the subject on Melvyn Braggs UK art show The South Bank Show last week was Liza Minnelli. Liza is in London for a show, where she sings songs from the musicals. in the second half however, she pays tribute to singer and vocal coach Kay Thompson (Funny Face). i saw one of her stage costumes that showed her still sexy at 62.
it's been said Liza was born at the wrong time, when the Hollywood musical was finished, but i think she still considers herself fortunate to have done Caberet and New York, New York.
on The South Bank Show we saw Liza and mother Judy performing together at The London Palladium in 1964. they said it was the only time they performed together. i'm not so sure, i know she sang Consider Yourself on her mama's Christmas tv show, but maybe they're not counting that as Lorna and Joey were also part of the routine. she also talked of her work with Bob Fosse, not only for Caberet, but the award winning tv concert Liza With A Z
when talking about Liza's movies, her two Arthur films are overlooked for some reason. i thought she looked stunning in Arthur 11 and in both films gave a good comedy/drama performance.
watching the Detroit show of The Ulitmate Event on video i thought Liza held her own with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. her teaming up with Frank and singing New York, New York and jokingly putting Sammy in his place was terrific, though the wee man joined in for the finish. while in London for the show at the Royal Albert Hall Liza took time out and made a hit album with The Pet Shop Boys, including the song Am I Losing My Mind
my favourite Liza songs are Maybe This Time, Caberet, Ring Em Bells
i think Judy was the most gifted female all-round entertainer ever. the fact, that IMO Liza is in the top 10 is also a great complement to her.
it must be difficult not only to live in the shadow of not only her mother, but also her sister, but that's the situation for Lorna Luft. Lorna in her own right is a world class all-round entertainer. she has done a few thinks in the UK over the years. in the 70s she appeared in many variety shows and did a tribute to the musicals with trained ballet dancer Wayne Sleep. during a long stay in the UK she was a regular member of a lunch time, show, which is still on the go today, called Loose Women, where female celebrites sat around a desk discussing the issues of the day as well as interviewing other stars. one of Lorna's teammates on the show was in international terms a lesser know singer called Colleen Nolan, once of the girl band The Nolan Sisters.
i know Lorna joined a famous band of women. like Ethel Merman, Angie Lansbury and Bette Midler, by playing Mama Rose in her stage version of Gypsy
Liza and Lorna
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jdb1
Well, Stuart, I have seen very little of Lorna Luft, so I really can't comment on her, except to say that I often confuse her with Lucie Arnaz, who I think she closely resembles.
As for Liza - I like her, but was never really a big fan of hers. I do think she was an excellent dancer, and that Bob Fosse did both her and Joel Gray a grave disservice by cutting out just about any dancing that may have existed in Cabaret.
Having said that, I can tell you that I saw one of Liza's big "comeback" performances right after her marriage to that awful crook, what's-his-name, a few years ago, and I was a happy convert. She was electrifying, as PR people like to say. I saw her at the Beacon Theater in New York, which is one of the largest theaters I've been in, and she filled up the entire place with her presence.
I'm a very experienced New York theater-goer, and it takes a lot to impress me, and here I was definitely impressed. You can't take your eyes off her, and she really does make you feel that she is reaching out, just to you. People in the audience kept shouting out how much they loved her, and she answered right back I Love You Too, and you felt that she really meant it - it was what she got her energy from. This is something one is born with, and she has certainly inherited that quality from her mother.
As interesting as Lorna might be in Gypsy, I think Mama Rose is a role made for Liza, and it's a pity she hasn't yet undertaken it. Unfortunately, she may no longer have the stamina to do it.
As for Liza - I like her, but was never really a big fan of hers. I do think she was an excellent dancer, and that Bob Fosse did both her and Joel Gray a grave disservice by cutting out just about any dancing that may have existed in Cabaret.
Having said that, I can tell you that I saw one of Liza's big "comeback" performances right after her marriage to that awful crook, what's-his-name, a few years ago, and I was a happy convert. She was electrifying, as PR people like to say. I saw her at the Beacon Theater in New York, which is one of the largest theaters I've been in, and she filled up the entire place with her presence.
I'm a very experienced New York theater-goer, and it takes a lot to impress me, and here I was definitely impressed. You can't take your eyes off her, and she really does make you feel that she is reaching out, just to you. People in the audience kept shouting out how much they loved her, and she answered right back I Love You Too, and you felt that she really meant it - it was what she got her energy from. This is something one is born with, and she has certainly inherited that quality from her mother.
