I said to her "That's because you've done everything." She said, "Exactly, my darling."I hope my fans really can run with that. Thank you Michael, you, as always, are a dream!

Visit ~ cortesalexander.com.

LIZA FLASHBACK ~ Liza & Desi Jr.

2011-12-05T20:25:00.001-08:00

Liza & Judy 1968...

2011-12-05T18:39:00.001-08:00

LIZA @ World Aid's Day is December 1, In New York City's Washington Square Park between 5:30 and 6:30 P.M.

2011-11-30T18:21:00.001-08:00

http://www.passportmagazine.com/blog/archives/3623-World-Aids-Day-is-December-1.html
World Aids Day this year is all about "Getting to Zero" by 2015: Zero Aids-related deaths, Zero new infections, and Zero discrimination. Unfortunately this goal cannot be realized as organizations slash their budgets in face of the economic crisis.

The Global Fund to fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria recently announced its intention to abandon the next round of funding due to a ten billion dollar shortfall. While services currently financed will continue with transitional finances, this means there will be no new funding possibilities until 2014. The announcement comes alongside a new report released by the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and UNAIDS. The report revealed that increased access to HIV services resulted in a 15 percent reduction of new infections over the past decade, and a 22 percent decline in AIDS-related deaths in the last five years.

With around 34 million people worldwide living with HIV, the medical services and education campaigns that will suffer from these lower budgets are a dire problem. "There is now a very real possibility of getting ahead of the epidemic," said Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of WHO's HIV Department. "But this can only be achieved by both sustaining and accelerating this momentum over the next decade and beyond."

See what you can do to commemorate World Aids Day and show your support for HIV/AIDS funding after the jump...

The easiest way to show your support is by wearing a red ribbon, the international symbol of HIV awareness. You can also raise funds by passing around a red ribbon collection box at your work, school, or community center.

You can also partake in the numerous World Aids Day events happening worldwide. In New York City's Washington Square Park between 5:30 and 6:30 P.M., celebrities including Kenneth Cole and Liza Minnelli will dim the lights of Washington Square Park's Centennial Arch in commemoration of the event. Housing Works will host a 7 p.m. screening of the film Untitled, by artist Jim Hodges with Carlos Marques da Cruz and Encke Kingrls. The film looks at the activism of AIDS' early years. You can also stop by the Bookstore Cafe to create a video message for the World AIDS Day Memorial Video Project, commemorating loved ones lost to AIDS.

In Dagenham, a suburb of London, check out the Go Viral Against HIV fashion and music show 6 P.M. December 2 at the Castle Green Conference Centre. The show will feature a runway catwalk, film, dance, and music. There will be models representing different countries and a live chat with outspoken HIV-positive individuals as well as health practitioners and community leaders. A screening of Kenyan film Unseen, Unsung, Unforgotten, will also take place.

For more information on how you can participate in World Aids Day, click here.

LIZA FLASHBACK...

2011-11-29T18:50:00.001-08:00

LIZA ~ All That Jazz!

2011-11-28T20:30:00.001-08:00

Liza in Brazil (1979)

2011-11-26T21:06:00.001-08:00

Judy Garland And Liza Minnelli London Palladium Happy Day Live

2011-11-26T18:44:00.000-08:00

Judy Garland And Liza Minnelli London Palladium Chicago Live

2011-11-26T18:42:00.001-08:00

Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli - Greateste Hits At the London Palladium ...

2011-11-26T18:42:00.000-08:00

Liza & Sam Harris @ Birdland 11 2011.MP4

2011-11-24T23:09:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2011-11-24T04:07:00.001-08:00

Liza Minnelli Gets Behind Drag Troupe!

