Liza Minnelli

[1rainbow]

This is a fans perspective with which i hope to share one day :)

Asking my girlfriends to take a trip with me to Vegas to see Liza Minnelli in concert was a gamble. An honest gamble. When I found the ad in the paper, I was sitting on the couch and a large gasp escaped my mouth. Chrisanne looked at me, hoping I hadn’t stuck my finger into yet another open light socket.

“What? What is it??” she asked eyes wide.

“Liza!!!! She’s Here!” I screamed.

“She’s here? In the living room?”

And then she rolled her eyes.

I knew taking Chrisanne was not an option. So I called the gal pals. Sheila was ecstatic. Over the moon about it. Not quite as insane as I was, but enthusiastic nonetheless. Shannon was happy. Just happy. She knew what most people knew about Liza which was she had been married 900 times, Judy Garland was her Mother, she made a movie called Cabaret, and she recently blew up like an inflated seagull.

I knew better. But I kept silent. I had my pals, and we decided to spend the weekend in Vegas. Just the girls. No spouses, no strings, just 3 chicks on an adventure.

Shannon drove, cleaned her car (in an almost strangely meticulous Felix Unger sort of way), and I brought along a Liza Mix Tape that took me almost 3 days to make. Mix Tapes are extremely important to me when I’m obsessing. It must be right. It must have a coherent through line, dramatic intent, and be sprinkled with comedy and monologues…all in the right place of course. It was a painstaking process finding Liza’s songs, her vocals from age 18 to 60, and peppering it with just the right tempo so as not to kill everyone in the car with too much vibrato. (Please see warning at top of entry)

Chrisanne packed us a huge picnic lunch so we wouldn’t have to snack and eat garbage on dirty truck stops along the way. It was as if we were on our way to Iraq in an old pick up truck with a secret map of the country’s war startegys tucked in the backseat. There was enough food to feed a large African village. It was brilliant.

As a side note, we actually did have to stop at MacDonald’s, only because…well…it’s MacDonald’s.

As we drove closer to Vegas we began to notice the strangest structures any of us had ever seen scattered along the dirt side road. At one time, we all pointed simultaneously to a large Pepto Bismol covered castle with a winding roller coaster swaying above the third tower jutting out in the Nevada dirt.

“What’s with the roller coaster?” Shannon asked.

“Is it running????” Sheila chimed in excitedly.

“That’d be cool!!” I shouted.

I love roller coasters, and after all, we were on our way to Vegas, so it was time to be BAD. Naughty. Misbehave. Do things. Be OUT!

Brilliant.

Sadly, the bizarrely shaped building was merely a mirage. It sat, empty, lifeless and with the wind blowing over the top of it, looked more like a movie set than an actual castle. We still have no idea why it was there in the first place, but we made a Girl Vow that on the way back, we’d conquer it.

We. Were. Determined.

On the way, as the Liza Mix Tape blared, I could tell I was getting more and more excited. I got quiet occasionally. I would stare out the window and think:

“5 more hours to Liza. 4 more hours to Liza. 3 more hours to Liza.”

I had turned into Rain Man.

“You okay?” Shannon would ask.

‘3 MORE HOURS TO LIZA!”

Like I had some sort of strange brain disease.

By no means was the car quiet though. There were very few lags in our conversations and we had many. I was never once worried about Shannon and Sheila getting along. They’re almost identical. Both in the arts, both hilarious. And both really, really smart. We talked about food, love, drugs, booze, men, politics, and with me in the driver’s seat, we always came back around to discussing Liza. Where she was born, what’s happened to her, how is she now. Having seen her in concert since I’ve been 18 years old, I knew almost everything there was to know about the woman. I had much information and was eager to share. At times, as a Liza song was playing. Shannon, keeping her eyes on the narrow and hypnotizing road ahead would wince at an occasional missed note, or what I like to call: “A Liza Screech”.

Then, as a once in a lifetime lull happened in the car, she turned to me and asked very simply:

“Alex. Are you sure you’re going to be okay if…well….if Liza’s…..well….”

She was censoring herself so as to not hurt my feelings. It was so sweet for her to attempt to nurture my complete and utter insanity with such kit gloves, I couldn’t help but smile.

“…if she’s what? A walking disaster?” I finished for her.

“Well….yeah.”

I was okay with that. I was okay with that because I know Liza and I’ve seen her bounce back from everything from a brain crunch, to 2 hips being replaced. I knew she’d be great because she’s a human bulldozer, and I also knew, since neither Shannon nor Sheila had ever seen the woman live, that no matter how feeble or how huge she ballooned, she was not ABOUT to let us down. This is a performer who comes from fairly heavy stock. She doesn’t quit. Never has, and I just had to believe she wouldn’t this time. After all, we had trudged through the desert and passed up the Ghost Castle with the mystery roller coaster. Things HAD to work out.



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Shannon had taken care of the hotel reservations and as we drove up, it was like a beacon in the City of Sin and Schmaltz. Every time I go there, I worry about the emotional state of people who actually reside. The houses are all a bit dowdy and brown with raked roofs and no greenery, and in the distance there’s more glitter and sequins than Cher’s bathroom. This strange sense of “HERE’S LAS VEGAS DAMMIT” crept over us as we drove knee deep into the heart of the millions of lights and colored casinos.

I just kept thinking: What do these people do that live here? I mean, how may times can you actually see Wayne Newton? And not want to purchase your own rhinestone belt?

The hotel room Shannon booked for us was cozy and very clean. This made Shannon very happy. I found that Shannon was not only a clean freak; she was a packing freak as well. Sheila and I had thrown 3 or 4 things in bags; Shannon brought her beaming black rolling suitcase complete with matching shoes and a handle with her initials on it. It was kind of fantastic, if not a tad annoying. But that’s Shannon. Fantastic and annoying. All in good ways.

We napped, read, chatted and Sheila thumbed through a Las Vegas magazine (pining for the old days with black and whites and large sprayed hair do’s and Sammy and Dean in their hey day) and I flicked in the large screen TV and dreamt of CNN. And a world without Foley.

