Iconic Celebrity #2: Liza Minnelli
Liza Minnelli probably could have achieved stardom, or at least caught the public eye, simply by resting on the laurels of her famous parents. The child of Hollywood royalty, Minnelli's mother was the legendary singer and actress, Judy Garland, whose life and talent cast a long shadow over her daughter's career. Her father, Vincent Minnelli, was a famed stage and film director, known the world over for musicals like "An American In Paris." Despite the inevitable comparisons to her mother she would inspire throughout her career, Minnelli showed the world an inimitable spirit and unparalleled talent all her own. This is how.
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Finding Her Way
A love of performing had a hold of Minnelli from the age of three when she toddled onto a movie set and joined her mother on the silver screen for "In the Good Old Summer Time," in 1949. Despite the early lure and glitz of Hollywood's Golden Age, a teenaged Minnelli ditched Los Angeles and high school for New York City in the years following her parents' divorce. Hoping to make her mark on the Great White Way, Minnelli's first foray onto the stage was a highly acclaimed, Off-Broadway performance in the light-hearted, musical comedy, "Best Foot Forward."
Minnelli showed a fledgling, tenuous talent when she performed alongside Garland on the small screen in "The Judy Garland Show," but it was on the stage several years later, when the two performed a rousing duet at London's Palladium, that everything changed. That performance was a turning point for the 18-year-old Minnelli, who viscerally experienced her mother's jealousy during the show. The New York Times quoted Minnelli as saying, "It was like Mama suddenly realized I was good. One minute I was on stage with my mother, the next moment I was on stage with Judy Garland. She was like the lioness that owned the stage and suddenly found somebody invading her territory." Minnelli understood Garland, and eventually came to take her mother's reaction as a powerful compliment. The public, however, still experienced the young woman as another Garland, often asking her to perform songs like "Over the Rainbow."
Powerfully motivated to be her own person, and her own type of performer, Minnelli strove to find roles that differentiated her from those of her famous mother, gravitating towards strong, sexy roles and eschewing those that were innocent, or peaches and cream. She simultaneously worked on individualizing her vocalization patterns and defining her own, unique voice.
A Talent Flowers
Minnelli's first starring role on Broadway, at age 19, was as the title character in "Flora, the Red Menace." The play had a short run and it nabbed Minnelli her first Tony for Best Actress in a Musical. Significant parts followed both on stage and screen. Her role as the free-spirited, lovable Pookie in "The Sterile Cuckoo" nabbed her an Oscar nomination. Her powerful rendition of Sally Bowles in the 1972 film, "Cabaret," solidified her iconic status within New York City's gay community, a mantle she was happy to share with her mother, who had died several years earlier of an accidental drug overdose.
A Seasoned Star Continues to Reign
Minnelli's love affair with New York continued. Her role as Francine Evans, played alongside Robert De Niro in the musical drama "New York, New York," was earmarked by her powerfully performed rendition of the theme song of the same name. The song would ultimately become as iconic as she was. Written for her, the anthem would solidify her identity with the city she loved for decades. Minnelli went on to star in a highly entertaining and acclaimed television special, "Liza With a Z." The popular song of the same name was a kind of anthem for Minnelli, who resented the early, and often, mispronunciation of her name from fans.
Many movie roles followed, although her career suffered several stops and starts over the next years, possibly due to her own, well-documented struggle with drug and alcohol abuse. Broadway, her first love, would continue to call, with the 1997 lead in "Victor/Victoria" and solo concerts at the Palace Theatre.
Triumph is still hers. A true legend, Minnelli, currently in her 60s, continues to excite fans with television appearances and also devotes a significant amount of her time to AmfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.
Corey Whelan is a freelance writer in New York. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
