From the NY Daily News:
Liza pulls no punches
in Westbury gig
BY ISSAC GUZMAN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Liza Minnelli performs on stage Friday at the North Fork Theatre at Westbury on Long Island.
After a tumultuous year spent struggling with her estranged husband, a litigious bodyguard and a December stint in a White Plains psych ward, Liza Minnelli returned to a local stage this weekend for the first time since her celebrated "Liza's Back" show in 2002.
Launching a three-night stint at the North Fork Theatre at Westbury on Friday, Minnelli treated fans to some of her classic repertoire, as well as a few lesser known songs from "Chicago" and "Cabaret."
She seemed to be building on the momentum of recent successes, including a recurring cameo in the Emmy-winning "Arrested Development" and a starring role opposite Parker Posey in the upcoming "The Oh in Ohio."
Although Westbury's theater in the round (formerly the Westbury Music Fair) was far from sold out, Minnelli's fans were emphatic in their support, giving the 58-year-old singer standing ovations after every song.
In turn, Liza told the fans she thought of them as the only real family she has.
She even made a sly reference to her travails, saying, "You might think that I go out at night dancing or - beating people up. When I'm not working on the heavy bag, I particularly like studying and finding and discovering old English folk ballads."
That led to one of the night's most interesting musical moments, an adaptation of a folk song set to an arrangement that incorporated elements of ragtime, show tunes and art songs. Minnelli's many problems sometimes obscure her talent, but when she's singing, Liza is an undeniable force.
While her 2002 "comeback" shows reeked of a desire to prove she hadn't lost a step, she wasn't striving as hard in this setting. That meant there were no high notes just beyond her range, and no unflattering costumes just a few stitches too snug.
She sent messages of independence with "I Am My Own Best Friend" from "Chicago" and "So What?" from "Cabaret." And she was in superb form by the time she hit the title song of "Cabaret" and her old standby, "New York, New York."
Minnelli's inventiveness and energy were in marked contrast to opening act Ben Vereen, who turned in the kind of schmaltzy, overwrought set that inspired Bill Murray to create his infamous "SNL" lounge singer.
In a tribute to Sammy Davis Jr., Vereen even dropped a bizarre reference to police brutality - "Uh-oh, Rodney King. Get out da car!" - in an exaggerated voice reminiscent of Kingfish from "Amos n' Andy."
Both Vereen and Minnelli have suffered the kind of physical and psychological setbacks that could undo any performer. However unlikely it may seem, Minnelli is the only one who can still transform her suffering into art.
Originally published on February 20, 2005
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