After the pow wow was over, and Shannon arose form her cat nap, we primped, changed clothes, and I finally whipped out my Liza Sweatshirt.

In 1979 Liza’s personal assistant wandered into a dump I was playing in somewhere on the outskirts of Chicago, and we struck up a very brief friendship. Once he told me who he was and who his boss was, I saw stars and practically threw myself in his gay little lap. He saw I wasn’t just a fan. I wasn’t just some chick who happened to appreciate Liza’s talent. I had an obsession. Not a dangerous, Glenn Close obsession, but an obsession in the purest sense. I knew where the lines were and I wasn’t about to go pawing through her trash looking for used Frosted Flakes boxes. I admired her from afar and loved her from a safe and legal distance.

But I was obsessed. And he saw it,.

About a month later, he returned to the club, and gave me a present. It was a white sweatshirt with a hand painted copy of Liza’s Warhol face on the front. It was really magnificent, and it was one of a kind. He was not only her assistant he told me, but a budding artist as well. I only wore that shirt when I saw Liza in concert, and I took very good care of it., It followed me through my addictions, through my homelessness, through countless lovers, through my prostitution, through acting classes, through betrayals, and confessions, and beatings and affairs, and through my sobriety, my friend’s deaths and through my marriage and my AIDS diagnosis. It’s a shirt with a massive history. I have nothing else like it hanging in my closet. It’s a true Talisman for me, and no one else on the planet has one.

No one.

So, as we began to get ready for the evening, and as everyone began to wake up and realize why we were there and where exactly we were, I put on my sweat shirt. There they were…Liza’s eyes and her over sized head peeking over my chest. A huge picture with life sized eyeballs that seemed to follow everyone from room to room. Even people who weren’t in the room were being followed. It was scary. It even scared me. I think it might have even scared Liza.

But the girl’s were fine with it. They looked at it for a while, and had a look of utter disbelief…I mean, who could blame them? How many people do you know that have an honest to goodness Liza Minnelli copy of an Andy Warhol sweat shirt from the 70’s tucked away somewhere?

Probably no more than 3. I’m just guessing.

After I explained how and why and what the shirt actually meant, everyone was fine. We were there for one reason and one reason only: To worship Liza. And for Shannon, to see what all the fuss was about.

And then, as we traipsed down to dinner, we began to get lost in maze after maze after maze of slot machines and half baked waitresses and various senior citizens literally glued to their seats and staring bleary eyed at dozes of half blinking lights on a myriad of different machines. All promosing money. Post of it. Gobs of it. Buckets and buckets of money. I didn't see one person win one thing for the 10 hours I was there. And quite frankly, we all wanted some fresh air. There's only so much cigar smoke, and cheap perfume, and moldy shag carpeting you can smell for so long. Then eventually, your nostrils will turn and run screaming from your face. The thing about Vegas is, they really don’t want you to go outside. They don’t want you to leave. They want you IN the casino at ALL TIMES. There’s no windows, there’s no air, and there’s no way out.

We wandered around trying to just get out for a minute to see the sky, and every time we’d pass by a random Vegas-ite with a tray full of drinks, we’d ask the same question in the same tone:

“How do we get outside?”

And ultimately, we’d hear the same answer:

“Go up, and then down.”

That meant, go up the stairs and down into the casino. Hopefully there’ll be a small green troll guarding the magic door that leads to the blue Fairy’s lair where the key that unlocks the chest will be found on the third night of the third day when the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars….then pe-e-ace will guide the plane-e-ets……

I mean, c’mon now. Where are we really going? We have to see Liza, we’ll be right back to spend more money, just tell us where the outside is.

No such luck. You want outside; you’re on your own, pal.

Finally, after wandering around like blind moles, we found our restaurant Shannon had made reservations for, and sat down for an enormous meal and more girl talk. Occasionally we’d glance around the room and notice that were indeed some of the hottest chicks there. Not because any of us are particularly hot (well, okay, we're a TAD on the hot side) but more to the point, the women that were there were ancient and riddled with a suntan that isn’t found in nature. Most everyone was dressed in Bermuda shorts, floral print golf shirts and earth shoes. It was like an old golfer's convention. We were definitely the catch of the night. Everything was going our way.

And to be honest, both Shannon and Sheila were indeed knock outs. Shannon, all tall and lanky with her fabulous shoulder length hair, and draped in her glamorous lime green, cap sleeved top and jeans, and Sheila, creamy skinned, curvy and voluptuous, bouncng and behaving in her low cut black boob top. I was dressed as their nonsensical, lower middle class Liza Phile step sister from the local trailer park. After all, I was the only one in Las Vegas with Liza’s big head on my breasts.

We eventually found our way to the outside where we wandered around for another couple of minutes and smoked and then it began to hit me. Hard and all at once. I was minutes away. The concert itself was minutes away. The thing I had waited almost 8 years for had nearly arrived. My heart began to beat faster, I could feel the blood rushing to my throat, and my palms got sweaty. Maybe Shannon would be right. Maybe Liza was going to, for the first time, be Old. Old and rickety. Not able to walk. Maybe instead of bounding out on stage in front of a packed house, she’d be wheeled out with her two fake hips in a Debbie Reynolds wheelchair drooling and speaking in tongues. Maybe that would happen. What then? What would I do then? Sink in my seat and pretend the face on my chest was David Hassehoff?

As we stood looking up at the night sky, with the glimmers of Vegas surrounding us and the sounds of the casino below us, I begged the girls to run down to the theatre so we could grab the tickets and get into our seats as soon as we could. I couldn’t take it anymore. My breath was running out and I needed to get in. I needed to get in the theatre and experience what I had set out for.

Liza.

I had no idea what I was about to encounter. I thought I was ready. I truly wasn’t. Liza shirt and all.



