Minnelli's first film appearance was at the age of three in the final scene of the 1949 musical In the Good Old Summertime, starring her mother and Van Johnson. Minnelli started performing at age 16, in 1963, in an Off-Broadway revival of the musical Best Foot Forward, for which she received good notices. The next year, her mother invited Minnelli to perform with her at the London Palladium. The audience loved her, launching her musical career. She returned to Broadway at 19, and won a 1965 Tony Award for Flora the Red Menace. Minnelli would also receive Tony Awards for The Act in 1978 and a special Tony in 1974. She was nominated in 1984 for The Rink but lost to her costar, Chita Rivera.
The film The Sterile Cuckoo (1969), in which Minnelli starred as a love-seeking teenage misfit, garnered the young actress her first Academy Award nomination. In 1972, Minnelli won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Sally Bowles in the movie version of Cabaret, along with Joel Grey who won an Oscar reprising his role from the original Broadway production (that of the Emcee).
Minnelli has the distinction of being one of the few Academy Award winners whose parents are both Academy Award nominees. She has also won an Emmy Award for the 1972 TV special Liza with a Z. Minnelli received a 1990 Grammy Legend Award. She received Golden Globe Awards for Cabaret and for the TV movie A Time to Live.
Minnelli, like her mother, is known for her powerful vocal style, as in her trademark songs "Cabaret" and "Theme from New York, New York". Minnelli's original version of the latter, for the film in which she was a co-star with Robert DeNiro, preceded Frank Sinatra's successful cover version (for his Trilogy album), by two years.
After her performance as leading lady to Dudley Moore in 1981's Arthur, Minnelli made fewer, and fewer successful, film appearances.
She returned to Broadway in 1997, taking over the title role in the musical Victor/Victoria, replacing Julie Andrews. In his review, New York Times critic Ben Brantley commented, "her every stage appearance is perceived as a victory of show-business stamina over psychic frailty... She asks for love so nakedly and earnestly, it seems downright vicious not to respond."
Following her 2002 wedding to David Gest, Minnelli and Gest signed with the American cable network VH1 to star in their own reality series, but production of the series was cancelled at the last minute.
In 2004 and 2005 she appeared as a recurring guest star on the critically acclaimed TV sitcom Arrested Development as the lover of sexually and socially awkward Buster Bluth.
On January 1, 2006, she sang "New York, New York" at the second inauguration of New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. Other famous performances were at the 1978 Studio 54 party honoring New York City's revival, at which a guest was Mayor Ed Koch; the reopening of the Statue of Liberty on July 4, 1986; and at a 2001 New York Mets baseball game that was the metro area's first major sporting event after the September 11 attacks.
In 2013, she guest-starred on the NBC musical drama Smash, where she performed the number A Love Letter From the Times. She also reprised her role in the fourth season of Arrested Development.
My Own Space
Liza Minnelli Lyrics
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And I've always known
I am my own best friend
Baby's alive
But baby's alone
And baby's her own best friend
Many's the kind
But they were scratchin' my back
'Cause I was scratchin' theirs
And trusting too
That's only for fools
I play the game
When I make the rules
And rule number one
From here to the end
Is I am my own best friend
I am my own best friend
Baby's her own best friend
Three musketeers
Who never said die
Are standing here this minute
Me, myself, and I
Life is a school
I'll pass every test
If life is a game
I'll play it the best
'Cause I won't give in
And I'll never bend
And I am my own - best friend
In Liza Minnelli's song "My Own Best Friend," the lyrics speak to a strong sense of self-reliance and independence. The opening lines convey a deep understanding that the singer is their own best friend, a sentiment that has been solidified over time. The use of the term "baby" in reference to oneself creates a sense of vulnerability and introspection, suggesting that despite being alive and present, the singer often feels alone, relying on themselves as their own source of comfort and support.
The following lines highlight the singer's realization that many people may claim to care for them, but ultimately their motivations may be self-serving. The idea that others scratched the singer's back only because the singer scratched theirs portrays a transactional nature of relationships, leading the singer to prioritize their own well-being and boundaries. This skepticism towards trust is further emphasized, implying that trust is a risky endeavor reserved for those who may be perceived as naive or foolish.
The declaration that the singer plays the game of life by their own rules reinforces the theme of self-empowerment. By establishing rule number one as being their own best friend, the singer establishes a boundary that asserts their autonomy and self-sufficiency. This sentiment is echoed in the repetition of the affirmation "I am my own best friend," reinforcing a sense of inner strength and resilience in the face of external pressures or expectations.
The final verses of the song celebrate the singer's triumvirate of "Me, myself, and I," likening themselves to the legendary three musketeers who never back down from a challenge. The comparison to these iconic figures underscores the singer's determination to face life's obstacles head-on and emerge victorious. The lyrics suggest that life is a journey of self-discovery and growth, where the singer is determined to excel and remain true to themselves, refusing to compromise their values or principles. The defiant stance of refusing to give in or bend showcases a fierce independence and a steadfast commitment to self-preservation, culminating in the resounding affirmation that the singer is indeed their own best friend, capable of conquering any adversity that comes their way.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRED EBB, JOHN KANDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
V
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Handsome señor