Home > Reviews > 1992 Royal Albert Hall

Thanks Liza, Sammy would have really loved it

The London Evening Standard, 24 June 1992

Review by George Melly.

So what do you write after sitting in a box, courtesy of American Express, where a full house has ensured a substantial profit for the Royal Marsden? Well, in my view you give a subjective account of the evening or there's no point in reviewing it at all.

The first act was the arrival of the Princess of Wales. It took place just over my head so I couldn't watch her reaction to an enormous burst of applause from the audience, nor yet her response to the National Anthem sung by an androgynous figure whose last note was audible only to dogs. There was a circular stage with an orchestra in its shadow and, over our heads, large TV monitors where, from time to time, they showed Sammy on film from the age of five upwards. As he was an enormous talent, this was very enjoyable. The first half, introduced by Minnelli, featured a series of artistes who had known and worked with Davis, telling anecdotes and performing relevant songs. These included Liza's half-sister, Lorna Luft, who was a revelation, a real belter in the family tradition. Cliff Richard did an admirable Summertime. Donald O'Connor apologised for his years; an admission emphasised by his dazzling dancing on screen. Charles Aznavour was very French. Tom Jones did his virile boyo bit. Jerry Lewis didn't squint it once.

The second half was all Liza's. She came on in a man's evening dress looking very touching and vulnerable. To begin with, she offered too many of those "big" tuneless ballads to my taste but then joined an excellent and refreshingly cool jazz pianist for an intimate set, for me the high spot of the evening.

She went off and changed into a short, less vulnerable frock, alas, but rounded off the night pretty convincingly. After Sinatra appeared on the monitors to praise Sammy, apparently a surprise to Liza, most of the cast reassembled for a rousing Birth Of The Blues. Then nurses from the Royal Marsden came on to hand over bouquets. It was that kind of evening, an appropriate celebration of old-fashioned, Hollywood-orientated showbiz when stars were celestial. There was lashings of schmaltz but you felt it was genuine schmaltz.

Certainly Sammy would have loved it. We did too. Outside the Albert Hall there was a huge illuminated-sign thanking Liza and spotlights combed the sky. You half expected to see the Hollywood sign replacing the shrouded Albert Memorial.

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