BY JOE DZIEMIANOWICZ DAILY NEWS THEATER CRITIC
Thursday, December 4th 2008, 3:51 PM
Thursday, December 4th 2008, 3:51 PM
Santa came early this year - with a fabulous present wrapped in shiny sequins and shimmering stardust: Liza Minnelli.
Minnelli's spectacular holiday happening "Liza's at the Palace ..." finds Liza with a Z fit, funny, surprisingly energetic and in her best voice in ages - though on occasion she does mistake volume for tone.
Starting with a sensual version of "Teach Me Tonight" that leads to familiar tunes like "My Own Best Friend," the first act puts Minnelli alone at center stage before 12 marvelous musicians, led by the multitalented musical supervisor Billy Stritch on piano.
She covers her greatest hits, including "Cabaret," and signature songs, as well as a new tune, "I Would Never Leave You," which tells the story of her life.
"I never left - though I've been left alone," she sings. "With every breath - I am stronger on my own."
She tosses in "Maybe This Time," which she sings seated in a chair. She cuts to the core of the song with a surgical precision and gets more juice out of singing while seated than other performers can while covering an entire stage.
She's not afraid to tease herself about getting winded. "Remember how I used to sit down in the second act?" she says. "Now I sit down in the first act."
A spine-tingling recreation of her mother Judy Garland's "Palace Medley" - which she sang at the same theater decades ago - sparkled with equally high-octane emotion and nostalgia.
The second half of the show is devoted to godmother Kay Thompson, a writer and MGM song arranger whose upbeat tempos and unique harmonies changed nightclubs forever.
Thompson had a profound impact on the young Liza, both personally and professionally. That comes through in heartfelt stories from the past.
Act II jets you back to 1948 Los Angeles, to Ciro's nightclub, where Thompson had a hit act with Andy Williams and his three brothers.
They're played here by the fantastic Cortés Alexander, Jim Caruso, Tiger Martina and Johnny Rodgers.
Beautifully choreographed and staged by longtime collaborator Ron Lewis, Minnelli and the fab foursome bring back to life Thompson's act and recreate the delightful sounds and harmonies of the nightclub era.
During "Jubilee Time," "Clap Yo' Hands" and "I Love a Violin," Minnelli and company ignite the stage with joy and enthusiasm.
They say they don't make 'em like they used to.
Liza Minnelli is one of a kind, just like New York, New York - a song she, of course, includes.
"Liza's at the Palace ..." is 100% fantastic entertainment.
jdziemianowicz@nydailynews.com
Minnelli's spectacular holiday happening "Liza's at the Palace ..." finds Liza with a Z fit, funny, surprisingly energetic and in her best voice in ages - though on occasion she does mistake volume for tone.
Starting with a sensual version of "Teach Me Tonight" that leads to familiar tunes like "My Own Best Friend," the first act puts Minnelli alone at center stage before 12 marvelous musicians, led by the multitalented musical supervisor Billy Stritch on piano.
She covers her greatest hits, including "Cabaret," and signature songs, as well as a new tune, "I Would Never Leave You," which tells the story of her life.
"I never left - though I've been left alone," she sings. "With every breath - I am stronger on my own."
She tosses in "Maybe This Time," which she sings seated in a chair. She cuts to the core of the song with a surgical precision and gets more juice out of singing while seated than other performers can while covering an entire stage.
She's not afraid to tease herself about getting winded. "Remember how I used to sit down in the second act?" she says. "Now I sit down in the first act."
A spine-tingling recreation of her mother Judy Garland's "Palace Medley" - which she sang at the same theater decades ago - sparkled with equally high-octane emotion and nostalgia.
The second half of the show is devoted to godmother Kay Thompson, a writer and MGM song arranger whose upbeat tempos and unique harmonies changed nightclubs forever.
Thompson had a profound impact on the young Liza, both personally and professionally. That comes through in heartfelt stories from the past.
Act II jets you back to 1948 Los Angeles, to Ciro's nightclub, where Thompson had a hit act with Andy Williams and his three brothers.
They're played here by the fantastic Cortés Alexander, Jim Caruso, Tiger Martina and Johnny Rodgers.
Beautifully choreographed and staged by longtime collaborator Ron Lewis, Minnelli and the fab foursome bring back to life Thompson's act and recreate the delightful sounds and harmonies of the nightclub era.
During "Jubilee Time," "Clap Yo' Hands" and "I Love a Violin," Minnelli and company ignite the stage with joy and enthusiasm.
They say they don't make 'em like they used to.
Liza Minnelli is one of a kind, just like New York, New York - a song she, of course, includes.
"Liza's at the Palace ..." is 100% fantastic entertainment.
jdziemianowicz@nydailynews.com
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