New York Moments to Feature Minnelli, O'Hara, Szot, Holliday and Grey

By Andrew Gans28 Jan 2009

New York Moments, a concert featuring iconic musical moments from Broadway and film, will be presented April 20 at Avery Fisher Hall.
The 7:30 PM concert, presented by the New York Philharmonic, will boast the talents of Mary Poppins' Ashley Brown, Olivier Award winner Maria Friedman, Oscar and Tony winner Joel Grey, Tony-winning Dreamgirls star Jennifer Holliday, Tony and Oscar winner Liza Minnelli, South Pacific's Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot and up-and-coming singer Nikki Yanofsky.
Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Marvin Hamlisch will conduct the famed orchestra.
A fundraiser for the New York Philharmonic, the evening will also include a pre-concert reception and a post-concert reception with the artists.
Concert-only tickets, priced $55-$225, are currently on sale to New York Philharmonic subscribers and donors; tickets will go on sale to the general public Feb. 7 by calling (212) 875-5656. Tickets may also be purchased at the Avery Fisher Hall Box Office, Lincoln Center, Broadway at 65th Street.

Music Review: Liza Minnelli: The Complete A&M Recordings (2-Disc Set) -- By Jen Johans

You'd think that being born to two Oscar winning parents-- the legendary actress and singer Judy Garland (The Wizard of Oz) and director Vincente Minnelli (Meet Me in St. Louis)-- that their daughter Liza Minnelli would've naturally aspired to work in film yet as Scott Schechter writes in "Pre-'Z' (Liza Before the "Z")" in this album's liner notes, originally young Liza was most interested in ice skating and dancing on the Broadway stage. Quickly ascertaining she'd need to be at least a double threat by singing as well-- soon she became a triple one, singing, acting, and dancing in order to fulfill her goal to perform in the theatre.While her big break came in a highly acclaimed off-Broadway award-winning performance in The Forward which found her appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show, it wasn't until her first solo ballad (originally performed on her mother's Judy Garland Show) was turned into her debut record "You Are for Loving," that Minnelli sold 500,000 copies, making the music industry sit up and take notice. Although initially, she worked with Capitol Records and performed numerous standards and old favorites written well before her time, making the young woman's fanbase much older, when she moved to A&M Records, the company, Liza as well as her then husband-- the singer/songwriter Peter Allen (recently made famous by Hugh Jackman in the Tony winning The Boy From Oz)-- decided to try and reintroduce her to a bigger market of listeners of all ages by showing off the singer's range.Over the course of four albums including, the 1968 self-titled Liza Minnelli, 1969's Come Saturday Morning, 1970's New Feelin' and her final A&M work Liza Minnelli Live at the Olympia in Paris in 1972, Minnelli tackled every genre from bluegrass to gospel to soul to country to rock to the Broadway showtunes, ballads and standards she's still identified most with today.In Liza Minnelli: The Complete A&M Recordings, the album producers restored and remastered her work from the original session tapes of the actual A&M studio recordings for the first time ever on CD. And in the 2-disc set, the four albums along with countless rare outtakes, one single, and interesting arrangements of cover songs included on the landmark records (which have been painstakingly preserved in their "24-bit digital splendor") were just issued last month by Collector's Choice Music to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first self-titled disc.Especially fascinating since the recordings mark the evolution of Minnelli's talent just before she was launched into superstardom with her Oscar winning turn in Bob Fosse's brilliant Cabaret and the Emmy winning television special Liza With a "Z" and far before she'd become both a Broadway icon and often dubbed twentieth century master entertainer in her own right, for listeners who are mostly accustomed to her post-Cabaret work (like this reviewer), at first the 2-disc set takes some getting used to.Very indicative of their time with some overly intricate '70s funk arrangements that take the charm out of classic tracks like "Come Rain or Come Shine," yet despite this, I was pleasantly surprised by some of the bursts of early humor we'd later associate with her as well as her ease of slipping into the various character of whatever song she was singing. While I preferred the second disc and two later albums as they were a bit more upbeat and gleefully '70s, there were also some particular standouts (including rare or previously unreleased tunes) on the first album that fans should definitely seek out.Beginning with her '68 record, the first disc openswith songwriter Randy Newman's "The Debutante's Ball," which Schechter notes still remains one of Minnelli's favorites and also includes Peter and Chris Allen's memorable "(The Tragedy of) Butterfly McHeart," along with the terrific Mancini like "Waiting for My Friend," the carousel styled "The Happy Time" (from Kander & Ebb's musical of the same name) and her wondrous "My Mammy." Additionally, pay particular attention to the unreleased outtakes including the bossa nova "Alicinha" and a whistfully minimalist "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" that gives her the freedom to play with the vocals to unique effect.The second half of the first disc, centering on Come Saturday Morning opens with the Oscar nominated title track from director Alan J. Pakula's feature filmmaking debut The Sterile Cuckoo which coincidentally earned Minnelli her first Oscar nomination as well and gives us a glimpse of the singer's penchant for mixing humor and melancholy together for bittersweet effect.Although it contains such famous covers and tracks such as "On a Slow Boat to China," "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream," "Leavin' on a Jet Plane," and "MacArthur Park/ Didn't We?" my two favorites from the 1969 album were definitely Harry Nilsson's very '60s and delicate "Wailing of the Willow" as well as the awe-inspiring cabaret torch song styled "Nevertheless," that seems to foreshadow the way that Minnelli would belt it out to the cheap seats as Sally Bowles in Fosse's Cabaret.With a modern photograph used for the cover of her 1970 album New Feelin', Minnelli's third A&M album reunited her with the classic fare she always did best but provided the tracks with modern productions by inserting strange (and some unsuccessful '70s era soul/bluegrass/early disco/funk) arrangements to some of America's best-loved standards. While I'm mixed on the venture, when it works, she succeeds brilliantly with the combination of country twang and gosepl tinged soul for "Stormy Weather" and "Lazy Bones," which Minnelli performed at the Grand Old Opry where she was introduced by Johnny Cash who Schechter acknowledges even admitted onstage was going to be singing songs that were "different, and I bet you're gonna like it.""Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine" and "The Man I Love," are also above average but Cabaret devotees will want to move right to a far more guitar driven take on the musical's "Maybe This Time." While the outtakes from the album contain two penned by her then husband Peter Allen (which are ironically the weakest of the quartet), she really nails "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" and "This Girl's In Love With You," which makes the ideal lead-in to the fourth live album that begins with a terrific medley until it ventures onto her trademark theme song "Liza With a 'Z.'"Although it ends with another one of her classics-- the title song from Kander & Ebb's Cabaret-- I was especially moved by her English language version of "I Will Wait for You," originally made famous in Jacques Demy's French New Wave romantic musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg that makes the ideal selection for an album recorded live in Paris.Having given us decades of music, while you can find various versions of her most famous songs on countless compilations and greatest hits collections and those with only a passing interest in Minnelli's music may do best to stick with those tried and true favorites-- still, for residents of "Liza Land," it's spectacular to revisit the four transitional albums in their entirety. This is especially the case with this set that also contains never before released tracks as well as a remarkable fact and photograph filled booklet to get a much richer musical portrait of the legend as she graduated from one phase to the next, always thinking "Maybe This Time," this was it (whether in life, love, or in song).

Liza (with Billy Stritch) at the Opening Night of HEDDA GABLER, at the American Airlines Theatre, Sunday, January 25th, 2009.

Liza Minnelli on The View "I Would Never Leave You"

Liza A&M : Review (All Music Guide)

Review by John Bush
Rating: Three Stars (Out of Five)Liza Minnelli recorded with A&M for just a few years, and the period bookends her two biggest early movie appearances -- in 1969's The Sterile Cuckoo and 1972's Cabaret. Minnelli spent her time there distancing herself from her recent past, which had involved standing in the footsteps of her legendary mother, Judy Garland. She even recorded for the same label (Capitol), where she sang standards -- as opposed to the pop numbers many artists her age were recording (not to mention all those older artists who were bidding to be thought hip). Her A&M signing provided her with a chance to cross over, and she dove in headfirst. But that didn't mean contemporary material like "Sunny" or "Up, Up in the Air" (as much as she loved Jimmy Webb). It meant meaty, theatrical material by young songwriters like Randy Newman (four songs on her first two LPs) and John Lennon, plus Jimmy Webb songs like "MacArthur Park" and "Didn't We?," as well as songs by her new husband, Peter Allen. Both the self-titled Liza Minnelli from 1968 and Come Saturday Morning from 1969 featured contemporary songs and arrangements, but with Minnelli often transforming those songs into her burgeoning style. (In her hands, John Lennon's "For No One" sounds like it belongs on Broadway instead of Bond Street.) New Feelin', her third and final album for A&M, went back to the classic American songcraft her mother would have enjoyed, but transformed it with arrangements even more contemporary than she had been sporting previously (no less a studio than the soul bastion of Muscle Shoals, AL, welcomed her for recording). These performances made her a critical success, but they never resulted in sustained record sales; although she was nominated for an Oscar for The Sterile Cuckoo, she wasn't a well-known commodity. It would take the success of Cabaret and the maturing record consumer to make her a star.