As interesting as Lorna might be in Gypsy, I think Mama Rose is a role made for Liza, and it's a pity she hasn't yet undertaken it. Unfortunately, she may no longer have the stamina to do it.
jdb1
i think it would have been wonderful to see Liza and Lorna in their 20s and 30s on stage with a 50 something Judy, healthy and still in her prime. now that would be something.
Liza is a great survivor. i remember newspaper clippings of her overweight with the headlines 'She's Finished' then she had her hip replaced and i wondered if she'd ever dance again. her early shows after her operation appeared to have her just singing into the mike. i heard to her attempt at Victor/Victoria ended in failure, but credit to her, you can't keep a good girl down. as regards as how like Gypsy, i thing she's got the stamina alright. the one drawback i see is that Rose was still a young woman in the story, so would a 62 yr old Liza get away with it, as beautiful as she is today.
i assume it's David Guest you're referring too. well you'll be sorry to hear he carved out a name for himself in the UK. we have a reality show called I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, where celebs go and live in the Aussie bush for a few weeks. usually there is a token American each series, like Huggy Bear, Jimmy Osmond and recently Janet Dickinson, who finished second. David made an impact on his appearence, striking up a friendship with Aussie singer and one time Joseph Jason Donavan. David finished 4th and as a result made 2 tv shows. one was, like the Osbourne's before him, a fly on the wall doc about his dailly life. the 2nd was a talent show trying to find 2 people from the British public to star in the leads in the West-End Prodution of Grease (with the public voting for the eventual two) however, it only lasted a season, unlike Andrew Llyod Webbers more successful 3 seasons of the same type of show. Andrew, along with John Barrowman, Dame Edna as Barry Humphrey's, other judges and the British people have discovered Connie Fisher for The Sound Of Music, Lee Mead for Joseph and are currently trying to find a new Oliver and Nancy. two points strike me here. while Andrew is the main Judge, The Lord as he's called, for Oliver, unlike the two previous shows, is not producing. that's Cameron Mcintosh, who while is involved with the casting of Oliver is not involved with Nancy
sorry for digressing
i think it would have been wonderful to see Liza and Lorna in their 20s and 30s on stage with a 50 something Judy, healthy and still in her prime. now that would be something.
Liza is a great survivor. i remember newspaper clippings of her overweight with the headlines 'She's Finished' then she had her hip replaced and i wondered if she'd ever dance again. her early shows after her operation appeared to have her just singing into the mike. i heard to her attempt at Victor/Victoria ended in failure, but credit to her, you can't keep a good girl down. as regards as how like Gypsy, i thing she's got the stamina alright. the one drawback i see is that Rose was still a young woman in the story, so would a 62 yr old Liza get away with it, as beautiful as she is today.
i assume it's David Guest you're referring too. well you'll be sorry to hear he carved out a name for himself in the UK. we have a reality show called I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, where celebs go and live in the Aussie bush for a few weeks. usually there is a token American each series, like Huggy Bear, Jimmy Osmond and recently Janet Dickinson, who finished second. David made an impact on his appearence, striking up a friendship with Aussie singer and one time Joseph Jason Donavan. David finished 4th and as a result made 2 tv shows. one was, like the Osbourne's before him, a fly on the wall doc about his dailly life. the 2nd was a talent show trying to find 2 people from the British public to star in the leads in the West-End Prodution of Grease (with the public voting for the eventual two) however, it only lasted a season, unlike Andrew Llyod Webbers more successful 3 seasons of the same type of show. Andrew, along with John Barrowman, Dame Edna as Barry Humphrey's, other judges and the British people have discovered Connie Fisher for The Sound Of Music, Lee Mead for Joseph and are currently trying to find a new Oliver and Nancy. two points strike me here. while Andrew is the main Judge, The Lord as he's called, for Oliver, unlike the two previous shows, is not producing. that's Cameron Mcintosh, who while is involved with the casting of Oliver is not involved with Nancy
sorry for digressing
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jdb1
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charliechaplinfan
- Posts: 9040
- Joined: January 15th, 2008, 9:49 am
I don't really know Lorna so I can't comment about her but I've always loved Liza. I don't know quite what it is, I've always loved her singing voice although I recognise others have voices that are technically better, I just like her voice and I love Cabaret. Did Bob Fosse really edit out dancing scenes with Liza and Joel Grey, that's a pity, I'd love to see them. Any chance of them being edited back in in years to come. I'd definetly but the DVD if that happened.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin