Liza May Minnelli (born March 12, 1946) is an American singer and actress of film, stage and television. She is the daughter of entertainer
Judy GarlandJudy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years, Garland attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage. Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy...
and film director
Vincente MinnelliVincente Minnelli was a Hollywood director and stage director. His skilled integration of story, music, lighting, and design elements in a film made him the most critically respected crafter of American film musicals...
.
After studying at the New York High School of Performing Arts and the Herbert Berghof Studio, Minnelli first attracted attention for roles in the
musicalMusical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
s
Best Foot ForwardBest Foot Forward is a 1943 American film adapted from the 1941 Broadway musical comedy of the same title. The film was released by MGM, directed by Edward Buzzell, and starring Lucille Ball, William Gaxton, Virginia Weidler, Chill Wills, June Allyson, Gloria DeHaven, and Nancy Walker.-Plot:The...
and
Flora the Red MenaceFlora the Red Menace is a musical with a book by David Thompson, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The musical starred Liza Minnelli in the title role in her Broadway debut, for which she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical...
which garnered her the Theatre World Award in 1963 and the Tony Award in 1965 respectively. Already established as a nightclub singer, and character actress in the movies
The Sterile CuckooThe Sterile Cuckoo released in the UK as Pookie, is a theatrical release feature film released by Paramount Pictures. It tells the story of an eccentric young couple whose relationship deepens despite their differences and inadequacies, and stars Liza Minnelli, Wendell Burton, and Tim...
and
Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie MoonTell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon is a 1970 film directed by Otto Preminger. The film is based on the book by Marjorie Kellogg. The film starred Liza Minnelli as the title character.-Cast and Characters:*Liza Minnelli: Junie Moon...
, Minnelli rose to international stardom for her appearance as Sally Bowles in the
1972 film versionCabaret is a 1972 American musical film directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. The film is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, under the ominous presence of the growing Nazi Party....
of the Broadway musical
CabaretCabaret is a musical with a book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
, a role that brought her the
Academy Award for Best ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
.
While film projects such as
Lucky LadyLucky Lady is a 1975 American film directed by Stanley Donen and starring Gene Hackman, Liza Minnelli and Burt Reynolds. Its story takes place during Prohibition in the United States in the year 1930....
,
A Matter of TimeA Matter of Time or Matter of Time may refer to:In music:* Matter of Time , an album by Axium** "Matter of Time", a song on that album* A Matter of Time , a 1999 album by Hilltop Hoods...
and
New York, New York were poorly received, Minnelli found herself as one of the most versatile, highly regarded and best-selling entertainers in television, beginning with
Liza with a ZLiza with a ‘Z’. A Concert for Television is a 1972 concert film, made for television and starring Liza Minnelli. The film was produced by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. As well as producing, Fosse also directed and choreographed the concert, and Ebb wrote and arranged the music with his song-writing...
in 1972, and on stage in the Broadway productions
The ActThe Act is a musical with a book by George Furth, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander.It was written to showcase the talents of Kander and Ebb favorite Liza Minnelli, who portrayed Michelle Craig, a fading film star attempting a comeback as a Las Vegas singer...
and
The Rink. From the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, headlines focused on her health problems, alcoholism and drug abuse, but Minnelli found new prominence with international concert tours and appearances such as
Liza Minnelli: At Carnegie Hall,
Frank, Liza & Sammy: The Ultimate Event and
Liza Live from Radio City Music Hall.
After years of continued health problems including a serious bout with
viral encephalitisViral encephalitis refers to a type of Encephalitis caused by a virus.Encephalitis may be caused by a variety of afflictions.Types include:*Arbovirus encephalitis**La Crosse encephalitis**California encephalitis virus**Japanese Encephalitis**St...
, she returned with a new concert show
Liza's BackLiza's Back is a live album by Liza Minelli recorded on June 2, 2002.It was produced by her then husband, David Gest, and released on CD in the same year by J Records....
in 2002, well regarded guest appearances in the
sitcomA situation comedy, usually referred to as a sitcom, is a genre of comedy programs which originated in radio. Today, sitcoms are found almost exclusively on television as one of its dominant narrative forms...
Arrested Development, a small role in the movie
The OH in OhioThe Oh in Ohio is a 2006 comedy film directed byBilly Kent. It was screened at several US film festivals from March to May 2006 and was released theatrically by Cyan Pictures on July 14, 2006...
as well as worldwide concert tours. Having finished the Broadway show
Liza's at The Palace...!Liza's at The Palace...! was a concert presented by Liza Minnelli at the Palace Theatre on Broadway from December 3, 2008 through January 4, 2009....
in January 2009, which garnered her excellent notices, Minnelli is set to tour.
Minnelli has also won three Tony Awards (including one
Special TonySpecial Tony Award includes Lifetime Achievement Award, Special Theatrical Event, Excellence in Theatre, and Special Tony Award:-1940s:1947* Dora Chamberlain for unfailing courtesy as treasurer of the Martin Beck Theatre...
), an Emmy Award, and the
Grammy Legend AwardThe GRAMMY Legend Award is a special Grammy Award, awarded on special occasions, not necessarily every year. This is a Special Merit Award, and it is presented by the Recording Academy to individuals or groups for ongoing contributions and influence in the recording field...
for her contributions and influence in the recording field, along with many other honors and awards.
Early life
Minnelli was born in Hollywood, California, into a well-known artistic family; her maternal lineage had entertainers in the family going back six generations. Her famous mother,
Judy GarlandJudy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years, Garland attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage. Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy...
, had legendary success in film and in music, and her aunts and mother had been part of a singing group, "The Gumm Sisters". Her father, also from a theatrical family including circus performers, was acclaimed MGM film director
Vincente MinnelliVincente Minnelli was a Hollywood director and stage director. His skilled integration of story, music, lighting, and design elements in a film made him the most critically respected crafter of American film musicals...
. Her godparents were
Ira GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
and
Kay ThompsonKay Thompson was an American author, composer, musician, actress and singer. She is best known as the creator of the Eloise children's books....
.
Minnelli's first film appearance was at the age of three in the final scene of the 1949 musical
In the Good Old Summertime, starring her mother and
Van JohnsonVan Johnson was an American film and television actor and dancer who was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios during and after World War II....
.
Although Minnelli and her mother shared a warm personal relationship, during the London Palladium performances Garland recognized Minnelli's talent and felt a sense of competition. Minnelli recalled a time where she was singing on stage: "I was onstage with my mother, but suddenly, she wasn't Mama ... she was Judy Garland."
Minnelli's half-siblings through her mother and husband Sid Luft are sister
Lorna LuftLorna Luft is an American television, stage, and film actress and singer. She is the daughter of the legendary singer and actress Judy Garland and Sid Luft, and the half-sister of Liza Minnelli.-Biography:...
and brother Joey Luft. She also has a half-sibling Christiane Nina Minnelli (nicknamed Tina Nina) through her father's second marriage.
Theatre
Minnelli began performing professionally at age 17, in 1963, in an
Off-BroadwayOff Broadway theater is an umbrella term for a defined set of plays, musicals or revues performed in New York City. Originally referring to the location of a venue and its productions on a street intersecting Broadway in Manhattan's Theatre District, the hub of the theater industry in the United...
revival of the musical
Best Foot ForwardBest Foot Forward is a 1943 American film adapted from the 1941 Broadway musical comedy of the same title. The film was released by MGM, directed by Edward Buzzell, and starring Lucille Ball, William Gaxton, Virginia Weidler, Chill Wills, June Allyson, Gloria DeHaven, and Nancy Walker.-Plot:The...