LIZA ~ A LOOK BACK AT "THE WEDDING" !

CLICK PHOTO'S FOR FULL VIEW...

Liza ~ The Complete A&M Recordings...Crazy, Sexy, Cool

PopMatters

by Steve Horowitz

Crazy, Sexy, Cool
While every generation has its own archetype of the crazy but sexy girl, the late ‘60s version was best embodied by Liza Minnelli. And because this time period was so extreme, Minnelli personifies the quintessential hot but nutty chick. Much of this is due to her Oscar nominated role as Pookie Adams in the 1969 movie The Sterile Cuckoo. She wonderfully played the character of a kooky and vulnerable, sexually adventurous teen-age girl. This movie made Minnelli a star, and she followed it with a similar part as the title character in the flick Tell Me You Love Me, Junie Moon. Minnelli then made movie history as the Oscar winner for Best Actress in her next film, Cabaret, starring a similar character in the guise of as Sally Bowles.
It was during this period, from 1968-72, that Minnelli released four albums on the A&M record label. They have just been released, with bonus tracks, on a two-CD set. The four albums are so different that this compilation could have been easily titled The Four Sides of Liza Minnelli. Two of the four albums here are excellent, and some of the bonus tracks are outstanding as well. In fact, there’s a thin line between performing in the persona of a crazy person (think of David Bowie’s Alladin Sane) and being somewhat nuts. Minnelli performs several songs in the guise of a recognizably mentally ill narrator. She sings the others straight and these are disturbing in a much different way.

The first album, simply titled Liza Minnelli, is a delightful slice of folk pop. Minnelli covers three quirky Randy Newman tunes with a light touch, as well as a spirited version of a song by her soon-to-be husband, Peter Allen, “(The Tragedy of) Butterfly McHeart”. These tunes all have idiosyncratic protagonists. She also does inspired versions of Lennon/McCartney’s “For No One”, Bacharach/David’s “The Look of Love” and the title tune from the musical The Happy Time. It’s the other two tracks that are problematic.
Minnelli covers “My Mammy”, a song her mother Judy Garland performed on many occasions along with other standards from the Al Jolson songbook. Certainly blackface minstrel music was considered gauche by 1968, but Minnelli could get away with this simply because her mother was so well-known. The Freudian implications of the dramatically performed song were self-evident, which points to another reason Minnelli’s identification with the crazy girl was so prominent. Everyone knew about Judy Garland’s troubles, and so by osmosis or inheritance, it was assumed her daughter had them as well.
The other cover was a strange medley of “Married” (from the musical Cabaret) and Sonny Bono’s divorce anthem “You Better Sit Down, Kids”. The first song is light and happy, but the second one is played for full melodramatic effect with pounding drums, somber strings, and blaring horns. Minnelli belts the tender words to the children she deserts to her husband as if she was a general barking orders to her troops. The effect is downright weird.
The outtakes from this album include three lovely collaborations with Brazilian Luiz Henrique. While they don’t quite fit the mood of the original record, the songs deserve to be heard.
The second album’s name, Come Saturday Morning,comes from the from the Oscar-nominated song from the film The Sterile Cuckoo. Minnelli’s version lacks the elan of The Sandpipers, who performed it on the movie soundtrack, and on the whole the album seems diffident. Minnelli sings material as diverse as Jimmy Webb’s “MacArthur Park”, Aretha Franklin’s “Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream”, Frank Loesser’s “On A Slow Boat to China”, and Gordon Lightfoot’s “Wherefore and the Why” in the same sing-song rhythms. The album appears to be the product of a tranquilized mind. Still, taken individually, each song has a certain, laid back charm.
The third record, New Feelin’, takes the exact opposite tack. Minnelli sounds simply manic as she roars out selections from the Great American Songbook: Cole Porter’s “Love for Sale”, Harold Arlen’s “Stormy Weather” and “Come Rain or Come Shine”, the Gerwshin brothers’ “The Man I Love”, etc. Minnelli displays little subtlety in her approaches to the material. Basically she begins each of the songs slowly and quietly then builds to climaxes and closes at the top of her lungs. This seems most offensive in her take on Billie Holiday’s fragile “God Bless the Child”. Minnelli may sing “Mother may have / Father may have” as the daughter of famous parents, but she sounds less like a child than a circus impresario announcing the acts. The bonus tracks from this record are better than what is on the original disc, simply because she peforms them in a low key fashion. She performs “Frank Mills” from Hair and Bacharach/David’s “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” and “This Girl’s in Love with You” without the unnecessary over-singing.
The fourth release, Live at the Olympia in Paris allows Minnelli to go over the top in a way appropriate to the live stage. She engages the audience in repartee and shows off her talents to an appreciative crowd. While there is something definitely bizarre in an opening medley that includes “Consider Yourself” from the musical Oliver, The Doors’ “Hello, I Love You (Won’t You Tell Me Your Name)”, and the Broadway show tune “I Gotta Be Me”, Minnelli pulls it off through the strength of her personality. While she redoes “My Mammy” and the “Married/You Better Sit Down, Kids” medley from her first album in ways that are extreme and exaggerated, she is able to carry it off by poking fun of her own pretensions and parodying her immoderate behavior in patter and delivery. She even does a jazzy version of “God Bless the Child” that shows a bit of restraint.
The centerpiece here is a French version of “Liza with a ’Z’” that allows Minnelli to engage the audience on an intimate level while still showing off her many talents. The song was written for her to perform on stage and she knows how to milk it with double-takes, asides, and other theatrical tricks. Minnelli charms throughout the song and the concert as a whole. She is one of the very few people who have won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony, and a Grammy award. This live performance reveals her abilities as a quadruple-threat artist.