2011-11-23T07:42:00.001-08:00

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2011/11/liza_minnelli_g.php

By Michael Musto Tue., Nov. 22 2011 at 9:30 AM

Comments (8)

Categories: Drag Queens

Liza Minnelli loves the gays--and let's not dregde up another "Yeah, she marries them" joke--so it's no surprise that in the '70s, she hooked up with Dzi Croquettes, a Brazilian theater troupe of glammed up, half naked, muscle-and-feathers-sporting folks who made a sensation.
In Brazil, they went against the dictatorship government, promoting freedom and homosexuality with every bump, and in Paris, they were embraced by the fabulous, the famous, and the artsy who thrilled to their energy, originality, and samba moves.
And their godmother was Liza.
In the new documentary, DZI Croquettes, Liza says, "It was so kind of avant garde."
She pronounces "avant garde" with a really thick, phlegmy French accent that's sort of fabulous.
"They were constantly outrageous--I just loved it!" she adds, eyes glowing.
Liza applauded them, promoted them, and even learned dance moves from them.
As she recalls it, discovering her love of Brazilian music "was almost like I found my own heartbeat."
Gosh, I'd love to find mine! Any ideas on how to be as eternally positive as Liza?
And how can we start some American Croquettes?

Liza Minnelli surrounded by members of Dzi Croquettes in 1974

http://broadwayworld.com/videoplay.php?colid=308850

2011-11-21T15:23:00.000-08:00

http://broadwayworld.com/videoplay.php?colid=308850#.Tsrdc8uAt8s.blogger

BWW TV: First Look at Liza Minnelli & Sam Harris in 'Schmoolie & Minnooli'! (TV Content)

2011-11-21T15:11:00.001-08:00

Liza Minnelli My Leg is BROKEN in 3 Places!!!

2011-11-21T12:57:00.001-08:00

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2064376/Liza-Minnelli-breaks-leg-3-places-tripping-pet-dog.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Broadway star Liza Minnelli breaks her leg in three places after tripping over her pet dog

By Jade Watkins
Last updated at 9:14 PM on 21st November 2011

Award-winning Broadway star Liza Minnelli has broken her leg in three places.
The injury was sustained after the 65-year-old star tripped over one of her dogs, according to TMZ.
The American singer and actress was seen being wheeled around New York City in a wheelchair with her leg in a cast, over the weekend.

And yesterday, she was carried from the device to a deckchair by two muscly men as she took to the stage for the Schmoolie & Minnooli in concert at Birdland, NYC.
Liza has already undergone three major surgeries for other injuries endured in the past.
She's notched up two hip replacements and last year received a new knee.
The legendary performer once described herself as the Tin Man from The Wizard Of Oz, on account of all of her injuries.

'I like to say that on the top half I'm the daughter of Dorothy; on the bottom, I'm the daughter of the Tin Man,' she said.
Her knee-replacement surgery took place last year, in a New York hospital.
'Minnelli, who has been dancing on stage since she was a teenager, is 63,' her rep told People magazine at the time. 'She is expected to make a full recovery.'
In 2000, Liza also suffered from Viral encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) caused by an infected mosquito bite.

It left Liza unable to walk and talk.
Doctors predicted that she would spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair and perhaps never be able to speak again.
But the following year she surprised everyone, when she returned to the stage in 2001 with longtime friend Michael Jackson to perform at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
In her long-spanning career Liza has won three Tony awards, an Emmy, two Golden Globes, a Grammy Legend award and an Oscar.

Meanwhile, in her personal life, Liza has been married (and divorced) four times.
Her first marriage was to Australian-born Peter Allen, whom she exchange vows with in 1967.
After just seven years together the couple divorced on July 24, 1974.
The same year she tied the knot with producer and director Jack Haley, Jr.
Their union lasted for just under five years, with the couple announcing their divorce in April 1979.
Just 10 months later, Liza married stage manager and sculptor Mark Gero.
The union was her longest lasting 12 years.
In 2002 she embarked upon her fourth ('and last') marriage to music producer David Gest.
The wedding, with Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson and Martine McCutcheon as witnesses, and the stomach-turning post-vows kiss in which Gest all but swallowed Liza whole, set the seal on the marriage that followed.
It ended in 2007 amid lurid and unsubstantiated allegations of abuse on both sides.
He claimed she beat him up, and she accused him of plotting to have her dog put down.
The Broadway star has never had any children.

