Liza-riffic (?)
Another Monday, another week…
Another fun day, if you’re a geek…
Or self-destructive, or just a square… Another Monday and some more gray hair.
Well, the suspense, she is over. On Sunday morning, after a mere 5 hours of sleep thanks to daylight savings time, I finally watched “Liza with a Z”. Yes, thanks to the wonder and majesty of Showtime On Demand, I was able to watch this 1 hr. special with all LIZA – LIZA – LIZA.
Apparently, I got in touch with my inner urbanite gay man.
Later, I discussed this groundbreaking musical/television event with Ed (aka H#2), who is not an urbanite gay man.
We talked about how this was pretty unique for its time (or any time, in some aspects). It was, in essence, a “concert film” for television. I can’t remember if Barbra Streisand’s two specials came before or after this, but I do know there wasn’t the combination of singing and dancing that “Liza with a Z” had. For many viewers, if they hadn’t seen “Cabaret”, “The Pajama Game” or “Sweet Charity” on film, this would be their first time seeing Fosse’s choreography as well as his film-making style. (BTW, for those who are wondering why it was fuzzy, well…he used film
Fosse’s choreography was definitely distinctive. The groupings, the types of 
movements he used, props, all of it – that was Fosse all the way. Furthermore, the types of moves Fosse employed have been picked up through the years by osmosis, it seems. As an ‘80s kid who was introduced to music videos in junior high, it shocked me when I saw my first Fosse film and noticed his dancers using many of the same moves that I saw in videos by Michael Jackson and many others. WOW.
OK…I’ve raved enough. Now let’s do what I do best…find the dark cloud that comes with every silver lining.
First of all…I realize that it’s the 70’s and not very much was pleasant to look at in terms of clothing or makeup (blue eye-shadow, anyone?). But COME ON! My GOD, the makeup job on Liza was so scary-looking. When I discussed it with Ed, his response was, “Well, you know that Fosse liked the grotesque.” When he said that, I thought: “Yeah, but did she have to continue it?” Compare how she looked when her makeup was more sedate as opposed to…well, 
NOT sedate. And furthermore, she looks more caked on NOW than she did back then (if that’s possible). It’s sad, really…what is up with that look of hers? It doesn’t make her look younger at all…if anything, it makes her look OLDER.
Secondly, Liza is a good singer and actress. She has an Oscar, a Tony, and a Grammy and I don’t, so she wins.
However, it just seems like she’s not well suited to perform more “rockin’” numbers like “Son of a Preacher Man”. Furthermore, that song, with Fosse’s staging, just seems so Vegas – which it ISN’T. I’m sure Dusty Springfield wasn’t very thrilled about how the song she made famous was slaughtered like a sacrificial calf. Same with another “soul” number Liza did…it was just kind of like Julie Andrews recording a track with Luther Campbell and 2 Live Crew. Totally incongruous.
But all in all, it was indeed a landmark in television entertainment, and we really haven’t seen anything like it on network TV in years. There are no more variety shows…we’ve got “American Idol” as a very poor replacement. Also, with the advent of cable and digital cable, TV is splintered up more and more into special interest channels. Pretty soon, there will be a “Blind, left-handed denti
sts without tonsils” channel.
And two people will be watching.
Wow.
Sudiegirl
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