Minnelli, Karan and Rachofskys Honored at amfAR Gala

By Andrew Gans12 Jan 2009

Tony Award winner Liza Minnelli, who recently played a limited engagement at Broadway's Palace Theatre, will be among those honored Feb. 12 at amfAR's New York gala.
The black-tie evening at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan will honor Minnelli, designer Donna Karan and Dallas-based philanthropists Howard and Cindy Rachofsky for "their vital and distinctive contributions to the global struggle against AIDS."
Each will receive amfAR's Award of Courage for "outstanding leadership and distinguished service in furthering amfAR's mission, and for playing a vital role in increasing AIDS awareness and accelerating the pace of HIV/AIDS research," according to press notes. Vogue's Anna Wintour, amfAR's Kenneth Cole and Sotheby's Jamie Niven will be on hand to present the honorees with their awards.
The evening will also include a live auction conducted by Niven.
Previous amfAR honorees include Clive Davis, Peter Dolan/Bristol Myers Squibb, Richard Gere, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Hanks, Quincy Jones, Patti LaBelle, Lorne Michaels, Rosie O'Donnell, Sumner Redstone/Viacom, Natasha Richardson, Bill Roedy/MTV Networks, Carine Roitfeld, Julian Schnabel, Bobby Shriver, Sharon Stone, Barbara Walters, Robin Williams and Anna Wintour.
For tickets, which begin at $1,000, contact Kate Fitzsimons at (212) 806-1612 or e-mail kate.fitzsimons@amfar.org.
 *
Established in 1985, 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."

LIZA ~ "HOT TOMATOE" on SNL...

Liza's "POOKIE" look...

Liza’s at the Palace... MERCHANDISE & SOUVENIRS

For those fans who were not able to make it to the Palace Theatre, but have been asking about being able to get the Souviners that were sold there, several of those collector's items are now being offered on Liza's website. Vist the Liza Store at OfficialLizaMinnelli.com or use this direct link:<http://www.officiallizaminnelli.com/misc/palacemerch.html>

Liza Minnelli Kicks Off CD Launch at Lincoln Center Barnes & Noble 2/3

Thursday, January 8, 2009; Posted: 04:01 PM - by BWW News Desk

New York critics and theatre audiences fell under the spell of Liza Minnelli's unmatchable magic when she returned to Broadway's legendary Palace Theatre and played a recent sell-out engagement. Now, music lovers around the world will get the same chance when "Liza's at the Palace..." the new original cast recording of her incomparable show will be released on February 3rd (Hybrid Recordings).

Helmed by veteran music producer Phil Ramone, the two-CD set captures Liza at her inspired best-with the first CD (Act I) featuring her signature hits and personal favorites followed by the second CD (Act II) a rousing tribute to the groundbreaking late-1940s nightclub act of Minnelli's godmother, Kay Thompson.