Helping hand: Liza Minnelli is seen being helped onstage two muscly men at her concert Schmoolie & Minnooli in New York yesterday after breaking her leg

Accident: The injury was sustained after the 65-year-old star tripped over one of her dogs

Before the break: Liza performed live at the Olympia in Paris this July

LIZA FLASHBACK ~ Las Vegas!

2011-11-14T19:31:00.001-08:00

.An.Evening.With.Liza.Minnelli-1979

2011-11-13T19:30:00.000-08:00

LIZA & SAM @ Birdland ~ SOLD OUT! Word is that this event is already sold out.

2011-11-09T15:39:00.001-08:00

http://www.officiallizaminnelli.com/latestnews.html
Liza will appear with Sam Harris at Birdland in NYC (315 West 44th Street), as a part of the "Broadway at Birdland" series. The two concerts (Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. & Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.) are titled "Schmoolie & Minnooli."

SOLD OUT! Liza Minnelli & Sam Harris @ (BIRDLAND)

2011-11-09T15:39:00.000-08:00

Liza - All That Jazz - Live

2011-11-08T21:29:00.000-08:00

Goldie Hawn & Liza Minnelli - All That Jazz

2011-11-08T21:26:00.001-08:00

Goldie & Liza Together 1980 - The Other Woman.wmv

2011-11-08T21:26:00.000-08:00

LIZA MINNELLI -- "lucky lady" 1975 -- "the man in love" italy2008 -- by...

2011-11-08T21:25:00.000-08:00

Liza Minnelli Aznavour MinnelliDVD Rip

2011-11-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

Liza_Minnelli-Lucky_Lady (1975) Full Movie!

2011-11-08T21:15:00.000-08:00

LOVE LIZA ~ Speedy Recovery! Liza Minnelli - Liza Minnelli 'Undergoes Surgery For Broken Foot'

2011-11-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

http://www.contactmusic.com/news/liza-minnelli-undergoes-surgery-for-broken-foot_1259859

Veteran entertainer Liza Minnelli has undergone surgery after breaking her foot, according to a U.S. report.

The 65 year old is said to have sustained the injury over the weekend (05-06Nov11), and as a result she pulled out of attending the Police Athletic League's Women of the Year event in New York on Monday (07Nov11).

Editors at the New York Daily News report the ceremony's host, Liz Smith, told the audience at the Pierre Hotel that Minnelli had vowed to return to the prize-giving next year (12).

Liza Minelli - What makes a man a man - Buenos Aires

2011-11-06T02:50:00.000-08:00

Roberta Páffaro- Entrevista Liza Minnelli

2011-11-04T18:35:00.000-07:00

LIZA MINNELLI & SAM HARRIS @ BIRDLAND!

2011-11-03T22:06:00.000-07:00

http://broadwayworld.com/article/Liza-Minnelli-Sam-Harris-Bring-Schmoolie-Minnooli-to-Birdland-1120-1121-20111101

Tuesday, November 1, 2011; Posted: 10:11 AM - by BWW News Desk

Read more: http://broadwayworld.com/article/Liza-Minnelli-Sam-Harris-Bring-Schmoolie-Minnooli-to-Birdland-1120-1121-20111101#ixzz1ccD63IFM