, for which she received good notices, and her first award -- The Theatre World Award. The next year, her mother invited Minnelli to perform with her at the
London PalladiumThe London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster.Ian Dury and Cass Elliot played their last shows at the Palladium.-Building:...
. The audience loved her, launching her future concert career.
She turned to
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
at 19, and in 1965 she became the youngest woman ever to win a leading actress Tony Award for
Flora the Red MenaceFlora the Red Menace is a musical with a book by David Thompson, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The musical starred Liza Minnelli in the title role in her Broadway debut, for which she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical...
.
Music
Minnelli began as a nightclub singer while in her teens and made her professional nightclub debut at the age of 19 at Shoreham Hotel in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
. Later, she appeared in other clubs and on stage in
Las VegasThe Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada. A small portion of the Strip lies in Las Vegas, but most of it is in the unincorporated areas of Paradise and Winchester...
,
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
,
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
, Miami and
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
. Her success as a live performer brought her a chance to record several albums at
Capitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Los Angeles and New York City as part of Capitol Music Group...
:
Liza! Liza! (1964),
It Amazes Me (1965) and
There Is a Time (1966). In her early years, she recorded
traditional popTraditional pop or Classic pop or Standards music denotes, in general, Western popular music that either wholly predates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, or to any popular music which exists concurrently to rock and roll but originated in a time before the appearance of rock and roll,...
standards as well as show tunes from different
musicalMusical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
s within she also has starred from time to time. Because of this fact, William Ruhlmann named her “Barbra Streisand's little sister”.
From 1968 up to the 1970s, she also recorded more contemporary material according to classic pop songs with her albums
Liza Minnelli (1968),
Come Saturday Morning and
New Feelin' (both 1970) from
A&M RecordsA&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group which operates through the Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
and
The Singer (1973), which seemed like a compilation of soft rock material, as well as the disco-styled
Tropical Nights (1977) from
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. Columbia Records went on to release records by an array of notable singers,...
. Her music career was more influenced by successful live performances with international concert tours than commercial success as a recording artist. Today, she is still better known for her contributions to the
Great American SongbookGreat American Songbook is a term referring to the interrelated music of Broadway theatre, Musical theatre, Hollywood musicals, and so-called Tin Pan Alley, for a period that begins during about the 1920s and ending about 1960 with the emerging dominance of rock and roll...
than for her interpretations of contemporary pop songs, although her collaboration with
Pet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys are an British electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasionally guitar and Chris Lowe on keyboards and occasionally on vocals....
in 1989 produced the significant album
Results.
In April 1992 Liza Minnelli performed with the surviving members of the rock band Queen at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. Liza Minelli performed final song We Are The Champions.
Film
Her first appearance on film is as the baby in the very last shot of her mother
Judy GarlandJudy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years, Garland attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist, and on the concert stage. Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy...
's film,
In the Good Old SummertimeIn the Good Old Summertime is a 1949 musical film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. It starred Judy Garland, Van Johnson and S.Z. Sakall.The film is a musical adaptation of the 1940 film, The Shop Around the Corner, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, and starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, and...
(1949).
Her first credited film role was as the love-interest in
Albert FinneyAlbert Finney, Jr. is an English actor. Hailed as a "second Olivier" as a young stage actor in the late 1950s, Finney rose to film star fame in the early 1960s...
's only film as director and star,
Charlie BubblesCharlie Bubbles is a British film of 1967 starring Billie Whitelaw and Albert Finney, and also featuring a young Liza Minnelli. It was listed to compete at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the festival was cancelled due to the events of May 1968 in France.The film made great play of its...
(1967).
In 1969 she appeared in
Alan J. PakulaAlan Jay Pakula was an American film director, writer and producer noted for his contributions to the conspiracy thriller genre.-Career:...
's first feature film,
The Sterile CuckooThe Sterile Cuckoo released in the UK as Pookie, is a theatrical release feature film released by Paramount Pictures. It tells the story of an eccentric young couple whose relationship deepens despite their differences and inadequacies, and stars Liza Minnelli, Wendell Burton, and Tim...
(1969), as Pookie Adams, a needy, eccentric teenager. Her performance won her her first Academy Award nomination. She played another eccentric character the following year in
Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie MoonTell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon is a 1970 film directed by Otto Preminger. The film is based on the book by Marjorie Kellogg. The film starred Liza Minnelli as the title character.-Cast and Characters:*Liza Minnelli: Junie Moon...
, directed by
Otto PremingerOtto Ludwig Preminger was an Austrian-born American film director who moved from the theatre to Hollywood, directing over 35 feature films in a five-decade career. He rose to prominence for stylish film noir mysteries such as Laura and Fallen Angel...
.
In 1972, Minnelli appeared in perhaps her best-known film role, as “Sally Bowles” in the movie version of
CabaretCabaret is a 1972 American musical film directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. The film is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, under the ominous presence of the growing Nazi Party....
. She said that one of the things she did to prepare was to study photographs of classic actresses
Louise GlaumLouise Glaum was an American actress. Best-known for her role as a femme fatale in silent movie dramas, she was credited with giving one of the best characterizations of a vamp. She appeared in over 110 movies in the early 20th century.-Early life and stage career:She was born near Baltimore,...
and
Louise BrooksMary Louise Brooks , generally known by her stage name Louise Brooks, was an American dancer, model, showgirl and silent film actress, famous for pioneering the bobbed haircut. Brooks is best known for her three feature roles including two G. W...
and the dark-haired ladies of that time. Minnelli won the Best Actress Academy Award for her performance, along with a
Golden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Awards are presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to recognize outstanding achievements in the entertainment industry, both domestic and foreign, and to focus wide public attention upon the best in motion pictures and television...
. She was the first person to ever grace the covers of
Time and
Newsweek magazines simultaneously.
Hot off the success of the movie,
Bob FosseRobert Louis “Bob” Fosse was an American musical theater choreographer and director, and a film director. He won an unprecedented eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction. He was nominated for an Academy Award four times, winning for his direction of Cabaret...
and Minnelli teamed up for what was to become a groundbreaking show in several departments.
Liza with a ‘Z’. A Concert for TelevisionLiza with a ‘Z’. A Concert for Television is a 1972 concert film, made for television and starring Liza Minnelli. The film was produced by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. As well as producing, Fosse also directed and choreographed the concert, and Ebb wrote and arranged the music with his song-writing...
, a filmed concert later aired only two times on TV until the recovery from the vaults and first public release on DVD in 2006. In the concert, filmed in one non-stop performance, Minnelli danced and sang in several daring and censor-challenging costumes designed by famed costume designer
HalstonRoy Halston Frowick, also known as Halston was a clothing designer of the 1970s. His long dresses or copies of his style were popular fashion wear in mid-1970s discotheques.-Early life and career:...
. Several awards were the reward for what is regarded by both critics and public as a piece of show business history.
