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It’s safe to say that Liza Minnelli is arguably one of the greatest theatrical performers of her generation.
The daughter of famed actress Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli celebrated her 80th birthday earlier this year on March 12. In honor of the milestone, Broadway’s best are coming together for Liza! at 80: A Celebration in Song and Dance at Carnegie Hall on Thursday, June 25.
Before the star-studded cast takes the stage to celebrate the Tony Award-winning icon, BroadwayWorld takes a look back at just a handful of Minnelli’s greatest performances. While it’s impossible to choose from a career spanning nearly her entire life, below (in no particular order!) are 10 show-stopping numbers you can watch right now.
“Sing Happy” from Flora, the Red Menace
Minnelli made her Broadway debut at age 19 as Flora Meszaros in the musical Flora, the Red Menace, featuring a book by George Abbott and Robert Russell with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. Minnelli’s performance of “Sing Happy” from the production proves why she won her first Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical in 1965.
“City Lights” from The Act
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At the 32nd Tony Awards, Minnelli brought down the house with her performance of “City Lights” from The Act. That night, she took home her second competitive Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance as Michelle Craig in the musical by George Furth, Fred Ebb and John Kander. According to a New York Times print article about the Act’s opening night party, Minnelli received a “rousing” standing ovation after “City Lights” that evening when the musical officially opened on October 29, 1977.
Minnelli opened her 1987 Carnegie Hall concert with the Cole Porter classic “I Happen to Like New York.” Minnelli’s critically acclaimed Carnegie engagement featured a 47-piece orchestra, and the Los Angeles Times described its opening night as the “most electrifying” of the musical season. “It’s the greatest night of my life,” Minnelli said at the after party. “You work your whole life for a night like this.”
Minnelli has become synonymous with the John Kander and Fred Ebb tune “New York, New York,” so every performance of the classic is worth the watch. The stage and screen icon starred in the 1977 romantic comedy of the same name opposite Robert De Niro, and she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance as Francine Evans. After Minnelli performed the song in the Martin Scorsese-directed film, it became one of her staples.
“But The World Goes ‘Round” from New York, New York
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Another stellar tune from the 1977 movie, which features a screenplay by Earl Mac Rauch and Mardik Martin, is “But The World Goes ‘Round.” Here is her performance from the film.
“Rose’s Turn” from Gypsy
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While Minnelli never starred in Gypsy, she’s performed some of the musical’s iconic score (with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim) in concert. Her performance of “Rose’s Turn” is one of her most electrifying.
“Together (Wherever We Go)” from Gypsy
Songs from the musical Gypsy have been part of Minnelli’s repertoire since she was young. She performed “Together (Wherever We Go)” alongside her mother Judy Garland on The Judy Garland Show, and the two also sang the duet during their concerts held at the London Palladium in November 1964.
“Maybe This Time” from Cabaret
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Minnelli became a bona fide movie star with her performance as Sally Bowles in the 1972 film adaptation of Cabaret. She won an Academy Award for her performance, and in her acceptance speech at the 1973 Oscars said that “making the film of Cabaret was one of the happiest times of my whole life.” She added, “I would like to thank everybody connected with it, but most especially the artistic staff: Mr. [Bob] Fosse and Fred Ebb and John Kander. And thank you for giving me this award; you’ve made me very happy.”
“Cabaret” from Cabaret
The title song from Cabaret is also one of Minnelli’s staple songs. In this clip, the legendary entertainer received a standing ovation after bringing down the house with her performance of “Cabaret” in her Tony Award-winning Best Special Theatrical Event Liza’s at The Palace….
“Colored Lights” from The Rink
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Minnelli was Tony-nominated for her performance as Angel in the 1984 musical The Rink — featuring a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Fred Ebb and music by John Kander — though she lost the award to her costar Chita Rivera, who played Anna. In The New York Times’ review of the production, critic Frank Rick wrote, “The best number, though formulaic, is the first: a hurdy-gurdy evocation of memory, well sung by Miss Minnelli and dreamily enlivened by Marc B. Weiss’s atmospheric lighting effects.”
Photo Credit: Walter McBride