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[1rainbow]

If you've ever run barefoot through a field of sharp knives while
trying to
balance a balloon filled with helium in the tip of your nose,
you'll know
exactly how I felt waiting to enter into the theatre.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/images/webextras/gallery/scheid/liza.jpg

I was riddled with anxiety. My breath was caught in the base of my
throat. My
hair hurt. It seemed everything was happening to me at once. That I
was in
control of nothing. My arms were numb and the only way I actually
knew I was
moving forward was because Shannon and Sheila's heads bobbed up
and down trying
to see the stage and the rest of the crowd.

We also noticed simultaneously that we were again, the hottest
chicks in the
room. We were also the youngest. The youngest and the hottest. This
was
turning out to be a great trip for all concerned. Most everyone
piling into the
theatre was over 50. There were a few 30 something's scattered
about like random
confetti, but for the most part, we were of the few that had our
own hips. The
great thing was that unlike some of the casinos, these people were
dressed.
Spangles, sparkles, chiffon, cocktail dresses, suits and ties,
everyone was
going to the Theatre. They dressed for it, and they dressed for
Liza. And there
was a definite buzz. People whispering about how she was going to
look, when was
the last time they saw her live, what was their favorite song. Each
conversation had my heart beating just a bit faster. Obviously I
couldn't listen to
anymore Liza talk or someone would have o call the paramedics.

The theatre was gorgeous. A big open space with almost 1,000 seats
in it. And
one by one, little by little, every single seat was taken. She was
sold out,
and I was happy for her. As if I knew her. As if we had some sort
of personal
relationship. I was relieved. She had sold out. That'll make her
happy.

We were in the 13th row dead center. The seats were perfect.
Perfect.

Oddly enough, everything up to that point had also been perfect.
Nothing went
wrong. We didn't run out of gas, we didn't get stranded, our
hotel room was
fabulous, we were laughing and giggling and chatting about
everything with no
strange special awareness or uncomfortable long
pauses .everything about this
trip was truly magical.

And now these seats. Dead center and only about 25 feet away from
the front
of the stage. Amazing.

Her audience was diverse, but that's normal. It always has been.
I know
people tend to lump Judy and Liza in the big gay pool, and think
that the only
people that come to see either of them were the Gays, and although
it's true the
Gays had a lot to do with both their successes, both women
transcended
stereotypes. They reached across gender and generational lines. And
Liza was carrying
on that tradition. Old, young (okay a lot of Old), races,
religions, sequins,
flannel, straight, gay me. Everyone was there. And all of us
had come to the
theatre to celebrate. To hear her. To be with her. We were all
huddled
together, everyone in their finest (and me in my sweatshirt)
waiting for the
entrance of a trouper. A trouper from the old school.

Directly in front of us were a couple. A man probably in his
40's. He was
large. A big guy with huge hands and a bushy face riddled with day
old bear.
Although he was in a suit and tie, I could tell by his stature and
demeanor this
was foreign to him except for very special occasions. He had bear
claws and
wavy bunches of black hair plopping in his eyes. He was a Guy. Just
a regular
beer drinking, boob grabbing, behind watching King of Queens Guy.
And there he
was, sitting directly in front of me with his beautiful brown
haired tiny framed
wife. At a Liza Minnelli concert. I didn't know what was
happening. I had
reservations. Would they get her? Would they be okay through the
concert? Why was
HE there? She probably dragged him there and he came reluctantly,
jaw to the
ground, fists clenched and carrying his copy of Popular Mechanics.
Liza? Aw crap, Honey. Isn't she dead?

But, no matter what their attitude, I was now half way out of my
seat,
rocking back and forth, and smiling at Shannon and Sheila.
Sheila's face was
beaming. She was excited and ready. Shannon was smiling and looking
over at the
crowd, counting the large hair dos and mumbling:

Wow. Wow.

Over and over.

And then it happened. The 13 piece orchestra set on the stage
struck a
massive chord that shook the base of our collective feet. The
lights dimmed. A large
pool of light flooded the center of the stage, darkness washed over
us all,
and the back drop changed from it's boring, hum drum neutral, to
an electric
blue. Then, from off the to came the force.

The light swung forcefully over to her bouncing off her rose
cocktail dress
and her familiar short cropped hair, and round expressive face
reaching toward
the back row with a power of a live electric wire. It was stunning.
She looked
amazing. She lost almost 40 pounds, her legs looked shapely and
fabulous, and
she bounded toward center stage with the energy of a 30 year old.
There were
no fake hips or wheel chairs for this night. It was as if she'd
turned back
the clock and had secretly stuffed a picture of herself in her
attic. She looked
so stunning it was almost frightening. There was age. This was
definitely not
Liza at 20, we all knew that, but we were fine with that. She had
lines, she
had a small lilt in her eyes, and she made no secret that she was
anti botox,
and anti wax lips.

She was a true star at the peak of her powers.

And collectively, and I mean collectively, we stood. Everyone. All
at once. In a huge clump we shot out of our seats and screamed and howled
and hooted and
applauded until our palms bled. We were THRILLED to see her, and
she loved
it. She appreciated it. As the band kept playing, and lights got
brighter and
more fine tuned, and as she walked (almost skipped) to the center
microphone
standing solely in the center cradled on it's stand, she waved,
smiled, and
giggled..Liza-like.

And we kept standing. We couldn't sit down. We couldn't stop.
Everyone with
every hair do and every age and every generation was up on their
feet doing
exactly what I was doing: Succumbing to the need to say thank you
to a living
legend.

It was unlike anything I've ever experienced.

I was with my peeps.

It was satisfying and fulfilling.

The high register is gone. Not that she ever really had one.
Minnelli always
relied on story telling. She never considered herself a brilliant
singer and
doesn't to this day. She's not Streisand, she's not Garland,
she's not
Merman. She's not one of those legends. In order to understand
why she does what she
does, you truly have to see what she does and why she does
it's..live. It
comes together. You get it. You feel what she's saying. Truly,
obsession aside,
there's no one on the planet that does what Minnelli does. Never
has been and
never will be.