Following a string of less successful feature movies and ventures into television, she finally got the chance to work with her father, director
Vincente MinnelliVincente Minnelli was a Hollywood director and stage director. His skilled integration of story, music, lighting, and design elements in a film made him the most critically respected crafter of American film musicals...
, in the 1976 fantasy-musical
A Matter of TimeA Matter of Time is a 1976 American/Italian fantasy film with music directed by Vincente Minnelli. The screenplay by John Gay is based on the novel Film of Memory by Maurice Druon...
, co-starring
Ingrid BergmanIngrid Bergman was a Swedish actress. She won three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and the Tony Award for Best Actress in the first Tony Award ceremony in 1947. She is ranked as the fourth greatest female star of American cinema of all time by the American Film Institute...
. After severe editing and cutting, done by the studio, with no input from Vincente Minnelli, the film was neither a commercial nor a critical success.
Her appearance opposite
Robert De NiroRobert Mario De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director, and producer.De Niro is well-known for his method acting and portrayals of conflicted, troubled characters and for his enduring collaboration with director Martin Scorsese...
in the 1977 musical drama film,
New York, New YorkNew York, New York is a musical-drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, released in 1977. It is a musical tribute, featuring new songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb as well as standards, to Scorsese's home town of New York City, and stars Robert De Niro and Liza Minnelli as a pair of musicians and...
however, gave Minnelli her best known
signature songA signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
.
Frank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers." His professional career had stalled by the...
released a successful
cover versionIn popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition of a previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
(for his
Trilogy: Past Present FutureTrilogy: Past Present Future is a 1980 triple album by the American singer Frank Sinatra. This album produced the last of Sinatra's many signature numbers, "Theme from New York, New York."...
album) two years later and used it as his signature song as well, sometimes even dueting with Liza live on stage.
After her performance as leading lady to
Dudley MooreDudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s and became famous as half of the popular television double-act he formed with Peter Cook...
in 1981's hit film
ArthurArthur is a film set in New York City which tells the story of drunken millionaire playboy Arthur Bach , who is on the brink of an arranged marriage to a wealthy heiress, Susan Johnson ....
, Minnelli made fewer film appearances although she returned to the big screen in 1991 for
Stepping OutStepping Out is a 1991 musical-comedy film directed by Lewis Gilbert, starring Liza Minnelli, written by Richard Harris and based on a play also written by Harris. Minnelli plays the role of a has-been Broadway performer who teaches tap lessons to a group of misfits who, through their dance...
, a musical dramedy.
Later career
Minnelli's career has been filled with highs and lows. In the beginnings, however, she recorded several studio albums for
A&MA&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group which operates through the Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
and
Capitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Los Angeles and New York City as part of Capitol Music Group...
. The Capitol albums
Liza! Liza!,
It Amazes Me, and
There Is A Time have been reissued on the two-CD compilation
The Capitol Years in 2001, for the first time in their entirety.
In 1989 Minnelli collaborated with
Pet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys are an British electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasionally guitar and Chris Lowe on keyboards and occasionally on vocals....
on
Results, an electronic dance-style album. The release hit the top 10 in the UK and also charted in the US, spawning four singles:
Losing My Mind"Losing My Mind" is a popular song written by Stephen Sondheim for the 1971 musical Follies. It was first performed by Dorothy Collins and has since been covered by many artists such as Shirley Bassey and Michael Ball. In the UK charts, the most successful version has been by Liza Minnelli,...
,
Don't Drop Bombs"Don't Drop Bombs" is the second single from Liza Minnelli's album Results, produced by Pet Shop Boys and Julian Mendelsohn. "Don't Drop Bombs" was popular on the club circuit, but failed to make the top ten in the UK .- Track listings :...
,
So Sorry, I SaidSo Sorry, I Said is the third single from Liza Minnelli's Results album. The single was released by Epic Records in December 1989.The single stalled in the charts just outside the top 60...
and
Love Pains"Love Pains" is dance song written by Michael Price, Dan Walsh, Steve Barri and originally recorded by Yvonne Elliman in 1979.-Yvonne Elliman version:...
. This also gave her a chance to film promotional videos for the songs and resulted in a long-overdue comeback in the music business. Initially released on VHS titled
Visible Results, the clips were later issued on a bonus DVD included in the 2005 remastered and expanded edition of the album. Later that year she performed
Losing My Mind live at the Grammys ceremony before receiving a Grammy Legend Award, making her one of only 12 other entertainers, in a list that includes
Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg is an American actress, comedienne, singer-songwriter, activist, and media personality....
,
Barbra Streisand Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, film and theatre actress. She has also achieved note as a composer, liberal political activist, film producer, and film director. She has won two Academy Awards, ten Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, and a Peabody all by the age of...
and
Mel BrooksMelvin "Mel" Kaminsky , better known by his stage name Mel Brooks, is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer, best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. Brooks is a member of the short list of entertainers with the distinction...
among others, to win an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and Academy Award, even though she is sometimes discounted since her Grammy was a special award and not won in a competitive category.
She returned to Broadway in 1997, taking over the title role in the musical
Victor/VictoriaVictor Victoria is a 1982 musical comedy film, which involves transvestism and sexual identity as central themes. It stars Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston, Lesley Ann Warren, Alex Karras and John Rhys-Davies. The film was produced by Tony Adams, directed by Blake Edwards, and scored by...
, replacing
Julie AndrewsDame Julie Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is a British film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honours...
. In his review,
New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851 and published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"—named for its staid appearance and style—is regarded as a national newspaper of record...
critic Ben Brantley commented, “her every stage appearance is perceived as a victory of show-business stamina over psychic frailty... She asks for love so nakedly and earnestly, it seems downright vicious not to respond.”
After a serious case of
viral encephalitisViral encephalitis refers to a type of Encephalitis caused by a virus.Encephalitis may be caused by a variety of afflictions.Types include:*Arbovirus encephalitis**La Crosse encephalitis**California encephalitis virus**Japanese Encephalitis**St...
in 2000, doctors predicted that she would spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. However, she refused to accept this and with the help of dance lessons, which she still takes daily, managed to recover and returned to the stage
Liza's BackLiza's Back is a live album by Liza Minelli recorded on June 2, 2002.It was produced by her then husband, David Gest, and released on CD in the same year by J Records....
in 2002 performing to rave reviews in London and New York City.
After this success, the world was again aware of Minnelli's entertainment capabilities and thus she continued to tour globally.
In 2004 and 2005 she appeared as a recurring character on the critically acclaimed TV sitcom
Arrested Development as “Lucille Austero”, the lover of both the sexually and socially awkward “Buster Bluth” and Buster's brother “GOB”.
In September 2006, she made a guest appearance on the long-running
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
drama
Law & Order: Criminal IntentLaw & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural TV series, which premiered on September 30, 2001. The series is about the Major Case Squad in a fictional version of the New York City Police Department set in New York City's One Police Plaza and is the second spin-off of the...
.
Masquerade, the Halloween-themed episode, broadcast on Tuesday, October 31, 2006. She also completed guest vocals on
My Chemical RomanceMy Chemical Romance is a Grammy-nominated American rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, bassist Mikey Way, guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro and drummer Bob Bryar. Shortly after forming, the band signed to Eyeball Records and released their...
