At Liza Minnelli Book Event, the Story Onstage Didn’t Match the One in the Book
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As clips of her electrifying prime played and a polished audiobook voice filled the room, the EGOT winner’s halting live appearance — guided by Michael Feinstein — revealed a striking disconnect.
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Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment At a Los Angeles event celebrating the release of her memoir Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! , Liza Minnelli was introduced, repeatedly and reverently, as a living legend. Which she is. But what unfolded onstage was something far more complicated. The evening began with a level of theatricality that felt almost defiant. It was set inside the Million Dollar Theater, an historic downtown venue where Minnelli’s mother, Judy Garland, once performed in a vaudeville review as part of The Gumm Sisters. The 2,000-seat theater was at capacity; each $90 ticket included a copy of the memoir. Related Stories Movies Lady Gaga Memory Test, Cocaine-Fueled Affair With Martin Scorsese Among Liza Minnelli Memoir Shockers Lifestyle Liza Minnelli Makes Surprise Appearance at the GLAAD Media Awards: "You Make Me So Proud" A full production number — male and female dancers moving through Fosse-esque choreography — gave way to a sequined majorette performing flaming baton tricks in front of a curtain. When it finally parted, Minnelli was revealed seated in a director’s chair, like an icon being unveiled. It was a striking image. It was also, almost immediately, at odds with what followed. Minnelli, now 80, appeared physically fragile and struggled to communicate in a way that often left both her interviewer and the audience grasping for clarity. Answers came haltingly, sometimes in fragments or single words. “No,” she said when asked if she thinks about her legacy. Moments later, she added, “I listen to the words, the story,” a glimpse of the performer’s instinct still intact – but fleeting. That interviewer was her confidante and sometime-accompanist Michael Feinstein, who guided the evening with a steady hand, asking most of the questions and, at times, gently r...
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