The closest artist I can think of would be Charles Azenvour. It's
that kind
of performance.

And she did it all for us.
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She stood. Gestures aside. While the drums and the brass loomed
behind her
mixed in a sound system that Briteny really needs to look in to,
and with legs
wide apart as if she were standing in compete defiance of us, she
sang I Can
See Clearly Now with a clear, alto that shook the rafters. With
age (and years
of abuse and reconstruction to her voice) she has a sound that is
low, deep,
resonate, and pure. She's still belting. Still holding on to
those long, long
notes with confidence and clarity, and yet the high whispery Liza
of years ago
is a memory. And we didn't mind. She belted. She belted So
What? (from
Cabaret), in which she went from the telling of the story, to
actually re
creating the character of Lata Lania. She lowered the key a bit on
Come In From The
Rain, and then hopped and swung her arms voraciously to What
Did I Have
(from On A Clear Day).

In between her miraculous vocal performance, a cell phone went off.
Liza
stopped the band, turned to the idiot caller and said plainly:

Hello?

We loved it.

She sang Sara Lee (a novelty song composed by two of the men
that
literally helped create her) and three people decided they take
their seats late into
the performance, and sit themselves in the front row. AS she sang
the song.

After she finished the last chorus, Liza looked down toward the
three late
comers, and said loudly and with a smirk:

Don't worry. You didn't miss much. The people to your right
will explain
everything.

It was a calmer, more demure, campier, freer Liza. Finally free
from the
idiot with the lips she married, over 60 and svelte, she's done
with the people
pleaser. She grabbed her bosoms at one time, made fun of her own
image, laughed
at us and us at her, talked about her Mom and Pop, and danced.

Yes danced.

As her piano player (who Shannon SWEARS is boffing her) played an
instrumental version of You Can Leave Your Hat On, Liza took
a small gold and black
fedora from behind the piano, and Fosse-ed her way across the
stage. Lifting,
kicking, pulsating, gyrating and slithering back and forth in a
style that would
put all these teenagers to shame.

In between the boffo, socko belt-y numbers, and the gorgeous
ballads, we
cheered, screamed, stood up, sat down, stood up again, and reached
toward her.
Peppered with You look FABULOUS!, and LIZA!!!, from the
crowd of a
thousand, I got in my very own:

I LOVE YOU LIZA!!!

At the top of my lungs.

And the top of my lungs is loud. Trust me.

She looked at me, we collectively applauded once again, and with
her enormous
brown eyes, she said:

I love you too. You know, you guys are really my family. I'm
happiest when I
am around you.

I think I went onto cardiac arrest for a second, I can't really
remember.

Shannon was out of control. Sheila was out of control. The three of
us were
acting in unison. Crying. Wiping tears away. Grateful to her. She
wasn't
performing AT us, she was performing FOR us. All the jittery
convulsions that used
to pepper her shows were gone now. This was a woman who was sure.
Confident.
Aware. And truly, and more importantly, grateful. You could see it.
We could
tell. And we, in turn, were grateful to her. She stood firm and
tight with a
sparkle and a smile that allowed us to relax. Everything was fine.
We were in good
hands. Seeing both my pals love her as much as I love her probably
added to
the emotion of the evening. They GOT her. They understood WHY I was
so obsessed
and why a performer like that is not only adored but respected and
revered,
and very, very, very rare.

She's amazing. I had no idea. Shannon whispered to me at
one point.

That was huge for me.
http://www.hola.com/perfiles/lizaminnelli/liza-6b.jpg

Then, as the show was nearly over, 3 more idiots came waltzing to
the row in
front of us plopping themselves down next to the Hairy Guy and his
Wife. There
were three of them, and they had entered the wrong place. This was
Liza's
show, not theirs. They continued to jabber even after they sat.
Moving and
giggling and whispering to each other. I was getting angrier and
angrier. But
luckily, we were all on the same team. We were all together. This
wasn't a movie;
there was a real person up on stage. And not just somebody, it was
Liza
Minnelli. Shut up.

The Hairy guy was bopping his head to Liza's newest song, moving
in a joyful
shape back and forth, and then stopped suddenly, turned his head
toward the
three idiots, and in a loud masculine voice said:

SHHH!

Then turned his head slowly toward Liza and continued his bopping.

They not only shut up, but they cowered, shrunk in size, and then
moved down
two seats. Sheila whispered under her breath:

Good man.

And Shannon and I gave a small thumbs up behind his back.

The three of us were now officially in love with The Hairy Guy and
his tiny
wife. The Hairy Guy was also enthralled with Liza. He got her. He
understood
what he was witnessing and he was as caught up as the rest of the
Liza Philes in
the house that night. He didn't want to be disturbed and he
didn't want
anyone else disturbed either. He was Row Captain and we all
collectively, thanked
him. He saved the rest of the show for us. I wanted to find him,
hunt him down
after the show and personally shake his hand and tell him how much
we
appreciated him. He arrived on time, he got dressed in his monkey
suit and he took
his wife by the hand and as they sat and as the show went on and as
Liza began
to do what she does, something occurred. He might not have expected
it, but it
happened anyway and he loved it so much he refused to let some
gaggle of
strangers with big mouths disturb his moment.

Liza reached out to the Hairy Man, and we all benefited from it.

Minnelli having sung almost an hour and a half, and taken one small
break for
a delicious costume change then pulled out the big guns. She went
into
Cabaret and then finished with New York, New York.

There's always been one gesture in her version of New York,
New York that
has always baffled me. Liza, right before the key change on the
word Town
winds up her arm like a toy boat and the lets loose on the rest of
the phrase.
It's bizarre and fascinating and I've never seen anyone else on
the planet do
this. And it's always, always gotten a standing ovation.

I later asked Sheila what she thought that was:

She's winding up. Makes sense to me.

Yes. That was it. She was getting ready to hit us in a way that
moved
forward. It wasn't about the next note, or how terrific it was
going to be, it wasn't about what she was trying to sell us all. It was unavoidable for
her. She
had no choice but to wind up, prepare her and us, and let loose
with a vocal
prowess that's seldom seen.