's 2006 concept album
The Black ParadeThe Black Parade is the third studio album by the rock quintet My Chemical Romance. Released in October 23, 2006 through Reprise Records, it was produced by Rob Cavallo, who has also produced albums for Green Day...
, portraying “Mother War”, a dark conception of the main character's mother, in the song
Mama.
For years, Liza had wanted to record a collection of songs that her godmother
Kay ThompsonKay Thompson was an American author, composer, musician, actress and singer. She is best known as the creator of the Eloise children's books....
had performed in her nightclub act. In 2007 Liza added some of Thompson's songs to her latest tour to introduce them to audiences. The Thompson material eventually appeared on the 2-disc set, "Liza's at the Palace...!," which was released in early 2009.
Minnelli returned to
BroadwayBroadway Theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, is the theatre associated with the 40 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located in the Theatre District, New York in Manhattan, New York City...
in a new solo concert at the
Palace TheatreThe Palace Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 1564 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan.-History:Designed by architects Kirchoff & Rose, the theatre, built by California vaudeville entrepreneur and Broadway impresario Martin Beck, experienced a number of problems before it opened. E. F....
called
Liza's at The Palace...!Liza's at The Palace...! was a concert presented by Liza Minnelli at the Palace Theatre on Broadway from December 3, 2008 through January 4, 2009....
which ran from December 3, 2008, through January 4, 2009. In her second act she performed a series of numbers created by Kay Thompson. The reviews noted that while her voice was ragged at times, and her movements no longer elastic, the old magic was still very much present—from first to last, Minnelli had audiences cheering and applauding and begging for more. The show was subsequently staged at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in September 2009, at which time it was filmed for a PBS broadcast and a later DVD release.
On January 10, 2009, Minnelli made a rare live TV appearance in a surprise
cameoA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television. Short appearances by film directors, politicians, athletes, musicians, and other celebrities are common. These roles are generally small, and...
on NBC's
Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a weekly late-night sketch comedy and variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975, under a slightly different title. The show features a regular cast of comedy actors, joined by a guest host and musical act...
, playing the best friend of “Penelope” (Kristin Wiig). On January 26, 2009, she made an appearance on
The ViewThe View is an American talk show broadcast on American Broadcasting Company as part of ABC Daytime. Created by Barbara Walters and Bill Geddie, who both also serve as the show's executive producers, the program features a panel of women as co-hosts...
, singing
I Would Never Leave You from her new CD
Liza's at The Palace...!. She was also interviewed by the cast of
The View.
She was portrayed in the Australian musical
The Boy From OzThe Boy From Oz is a jukebox musical based on the life of singer/songwriter Peter Allen and featuring songs written by him. The book is by Martin Sherman with the original book by Nick Enright...
starring
Hugh JackmanHugh Michael Jackman is an Australian actor and producer who is involved in film, musical theatre and television. He has won international recognition for his roles in major films, notably as action/superhero, period and romance characters...
. On Broadway, she was portrayed by star
Stephanie J. BlockStephanie J. Block is an American actress and singer. She is most well known for her work on the Broadway stage and for originating the role of Elphaba in the early workshops of Wicked. She has additionally been nominated for a Drama Desk Award and a Drama League Award...
. The show received four Tony nominations.
On October 18th in a coup for the Australian version of "Idol" Liza spent the week mentoring the contestants and provided comments on the judging panel. Liza also performed "Cabaret" during the show.
Marriages
Minnelli has been married (and divorced) four times. Her first marriage was to
Peter AllenPeter Allen was an Australian songwriter and entertainer. His songs were made popular by many recording artists, including Melissa Manchester and Olivia Newton-John, Elkie Brooks, and one, Arthur's Theme, won the Academy Award...
(full name Peter Allen Woolnough) on March 3, 1967. Australian-born Allen was Judy Garland's protégé in the mid-1960s. The couple divorced on July 24, 1974. Later that year, she married Jack Haley Jr., a producer and director, on September 15, 1974. His father,
Jack HaleyJohn Joseph "Jack" Haley, Jr. was an American stage, radio, and film actor best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz. He also portrayed farmworker Hickory, who appeared in the Kansas sequences, in the film.-Career:Haley starred in vaudeville as a song-and-dance comedian...
, was Garland's co-star in
The Wizard of Oz. They divorced in 1979.
Minnelli was married to Mark Gero, a sculptor and stage manager, from December 4, 1979 until 1992. She was married to
David GestDavid Alan Gest is an American concert promoter and media personality, perhaps best known for his turbulent marriage to Liza Minnelli, friendship with The Jackson 5 and appearance on I'm a Celebrity.....
, a concert promoter, from March 16, 2002, until July 25, 2003.
Minnelli has no children; one pregnancy left her with a
hiatal herniaA hiatus hernia or hiatal hernia is the protrusion of the upper part of the stomach into the thorax through a tear or weakness in the diaphragm.- Symptoms :...
as a result of the medical steps taken to try to save the baby.
Signature song
She has made many notable public performances of her signature song,
New York, New York"Theme from New York, New York" is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York , composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb...
:
- At the 1978 Studio 54
Studio 54 is a New York City Broadway theater and former discothèque located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan. The disco opened on April 26, 1977 and closed in March 1986 and briefly reopened in 1994 after a multi-million dollar renovation...
party honoring New York City's revival, at which a guest was Mayor Ed KochEdward Irving "Ed" Koch was a United States Congressman from 1969 to 1977 and the Mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989.-Early life:...
;
- The reopening of the Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty , officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World , dedicated on October 28, 1886, is a monument commemorating the centennial of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, given to the United States by the people of France to represent the friendship...
on July 4, 1986 (this performance of New York, New York is generally felt to be among the strongest of her career);
- As a duet with Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian operatic tenor, who also crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most commercially successful tenors of all time. He was one of "The Three Tenors" and became well-known for his televised concerts and media...
at the 1996 Pavarotti & Friends concert in Modena, Italy;
- At a 2001 New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. The Mets are a member of the East Division of Major League Baseball's National League....
baseball game that was the metro area's first major sporting event after the September 11 attacksThe September 11 attacks were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by Al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners...
;
- At the age of 60, for the Macy's
Macy's is a chain of mid-to-high range American department stores. Its selection of merchandise can vary significantly from location to location, resulting in the exclusive availability of certain brands in only higher-end stores...
4th of JulyIn the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
Fireworks Spectacular televised live, and nationally on NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
on July 4, 2006, she performed the song and received an ovation.
- In February 2008, weeks before turning 62, she performed the song at a televised celebration of Bruce Forsyth
Bruce Joseph Forsyth Johnson CBE is a British showman and entertainer. He became well-known through the series Sunday Night at the London Palladium, and became a household name in the UK, going on to present television series such as The Generation Game, Play Your Cards Right, The Price Is Right...
's 80th birthday celebration on BBC.
- In June 2008, at the Opening Night at the Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a famous modern amphitheatre in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, USA, that is used primarily for music performances...
where she was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame.
- On October 2, 2008, at Trevi Fountain in Rome to promote her next tour of Italy.
