They come in all stripes & colors, so I am rather
certain that there are Gays that do not care for her, there are unbelievably,
Gay Republicans, but for me, I wouldn’t be a proper gay guy having my gay day
without mentioning the Birthday to Liza Minnelli.
\I first saw her in The
Sterile Cuckoo (Oscar nomination) in 1969 & I was rather astonished by
her performance, followed by another in Tell
Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970), & of course there was Cabaret & Liza With A Z (1971), all formidable stuff for a baby gay.
On spring day in 1977, I followed her for several blocks
until she went into the Russian Tea Room, where she met Lauren Bacall in the
doorway with a kiss. I followed the pair of stars inside & sat at the bar, but
I couldn’t bring myself to approach her. I may have seen her at Studio 54
during the same era, who knows, what with the Quaaludes & cocaine; maybe I
just thought I saw her with Halston, Bianca & Andy.
There is no denying the talent; Oscar, Emmy, Tony,
Grammy, BAFTA, & Golden Globes all sit on her mantle. Through the ups &
downs, the drugs & booze, the weight gains & losses, & the
marriages, just when she seems a joke,
she redeems & reinvents herself with choices like Results, her terrific album with Pet Shop Boys, & her hilarious
turn on Arrested Development.
Minnelli’s performing style is so full of “Please, Please,
Love Me” that I find it simply rude not to. At 67 years old she keeps on giving
& giving & demanding the love.
I saw her not two weeks ago at the Royal Festival Hall and I was worried for her at the start; her voice sounded weak and she looked frail. Just as I'd adjusted my expectations, she really pulled it out of the bag and began belting them out. What a star.
ReplyDeleteLord love the woman !
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