We were collectively thrown from our seats. All 1,000 of us,
including the
Hairy Man and his petite wife. I don't know if the idiot
stragglers included
themselves or not, I was too busy trying to hurl my limp body on
the stage like a
drunken rag doll. My head felt light and my hands almost ached
having
applauded so long and so manically.

Minnelli had three curtain calls and then began an accapella
version of I' ll Be Seeing You which I've heard her do 3 or 4 times. Then,
after our
support and genuine appreciation of her and her gift, she felt
herself change gears.
She told another story, and then stood on the stage, stared at us
for a
moment and said in almost a hush:

No. Nope. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do that
one. Feel
something different now. I'm going to change my mind and sing
something else. I
hope that's okay.

I was stunned.

The one thing I know about Liza is that she's exact. She
rehearses until she' s blue. Nothing is ever left to chance. But tonight, after the cell
phone,
after the late comers, after the boob grabbing, I knew she was off
on an
unplanned tangent. She sang a song accapella as she had planned but
not the song she
began. I knew this because of the curious face of her pianist. His
head was
cocked to the side, and the expression on his face was priceless.

The concert ended. She took two more bows, and then swept off
stage.
Sweating, heaving and probably ready for a large gurney.

Shannon was in shock. Sheila was still wiping tears away, and my
ears were
ringing with the sound of Liza's voice still surrounding me.

I really had no idea. She was brilliant. Shannon said
directly to me.

That was unreal. Sheila commented.

I KNOW! I screamed at her.

I mean, who's like that anymore? she said again.

RIGHT???!!! I yelled back.

So, so, so many things. She said again.

THAT'S RIGHT! THATS WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING!!!:

I was screaming to the rafters. Literally yelling at Sheila. She
looked at
me, winced a bit, and then said as calmly as she could:

You don't have to get angry Alex. I'm agreeing with you.

I was riddled with my own Liza anger. I wasn't sure where it was
coming from,
but I was indeed angry. I was angry at all the people who dismiss
her without
ever having experienced her. I was angry at Hollywood for treating
her like
an old relic, and I was angry because she was gone and I didn't
know how long I
would have to wait to see her again. I was just angry and
unfortunately,
Sheila was in my own way.

This is the thing about friends: You can take out your Liza Anger
when you
feel the need and they'll accept it with love and courage.
http://videodetective.com/photos/876/003681_27.jpg

The rest of the night was filled with more mazes, more great
conversation and
a roller coaster on top of a casino that caused us all to clutch
our pearls
like three terrified Chihuahuas on riddlen.

As we drove home, and the concert re played in my head on constant
repeat, we
said goodbye to each other, hugged, and Sheila and I retired to our
casa
where we unleashed the weekend on poor, defenseless Chrisanne. As
Sheila and I
were tottering off to bed, and Chrisanne was safely tucked in, I
took off my Liza
sweatshirt and put it in the hamper. I had to take great care in
washing it,
and I needed to have it ready at a moments notice. After all I had
been
through and all I had experienced, I needed it to happen again. I
was sure it was
going to. And as I folded it, and out it in a very special place so
as to remind
me to hand wash it, I remembered Liza's power and her sheer naked
ambition.
No matter what happens to this woman, she'll go on. She'll keep
doing it until
she truly can't do it anymore. And as much flack as I get for
obsessing about
her the way I do, I knew I was in for another ride. I couldn't
wait. And I
made sure my sweatshirt would be not only clean, but ready and at
the top of the
pile.

and the heap.
http://www.psu.edu/ur/extra/2003/busy/images/Liza02.jpg

[1rainbow]

i am her #1 fan, ever since i saw her about 18 months ago in Liza With A Z i just can't get enough, if i ever get to see her in person it'll be a miracle but i dream of that day....love love love that woman !!!!!!!

[harryn55]

Wow Rainbow I did not know you wrote novels between arcade games.
Nice trip!

[1rainbow]

well i told ya my life was more than arcade games lol

though i didn't write it, says it in the first sentence, it was shared with me :)

i do though write a bit, been doing that since i was 7 or 8 yrs old, i've written a few things :)

don't have much time to keep up with the arcade lately

[haggis007]

you really really need to get out more !!

[1rainbow]

you mean more than going out playing live cards & visiting friends & family :)

my next trip will be to see Liza Live :)

[1rainbow]

Liza Minnelli began performing at the age of three and hasn''t
stopped since. An icon of stage and screen, she has won virtually every
award possible, including three Tonys, an Oscar, two Golden Globes and
an Emmy. Just hearing the name "Liza" instantly brings to mind images of
the exuberant, long-legged and long-lashed star, whose throaty laugh is
instantly recognizable. Her stage presence as a legendary performer is
immediately evident in Liza''s performance of trademark songs from the
musicals, "New York, New York" and "Cabaret."

She began her career at a very early age, co-starring with her
mother in the movie "In the Good Old Summertime" in 1949. At the age of
10, Liza hosted the first-ever TV broadcast of "The Wizard of Oz,"
reaching a viewing audience of about 45 million people.

In 1972, her movie career peaked when she played Sally Bowles in
"Cabaret." The film won eight Oscars, including Best Actress for Liza.
The role also earned her a Golden Globe and a British Film Academy
Award. The unqualified success of "Cabaret" put Liza on the covers of
Time and Newsweek in the same week.

Liza also starred in the first concert ever filmed live for
television in 1972. "Liza with a Z" produced a Top 20 album and won the
Emmy for Outstanding Single Program. It will be re-released soon as a
DVD.

Liza continues her extraordinary music career with ongoing concert
tours in the U.S. and Europe, as well as recording a new album.

[1rainbow]

Liza Minnelli’s having too much fun


01:00 AM EST on Sunday, January 6, 2008


By Rick Massimo

Journal Pop Music Writer

http://www.projo.com/photos/20080106/AR0106_lizaro2_01-06-08_3I8FVMI.jpg Liza Minnelli in the red-sequinned mini-dress she wore during her 1972 performance of Liza with a “Z.”

