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. It was produced by John Scher and Metropolitan Talent Presents.
It was directed and choreographed by Ron Lewis, with vocal arrangements by Kay Thompson and Billy Stritch. Minnelli performed with four dancer-singers: Cortes Alexander, Jim Caruso, Tiger Martina, and Johnny Rodgers. The concert contained songs written by Kander and Ebb, among others.
The first act included a revised version of a vaudeville tribute her mother once performed at the Palace. The second act included a "re-creation of [Kay] Thompson's celebrated nightclub act with the four Williams brothers".
Critical response
Stephen Holden of The New York Times said
In Variety, David Rooney observed,
Brian Scott Lipton of Theatermania.com stated,
Awards and nominations Minnelli won the 2009 Independent Theatre Reviewers Association Award for Best Female Theatrical PerformancePlaybill.com, February 9, 2009 and a Drama Desk Award "Special Award" for a "beloved American musical theater icon, for her enduring career of sustained excellence, and her glorious performance in Liza's at The Palace." The show also won the Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event.
The production was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical and the Drama League Award for Distinguished Production of a Musical.Gans, Andrew."Billy, Carnage, Hair, Blithe and Rush Win Drama League Awards" , Playbill.com, May 15, 2009
Recording A 2-CD set with liner notes by Michael Feinstein was released on February 3, 2009, on Hybrid Recordings. It debuted at #42 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and at #3 on the Top Cast Albums chart, but failed to chart on the Billboard 200. The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album on December 2, 2009."The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards Nominees List" , Grammy.com, December 2, 2009
Musical numbers
ACT I "Teach Me Tonight" – Lyrics by Sammy Cahn; Music by Gene DePaul "I Would Never Leave You" – Music and lyrics by Billy Stritch, Johnny Rodgers, and Brian Lane Green "If You Hadn't, But You Did" – Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green; Music by Jule Styne "What Makes a Man a Man?" – Music and lyrics by Charles Aznavour "My Own Best Friend" – Lyrics by Fred Ebb; Music by John Kander "Maybe This Time" – Lyrics by Fred Ebb; Music by John Kander "He's Funny That Way" – Lyrics by Richard Whiting; Music by Neil Moret "Palace Medley" – New introduction by David Zippel, John Kander and Billy Stritch; original song by Roger Edens "Cabaret" – Lyrics by Fred Ebb; Music by John Kander
ACT II "But the World Goes 'Round" – Lyrics by Fred Ebb; Music by John Kander "Hello, Hello" – Music and lyrics by Kay Thompson "Jubilee Time" – Music and lyrics by Kay Thompson "Basin Street Blues" – Music by Spencer Williams, special lyric by Kay Thompson "Clap Yo' Hands" – Lyrics by Ira Gershwin; Music by George Gershwin "Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)" – Lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Gus Kahn; Music by George Gershwin "I Love a Violin" – Music and lyrics by Thompson "My Mammy" – Lyrics by Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young; Music by Walter Donaldson "Theme from New York, New York" – Lyrics by Fred Ebb; Music by John Kander "I'll Be Seeing You" – Lyrics by Irving Kahal; Music by Sammy Fain
Public television special Celebrating the one year anniversary of Liza's at the Palace...., American Public Television (APT) distributed the special to public television stations nationwide beginning in November 2009. Filmed in the Hollywood Theatre at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on September 30 and October 1, 2009, the program featured material performed during the New York engagement.
The concert premiered on the cable network HDNet and was shown three times: November 15, 16 and 22, 2009.
References
External links Official concert website
Official Liza Minnelli website