NOH WAY

Liza Minelli is back on the scene — alone again.

Liza's back, you really should know     

Billy Stritch delivers a flawless set, but the almost-ex Mrs. Gest nearly upstaged him

with her own impromptu mini-show

By David Noh

AFTER A TWO-YEAR STINT IN “42ND Street,” Billy Stritch returned to cabaret at the Supper Club on Monday night and enchanted a crowd that included David Zippel, Daisy Prince, Amanda Green, and, oh yeah, Liza Minnelli! Making her first public New York appearance since the termination of her Gest appearance, Minnelli was radiant, thin and draped in vintage black Halston and swathes of Elsa Peretti jewelry. With a posh posse of Coke drinkers, she sat up close to the stage to cheer on old friend/collaborator Stritch.

Her megawatt presence seemed to throw the performer a tad: When he launched into “A Shine on Your Shoes,” the lyrics completely flew out of his head. Liza's papa directed Fred Astaire doing this song so memorably in “The Band Wagon,” with Leroy “Sloppy” Daniels.

Backed by superb bassist David Finck, Stritch then delivered a flawless set, making you realize just what the boites have been missing for so long. As he launched into “What'll I Do,” by Irving Berlin, eternally romantic Liza leaned onto the shoulder of her accompanying knee doctor.

You then had to realize: the music, more than anything else, must be what keeps her going. Forget those surviving post-nuclear cockroaches and Cher: when the final smoke clears it will all be about some golden musical standard and Liza.

Stritch memorably paid tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr., whose support of Nixon and cheesy “Candy Man” bit apart, should be more remembered for his own great musicianship. It was at this point that he formally introduced Liza in the audience, saying, “She always told me ‘Sammy would have loved you! He would have loved you!' I wanted to use that as a quote on my new CD jacket: Sammy Davis, Jr.: ‘I would have loved you!'”

“Isn't she looking great?” he beamed at the almost-ex Mrs. Gest. “And no wonder, she's celebrating her triumphant return… to her senses! Actually, a friend suggested I say that and I wasn't sure if that was funny.” At which point, Liza who had already emitted her trademark guffaw, yelled, “It's funny!”

After the show, the kids from cable access show “That's Kentertainment” got the scoop of of their lives when she and Stritch gave them a lengthy interview. In one of those bizarre New York coincidences, they were actually on their way out to meet Karen Finley, currently impersonating Liza in her show, “Make Love.”

AT ONE POINT, WHILE EXTOLLING her own fan worship of Stritch and undying influence of godmother Kay Thompson, the crew's lights suddenly blew out, and it was only then that Liza said to her snuggling interviewer, “You're awfully close!” But hey, everyone wants to be near the heat of a diva, especially this one, who, in impresario Jim Caruso's words, “changes the molecular makeup of every single human she meets.”

For those who saw her leaving the club and took the cue to also split, you blew it, because she had only gone downstairs for a smoke. She returned and, joy of joys, was induced to sing.

Caruso announced, “Liza's back!” and she fixed him a look and replied, “Liza's really back, now, kids!”

She told the audience how happy she was to be in condition and likened the King Kong Room to the glory days of Ted Hook's Backstage restaurant (where she and Chita Rivera would think nothing of spontaneously duetting, say, “For Your Eyes Only”).

She looked around for Stritch who had, by that time, left to wolf down some much-needed food. Ever the pro, sans accompanist, she launched into an a cappella rendering of Arlen/Mercer's “My Shining Hour” that lucky listeners will cherish all their lives.

Copyright 2003  NYBLADE

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