Liza with a 'Z' - Concert for Television (Collector's Edition)
by Bob Fosse
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Liza MinnelliDirector: Bob Fosse
Brand: PARAMOUNT PICTURES
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 60 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-04-04
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Showtime Entertainment
Movie Reviews of Liza with a 'Z' - Concert for Television (Collector's Edition)
Movie Review: An absolute gem.
Summary: 5 Stars
"Liza with a z" is one of the best performances by anyone that i've ever seen. I was a fan of Liza's mother Judy Garland long before I became very interested in Liza. When I would think of Liza I would think of her as the daughter of Judy and I had only a vague idea of who she really was. Seeing this changed all that and I became an immediate big Liza fan and then I gained respect for her as a truly fine performer in her own right. From start to finish she has an almost captivating presence on the stage and a strong connection with her audience. Even watching this old film on an old tv in my living room it can be seen even before the show begins that there is a certain excitment and energy in the air which I have come to find out is something characteristic of Liza's shows in general. Liza comes waltzing on to the stage looking grand decked out in white attire and her first song "Yes I Can" begins. Correct me if this not the actual title of the song. I dont know the titles of the songs as I taped this off of tv, so I am only guessing at what the titles are. The titles of the songs become quite irrevelant though when seen in light of the performance. I will not do a song by song review of each number but without exception every one of them is an absolute gem. Favorites from the show are all of them but in particular, "My Mammy" is very very good Liza's vocals on that song are like the sun shining down from the sky, also very very good is "Blackbird", in mentioning this song I feel it is important that I also give alot of credit to the background singers/dancers all of whom are great, they arent listed in the credits which is a bit of a shame. The choreography, costumes, and orchestration were all wonderful. Also wonderful in the show are the songs "I Gotcha", "Mabey this Time", "Cabaret", "Son of a Preacherman". I now undersand what all the fuss is about Liza now that I've bothered to sit down and really watch her, some people use the word legend when talking about Liza. I feel that after decades of giving dazzling performances on stage since the 60's, Liza like her mother became a legend of the stage. It is also important to note that Liza is a fine film actress also but I think she truly shines on the stage in front of an audience and she truly shines. I will close this review by saying that if you like music like this which is orchestrated and tells stories as many of the songs do then this is a wonderful film to get. For anyone who has seen one of Liza's movies and is more interested in what she is like on stage then this is a wonderful place to start. Thank You.
Summary of Liza with a 'Z' - Concert for Television (Collector's Edition)
With all her recent misadventures, it's hard to remember that Liza Minelli was once a startlingly impressive stage performer, following in her mother's footsteps (Judy Garland, for those that haven't been paying attention). This made for TV concert from 1972 shines the spotlight on Liza at her peak, with songs by Kander & Ebb and choreography by Bob Fosse. Forget everything else; all you need to know and remember about Liza Minelli is right here.The DVD Holy Grail for Liza Minnelli fans finally surfaces after 30-some years: Liza with a "Z", a splashy TV special from 1972. And wow, is it ever a product of its era. Minnelli and director-choreographer Bob Fosse were at the top of their popularity in 1972, having just made Cabaret, the blockbuster musical for which both won Oscars. Liza with a "Z" places the still-coltish Minnelli on the stage of the Lyceum Theater, in a one-night-only performance covered by Fosse's eight cameras. Songs by Cabaret composers John Kander and Fred Ebb provide a spine for the show, including a breathless rendition of "Ring Them Bells" and the tongue-twisting "Say Liza (Liza with a 'Z')," a goofball number that sounds more like one of Danny Kaye's patter songs than a tune for Liza Minnelli.
Liza treats each song as an emotional Mount Everest, never holding back a thing, and the result is a psychodrama played out in the klieg lights. (The outrageous costumes by Halston don't hold back a thing, either; Studio 54, here we come!) Memories of the all-or-nothing style of her mother, Judy Garland, are already heavy in the air by the time Minnelli reaches "My Mammy," and workouts on "God Bless the Child" and "Son of a Preacher Man" confirm the singer's approach.
As for Fosse's choreography, there are signature moves aplenty--his dancing so frequently suggested a choreographer lusting for actual sex to break out on stage. "Bye Bye Blackbird" gives Minnelli and her backup dancers a chance to stretch out in an echt-Fosse feast of bowler hats and white gloves. The bell-and-booty shaking in "Ring Them Bells" and the loony tuxedo-clad cowpokes in "I Gotcha" hint that Fosse was in the midst of a manic phase. Speaking of which, Minnelli tackling Joe Tex's "I Gotcha" is one of those jaw-dropping mismatches that she salvages only through dint of daft commitment. No quarreling with the Cabaret medley; say want you want about Liza, she owns those songs. Minnelli and Fosse won Emmys for the show. The restoration of the original materials looks about as good as can be expected, with the spirit of a glitzy seventies TV variety special quite intact. --Robert Horton
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