Who could ever think of the songs 鈥淣ew York, New York,鈥� 鈥淐abaret,鈥� or 鈥淩ing Them Bells鈥� without hearing Liza Minnelli giving them the full-throttle treatment?
The following collection of popular and rare performances are a thrilling testament to Minnelli鈥檚 lifelong career in show business.
Happy Birthday, Liza May!
Where it all began. Minnelli made her Broadway debut at 19 in the Kander and Ebb musical Flora, The Red Menace. It would be the beginning of her lifelong creative relationship with the songwriting team behind Cabaret, Chicago, and The Rink. Here's a clip of 鈥淪ing Happy鈥� from Flora.
In this segment from 1966, a 20-year-old Liza thrills at the Olympia in Paris with 鈥淟iza With a Z鈥� (performed in French), as well as Aznavour鈥檚 鈥淟e Temps,鈥� 鈥淚 Will Wait for You,鈥� and 鈥淢aybe This Time.鈥�
Kander and Ebb may be the signature songwriters of survival: 鈥淪o, What?鈥� from Cabaret.
And here's 鈥淢ein Herr鈥� from Cabaret:
As well as 鈥淐abaret.鈥�
Trust us when we say that it鈥檚 worth ignoring the Swedish subtitles to witness Liza and Goldie Hawn performing 鈥淎ll That Jazz鈥� as the finale to their Emmy-nominated 1980 TV special Goldie and Liza Together. Fun fact: Liza, is, of course, dressed by Halston, with Bob Mackie dressing Goldie.
Liza and perform a medley of showtunes in the 1980 television special Baryshnikov on Broadway.
Opening The Sammy Davis Jr. Show with 鈥淢y Own Best Friend鈥� from Chicago.
Ever the activist, she turns Kander and Ebb鈥檚 鈥淭he Day After That鈥� into an anthem of hope for a cure for AIDS on national TV with Jay Leno.
A signature Halston red sequined pantsuit and 鈥淐ity Lights.鈥� What more can we say?
Has anyone made more out of the phrase 鈥淕oodbye to blueberry pie鈥� (or done better choreography)?
Showing 鈥榚m how it's done on Inside the Actors鈥� Studio. Performing 鈥檚 鈥淨uiet Love.鈥�
Singing the gem 鈥淚 Don't Want to Know鈥� from Dear World.
Turning a song into a scene, as always: Kander and Ebb鈥檚 鈥淒on鈥檛 Smoke in Bed,鈥� written just for Liza.
A fantastic moment on The Muppets performing 鈥淐opacabana. 鈥�
She learned from the best: with her mother, , singing 鈥淭ogether Wherever We Go鈥� from Gypsy.
Another song with her mother, the classic duet 鈥淕et Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again鈥� (first made famous with Barbra Streisand), but here it鈥檚 all in the family in 1964 at the London Palladium.
A wonderful duet with her sister during the 1993 Tony Awards. Listen for the orchestra to play a musical moment referencing 鈥淥ver the Rainbow鈥� just before the medley concludes.
鈥淏ut the World Goes Round鈥� from the 1977 film New York, New York.
Minnelli performs from The Act at the 1978 Tony Awards.
Minnelli's appearance at the 1984 Tony Awards, performing Kander and Ebb鈥檚 鈥淵es鈥� and 鈥淐abaret.鈥�
Minnelli returned to Broadway to co-star with Chita Rivera in the 1984 Kander and Ebb musical The Rink. Here they are performing 鈥淲allflower鈥� at the Tony Awards.
鈥淲hat Makes a Man a Man?鈥� from Liza's At the Palace.
Liza performs 鈥淎 Quiet Thing鈥� from Flora, The Red Menace.
Minnelli is a two-time Tony Award winner for her work in Flora, the Red Menace and The Act. She is also the recipient of a 1974 Special Tony Award and was nominated for her performance in The Rink. Minnelli won the Oscar for playing Sally Bowles in Bob Fosse鈥檚 film adaptation of Cabaret and earned an Emmy for her TV special Liza With a Z. She was among the first to receive the inaugural Grammy Legend Award in 1990 (a non-competitive honor), making Minnelli an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner.