AP


You’d think that after nearly 50 years in show business that includes three Tony Awards, an Oscar, an Emmy and a special Grammy, as well as millions of records sold and audience members wowed, Liza Minnelli would be thinking about kicking back.
“I don’t know why!” she says. “Not as long as it’s this much fun.”
Listen to Minnelli’s voice in conversation; watch a recent clip of her performing on YouTube; heck, just look at a picture of her getting out of a car. Either she’s an even better actress than she gets credit for, or after two hip replacements, knee surgery, reported brushes with drugs and alcohol, tabloid-worthy marriages and the waxing and waning of her brand of brassy song-and-dance entertainment, she really is enjoying all of this.
“Oh God yes, or I wouldn’t do it.”
Minnelli’s latest project involves a tribute to her godmother, Kay Thompson, who was an arranger and vocal coach at MGM — “That’s how she met my parents, and that’s how she became my godmother.”
Thompson was also the author of the Eloise series of children’s books, the title character of whom was a thoroughly urban girl based on Minnelli. “She had the most spectacular nightclub act ever,” Minnelli says, and a section of her current live show, which she brings to Providence Saturday, is a replication of her godmother’s act. “It’s her music — her arrangements,” she says, as well as a few bits from Minnelli about what Thompson meant to her. “I never talk about my life, and then here I am doing it!”
Minnelli is also working on a televised version of Thompson’s show, which she describes as reminiscent of the Liza With a Z TV special that helped Minnelli make the transition from star to superstar, and will start filming in April.
Liza With a Z was restored and re-released on DVD in 2006, so a whole new generation can check out the Bob Fosse-directed live performance. Minnelli says that she had always had the footage, “but I didn’t know what to do with it.” For seven years, the restorer worked on the footage “and he just did a brilliant job. I said ‘I don’t have any money to pay you!,’ and he said ‘That’s OK.’ ”
When Minnelli saw the restored footage, she says, “I thought, ‘This is what Fosse wanted it to look like.’ Because you couldn’t see it well enough on the 16 [millimeter film]. The lights were blaring and you just couldn’t see it. Now it’s on film the way he wanted it on film and I’m just thrilled.”
The variety of Minnelli’s classic singing, dancing act is becoming a rarity in an entertainment world that is more specialized and more focused on the screen (large and small) than the stage. Minnelli agrees, but cites Michael Buble as an inheritor of her style. “He’s right up there, and he moves around, and he dances and sings and he’s wonderful!”
Not that she’s cranky about the modern state of entertainment. “I like a lot of things, I guess because I’m a dancer. I love rock ’n’ roll.” She recently guested on a track on The Black Parade, by the modern rock group My Chemical Romance.
How’d that come about? “They just called me! And I love them! The guy (singer and songwriter Gerard Way) is just great, and he’s so smart! That kid is really, really knowledgeable. It was fun!”
The death last year of her longtime drummer and musical director, Bill LaVorgna, left a void, even though he’s been succeeded in both roles by the “wonderful” Mike Berkowitz, who had subbed for LaVorgna in the past. “He’s a good friend, and the minute Pappy died, I called him.”
“There was nobody like Bill,” Minnelli remembers, not only for his musicality but his history. “I worked with him for 33 years, and he knew me since I was 11. He caught me driving when I was 13! And he never told my mom! I thought it was great.”
While friends from the old days are, well, getting older, Minnelli says there are still a few around. Three of the four dancers who portray Thompson’s cohort, the Williams Brothers, in the Thompson tribute knew Thompson herself. “It means a lot to all of us.”
While Minnelli has had plenty of success in the electronic media, live performance, the most work-intensive, high-energy way to build a career, is still her primary focus. And she wouldn’t have it any other way, even after all these years. “To me, walking through a show, or taking it easy through a show, is unheard of. Because all you have to do is take a look into the audience and you’ll find somebody who hasn’t seen you. You do the whole thing for them.”
And while she puts new songs in her act all the time — “I’m always changing it up because it keeps it fresh for me” — she says she never rolls her eyes when it’s time to haul out “Cabaret” or “New York, New York” again. “You find new ways to do them and you find new thoughts behind them. It’s the work as an actress, that part of it.” As an example, she cites “Come In From the Rain,” written for her by Melissa Manchester, which she recently reintroduced to her show. “You can just visualize what these two people have been through.”
Minnelli collapsed during a show in Sweden last month, but says “I feel fine now. Just wonderful,” and is looking forward to returning to Providence, where she has performed twice before and where her mother performed at the Loew’s Theatre, housed in what is now the Providence Performing Arts Center. “It’s a good audience. They appreciate what they see, and I always have a good time there.”
Still, it has to take it out of a 61-year-old, no? “It does, but I love it and I always have.”
Minnelli is the only Oscar winner (Cabaret in 1972) who is the child of two Oscar winners (Judy Garland for The Wizard of Oz in 1939 and Vicente Minnelli for Gigi in 1968), so while it seems as though there may not have been much of an alternative to the life she chose, she says that her early exposure to Hollywood’s workings left her wanting to be an ice skater. “Watching movies being made is really boring. Broadway and live performance is really exciting, but to hang out in a studio and watch people sitting around is dull. I thought, ‘I don’t want to do this!’ ” Seeing Bye Bye Birdie at age 13 “changed everything.”
And even now, the mix of singing, dancing, cracking wise and entertaining hasn’t lost its thrill. “Oh yeah! With two false hips and a wired-up knee! And I still go!”

[1rainbow]

http://www.projo.com/photos/20080113/JA_0113_Liza_01-13-08_308JII6.jpg MINNELLI


PROVIDENCE — Like the actress she is, Liza Minnelli inhabits her songs, and inhabits her show. She speaks as though she’s singing and sings as though she’s speaking, and after nearly 50 years on stage, in the headlines and in the tabloids, every song is about her even if it’s not.
Last night at the Providence Performing Arts Center, Minnelli’s performance at the venue’s 30th-anniversary gala, in front of a black-tie audience that included Governor Carcieri, Mayor David N. Cicilline and former Mayor Vincent A. Cianci Jr., it all ran together, producing an end result that was every bit as much a unified piece of musical theater as any two-act.
If they hadn’t invented the word “brassy” to describe a human voice already, they would have once Minnelli sang. Her set list is a display of great classic-pop songwriting, recalling the best of Tin Pan Alley and the American musical theater without running into the false-nostalgic Great American Songbook ditch.
But until you’ve seen Minnelli live, you don’t see the part of the package that’s kept the 61-year-old Minnelli at the top for nearly 40 years — the acting chops that show through her eyes. There was the hurt confusion of “What Did I Do?” (from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, directed by her father, Vincente Minnelli). And the game ambition of “New York, New York.” The hopeful steel of “Maybe This Time” (a song which, by definition, gets more poignant every time you hear it) and the (ultimately misplaced) faith in the power of showbiz in “Cabaret,” which closed the first act. Each song became its own mini-drama, and like any piece of theater, you sat and waited to see how it turned out even though you already knew.
Minnelli cracked wise several times, about her divorces (“I wanted to divorce … somebody, I don’t know”), her weight gain and loss, and her advancing age “Remember how I used to sit down in the second act?” she said as she sat down during the first act. But if she moved a little less than decades ago and worked harder to do it, she wasn’t afraid to show she had to reach for this dance step or that high note, which made it easy to forgive.
The second half of the show was dominated by a replication of part of the nightclub act of Kay Thompson, Minnelli’s godmother, and The Williams Brothers. Minnelli took the part of Thompson, with four smooth-singing stand-ins for the Williamses. Minnelli interspersed bits from Thompson’s act with her own remembrances of her godmother, and of growing up on the MGM lot and her start in showbiz (at the Cape Cod Melody Tent at age 13).
The numbers were skilled, and historically interesting if occasionally corny (particularly the closer, “I Love a Violin”). And the between-song reminiscences were heartfelt. But it wasn’t as interesting as Minnelli’s own stories of personal and showbiz history. It seemed no surprise that she ended with “I’ll Be Seeing You,” and her a cappella rendition was astounding.

[1rainbow]

What a magnificent night in Providence tonight. Besides being the 80th anniversary of the beloved Providence Performing Arts Center (Lowes), Mayor Cicillini (our gay mayor), declared it Liza Minnelli Day because of her life long career, Oscar and Tony winner and for all she has done for entertaining the public, Liza is an American Icon and an amazing talent The mayor also bestowed the key to the city and an amazing rose bouquet. The crowd was standing and cheering wildly.
Liza looked great, down 35lbs thanks to Jenny Craig, and did not drop one note. Her voice was fantastic and I think warmed up from the sound check earlier. She was not nervous only a couple of times did she note that she was nervous but really not at all. The first act was actually wonderful. My Ship and He's Funny That Way were great. I think What Did I have was the best I have seen maybe ever. She received 3 or 4 standing ovations in the first act. My Own Best Friend was another standout.
The second act Kay was done perfectly. She looked great, the guys were great, and the numbers and banter were fully realized from the first time I had seen this act in Baltimore. She talked about Kay and Judy at the Melody Tent in Hyannis when they went to see her at age 13 (audiance loved this), and you could hear a pin drop when she talked about Judy's death and Kay calling. She sang Silver Lining and completed the number unlike Baltimore. She said Kay would not like the ending to that and she turned around and went into Jubilee. Her dancing was excellent. There were only a couple of times were she seemed out of breathe but not as much as Baltimore where it was rumored that she was fighting a lung infection for several weeks.
She was really thankfull to the sold out audiance (3200), and said that there was so much energy in the house and as beautiful as the theatre is that we the audiance are even more beautiful and that is why she still does what she does. She ends up with a kick ass version of NYNY which had the audiance screaming on their feet and then after several curtain calls came out and did a really powerful version of I'll Be Seeing You.
Liza was thrilled she held hands with the guys and brought the band down in front with her for final bows. She really was happy.
I think Liza really needed rest over the last month. Her performance was so solid tonight that not once was I worried in my seat. I knew when she came out with I Can See and actually nailed the song that this was going to be good. She was not shaky and she was very focused and spot on.
I hope this gives all on this list a little hope that LIZA IS BACK and Better than Ever! Liza mentioned that her family is gone but she has us and she really apprectiates that. I take her seriously on that and I was honored to be in her company tonight. From the marquis out front to the roses thrown at her at the end Providence really knows how to treat a legend.

[1rainbow]

Music played a defining role in Liza Minnelli's life from the day she
was born. She was named after the George Gershwin song "Liza."

Growing up in Los Angeles, the child of film director Vincente Minnelli
and actress Judy Garland, Minnelli was a shy child who had a hard time
expressing herself — until she listened to the music her parents played
around the house.

"There was always music," she said. "My mother loved funny songs; my
father loved romantic songs. I listened to everything. And that's why
now, still, I can find a song for how I feel when I don't quite know
how I'm feeling. The music will tell me."

Listening to music not only helped her express her feelings, it also
gave her the inspiration to perform.

"You know, I always put on music right before I go onstage," said
Minnelli. "I listen to other people. It's wonderful to have other
people's music push you onto a stage."

Following in the footsteps of her mother, Minnelli made her stage debut
at 17 in the Off-Broadway musical "Best Foot Forward." The following
year, she performed with her mother at the London Palladium to rave
reviews.

At 19, Minnelli won her first Tony Award for her role in "Flora the Red
Menace."

She soon moved into the world of film, appearing in movies like "Tell
Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon" and winning a best actress Oscar for
her role as the eccentric Sally Bowles in the movie version of
"Cabaret."

As can happen to one in the limelight, Minnelli has long been a tabloid
target, for her rehab stints and messy divorces. She has been open
about her struggle with addiction to alcohol and painkillers and has
been married four times.