Jim Caruso's Broadway at Birdland concert series will present Liza Minnelli and Sam Harris in "Schmoolie & Minnooli," Sunday November 20 at 6pm and Monday, November 21 at 7pm. Billy Stritch musical directs.
Tickets are $75, $50, $40 with a $10 food/drink minimum per person. For tickets and more information, visit 212-581-3080 or www.BirdlandJazz.com.
Minnelli first attracted critical acclaim for her dramatic performances in the movies The Sterile Cuckoo (1969),Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970) and Arthur (1981). Minnelli rose to international stardom for her appearance as Sally Bowles in the 1972 film version of the Broadway musical Cabaret, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. Since then, Minnelli has became one of the most versatile, highly regarded and best-selling entertainers in television, beginning with Liza with a Z in 1972, and on stage in the Broadway productions of Flora the Red Menace, The Act and The Rink. Minnelli also toured internationally and did shows such as Liza Minnelli: At Carnegie Hall, Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event, and Liza Live from Radio City Music Hall. She starred in Liza's Back, in 2002. She had guest appearances in the sitcom Arrested Development and had a small role in the movie The OH in Ohio, while continuing to tour internationally. In 2008/09, she performed the Broadway show Liza's at The Palace...! which earned a Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event. Minnelli has won a total of three Tony Awards awards, including a Special Tony Award, an Oscar, an Emmy Award, two Golden Globes and a Grammy Legend Award for her contributions and influence in the recording field.
Harris gained acclaim and became best known for his winning rendition of the song "Over the Rainbow" on Star Search. "Over the Rainbow" has since become his signature song. He went onto record the top 40 hit "Sugar Don't Bite," in 1984 and has since become a multi-million selling recording artist with nine studio albums to his credit. He has toured extensively in concert and has played to sold-out audiences at major venues including New York's Carnegie Hall, Los Angeles' Universal Amphitheater and London's West End. He has appeared with the Boston Pops Symphony Orchestra, at the White House and has sung on a variety of television specials and live productions. On Broadway, he received a Drama Desk nomination for his role in the Tommy Tune-directed revival of Grease, and a Drama League Award as well as Tony, Outer Critic's Circle and Drama Desk Award nominations for his work in Cy Coleman's Tony nominated musical The Life. He's also appeared on Broadway in Mel Brooks' Tony Award winning musical The Producers, in the national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and in the musicals Jesus Christ Superstar, Cabaret, Hair, and Pippin. He also starred in self-penned shows Hardcopy, Different Hats, Revival and his critically acclaimed show, SAM. Harris' most recent theatrical outing was the film-to-musical adaptation of The First Wives Club seen in a limited run at San Diego's The Old Globe Theatre in the summer of 2009. Film credits include In the Weeds (2000), the documentary Little Man (2005) and "Elena Undone" (2010). Harris co-created the television series Down to Earth (1984, which ran for 4 years and 104 episodes). He was a series regular on The Class (2006-2007 - Perry Pearl). Harris is also credited on "Rules of Engagement," (Jackie, recurring, 2009), The Wayne Brady Show (2003 - Actor, 1 episode) and the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration (2001, music supervisor).

Liza Minnelli - "I'm Naive" (Vintage Parlor Echo Mix)

2011-11-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

Liza Minnelli LAZY BONES on "The Johnny Cash Show"

2011-11-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

Liza Minnelli - Boys and Girls Like You and Me

2011-11-03T20:47:00.000-07:00

LIZA IN TORONTO!

2011-11-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

Liza Minnelli takes Toronto ~ ...And then we have a moment backstage.

2011-10-31T12:38:00.000-07:00

http://draft.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9063420819737880117#editor

By Susan G. Cole

Thirty seconds after my phone interview with Liza Minnelli came to an end, I got a call at my desk.
"I have Liza back for you," said her assistant, at which point the star got on the phone to tell me that she really enjoyed our conversation and wanted to meet me. I actually didn't believe it was going to happen, even though she told me who to ask for backstage.
I planned to give it a try after her performance last night. Fortunately, given that when you meet a star you usually llike to say something warm and toasty – the show was pretty damned good.
She can't sing like she used to – most of the power is gone. But she's figured out how to solve that problem. She got through Cabaret – gotta have it, after all – by acting the song more than singing it. And it was a bravura performance. She understands self-parody, taking a comic pause after the lyric "That's what comes of too much pills and liquor" to reference her own battle with addiction.
And she does honour her gay fans, which I estimate made up about a third of the audience, singing a poignant song by Charles Aznavour called What Makes A Man A Man and introducing it by noting its bravery in honouring people's right to be who they are.
But it was the new material from Confessions (Warner) that really scored from a musical standpoint. They're in a key she can handle and she brings a huge amount of emotion to every word. Her a capella version of I'll Be Seeing You during the encore was a knockout.
The band, led by the brilliant pianist/music director Billy Strich, was sensational and super-tight, as they should be, given that most of them have been with Minnelli for over two decades. And though I wouldn't say there was any high stepping, the star still can shake it.
After the show I decided I'd see if I could wrangle same face time backstage and, while I didn't exactly sail through, I did finally get into the green room to pay my respects. Minnelli was relaxed and down to earth – she was even wearing sensible shoes.