Filmography
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1949 |
In the Good Old Summertime In the Good Old Summertime is a 1949 musical film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. It starred Judy Garland, Van Johnson and S.Z. Sakall.The film is a musical adaptation of the 1940 film, The Shop Around the Corner, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, and starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, and...
|
Baby |
uncredited |
| 1954 |
The Long, Long Trailer The Long, Long Trailer is a novel by Clinton Twiss from the 1950s. It is about a couple who buy a new travel trailer home and spend a year traveling across the United States....
|
Wedding Guest |
scenes deleted |
| 1967 |
Charlie Bubbles Charlie Bubbles is a British film of 1967 starring Billie Whitelaw and Albert Finney, and also featuring a young Liza Minnelli. It was listed to compete at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the festival was cancelled due to the events of May 1968 in France.The film made great play of its...
|
Eliza |
|
| 1969 |
The Sterile Cuckoo The Sterile Cuckoo released in the UK as Pookie, is a theatrical release feature film released by Paramount Pictures. It tells the story of an eccentric young couple whose relationship deepens despite their differences and inadequacies, and stars Liza Minnelli, Wendell Burton, and Tim...
|
'Pookie' (Mary Ann) Adams |
David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actress -Albo d'oro:1956Gina Lollobrigida - La donna più bella del mondo1958*Anna Magnani - Wild Is the Wind1959*Anna Magnani - Nella città l'inferno1961*Sophia Loren - La ciociara1963...
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActressThe Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress is an award given by the Kansas City Film Critics Circle to honor the best achievements in acting.-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:...
Mar del Plata Film Festival Award for Best Actress
Nominated - Academy Award for Best ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
Nominated — BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles-Best British Director, Producer or Writer in the First Film:*2006 - Red Road - Andrea Arnold**Black Sun – Gary Tarn**Pierrepoint – Christine Langan**London to Brighton – Paul Andrew Williams...
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama |
| 1970 |
Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon is a 1970 film directed by Otto Preminger. The film is based on the book by Marjorie Kellogg. The film starred Liza Minnelli as the title character.-Cast and Characters:*Liza Minnelli: Junie Moon...
|
Junie Moon |
|
| 1972 |
CabaretCabaret is a 1972 American musical film directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. The film is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, under the ominous presence of the growing Nazi Party....
|
Sally Bowles |
Academy Award for Best Actress Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading RoleBest Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.- Winners and nominees :...
David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actress-Albo d'oro:1956Gina Lollobrigida - La donna più bella del mondo1958*Anna Magnani - Wild Is the Wind1959*Anna Magnani - Nella città l'inferno1961*Sophia Loren - La ciociara1963...
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Sant Jordi Award for Best Performance in a Foreign Film |
| 1974 |
Just One More Time |
Herself |
uncredited (short subject) |
That's Entertainment!That's Entertainment! is a 1974 compilation film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to celebrate its 50th anniversary. It was followed by two sequels and a related film called That's Dancing!....
|
Herself (narrator) |
|
| Journey Back to Oz Journey Back To Oz is an official animated sequel to the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz. It is loosely based on L. Frank Baum's second Oz novel, The Marvelous Land of Oz. Baum received no screen credit....
|
Dorothy |
voice |
| 1975 |
Lucky Lady Lucky Lady is a 1975 American film directed by Stanley Donen and starring Gene Hackman, Liza Minnelli and Burt Reynolds. Its story takes place during Prohibition in the United States in the year 1930....
|
Claire |
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1976 |
Silent MovieSilent Movie is a 1976 comedy film directed by and starring Mel Brooks, and released by 20th Century Fox on June 17, 1976. The ensemble cast includes Dom DeLuise, Marty Feldman, Bernadette Peters, Sid Caesar, Anne Bancroft, Henny Youngman, Liza Minnelli, Burt Reynolds, James Caan, and Paul...
|
Herself |
|
| A Matter of Time A Matter of Time is a 1976 American/Italian fantasy film with music directed by Vincente Minnelli. The screenplay by John Gay is based on the novel Film of Memory by Maurice Druon...
|
Nina |
|
| 1977 |
New York, New York New York, New York is a musical-drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, released in 1977. It is a musical tribute, featuring new songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb as well as standards, to Scorsese's home town of New York City, and stars Robert De Niro and Liza Minnelli as a pair of musicians and...
|
Francine Evans |
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1981 |
Arthur Arthur is a film set in New York City which tells the story of drunken millionaire playboy Arthur Bach , who is on the brink of an arranged marriage to a wealthy heiress, Susan Johnson ....
|
Linda Marolla |
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1983 |
The King of ComedyThe King of Comedy is an American comedy film made in 1981 starring Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis, and directed by Martin Scorsese. It was released in Iceland on December 19, 1982 and subsequently, on February 18, 1983 in the United States by 20th Century Fox.-Synopsis:Rupert Pupkin , a stage-door...
|
Herself |
appears in gag cardboard cutout |
| 1984 |
The Muppets Take Manhattan The Muppets Take Manhattan is the third of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Henson's Muppets, and the final film before Henson's death. This film was produced by Henson Associates and TriStar Pictures, and originally released in movie theatres in 1984...
|
Herself |
|
| 1985 |
That's Dancing!That's Dancing! is a retrospective documentary produced by MGM that looked back at the history of dancing in film. Unlike the That's Entertainment! series, this film did not focus specifically on MGM films and included more recent performances by the likes of John Travolta and Michael Jackson and...
|
Herself - Host |
|
| 1987 |
Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night Pinocchio and the Emperor of The Night is a full-length animated feature film that was released on December 25, 1987 by New World Pictures. Created by the now defunct Filmation Studios, the movie underperformed at the box office, having a cost of $8 million but making $3.2 million in its entire run...
|
|
voice |
| Rent-A-Cop Rent-a-Cop is a 1987 action / comedy / crime film starring Burt Reynolds and Liza Minnelli. Reynolds plays a disgraced police officer, now working as a security guard, who falls in love with Minnelli, who plays a prostitute....
|
Della Roberts |
|
| 1988 |
Arthur 2: On the Rocks Arthur 2: On the Rocks is the 1988 sequel to the 1981 Arthur. Lead actors Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli reprised their roles.-Plot Summary:...
|
Linda Marolla Bach |
|
| 1991 |
Stepping Out Stepping Out is a 1991 musical-comedy film directed by Lewis Gilbert, starring Liza Minnelli, written by Richard Harris and based on a play also written by Harris. Minnelli plays the role of a has-been Broadway performer who teaches tap lessons to a group of misfits who, through their dance...
|
Mavis Turner |
|
| 1994 |
A Century of Cinema A Century of Cinema is a 1994 documentary directed by Caroline Thomas about the art of filmmaking , containing numerous interviews with some of the most influential film personalities of the twentieth century....
|
Herself |
documentary |
| 1995 |
Unzipped |
Herself - uncredited |
documentary |
| 2006 |
The OH in Ohio The Oh in Ohio is a 2006 comedy film directed byBilly Kent. It was screened at several US film festivals from March to May 2006 and was released theatrically by Cyan Pictures on July 14, 2006...
|
Alyssa Donahue |
|
| 2008 |
Broadway: Beyond the Golden Age |
Herself |
documentary |
Television
During the early days of Television in the 1950s Liza appeared as a child guest on
Art LinkletterArthur Gordon "Art" Linkletter is a Canadian-American radio and television personality and the former host of two of the longest-running shows in United States broadcast history: House Party, which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and People Are Funny, on NBC radio-TV for 19 years...
's show and in 1959 sang and danced with
Gene KellyEugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer....
on his first television special. She was a guest star in one episode of the popular
Ben CaseyBen Casey is a medical drama series which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its iconic opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, *, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaffe intoned, "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity." Pioneering neurosurgeon...
television series starring
Vince EdwardsVince Edwards was an American actor, director, and singer, best known for the role of TV doctor "Ben Casey".-Early life:...
and was a frequent guest on chat shows of the day including numerous appearances on shows hosted by
Jack PaarJack Harold Paar was an American radio and television comedian and talk show host, best noted for his stint as host of The Tonight Show.-Radio and films:...
,
Merv GriffinMervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. was an American television host, singer, and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in movies and on Broadway...
,
Mike DouglasMike Douglas, born Michael Delaney Dowd, Jr. , was an American entertainer.-Early life and career:...
,
Joe FranklinJoe Franklin is an American radio and television personality. From New York City, Franklin hosted the first television talk show...
,
Dinah ShoreDinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality. She was most popular during the Big Band era of the 1940s and 1950s....
and
Johnny CarsonJohn William “Johnny” Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
. During the 1960s she made several guest appearances on
Rowan & Martin's Laugh In as well as other variety shows including
The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show was a popular American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan.-History:...
,
The Hollywood PalaceThe Hollywood Palace was an hour-long television variety show that was broadcast weekly on ABC from January 4, 1964 to February 7, 1970. It began as a mid-season replacement for the short-lived Jerry Lewis Show, another variety show which had lasted only three months...
, as well as
The Judy Garland ShowThe Judy Garland Show is an American musical variety television series. The show aired on CBS during the 1963-1964 television season. Despite a sometimes stormy relationship with Judy Garland, CBS had found success with several television specials featuring the star...
. In 1964 she appeared as Minnie in her first television dramatic role in the episode "Nightingale for Sale" on
Craig StevensCraig Stevens was an American motion picture and television actor.-Biography:Born Gail Shikles, Jr. in Liberty, Missouri, he studied dentistry at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, from which he received a bachelor's degree in 1936...
's short-lived CBS series,
Mr. BroadwayMr. Broadway was a 13-episode CBS adventure and drama television series starring Craig Stevens , formerly of Peter Gunn, as New York City public relations specialist Mike Bell. The program aired at 9 p.m. Eastern time Saturdays from September 26 to December 26, 1964...
.
Recently, Minnelli has made guest appearances on such shows as
Arrested Development and
Law & Order: Criminal IntentLaw & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural TV series, which premiered on September 30, 2001. The series is about the Major Case Squad in a fictional version of the New York City Police Department set in New York City's One Police Plaza and is the second spin-off of the...
. In the UK she has appeared on the
Ruby WaxRuby Wax is an American comedian who made a career in the United Kingdom as part of the alternative comedy scene in the 1980s.-Early life:...
,
Graham NortonGraham William Walker is an Irish actor, comedian and television presenter. He is known by his stage name Graham Norton.- Career :...
and
Jonathan RossJonathan Ross may refer to:* Jonathan Ross , English television and radio personality* Jonathan Ross , United States Senator, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court* Jonathon Ross , former Australian rules footballer...
shows and in October 2006 participated in a comedy skit on the
Charlotte ChurchCharlotte Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical crossover singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10,500,000 albums worldwide and is said to be worth as much as £20m...
Show and was featured on the
Michael ParkinsonSir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster and journalist. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
Show.
Set to be a guest judge on Australian Idol 2009 on the 18th of October 2009.
- Judy and Liza at the Palladium (1964)
- The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood (1965)
- The Carol Burnett Show
The Carol Burnett Show is a sketch comedy television show starring Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, and Lyle Waggoner...
" 1967 & 1968
- The Anthony Newley
Anthony George Newley , was an English actor, singer and songwriter.-Career:Anthony Newley was an actor, singer, and composer with an international following, equally adept and prodigious in all three fields...
Show (1971)
- Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In is an American sketch comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968 to May 14, 1973. It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and was broadcast over NBC...
(1971)
- Liza with a 'Z' (1972)
- The Muppet Show (1979)
- Goldie and Liza Together (1980)
- Baryshnikov on Broadway (1980)
- The Princess and the Pea (Faerie Tale Theatre episode)
The Princess and the Pea is the 10th episode of the television anthology Faerie Tale Theatre hosted by Shelley Duvall. The story is adapted from the Hans Christian Andersen story of The Princess and the Pea and stars Liza Minnelli as the princess of the title, Tom Conti, Tim Kazurinsky, Beatrice...
(1983)
- A Time to Live (1985)
- Sam Found Out: A Triple Play (1988)
- Frank, Liza and Sammy: The Ultimate Event (1989)
- The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open-air concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992 at London's Wembley Stadium, televised live worldwide to an estimated audience of 1.2 billion viewers. The concert was a tribute to the life of the late Queen frontman, Freddie...
(1992)
- Liza Minnelli: Live from Radio City Music Hall (1992)
- Parallel Lives (1994)
- The West Side Waltz
The West Side Waltz is a play by Ernest Thompson.The play focuses on Margaret Mary Elderdice, an aging, widowed pianist living in a dreary Upper West Side apartment, and her relationships with a prim, virginal violinist neighbor and the young companion who moves in for an extended stay.Thompson was...
(1995)
- Jackie's Back! (1999)
- Arrested Development (2005)
- Rosie Live
Rosie Live was a variety show starring Rosie O'Donnell that aired November 26, 2008 live from New York's Little Shubert Theatre on NBC. The family friendly program contained singing, dancing, comedy routines and specialty acts...
(2008): "City Lights" duet with Rosie O'DonnellRoseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, singer, author and media personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...
- Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a weekly late-night sketch comedy and variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975, under a slightly different title. The show features a regular cast of comedy actors, joined by a guest host and musical act...
(2009): Penelope in Therapy, Neil Patrick Harris/Taylor Swift January 10, 2009
(surprise cameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television. Short appearances by film directors, politicians, athletes, musicians, and other celebrities are common. These roles are generally small, and...
as herself at end of sketch)
- Drop Dead Diva
Drop Dead Diva is an American comedy-drama/fantasy television series that debuted on Lifetime on July 12, 2009. The hour-long series, which was created by Josh Berman, is produced by Sony Pictures Television.-Plot summary:...
(2009)
Studio albums
- Liza! Liza! (1964) US #115
- It Amazes Me (1965)
- There Is a Time (1966)
- Liza Minnelli (1968)
- Come Saturday Morning (1969)
- New Feelin (1970) US #158
- The Singer (1973) US #38 UK #45
- Tropical Nights (1977)
- Results
Results is the 1989 Liza Minnelli album produced by the Pet Shop Boys and Julian Mendelsohn. The album was a huge success in the UK, where it reached #6 on the UK Albums Chart . The album was less successful in the US, peaking only at #128 on the Billboard Top 200 albums...
(1989) US #128 UK #6, mainly written and produced by Pet Shop BoysPet Shop Boys are an British electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasionally guitar and Chris Lowe on keyboards and occasionally on vocals....
- Gently (1996) US #156 UK #58
- Liza's at The Palace...!
Liza's at The Palace...! was a concert presented by Liza Minnelli at the Palace Theatre on Broadway from December 3, 2008 through January 4, 2009....
(2009)
Live albums
- Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli Live at the London Palladium (1965) US #41
- Liza Minnelli: Live at the Olympia in Paris (1972, recorded in December 1969)
- Liza Minnelli: Live at the Winter Garden (1974) US #150
- Live at Carnegie Hall (1981)
- Liza Minnelli at Carnegie Hall (1987) US #156
- Liza: Live from Radio City Music Hall (1992)
- Aznavour Minnelli: Paris, Palais des Congrès (1995)
- Minnelli on Minnelli: Live at the Palace (1999)
- Liza's Back
Liza's Back is a live album by Liza Minelli recorded on June 2, 2002.It was produced by her then husband, David Gest, and released on CD in the same year by J Records....
(2002)
Compilations
- Liza Minnelli: The Liza Minnelli Foursider (1990)
- Liza Minnelli: The Collection (1997)
- Liza Minnelli: A Touch Of Class (1997)
- Liza Minnelli: It Was a Good Time: The Best of Judy Garland & Liza Minnelli (1998)
- Liza Minnelli: 16 Biggest Hits
- Liza Minnelli: Ultimate Collection (2001)
- Liza Minnelli: The Capitol Collection (2001)
- Liza Minnelli: L' Essential (2003)
- Liza Minnelli: The Best Of Liza Minnelli (2004)
- Liza Minnelli: When It Comes Down to It: 1968-1977 (2004)
- Liza Minnelli: All That Jazz (2005)
- Liza Minnelli: Say Liza (2005)
- Liza Minnelli: The Complete Capitol Collection (2006)
- Liza Minnelli: The Complete A&M Recordings (2008)
Soundtracks and cast recordings
- Best Foot Forward
Best Foot Forward is a 1943 American film adapted from the 1941 Broadway musical comedy of the same title. The film was released by MGM, directed by Edward Buzzell, and starring Lucille Ball, William Gaxton, Virginia Weidler, Chill Wills, June Allyson, Gloria DeHaven, and Nancy Walker.-Plot:The...
(1963) (Original Cast Recording)
- Flora the Red Menace
Flora the Red Menace is a musical with a book by David Thompson, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The musical starred Liza Minnelli in the title role in her Broadway debut, for which she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical...
(1965) (Original Cast Recording) US #115
- The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood (1966) (soundtrack)
- Cabaret
Cabaret is a 1972 American musical film directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. The film is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, under the ominous presence of the growing Nazi Party....
(1972) (soundtrack) US #25 UK #13
- Liza with a ‘Z’
Liza with a ‘Z’. A Concert for Television is a 1972 concert film, made for television and starring Liza Minnelli. The film was produced by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. As well as producing, Fosse also directed and choreographed the concert, and Ebb wrote and arranged the music with his song-writing...
(1972) (soundtrack) US #19 UK #9
- Lucky Lady
Lucky Lady is a 1975 American film directed by Stanley Donen and starring Gene Hackman, Liza Minnelli and Burt Reynolds. Its story takes place during Prohibition in the United States in the year 1930....
(1975) (soundtrack)
- A Matter of Time (1976) (soundtrack)
- New York, New York (1977) (soundtrack) US #50
- The Act (1978) (Original Cast Recording)
- The Rink (1984) (Original Cast Recording)
- Stepping Out (1991) (soundtrack)
- Music from The Life: A New Musical (1995) (concept cast album, is featured on "Use What You Got", "We Had a Dream", and "People Magazine")
Popular singles
- "All That Jazz
"All That Jazz" is a song from the 1975 musical Chicago. It has lyrics by Fred Ebb and music by John Kander, and is the opening song of the musical...
" (1975, from the Broadway musical ChicagoChicago is a Kander and Ebb musical set in prohibition era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse...
)
- "Theme from New York, New York
"Theme from New York, New York" is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York , composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb...
" (US #104, 1977, became a worldwide classic and signature song)
- "Losing My Mind" (UK #6, August 1989) (#11 on US Dance chart)
- "Don't Drop Bombs" (UK #46, October 1989)
- "So Sorry, I Said" (UK #62, November 1989)
- "Love Pains" (UK #41, March 1990) (#40 on US dance chart)
- "Let's Make a Date" (December 2008, duet with Johnny Rodgers)
Stage productions
- Best Foot Forward
Best Foot Forward is a 1943 American film adapted from the 1941 Broadway musical comedy of the same title. The film was released by MGM, directed by Edward Buzzell, and starring Lucille Ball, William Gaxton, Virginia Weidler, Chill Wills, June Allyson, Gloria DeHaven, and Nancy Walker.-Plot:The...
(1963) (Off-Broadway)
- The Diary of Anne Frank (1963) (Tour)
- Carnival
Carnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during January and February...
(1964) (Paper Mill Playhouse)
- Time Out For Ginger
Time Out For Ginger is a Broadway comedy by Ronald Alexander that ran 248 performances at the Lyceum Theatre from November 26, 1952 to June 27, 1953, before becoming hugely popular in regional theatres throughout the 1950s and early 1960s...
(1964) (Bucks County PlayhouseThe Bucks County Playhouse is the State Theater of Pennsylvania, and is located in New Hope, Pennsylvania.When the Hope Mills burnt in 1790, the grist mills were rebuilt as the New Hope Mills by Benjamin Parry. ....
)
- The Fantasticks
The Fantasticks is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones. It was produced by Lore Noto. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the play "The Romancers" by Edmond Rostand , concerning two neighboring fathers who put up a wall between their houses to ensure...
(1964) (Tour)
- Flora the Red Menace
Flora the Red Menace is a musical with a book by David Thompson, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The musical starred Liza Minnelli in the title role in her Broadway debut, for which she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical...
(1965) (Broadway)
- Liza (1974) (one woman show, Broadway)
- Chicago
Chicago is a Kander and Ebb musical set in prohibition era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse...
(1975) (replacement for Gwen VerdonGwenyth Evelyn “Gwen” Verdon was an American actress and dancer who won 4 Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances. With flaming red hair and an endearing quaver in her voice, Verdon was considered the best dancer on Broadway in the 1950s and 1960s...
from Aug-Sep. 1975, Broadway)
- The Act
The Act is a musical with a book by George Furth, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander.It was written to showcase the talents of Kander and Ebb favorite Liza Minnelli, who portrayed Michelle Craig, a fading film star attempting a comeback as a Las Vegas singer...
(1977) (Broadway)
- Are You Now or Have You Ever Been? (1978) (Off Broadway)
- The Owl and the Pussycat
"The Owl and the Pussycat" is a famous nonsense poem by Edward Lear, first published in 1871. Lear wrote the poem for a young girl, Janet Symonds, the daughter of Lear's friend, the poet John Addington Symonds and his wife Catherine. Its most notable historical feature is the coinage of the term...
(1979) (Martha Graham Ballet, London & Lincoln Center, New York City)
- By Myself (1983) one woman show, Los Angeles and London
- The Rink (1984) (Broadway)
- Victor/Victoria
Victor/Victoria is a musical with a book by Blake Edwards, music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and additional musical material by Frank Wildhorn. It is based on the 1982 film of the same name....
(1997) (vacation replacement for Julie AndrewsDame Julie Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is a British film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honours...