Along with a twelve-man orchestra led by conductor/drummer Michael Berkowitz and pianist/musical supervisor Billy Stritch, "Liza's At The Palace...." is highlighted with many of Liza's showstoppers such as "Cabaret," "Maybe This Time," and "New York New York" - as well as songs by Charles Aznavour, Roger Edens, John Kander, Johnny Rodgers, and Billy Stritch.

For the first time onstage and now on the recording, Liza pays an affectionate salute to her godmother, the late Kay Thompson who was a ground-breaking vocal arranger and musical director/vocal coach at MGM Studios. Supported by a quartet of dynamic singer/dancers, Liza performs musical numbers (with the original vocal arrangements) from Thompson's historic act with The Williams Brothers. Songs include "I Love a Violin," "Clap Yo' Hands," "Jubilee Time," and "Hello Hello" - set to brand new staging and choreography by Ron Lewis. Accompanying Liza onstage is Johnny Rodgers ,Cortes Alexander, Jim Caruso and Tiger Martina.

Starting February 3rd with a kick-off signing event at the Lincoln Center Barnes & Noble store, "Liza's At The Palace...." will be available wherever fine music is sold, for the suggested retail list price of $19.98.

The original Broadway concert was produced by John Scher/Metropolitan Talent Presents & Jubilee Time Productions and directed and choreographed by Ron Lewis. Gary Labriola served as Executive Producer.


Act I - Disc 1

Teach Me Tonight / Music by Gene DePaul, Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
I Would Never Leave You /Music by Billy Stritch, Johnny Rodgers and Brian Lane Green
If You Hadn't, But You Did / Music by Jule Styne, Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
What Makes a Man a Man? / Music and Lyrics by Charles Aznavour
My Own Best Friend / Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Maybe This Time / Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb
He's Funny That Way / Music by Neil Moret, Lyrics by Richard Whiting
Palace Medley / David Zippel, John Kander/ Roger Edens/ N. Bayes, J. Norworth, N. Graw S. Brooks/ M. Yvain, A. Willemetz, J. Charles/ H. Sutton, R. Grant, J. Lennox
Cabaret / Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb

Act II - Disc 2

But the World Goes 'Round / Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Hello, Hello / Music and Lyrics by Kay Thompson
Jubilee Time / Music and Lyrics by Kay Thompson
Basin Street Blues / Music and Lyrics by Spencer Williams w/ special verse by Kay Thompson
Clap Yo' Hands / Music by George Gershwin, Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away) / Music by George Gershwin, Lyrics by Ira Gershwin/Gus Kahn
I Love a Violin / Music and Lyrics by Kay Thompson
Mammy / Music by Walter Donaldson, Lyrics by Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young
Theme from New York, New York / Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb

As a recording artist, Liza has received a Grammy Award / Living Legend Award; sold millions of records all over the world; made the Billboard charts; scored a Number One single; and three of her albums and one of her videos have been certified Gold by the RIAA. Liza has also recorded every genre of music, from Broadway to Pop, Rock, Blues, Country, Bluegrass, Disco, Dance, and Jazz. Her very first single, "You Are For Loving," sold a reported half million copies in 1963, leading to her signing with Capitol Records. Minnelli's first solo album, Capitol's Liza!Liza!, spent eight weeks on the Billboard charts in 1964. Along with Capitol, Liza has recorded for A&M, Columbia, E pic, Angel, and J Records.