Oct 31, 2011 at 08:45 AM

H A P P Y H A L L O W E E N !

2011-10-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

Liza Minnelli plays Toronto's Roy Thompson Hall ~ ON STAGE / Crowd welcomes the legend back to town

2011-10-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

http://www.xtra.ca/public/Toronto/Liza_Minnelli_plays_Torontos_Roy_Thompson_Hall-10984.aspx

Xtra staff / Toronto / Friday, October 28, 2011

Liza Minnelli was welcomed back to Toronto by a friendly crowd at Roy Thompson Hall on Oct 28.

The singing and acting legend's performance in Cabaret won her an Academy Award for best Actress. She has also won a Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award.

Her storied past of love and loss made for some comedic moments when she introduced a song from Chicago sung by Roxie Heart, who was charged with murdering her husband.

Minnelli, whose mother was Judy Garland, continues to draw in the gay crowd. Below are highlights from Friday's show.

Liza Minnelli discusses seeing The Wiz with original tin man Jack Haley

2011-10-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

Liza Minnelli at Roy Thompson Hall

2011-10-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

LIZA ~ Still hungry after four decades in the biz...

2011-10-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.nowtoronto.com/music/story.cfm?content=183402
LIZA MINNELLI at Roy Thomson Hall (60 Simcoe), Friday (October 28), 8 pm. $59.50-$199.50. 416-872-4255, roythomson.com. See listing.
Music Feature

Liza Minnelli

Still hungry after four decades in the biz

By Susan G. Cole

How does someone survive four decades in the brutal entertainment business? Song-and-dance legend Liza Minnelli – winner of Tonys, Grammys and an Emmy and an Oscar – has two secrets: never do the same thing twice, and trust your audience.
“I don’t think of the business as brutal, actually,” she says over the phone from her home in New York City, sounding so excited she can barely catch her breath. “I always think, ‘Oh, that might be interesting. Ooh, no I’ve already done that – let’s do it another way.’”
That’s the approach she takes to Confessions (Universal), her disc of standards, the kind of project that’s not so easy to pull off. It works because Minnelli’s voice is unique, riveting and smoky, still with that signature quaver but absolutely pitch perfect.
She makes each tune her own, she says, by rethinking the lyrics. A song like At Last, which Beyoncé seized on for her performance at President Obama’s inaugural ball, is completely transformed in Minnelli’s hands.
“Sometimes that song is sung in desperation,” she says. “At last,” she sings to me with an edge. “But I’ve never heard it sung, like, ‘Whew, this is great.’ She lets out a big sigh. “At last – with a calmness and a coolness and relief.”
The show she brings to Toronto Friday, which she says changes every time (she’s already made it to over 30 cities) will be an intimate one.
“When I put a show together, I’m looking at every single person in that audience,” she says, her tone eager and urgent. “There are wonderful stories for each song. Sometimes I tell them, sometimes I don’t. You can tell what an audience wants to hear. But you have to listen – you have to pay attention. It’s like a tennis game – back and forth.”
Minnelli’s always been acutely aware of how she’s perceived. She joined the cast of Arrested Development in 2004 as a woman struggling with balance, a self-parody, perhaps, since she’s always been seen as psychically frail. She says it was just plain funny.
“I knew it the minute I met the man who invented it (Mitchell Hurwitz) and we got along so well. The idea of her having such awful things happen to her, getting so dizzy and falling off camera. We came up with the idea together.”
Then there was her appearance in Sex And The City 2, in which she sings at Carrie's friend's wedding, a hilarious punchline to a guest’s question, “Can it get any gayer than this?”
Minnelli appreciates her queer audience but claims she doesn’t understand the term “gay icon.”
“I don’t get it, honestly. I guess it’s that they understand anyone who’s struggled in any kind of way. They’ve kind of gone through the same thing I have – trying to be heard on our own.”
She starred in the original version of the film Arthur with Dudley Moore, and didn’t bother seeing this year’s remake.
“People don’t seem to like the new version, so what’s the point of putting myself through that? I dismissed it because of my love for Dudley. I think it’s a mistake to try to recreate anything he’s done.”
And, no, she wasn’t too impressed with Rufus Wainwright’s idea of recreating her mother, Judy Garland’s, famous concert at Carnegie Hall.
“Why is a guy getting up there to recreate something that was so wonderful, so perfect? Is that really a tribute? I just thought, ‘That’s weird.’”
She’s always embraced her extraordinary pedigree, which also includes her dad, film director Vincente Minnelli (Gigi). Her voice, now that she’s in her 60s, sounds more like Garland’s than ever. And, like a filmmaker, she supervises everything about her show: the set, the costumes, the lights.
“I got my drive from my mom and my dreams from my dad.”
susanc@nowtoronto.com