In 2000, she almost died after a bout of viral encephalitis, which is
an inflammation of the brain caused by a virus. Through all of her
struggles, she said that music kept her going.

"I grew up hearing everything, you know? And … music, it was and is
probably my dearest and most faithful friend. It's just — it's always
there," Minnelli said. "When your world shakes a little; you think,
holy Toledo what's going on — you can find a song that'll make you feel
better. And those are the types of songs I like."

[1rainbow]

January 17, 2008

Minnelli's passion ignites show

There are a lot of things that can be forgiven at a concert. Late
starts are a given. Crowds pushing to reach the the stage is just part
of the spectacle. Even the guy singing out of tune next to you has
become a part of the concert experiences.

The one thing that can’t be forgiven is when an artists has no passion
for the performance. It is easy to tell from the first note that this
is just another stop on a long tour for the performer.

That was not the case Wednesday night at the Table Mountain Casino. Pop
icon and tabloid favorite Liza Minnelli performed before a full house.
Say what you want about her marriages and abuse problems but Minnelli
turned in a performance that came straight from her heart.

Mixed in with the expected performances of “Cabaret” and “New York, New
York” was a tribute to Kay Thompson. Despite Thompson’s many
accomplishments as a musician and writer, she is not one of the better
known names in show business. But Thompson was Minnelli’s godmother.
And that’s why the 61-year-old performer now devotes about 40 minutes
of her show to Thompson.

Backed by four male singers/dancers, Minnelli bounced across the stage
like a 20-year-old. There were a few moments when she seemed to be
battling with the final affects of a cold, but the majority of the time
Minnelli belted out the cabaret tunes with a force that had to have
rattled some of the facility’s slot machine.

If is usually not necessary to discuss how a performer looks. A singer
can be the size of Jabba the Hutt and as long as the show has passion
it doesn’t matter. But, as Minnelli pointed out herself, she looks like
half the person she used to be.

“That Jenny Craig is a wonderful person,” Minnelli said as the reason
for her weight loss.

The heartfelt performance combined with the new look got at least one
member of the audience excited. A man, who let’s just say has been
cashing social security checks for a long time, rushed the stage. It
took him three songs to get there but once he did, he was moving to the
performance by Minnelli.

He had good reason. It is as if the addition of the tribute to Thompson
has ignited a fire under Minnelli. Accuse her of what ever you want.
But Wednesday’s show was a treat because of the passion Minnelli
brought to the stage.

In the middle of the show, Minnelli tells a story of how her mother,
Judy Garland, and Kay Thompson sat in the back of a small theater and
watched her debut performance when she was 13. The women filled a
powder puff with tears of joy. Minnelli still has that keepsake. You
have to think somewhere Wednesday night Minnelli’s mom and godmother
filled another powder puff with tears of joy.

[1rainbow]

I saw Kathy Griffin last Saturday Night.
She had a whole segment about Liza.
It was like a gift.
She talked about how they both were appearing at the same hotel.
Liza one night and Kathy the next.
Liza invited Kathy to the show and for dinner afterwards.

Kathy told a great story about how wonderful Liza was.
How powerful she is.
Even up close, she looks great.
She really gives it her all with every song.
Beads of sweat coming out.
She spoke very highly of her and how much it meant to her to be
invited back to Liza's hotel room for a one on one chat.
Of course Kathy made it funny, but always with great respect for our
girl.
Kathy said Liza was giving her a shoutout, describing her very good
friend Kathy Griffin.
Kathy joked, she never met Liza before that.
We all know how Liza does this.

Then after dinner Liza decided to stay one more night to see Kathy's
show.
Liza invited Kathy to come to her room to hang out.
She said they watched a movie....The Asphalt Jungle on tv.
Then Liza jumped up and asked Kathy if she knew London Town.
She didn't just sing one song, or two songs....she sang 3 songs for
Kathy, giving it her all, with all the hand gestures and pulling out
all the stops.

She said it was incredible to hang out with Liza.
She joked about having "gaydar"
Liza snapped back, how would I know?....look at who I married.
It was very funny.
Liza said since they were now friends, she wanted to chat at least
once a week. Liza invited Kathy to dinner next time she is in NY.
Kathy said, don't say that if you don't mean it because she would
count on it.
Liza said she would cook dinner.
Kathy asked about if she really would cook.
Liza said....I make a killer pot roast!
Imagine that! Liza in the kitchen!
I can't imagine that at all.

Kathy said Liza was so wonderful and warm. A very real person.
It was a great night and great to hear someone speaking so highly of
Liza.
The audience went wild at just the mention of her name

That's all folks
thanks!

[1rainbow]

http://www.reuters.com/resources/r/?m=02&d=20080203&t=2&i=3013221&w=155&r=2008-02-03T034243Z_01_N02260543_RTRUKOP_0_PICTURE0 (javascript:launchArticleSlideshow();)Liza Minnelli steals Red Dress show at Fashion Week

Sat Feb 2, 2008 10:45pm EST

By Jan Paschal

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Talk about heart. Liza Minnelli took the
audience by surprise at New York Fashion Week by singing her signature
song "New York, New York" on the runway of The Heart Truth Red Dress
show.

The event, which features singers, actresses and supermodels in red
designer dresses, is held to raise awareness about heart disease -- a
leading killer of women.

The Oscar winner, who wore a Halston Original spangled red tunic over
black velvet pants, turned the runway into a cabaret stage and was
rewarded with a standing ovation.

"That was our surprise finale for the audience," said Jennifer Hudman
James, who handled media relations for the event.

The show uses the glamour of fashion to highlight risk factors such as
high blood pressure, raised cholesterol levels, and lack of exercise
which are leading causes of heart disease.

"Know your own risk factors. That's the No. 1 message," Dr. Elizabeth
Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, said
in an interview before the show.

:yippee::yippee::yippee::yippee::yippee::rockernan a::rockernana::rockernana::rockernana::rockernana: