Liza May Minnelli

[Terence Lee]

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Liza Minnelli returned to the South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset, Mass. tonight for the first time in two years. Judging by the performance that the singer gave, one can only hope that she pays a return visit soon. (Note: Minnelli will play the Cape Code Melody Tent, SSMC’s sister venue, this coming Saturday night in Hyannis.)

At a time when Streisand is making the news with her first European tour at venues like London’s vast O2 Millennium Dome area, and charging prices that shatter the ceiling for the top amount that can be charged for concert tickets, Minnelli remains a “trouper” in the true sense of the word, singing and dancing her heart out for one-tenth the price in a small circus tent where she is literally surrounded by her adoring fans, and where the audience members in the front row are close enough to reach out and touch their beloved star.

At 61, Liza appears in fine form. Other than a few reached-for-but-missed notes during her opening number, a medley of “I Can See Clearly Now” and “I Can See It,” her voice responded marvelously throughout the evening. And her memory betrayed her just once, when she offered up the comical number “London Town,” forcing her to ad lib her way through the penultimate verse. But those were the only real lapses in an otherwise consistently grand evening. Highlights during the first act included “My Own Best Friend” from the musical Chicago, and her blistering “What Did I Have” from On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, the film version of which was directed by the singer’s father, Vincente Minnelli. She concluded the first set with the show-stopping title song from Cabaret, and didn’t miss a beat (or a note) during her effusive delivery of same.

The second set largely consisted of a tribute to Minnelli’s godmother, Kay Thompson, whose accomplishments included vocal arranging at MGM and writing the well-loved Eloise children’s books. But Liza saluted the cabaret act that Thompson mounted in the fifties, with the Williams Brothers (including not-yet-famous sibling Andy)—an act that was also broadcast on radio. Minnelli was joined by four singers—Johnny Rogers, Cortes Alexander, Jim Caruso, and Clark Thurrell—who impersonated the Williams boys, and together they presented a thirty-five minute recreation of the Thompson/Williams shows.
This segment gave Liza and her fellas the opportunity to both sing and dance, and it was gratifying to see Minnelli moving again so well in her one of her shows. Much of her physical activity has been curtailed during the past decade by trouble with her back, hips, and knees, exacerbated by weight gain. But through the marvels of modern medicine, weight loss, and Liza’s sheer determination to reclaim what she nearly lost, she has made her way back into the arena and, to use a boxing term, she is most decidedly in fighting shape.

Liza finished the show with three powerhouse numbers. First up was “My Mammy,” a song she performed early in her career, most notably in her award-winning Liza with a Z television special from the early seventies. Three and a half decades may have passed, but Minnelli imbued the song with the same throbbing intensity that she did way back when. This was followed by her equally emphatic rendering of “But the World Goes Round,” with its “take the good with the bad” philosophy of living—a credo for Minnelli if ever there was one. The crowd had given the singer several standing ovations throughout the night, but pandemonium broke loose when she finished this song. This was quickly followed by “New York, New York” and, again, Liza didn’t disappoint. How many thousands of times has she probably sung this song since Kander and Ebb first wrote it for her, some thirty years ago? And yet she invested the song with all of the vigor at her command at this late point in the show, as if the tune had been penned for her only yesterday.

Minnelli’s encore number was an a cappella performance of “I’ll Be Seeing You,” sung with such tender, heartbreaking purity that we felt as though she was physically wrapping us in her embrace. Streisand may break house records with her much ballyhooed tour, but Liza breaks a sweat…and remains the real deal.

[Lena & Harry Smith]

Thank you for this review on Liza Minelli Terence. Nice to see that she is back singing and performing to audiences again, be it at Carnegie Hall or in a tent. No doubt her fans are delighted to see her again and at sensible and affordable prices.

We remember her unforgettable appearance in " The Ultimate Event," with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davies Jnr here in London back in the Eighties.
She sang "But The World Goes Round", "Ring Them Bells", "All That Jazz" and "Money Makes the World Go Around.
Like her mother, a great talent, hope it continues.

[ROBERT M.]

Is "Money Money Money" the Abba song L&H

[Lena & Harry Smith]

It is the Abba song Robert, but it was Money Makes The World Go Around that Liza sang even though it was named on the video as Money, Money.
I've altered it accordingly

[Terence Lee]

Hi Lena, Harry and Robert

The soundtrack album & CD list the song title as Money, Money.

[ROBERT M.]

They must have run out of money (for Money Money Money).

[mariana44]

Great review of Liza---I have seen JM at the South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset, so I can picture it very clearly--it had a circular stage then, and as it was open air, I got badly bitten by mosquitos---despite all precautions.

I have downloaded some tracks of Liza from Itunes--2 of my favourites are "Bye Bye Blackbird" and [my very favourite], "I like the likes of you".

[Terence Lee]

Hi Marian

I Like The Likes Of Me is very early Liza from her 2nd Capitol album IT AMAZES ME in 1965.

