Liza and Alan at the Town Hall- Did anyone go?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/15/13 at 12:39pm

Would love to hear how it was!

Updated On: 3/15/13 at 12:39 PM

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 3/15/13 at 1:20pm

I was there! Magical best describes the evening! I went on Wed. John Kander was in the audience, Liza acknowledged him during her set and basically credited then for her career, he got a standing ovation. Lea Delaria, Debbie Harry, and apparently Ben Vareen were all there, though I didn't personally see the last one. I was in Row M of the orchestra, great seat, Town Hall is relatively intimate. Billy Stritch and Nate Horne served as musical directors and pianists for the evening with a small orchestra. Liza and Alan came out to a standing ovation and sang "Class" Liza took a break and Alan did about an hour set and talked about his relationship with Liza. Then, Liza came out and sang all her greatest hits, "New York, New York", "Liza with a Z", etc. She was recovering from an ankle injury and sat in a director's chair at points, the special surprise was when she broke out the rhine-stone glasses and sang "Ring Them Bells" which she said she hadn't done in some years. She got 4 standing ovations during her set, as I recall. Then Alan joined her for a finale of songs from "Cabaret". They got 3 encore bows. The energy in the theatre was so electric and exciting! Alan ended leading the audience in "Happy Birthday" for Liza. To see 2 performers who genuinely love what they do, give it their all, even at 67 for Liza, was inspiring! There were, of course some bum notes, and missed lyrics, but who cares! As Alan said, it's "Liza ****ing Minelli!" Such a great experience I won't forget!

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 3/15/13 at 1:22pm

Liza's set was also about an hour. No intermission.

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 3/15/13 at 1:34pm

I went last night. Theatermania apparently oversold the show (they had offered a number of seats at a discount in the afternoon) but I was able to get a ticket in orchestra.

This was the full version of the wonderful show they performed at the Ice Palace last year in Fire Island. Alan added that Liza on Fire Island was like the coming of the Pope. Too true! They entered to "All That Jazz" and a standing ovation (There were many during the evening!). My apologies for not having the full set list of front of me. Liza looked a little shaky and out of breath after the first number, but the fun banter between the two was in full flow so the electricity and excited was in the air.

The show was divided into two long segments for Alan and Liza, Alan first with lots of fun stories about how he met Liza at Cabaret (he told a story of how walked down the aisle in character and Liza slapped him on the back and said "FABULOUS! I want to be your friend forever!" and how he met John Cameron Mitchell. He sang a Hedwig medley starting with Wig in a Box. He also performed the mash up of Adele, Gaga and Katy Perry that he performed on FI.

Liza returned to the stage and sang New York, NY (to which we stood again), What Makes A Man a Man (I hadn't listed to that since Marc Almond sang it), and Ring Them Bells with some hot glasses. EDIT: Thank you Phillyguy, LIZA WITH A Z!! Pure perfection on that number. She was on as long as Alan, and gosh I wish it could have been longer! She sat for some of her set because of a painful knee (someone asked her if it was the real or the fake and she said jokingly, "What difference does it make!") and was quite active in the chair! Her voice gained power the more she sang and she really got into it.

Alan led the theater in singing Happy Birthday to her to which she replied, "I'm 12!" Afterward, Ben Vereen was spotted entering stage door, to which many speculated that she would never come out, that it would be the old Studio 54 days. She did emerge shortly thereafter and was so adorable. Patricia Field was in the audience. It was a wonderful show, the One Night Only that got stretched to two!

Updated On: 3/15/13 at 01:34 PM

[DAME]

Posted: 3/15/13 at 1:36pm

"She was recovering from an ankle injury and sat in a director's chair at points, the special surprise was when she broke out the rhine-stone glasses and sang "Ring Them Bells" which she said she hadn't done in some years."


She is always recovering from something and has been including "ring them bells" off and on in her show for a few years now. Same ol same ol.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/15/13 at 1:53pm

Thanks everyone! Wish I could have gone- sounded like a lot of fun!

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 3/15/13 at 3:27pm

Sounds like she performed the same tired set she did the last two (and final) times I saw her. What a joke. It's nice she allowed Alan to attach his name to her so people would show up to his cabaret act.

You couldn't pay me to sit through that.

[chanel]

Posted: 3/15/13 at 3:27pm

Here's a great review.

"A love-in."

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2013/03/liza_and_alan_c.php