) (Broadway)
- Minnelli on Minnelli (1999) (Broadway)
- Liza's Back! (2002) (Broadway)
- Liza's at the Palace...! (2008 - 2009) (Broadway)
Film awards
Academy AwardsThe Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is...
- 1969 nominated: Best Actress in a Motion Picture ("The Sterile Cuckoo")
- 1972 won: Best Actress in a Motion Picture ("Cabaret")
Minnelli has the distinction of being one of the few
Academy AwardThe Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is...
winners whose parents were both Academy Award nominees, and she is the only winner of that award whose parents were both winners of it as well.
British Academy of Film and Television ArtsThe British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a British charity that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation...
- 1970 nominated: Film Most Promising Newcomer To Leading Film Roles ("The Sterile Cuckoo")
- 1972 won: Best Film Actress ("Cabaret")
Golden Globe Awards
- 1970 nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama ("The Sterile Cuckoo")
- 1973 won: Best Actress - Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy ("Cabaret")
- 1976 nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy ("Lucky Lady")
- 1982 nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy ("Arthur")
Television awards
Emmy Awards
- 1972 won: Outstanding Single Program - Variety and Popular Music (Liza with a 'Z'. A Concert for Television
Liza with a ‘Z’. A Concert for Television is a 1972 concert film, made for television and starring Liza Minnelli. The film was produced by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. As well as producing, Fosse also directed and choreographed the concert, and Ebb wrote and arranged the music with his song-writing...
)
- 1973 nominated: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Variety Show or a Special (A Royal Gala Variety Performance)
- 1980 nominated: Outstanding Variety or Music Program (Goldie and Liza Together)
- 1987 nominated: Outstanding Informational Special (Minnelli on Minnelli: Liza Remembers Vincente)
- 1993 nominated: Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program (Liza Minnelli Live from Radio City Music Hall)
Golden Globe Awards
- 1970 nominated: Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama (The Sterile Cuckoo)
- 1973 won: Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Cabaret)
- 1976 nominated: Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Lucky Lady)
- 1978 nominated: Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (New York New York)
- 1982 nominated: Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Arthur)
- 1986 won: Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television (A Time to Live)
Recording awards
Grammy Awards
- 1990 won: Grammy Legend Award for Contributions and Influence in the Recording Field
- 1997 nominated: Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance (Gently)
Stage awards
Tony Awards
- 1965 won: Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Flora the Red Menace
Flora the Red Menace is a musical with a book by David Thompson, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The musical starred Liza Minnelli in the title role in her Broadway debut, for which she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical...
)
- 1974 won: Special Tony Award
Special Tony Award includes Lifetime Achievement Award, Special Theatrical Event, Excellence in Theatre, and Special Tony Award:-1940s:1947* Dora Chamberlain for unfailing courtesy as treasurer of the Martin Beck Theatre...
for Adding Lustre to the Broadway Season
- 1978 won: Best Leading Actress in a Musical (The Act
The Act was a popular and critically acclaimed Norwegian rock band in the mid 1980s. They toured extensively and released the album September Field.- Band members :*Bjørn Kulseth – vocals, guitars*Rune Krogseth – vocals, guitars...
)
- 1984 nominated: Best Leading Actress in a Musical (The Rink
The Rink, a silent film from 1916, was Charlie Chaplin's eighth film for Mutual Films. It co-starred Edna Purviance, Eric Campbell, Henry Bergman and Albert Austin. It is best known for showcasing Chaplin's roller skating skills.-Synopsis:...
)
Most recently, Minnelli won the Independent Theatre Reviewers Association award for Best Female Theatrical Performance of 2009. In addition, she was presented with a 2009 Drama Desk Special Award for her role as "a beloved American musical theater icon, for her enduring career of sustained excellence, and her glorious performance in “Liza’s at the Palace...".
Miscellaneous Honors
Hasty Pudding TheatricalsThe Hasty Pudding Theatricals, known informally simply as The Pudding, is a theatrical student society at Harvard University, known for its burlesque musicals and for its status as the oldest collegiate theatrical organization in the United States...
- 1973 - Hasty Pudding "Woman of the Year"
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation
- 2005 - Vanguard Award, for "her contributions to increased visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community"
Mercy College (New York)Mercy College is a private, non-profit liberal arts college with its main campus in Dobbs Ferry, New York, and satellite locations throughout southeastern New York, including the Bronx, Manhattan, White Plains and Yorktown...
- 2007 - Honorary Doctorate, "for her charitable activities and a career that has spanned five decades and multiple genres"
Philanthropy
Minnelli has, throughout her lifetime, served various charities and causes which she considers very important. She served on the board of directors of the
The Institutes for The Achievement of Human PotentialThe Institutes for The Achievement of Human Potential is a non-profit organization providing teaching programs and literature which, it claims, improve the health and neurological development of normal children and of children who have sustained a brain injury...
(IAHP) for 20 years, a nonprofit educational organization that introduces parents to the field of child brain development. She also dedicated much time to
amfARamfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.-History:...
, The Foundation for AIDS Research. In 2007, Minnelli stated in an interview with Palm Springs Life magazine, “AmfAR is important to me because I’ve lost so many friends that I knew [to
AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus ....
]”. In 1994, Minnelli recorded the Kander & Ebb tune "The Day After That" and donated the proceeds to AIDS research. That same year she performed the song in front of thousands in Central Park at the 25th anniversary of the
Stonewall riotsThe Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City...
.
Other appearances
Minnelli also appears on "
The Black ParadeThe Black Parade is the third studio album by the rock quintet My Chemical Romance. Released in October 23, 2006 through Reprise Records, it was produced by Rob Cavallo, who has also produced albums for Green Day...
" CD by
My Chemical RomanceMy Chemical Romance is a Grammy-nominated American rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, bassist Mikey Way, guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro and drummer Bob Bryar. Shortly after forming, the band signed to Eyeball Records and released their...
. During the song "Mama" she is the woman who sings "and if you would call me your sweetheart, I'd maybe then sing you a song".
In November 2009, American Public Television is slated to air "Liza's at the Palace", taped from September 30-October 1, 2009 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theatre. It is set to be distributed on DVD in early 2010.. The executive producers of the taping, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, previously were involved with the Academy Award winning film "Chicago" and the 2005 re-release of 1972's Emmy and Peabody Award winning "Liza with a 'Z'".
Further reading
- Leigh, Wendy (1993), Liza: Born a Star. E. P. Dutton
E. P. Dutton is an American book publishing company founded as a book retailer in Boston, Massachusetts in 1852 by Edward Payson Dutton.In 1864, Dutton expanded to New York City where they began publishing religious books. In 1906, Dutton struck what proved to be a significant deal with the English...
- Mair, George (1996), Under the Rainbow: The Real Liza Minnelli. Carol Publishing
- Schechter, Scott (2004), The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook. Kensington Books
Kensington Publishing Corp. is an American book publisher.- Overview :Kensington was founded in 1974 by Walter Zacharius, formerly of Lancer Books. Steven Zacharius became president and CEO in 2005. Vice president Michael Rosamilia has been the CFO since 1989. Laurie Parkin is the vice president...
/Citadel Press * See Free Preview at Amazon.com
- Spada, James (1983), Judy and Liza. Doubleday
External links