Highlights of Minnelli8 0s recording career include: It Amazes Me; Flora, The Red Menace Original Broadway Cast (eight weeks on the Billboard Top 200 chart); Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli ‘Live' at the London Palladium (14 weeks on the Billboard charts); There Is a Time (Stereo Review Album of the Year); Liza Minnelli; Come Saturday Morning; New Feelin' (three weeks on Billboard's Top 200 Charts); Cabaret soundtrack (Gold Record certification, 72 weeks on Billboard's Top 200 album chart, reaching Number 25); Live at the Olympia in Paris; Liza With a ‘Z soundtrack (Gold Record certification; 23 weeks on Billboard's charts, reaching Number 19); Live at the Olympia in Paris; The Singer (20 weeks on Billboard, reaching Number 38); Live at the Winter Garden (four weeks on Billboard's Top 200 chart, reaching Number 150); Lucky Lady soundtrack; New York, New York soundtrack (14 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 chart, reaching Number 50); Tropical Nights; The Act original Broadway cast; Live at Carnegie Hall; The Rink original Broadway cast; At Carnegie Hall (eight weeks on Billboard's Top 200 chart, reaching Number 156); Results (Gold Record certified; 10 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 chart, reaching Number 128); Losing My Mi nd (single; Number One on the British charts; 15 weeks on the Billboard Top 100 Dance Tracks chart, reaching Number 11); Love Pains (single; two weeks on the Billboard Top 100 Dance Tracks chart, reaching Number 40); Stepping Out soundtrack; Aznavour-Minnelli : Paris; Live From Radio City Music Hall (video v ersion Certified Gold, and spent nine weeks on the Billboard video chart, reaching Number 23); The Day After That (single, for which she directed the music video); Gently (Grammy Award nomination, Best Traditional Pop Vocal; one week on Billboard's Top 200 chart, at Number 156 ); Minnelli on Minnelli : Live at the Palace; and Liza's Back! Compilations include The Complete Capitol Collection; The Best of Liza Minnelli; ; and The Complete A&M Recordings.

Liza Minnelli was born in Los Angeles and made her screen debut as a toddler in the musical In the Good Old Summertime in 1949. One of the world's best-loved entertainers, she won Tony awards for Flora, the Red Menace in 1965 and The Act in 1978, along with a third for Best Personal Achievement, resulting from her 1974 engagement at the Winter Garden Theatre. Nominated for an Academy Award® for The Sterile Cuckoo (1969), she won the best actress prize for her best-known film, Cabaret (1972), which also won her a Golden Globe Award and a BAFTA. She won an Emmy for Liza with a 'Z' (1972) and was also the recipient of a Grammy Legend Award in 1989, making her one of the few artists who have won entertainment's top six awards. Liza has also been the recipient of three David di Donatello Awards - for The Sterile Cuckoo (1969), Cabaret (1972) and Lifetime Achievement (2002). Film credits include Charlie Bubbles (1968), Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970), Lucky Lady (1975), A Matter of Time (1976), New York, New York (1977), Arthur (1981) Stepping Out (1991), and The Oh In Ohio (2006). Liza recently attracted an entirely new generation of fans with her acclaimed turn as "Lucille 2" on the Emmy-winning Best Comedy Arrested Development, and for her appearance on the chart-topping album The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance.

Liza Minnelli To Make 'SNL' Cameo 1/10

Liza Minnelli's official website is reporting that the performing legend and recent "Broadway Baby" will be making a brief appearance on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE this coming Saturday, January 10th, 2009 (11:30 PM - 1 AM, on NBC).

She told the site that the cameo is a "walk-on / walk-through / brief appearance as part of a joke"

In a surprise it will be Liza Minnelli's debut appearance on the legendary late night comedy series.

Liza's at the Palace...! ended an extented run on January 4th, 2009.

Neil Patrick Harris will host Saturday Night Live this Saturday, January 10th. SNL airs at 11:30/10:30c. Taylor Swift will be the musical guest.

For more information on Liza visit, www.officialllizaminnelli.com.

Friday, January 9, 2009; Posted: 09:01 AM - by BWW News Desk

Liza's at the Palace... CD to Be Released February 3

The original cast recording of Liza Minnelli's recent Broadway show, Liza's at the Palace..., will be released as a two-CD set from Hybrid Recordings on February 3. On that same date, there will be a kick-off signing event at the Lincoln Center Barnes & Noble store.

The first CD (Act I) features Minnelli singing her signature hits and personal favorites, while the second CD (Act II) is a tribute to the groundbreaking late-1940s nightclub act of Minnelli's godmother, Kay Thompson.

The twelve-man orchestra is led by conductor/drummer Michael Berkowitz and pianist/musical supervisor Billy Stritch. Accompanying Liza onstage in the second act is Johnny Rodgers, Cortes Alexander, Jim Caruso, and Tiger Martina.

Minnelli won Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Musical for Flora the Red Menace and The Act, and won a special Tony Award in 1974. She was also nominated for The Rink and has starred on Broadway in Victor/Victoria and Chicago. She won the Academy Award for Cabaret and the Emmy Award for Liza With a "Z".
By: Dan Bacalzo · Jan 6, 2009 · New York

Liza ~ flashback...

Minnelli closes Palace with style

LIZA’S TRIUMPHANT GOODBYE By Liz Smith Posted: Wed., Jan. 7, 2009, Tribune Media Services
“AND SO, with deep humility, I stand in front of you/I’m proud to play the Palace, it’s like a dream come true!”
On Sunday afternoon, Liza Minnelli sang her mother’s famous “Palace medley” for the final time, closing her four-week run at the fabled Broadway theater where Judy herself triumphed in 1951, ’56 and ’67.
“Liza’s at the Palace” show was conceived , in part, as a tribute to her late godmother, entertainer and author Kay Thompson. And the second act is devoted to Liza’s brilliant take on Kay’s unerring way with song and dance. But for many, the show’s sentimental highpoints were Liza’s open acknowledgment of her mother’s influence, Judy’s importance to the legacy of the Palace, and Liza’s total ease at singing not one, but two of her mother’s great numbers — she closes the show with a you’re-made-of-stone-if-you-don’t-cry rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”
The atmosphere for Liza’s last concert — which included Barbara Cook and Martin Short in attendance — was hysterical from the moment the lights went down and the overture began, to the very end, with Liza standing in a campy, arms up, head thrown back pose. And while Liza’s audiences are famously forgiving — as they were with Judy — there has been little cause to qualify Liza’s performance during this run. And none whatsoever on that Sunday afternoon.
Her voice seemed, if anything, stronger, more controlled. She hit high notes that wobbled a bit on opening night, the deep low notes were more dramatic than ever. She moved like a woman who has never hear d the words “hip replacement.” Liza belted or caressed all her standards, as if composing them on the spot. When she got to “And the World Goes ‘Round” it was velvet! (Liza keeps her usually active hands in the pockets of her embroidered jacket for most of this song, rendering it even more effective.) Her Kay Thompson numbers were extra exuberant, and the support she receives from Billy Stritch, and her four singing/dancing fellows is incalculable.
The give and take between artist and audience is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I don’t believe anybody, no matter how unmoved they have been by Liza Minnelli in the past, could have attended this Palace run without finally being lifted off his seat, applauding, brava-ing, inexplicably misting up. Miss Minnelli wrenches the emotion from herself and in doing so, transforms her audiences. One cannot remain uninvolved when this genius is on stage.
On opening night, I worried that Liza might not do it for me again. I’d seen her in every mood and move. All her familiar mannerisms, all the bits of business that seem so spontaneous but are carefully rehearsed. Happy as I was that she’d made it back, once again, I didn’t expect the old rush of emotion. Wrong! Liza is a theatrical tsunami, an unstoppable fo rce of nature. I believe she will go on forever. She has to. When she tells her audience, “It’s all for you,” she ain’t kidding.
Let’s hope the Tony committee remembers Liza when they compile the nominees for Special Theatrical Event. Sure, Liza already has three Tonys. But round numbers are neater.

LIZA ~ Liz Smith -- NY POST -- Wednesday, June 21st, 2006

LIZA MINNELLI has rarely looked or seemed healthier these days. She's everywhere, like a fly on a griddle - concertizing, picking up awards, attending the theater - she adored the current "Jacques Brel" revival. At L.A.'s House of Blues last week, she attended the 14th annual American Society of Young Musicians event where the youngsters mobbed her. She's working on a movie script about nightclub life in N.Y.C. - something she used to know a lot about! - and will soon record a tribute album honoring her late godmother, author and dazzling performer Kay Thompson. (A lot of Thompson's dramatic style was picked up by Liza's mom, Judy Garland, who honed it to perfection.) Now, folks, isn't it time for Miss Minnelli to collect the ultimate American honor from the Kennedy Center? I say yes!

BACKSTAGE PHOTOS OF 'LIZA'S AT THE PALACE...!'

Neil Meron, Anne Hathaway, Liza Minnelli, Marisa Berenson, Starlite Randall

Liza's at the Palace...! opened on Broadway December 3rd and the rave reviews and cheering haven't stopped! What also continues is the steady stream of starry well wishers who've caught the show and stopped backstage to share in the excitement! And when you've got that many stars in one place on a nightly basis, is there any surprise that somebody is gonna take a picture? Famous faces, showbiz pals and legends galore gave a smile for the camera so you can share in the magic of Liza at The Palace! We're also including some backstage antics of the cast and crew...enjoy! Kenneth Cole, Liza Minnelli, Harry Belafonte and Matilda Cuomo

Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Liza Minnelli, Cortes Alexander, Ron Lewis, Tiger Martina and Johnny Rodgers
Lawrence Luckinbill, Liza Minnelli and Lucie Arnaz

John Waters and Liza Minnelli

Liza Minnelli and Billie Jean King

Liza Minnelli and Barbara Walters

Chita Rivera, Liza Minnelli and Lisa Mordente

check that awesome KAY THOMPSON photo on Liza's dressing room wall!