[Terence Lee]

Grande Dame Puts On a Chatty Show

She has been Liza with a Z and Liza with AA. That tells us that the 61-year-old diva knows how to live with flair -- or as a human train wreck.

But for Liza Minnelli, do four ex-husbands, a myriad of well-publicized love affairs and bouts with serious illness -- including encephalitis, which doctors once feared would leave her in a wheelchair for the rest of her life -- translate into great art? Or is it comedy?

She's no longer the mesmerizing draw she once was with movies, Broadway and historic entertainment moments such as her TV special, "Liza With a Z." She was good for about 2,000 people Tuesday night at the Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center. Why pay when you can catch Minnelli for free on Entertainment Tonight, accused of beating up soon-to-be-ex No. 4?

Despite all the stories about how tough she is, Minnelli manages to feel almost brittle on stage, a performer seeking your approval and love. "Thank you so much for coming out!" she squealed excitedly.

Her between-song chatter was accompanied by bursts of giggles and girlish chatter. Yet she could still handle the bawdy "Cabaret."

Her voice and body language made it an evening with a grand dame, trying to prove she can still nail the performance. As a veteran of the stage, she has moves you just don't see from the kids, like walking dramatically out of the spotlight as the song draws to a close. Or reposing languidly in a studio chair for Billie Holiday's "He's Funny That Way."

Wearing a glittering pink thing for her first set and a glittering black thing with headband for the second, Minnelli looked like a star -- and she has lived a life we mortals couldn't imagine.

[mariana44]

I think Liza is--just like her mother before her--a true legend, and totally unique.

[Marian]

We've seen Lorna Luft on stage. Great singer too, but always must feel in the shadow of her older sister, and of course her famous mother.
Marian

[mariana44]

I do like Lorna Luft I must admit---but her voice never seems that "special" and she seems to lack a little charisma.

[Marian]

I must admit, when she came out at the end of the performance we thought she was the cleaning lady!!
She came struggling out with a couple of heavy bags. Peter and I have given her this nickname ever since.
Marian

[Mark Fox]

Rumours of a UK visit by Liza in Autumn.She will be singing in Spain early August Monaco 17th&18th and Italy August 20th.
Lorna appeared here in May/July at The Chichester Festival Theatre in Babes In Arms- she will be performing again in WHITE CHRISTMAS during November/December and in Cardiff during December'007/January'008.

[Terence Lee]

Thank you Mark for the rumours. Liza lovers take note. Hope they are true.

Meanwhile an ardent fan caught Liza at the Tilles Centre in Long Island on Oct 13. Here's part of what he wrote.......

I've seen Liza many times over the last 30 years and this is the only time I
felt I was sorry I went not because Liza didn't do her best but because I
felt Liza was really not physically well enough to do the show and it might have
been better if she cancelled though I'm sure that would have been frowned on
by the place as it was a benefit. No doubt they made a lot of money because
many people paid 700.00 a ticket for a black tie dinner, after show reception
and the show.

Liza's voice was not its strongest but she wasn't bad vocally. Her first set
was the usual 8 song line up with two of them being the medleys I Can See
Clearly Now/ I Can See It and My Ship/ The Man I Love. Total number of songs was
10 then. The problem for me was that Liza was so out of breath she was
actually gasping for air and having difficulty talking. In fact it seemed harder
for her to just talk than to sing. the song she did in the chair...He's Funny That Way was really the best number of the night in my opinion. The first act
lasted only 35 minutes and then there was a 30 minute intermission which was really unsettling because it was too long. The show didn't even start till almost 9 and by the time act 2 started it was nearly 10. Act 2 was almost all the Kay Thompson revue which in my opinion is not the best thing Liza has ever done. She had trouble keeping up with the speed of the numbers because she was out of breath and she was moving around but not dancing. The guys did a lot on their own as she disappeared for at least 10 minutes during the Liza
number. After the long Thompson medley she sailed into New York New York and managed to do it well even hitting a couple of strong notes and then her usual closing of I'll Be Seeing You. The second act was about 45 minutes.

This is the first time i felt as if this was work for Liza. She didn't seem to be enjoying it and at one point I'm sure she cut out Our Love Is Here To Stay/ Here I'll Stay because she started the opening "the more I read the papers the less I comprehend.. .. and then went into My Ship. At the end she literally had to be helped off stage. She didn't look any thinner than the last few times I've seen her and the outfits were not flattering. especially during the Thompson medley.

To me the saddest thing was that I felt she was just not well. A few times she was holding her hip and she didn't seem to be able to walk well because of her knee. The breathing problems never let up and she never really seemed to get into the performance as I've seen her. The audience was enthusiastic but these were not really "Liza people". Many of them were Long Islanders supporting the Tilles Center . They were there to see anyone for their night out. Didn't seem to matter to them whether it was Liza.

I just hope Liza is taking care of herself now and getting some rest. I am never disappointed in Liza's performance as she always gives everything she has and she certainly did give it her all. The thing that saddened me was that I really think she was just to ill that evening to do that show.