MY Liza Minneli Problem

A couple of weeks ago my friend Christine asked if I wanted to join her and a co-worker in seeing “Liza’s at the Palace”. I had been a fan of Liza’s from way back when, seeing her when she toured the Midwest and then on Broadway in almost all her shows including “Chicago”, “The Act” and “The Rink” (No, I was too young for “Flora, the Red Menace”) even collecting her LPs and watching every broadcast of “Liza with a Z!” each time it was on. Well I am a gayboy who grew up in the 1970’s! I was a big fan, maybe not as big as some, but still a fan.

But then sometime in the early 90’s I began to lose interest probably due to the times and my changing tastes. I was also tired of all the tabloid gossip regarding her reckless lifestyle and lack of professionalism. (The stories coming out about her behavior while in “Victor/Victoria” were ‘not kind’!) Friends of mine, who know her, said she was a perfectly sweet woman and very nice. No doubt this is true, but seeing her on TV looking haggard and sounding shrill was awfully painful. Even on “Arrested Development” the camera seemed to trying to cut away so as not to embarrass her.

With all this in the back of my mind, the three of went last Friday night a week ago. We sat in the first row of the mezzanine and the house was packed. I would say that the majority were gay men (of all ages), but certainly also lots of straight people. As the houselights went down (on time) and the orchestra started up, the intensity and excitement were reaching a fever pitch and then Liza appeared and all pandemonium broke out, the audience was screaming and jumping to its collative feet and yelling “We Love You, Liza!!!!!” I will say she looked far better then she has in years and certainly commanded that stage.

Unfortunately for me (and as it turned out Christine) the show then went off a cliff. After all her surgeries (vocal cords, hips, brain and god knows what else) Liza Minnelli can hardly walk, talk or dance. I was looking at a faded facsimile of the entertainer she once was. Firstly, I was really bothered by her diction and that sibilance that was so pronounced. I knew the lyrics to all her songs and I still couldn’t understand a word. (Why she even attempted the tongue twisting “If You Hadn’t, But You Did” is beyond logic.) Next I was put off by her heavy, rapid breathing even during her songs, but most pronounced while she talked or just waited to catch her breath, which took longer and longer as the evening wore on. She even had to sit down while she sang “Maybe This Time” which I felt undercut the whole meaning of the song!

Given all her physical limitations, it became apparent that she was still trying to be the young Liza of “Cabaret” and “The Act” when she was at her peak. (And really quite beautiful.) Her act hasn’t grown or even changed, so there was no sense of time and maturity deepening and coloring her style. Liza was trying to be that young girl excited about playing dress-up and singing for an audience even if she didn’t relate to the songs themselves. In the most ghoulish way, I was reminded of Bette Davis as ‘Baby Jane’.

But the most dispiriting part was that Liza was determined to show that she was back! An entertaining force of nature! Liza Minnelli Superstar! And to this end the audience gave her everything she craved and needed. They stood after every song and they cheered and screamed and yelled and laughed and applauded and applauded and applauded! Her need for everyone to LOVE her was palatable. For me though, it was draining. I felt that if I personally didn’t LOVE her as much as she needed me too, it was back to pills & liquor and it would have been MY fault. I guess this neediness is why “Liza’s at the Palace” came across to me as an almost melancholy act and not much of a show. All I could think during it was “What about my needs Liza? Pay attention to ME.”

Afterwards, we three left with big grins plastered to our faces, but mine was mostly so Christine wouldn’t see me as disappointed or her friend wouldn’t think I was a snob. He was so excited that he talked about going again and again and I just nodded. Saying goodbye, Christine and I went to the train together and that’s when I learned how confused she was. “What was the big deal and why all the screaming? I mean I couldn’t even understand what she was singing about.” I replied, “Well said Christine, well said.”