Home > Reviews > 1991 Royal Albert Hall

Ultimate sensation

The London Evening Standard, 31 October 1991

Review by Max Bell.

The last time Liza Minnelli was in town she had to sidle up to the various talents of one Francis Albert Sinatra and the late Sammy Davis Jnr. Minnelli wasn't exactly overshadowed by men then but one felt she was somewhat reticent in her overall demeanour. Too much kitsch, not enough substance.

No such constraints pulled Minnelli back last night, indeed her performance was a revelation. Even hardened old-timers were won over by a show that scampered from Cabaret and Stepping Out to Results, featuring songs that pushed back the buttons and questioned the ethos of male-dominated show business.

The gamine Liza, resplendent in an understated dance-friendly costume, made no attempt whatsoever to indulge either her famous pedigree or the more schmaltzy aspects of her songbook.

Whether dealing with Sondheim or the Pet Shop Boys, Minnelli's delivery and interpretation relied only on what she had to offer. No favours were asked, everything she had to offer was on view. She was a sensation.

Minnelli eased through the rat pack, pistol-shooting numbers, firing the bullets back at the men who set the agenda for popular show biz events like this, without making any particular political point.

She didn't need to feminise. Her proof lay in the utterly convincing Gypsy Rose (after Shirley MacLaine), and a version of Sailor Boy that left the audience gobsmacked.

Indeed, there were frequent moments in Minnelli's show that made a mockery of those tedious and misguided attempts to cast her as an eternal reincarnation of Judy Garland.

She buried that outmoded obsession with a blistering version of Roy Orbison's Crying before disabusing any lingering doubters with her Stepping Out crew and a second half that began with Losing My Mind and then went on the rampage.

Lotte Lenya fans and Neil Tennant freaks will not be disappointed. This is the classiest musical in town.

All content on www.LizaOnline.co.uk is archived here without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in reviewing the included information for personal use, non-profit research and educational purposes only. Designed by all lower case.