Sunday, January 4, 2009; Posted: 12:01 PM - by BWW News Desk

Liza's at the Palace...! opened on Broadway December 3rd and the rave reviews and cheering haven't stopped! What also continues is the steady stream of starry well wishers who've caught the show and stopped backstage to share in the excitement! And when you've got that many stars in one place on a nightly basis, is there any surprise that somebody is gonna take a picture? Famous faces, showbiz pals and legends galore gave a smile for the camera so you can share in the magic of Liza at The Palace! We're also including some backstage antics of the cast and crew...enjoy!

Liza's at the Palace...Director and choreographer Ron Lewis joins Liza Minnelli onstage closing night for the final curtain call...photo by Pedro Ruiz

CLICK PHOTO FOR FULL VIEW...

Liza's at The Palace...

Minnelli Plays Final Performance at the Palace Jan. 4

By Andrew Gans04 Jan 2009

The limited engagement of the critically acclaimed Liza's at the Palace . . .!, which was extended twice, ends its run at Broadway's Palace Theatre Jan. 4 at 3 PM.
Produced by John Scher/Metropolitan Talent Presents & Jubilee Time Productions, the production was originally scheduled to run to Dec. 14 but was originally extended through Dec. 28. Due to ticket demand, the show was extended for a second time through Jan. 4.
Liza's at the Palace . . .! began previews and opened at the Palace on the same day, Dec. 3.
Minnelli is joined onstage by Cortés Alexander, Jim Caruso, Tiger Martina and Johnny Rodgers. Conductor/drummer Michael Berkowitz and pianist/musical supervisor Billy Stritch lead a 12-person orchestra.
Ron Lewis directs and choreographs Liza's at the Palace . . .!, which was scripted by Minnelli and Tony winner David Zippel. Gary Labriola is executive producer.
The production also features scenery by Ray Klausen, costumes by Halston, lighting by Matthew Berman and sound by Matt Kraus.
The evening, according to press notes, features "an incomparable Minnelli songfest including many of her personal favorites and signature hits, followed by a dance-filled tribute to the groundbreaking late-1940s nightclub act of Minnelli's godmother, Kay Thompson."

Concertgoers can expect to hear Minnelli's renditions of "Cabaret," "Maybe This Time" and "New York, New York." Minnelli also pays "an affectionate salute to her godmother, the late Kay Thompson," who coached Minnelli's late mother, the legendary Judy Garland. The Thompson tribute includes musical hits (with the original vocal arrangements) from Thompson's act, including "I Love a Violin," "Clap Yo' Hands," "Jubilee Time" and "Hello Hello."
Liza Minnelli, an Oscar winner for her performance in Cabaret, was last on Broadway in a tribute to her late father entitled Minnelli on Minnelli; she also returned to New York City's Beacon Theatre with her acclaimed concert Liza's Back! In addition to her Tonys for Flora, the Red Menace and The Act, Minnelli was awarded a special Tony in 1974 for "adding lustre to the Broadway season." Her film credits include "The Sterile Cuckoo," "Arthur," "New York, New York" and "Stepping Out." The singer is also a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actress. Her album "Liza's Back!" is available on the J Records label, and "The Best of Liza Minnelli" was released on the Columbia/Legacy label. Showtime aired "Liza with a 'Z'," and Minnelli also received the Julie Harris Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 10th Annual Tony Awards Bash in Los Angeles.
"Liza's at The Palace," a new two-CD set celebrating Minnelli's return to Broadway's Palace Theatre, will arrive in stores Feb. 3 on the Hybrid Recordings label. Helmed by producer Phil Ramone, the recording is also on sale during Minnelli's Broadway engagement. The first CD (Act I) features Minnelli's signature hits, while the second disc (Act II) features the tribute to Minnelli's godmother, Kay Thompson.
The Palace Theatre is located at Broadway and 47th Street. Tickets, priced $25-$125, are available by calling (212) 307-4100 or (800) 755-4000. For more information visit www.lizasatthepalace.com.

Liza Minnelli rings the New York Stock Exchange

NEW YORK - JANUARY 02: Singer and actress Liza Minnelli rings the New York Stock Exchange closing bell on January 2, 2009 in New York City.