RetroBites: Judy Garland (on LIZA & more.. 1965)

2011-10-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

LIZA MINNELLI @ Avo Session 2011: CONFESSION (by Adriano)

2011-10-27T07:15:00.001-07:00

LIZA MINNELLI @ Avo Session 2011: LIZA WITH A "Z" (by Adriano)

2011-10-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

LIZA MINNELLI @ Avo Session 2011: I AM MY OWN BEST FRIEND (by Adriano)

2011-10-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

LIZA MINNELLI @ Avo Session 2011: NEW YORK, NEW YORK (by Adriano)

2011-10-27T07:13:00.001-07:00

LIZA MINNELLI @ Avo Session 2011: CABARET (by Adriano)

2011-10-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

LIZA MINNELLI @ Avo Session 2011: WHAT MAKES A MAN (by Adriano)

2011-10-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

LIZA MINNELLI @ Avo Session 2011: I'LL BE SEEING YOU (by Adriano)

2011-10-27T07:09:00.000-07:00

Lorna Luft Talks ~ Judy Garland and Michael Jackson (THE JOY BEYHAR SHOW)

2011-10-25T15:32:00.001-07:00

LIZA talks HALSTON ~ Ultrasuede - In Search of Halston

2011-10-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

Donna Summer & Liza Minnelli - Does He Love You

2011-10-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

Liza sings Cabaret in Paris old school!

2011-10-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

Liza Minnelli - Copacabana

2011-10-20T20:53:00.000-07:00

Liza Minnelli - It Was A Good Time - Liza With A Z (1972)

2011-10-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

The official, up-to-date listings of Liza's upcoming appearances.

2011-10-20T20:20:00.000-07:00

The official, up-to-date listings of Liza's upcoming appearances.
CLICK LINK BELOW FROM LIZA OFFICIAL WEBSITE!
http://www.officiallizaminnelli.com/appearances.html

Stepping Out !

2011-10-19T01:38:00.000-07:00

Liza Minnelli - Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (Oct.14/11)

2011-10-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

Liza Together ~ Liza Minnelli sings "Together" from Gypsy--as a ballad!

2011-10-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

You Are for Loving - Liza Minnelli

2011-10-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

Liza - Sing Happy

2011-10-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

LIZA today on "THE ELLEN SHOW"

2011-10-11T14:11:00.001-07:00

Reno 911 Part 7 ( Liza Minnelli )

2011-10-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

Reno 911 Part 6 ( Liza Minnelli )

2011-10-10T21:49:00.001-07:00

Reno 911 Part 5 ( Liza Minnelli )

2011-10-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

Liza Minnelli on Glenn Campbell Goodtime Hour, 1969

2011-10-10T21:36:00.000-07:00

Liza Minnelli - If I Were In Your Shoes (Ed Sullivan Show 1970)

2011-10-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

Liza Minnelli - Didn't We (Ed Sullivan Show 1969)

2011-10-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Liza Minnelli; Keith Urban; Lester Smith. (N) 4 p.m. KNBC Tues. OCT 11!

2011-10-10T20:48:00.000-07:00