The Act, Liza Minnelli, Music CD

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The Act


1	Shine It On 3:46
2	It's the Strangest Thing 3:06
3	Bobo's 4:20
4	Turning 2:49
5	Little Do They Know 2:46
6	Authur in the Afternoon 4:02
7	Monkey Tree 4:00
8	City Lights 6:23
9	There When I Need Him 4:22
10	Hot Enough for You? 2:11
11	Little Do They Know 1:18
12	My Own Space 3:54
13	Walking Papers 4:41

Biography

Editorial Reviews

Although she had served briefly as a replacement in the musical Chicago in 1975, Liza Minnelli returned to Broadway in her own show for the first time in 12 years with The Act, which opened in New York on October 29, 1977. With music and lyrics by her favorite songwriting team, John Kander and Fred Ebb, it was a backstage musical concerning a fading film star attempting a comeback in Las Vegas. But the thin plot was really just an excuse to put the star on-stage in a bunch of new songs; except for one choral number, "Little Do They Know," Minnelli sang every song in the show. Kander and Ebb tended to enjoy their greatest successes with period works, especially those set in the 1920s (Chicago) or '30s (Cabaret), for which Kander could apply his expertise in hot jazz styles and Ebb could vent his negative world view. But The Act was set in the present day; while Kander threw in the occasional disco rhythm and electric guitar lick, he really didn't have a feel for the music of the 1970s, and it showed. Ebb's free-floating cynicism was at home in the era of Watergate, of course, but it ran counter Minnelli's "the show must go on" enthusiasm. As a result, the score failed her, and that's what one gets on a cast album which is little more than a Minnelli solo recording with the thinnest indication that the performances derive from a book musical. Minnelli sings the songs with her usual verve, vanishing only for "Little Do They Know" and its reprise, a song that addresses the star-vehicle nature of the project. Fittingly, Minnelli won a Tony award for her performance, but the show itself lost out. It ran 233 performances, closing after eight months. William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

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Actby Anonymous

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May 04, 2004: Liza Minnelli is a superstar, she was born one and she's also showed her versatile talents in movies, on records and on stage. The 70's were the high peak of her career, in 1972 she starred in the Oscar winning movie "Cabaret" as Sally Bowles, the role as Sally Bowles got her an Oscar and later that year she won a Tony for her television show called "Liza with a Z". In 1977 by the age of 31 Liza Minnelli had already won 2 Tonys, 1 Grammy and an Oscar, what more could she possibly indure? I'll tell ya, "The Act" her first Broadway appearence in 12 years, even though the show was closed down after 8 months and 233 performances "The Act" scored Liza yet a Tony award making it her third. The show itself is not bad, Liza performs with such a power and diversity that one can't help but to adore her, by 77' her voice had turned a little raspy but nontheless it sounds even more passionate and effective, plus she sounds frightenly alot like her legendary mother Judy Garland did. "The Act" contains so many wonderful tunes such as the dynamic Liza classic "City Lights" to the passionate piano ballad of "My Own Space". Liza Minnelli is amongst the rare performers who's won an Oscar, Tonys and Grammy awards. Plus she's received a special award for her achievements. Liza Minnelli is a legend.

Click on

or link to hear an audio clip.
To listen to samples you'll need a Windows Media Player

The Act


1	Shine It On 3:46
2	It's the Strangest Thing 3:06
3	Bobo's 4:20
4	Turning 2:49
5	Little Do They Know 2:46
6	Authur in the Afternoon 4:02
7	Monkey Tree 4:00
8	City Lights 6:23
9	There When I Need Him 4:22
10	Hot Enough for You? 2:11
11	Little Do They Know 1:18
12	My Own Space 3:54
13	Walking Papers 4:41

All Music Guide

Although she had served briefly as a replacement in the musical Chicago in 1975, Liza Minnelli returned to Broadway in her own show for the first time in 12 years with The Act, which opened in New York on October 29, 1977. With music and lyrics by her favorite songwriting team, John Kander and Fred Ebb, it was a backstage musical concerning a fading film star attempting a comeback in Las Vegas. But the thin plot was really just an excuse to put the star on-stage in a bunch of new songs; except for one choral number, "Little Do They Know," Minnelli sang every song in the show. Kander and Ebb tended to enjoy their greatest successes with period works, especially those set in the 1920s (Chicago) or '30s (Cabaret), for which Kander could apply his expertise in hot jazz styles and Ebb could vent his negative world view. But The Act was set in the present day; while Kander threw in the occasional disco rhythm and electric guitar lick, he really didn't have a feel for the music of the 1970s, and it showed. Ebb's free-floating cynicism was at home in the era of Watergate, of course, but it ran counter Minnelli's "the show must go on" enthusiasm. As a result, the score failed her, and that's what one gets on a cast album which is little more than a Minnelli solo recording with the thinnest indication that the performances derive from a book musical. Minnelli sings the songs with her usual verve, vanishing only for "Little Do They Know" and its reprise, a song that addresses the star-vehicle nature of the project. Fittingly, Minnelli won a Tony award for her performance, but the show itself lost out. It ran 233 performances, closing after eight months. William Ruhlmann

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Product Details

Format: CD
Original Release: 1977
Release Date: 10/25/1990
Label: DRG
Catalog No.: 6101
UPC: 021471610123
Sales Rank: 94,895

Album Credits
Performance Credits
Liza Minnelli		Primary Artist, Vocals, Track Performer
Kander		Piano
Stanley Lebowsky		Conductor
Roger Minami		Vocals

Technical Credits
Ralph Burns		Orchestration
Hugh Fordin		Producer
Earl Brown		Arranger