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| Liza Minnelli. |
LIZA [Musical
Revue] B: Fred Ebb; ORIG. MUSICAL MATL: Fred Ebb and John Kander; D: Bob Fosse; CH:
Bob Fosse, Ron Lewis; L: Jules Fisher; P: The Shubert Organization i/a/w Ron
Delsener; T: Winter Garden Theatre; 1/6/74-1/26/74 (23)
“She has urchin hair, big gypsy eyes, good legs, lovely
expressive hands, and a voice that can purr, whisper, snarl and roar. She is
also very sexy,” wrote Clive Barnes appreciatively of the 28-year-old Liza
Minnelli when she opened in this revue built around her talents. Barnes noted
all her appealing abilities and traits, her “vitality,” “nerviness,” “total
reality,” “ability to act in singing,” “delicacy,” and “vulnerability.”
On the extreme other hand, John Simon, often in the opposite corner from Barnes,
described her as “a phenomenon as sad as it is garish, a tiny overeager talent
given enormous electronic amplification, from under which emerges a shrilly
desperate call for fame, for love, for help. She is one part memories of her
mother [Judy Garland]; one part unsubtle appeal to the homosexual flock by
campy travestying of what little femininity she has; . . . and one part jokes
about her ridiculous looks.” (Folks, I’m not making this stuff up.)
Minnelli’s program allowed for her to sing and dance in 20
numbers, including a few original songs by Kander and Ebb. Among the old-time
standards were “Mammy” and “Shine on Harvest Moon,” while more recent tunes
included “Cabaret,” the title song of the movie that had made her an international star. Narrative bits of personal history were inserted between
the numbers. A backup quartet of dancers (Pam Barlow, Spencer Henderson, Jimmy Roddy, and Sharon Wylie) shared several appealing Bob Fosse
numbers with the star.
For her efforts, and in despite of John Simon, Liza Minnelli was presented with a Special
Award Tony for “superior concert entertainment on the Broadway stage.”