One fantastic perk of working the Broadway scene is the opportunity to randomly meet an entertainment legend. Today’s star power doesn’t come anywhere near that of stage and screen greats like Frank Sinatra, Ethel Merman or Judy Garland. There was a time when stars like those were all over town, both here in New York and back home in Hollywood. As time goes on, there are less and less powerhouses left to entertain us.
So, when I got the call that Liza Minnelli, one of the great entertainers, was willing to sit down for an exclusive interview, it didn’t take much convincing before I agreed to shoot it. And the setting couldn’t have been more appropriate for the likes of Liza. The famed Sardi’s on 44th Street in Midtown. With Liza’s caricature hanging on the wall, we sat her down to chat with Jim Caruso, a cast member in “Liza’s at the Palace” and our good friend.
The whole afternoon was exciting, as Liza was her energetic and entertaining self. One highlight from the interview is when Liza turned the tables on Will Ferrell. Conan O’Brien’s The Tonight Show kicked off earlier this week with Will as its first guest, and during his interview he joked that a vote for Liza at the Tony Awards was like a vote for a “commie.” Other great moments from our Liza interview was her reminiscing about “Arthur” co-star Dudley Moore, giving a shout out to singer Pink and fawning over “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” star Vincent D’Onofrio.
Hopefully you’ll enjoy the video as much as I enjoyed shooting it. Take note, it’s over 20 minutes long. Now I’m going to dust off my “Arthur” DVD and get caught between the moon and New York City.