Flashback: Listen to Jim Caruso's Birthday Chat with Liza Minnelli!

Liza Liza

company, and the clouds will roll away. See the honeymoon a-shining down. We could make

a date with Parson Brown. So Liza, Liza, name the day when you'll be long to meet, the clouds

will roll away. Well, hi

I'm Jim Caruso, and welcome to a very special cast party coming to you from BroadwayWorld.com

I could not think of a better way to begin our celebration of Miss Liza Minnelli than

with a song written by George and Ira Gershwin and Gus Kahn, and

sung by Mel Torme. Okay, now this Liza Minnelli, she has some lineage, huh

Of course, we all know she's the daughter of Judy Garland and master filmmaker Vincent Minnelli

And her godparents were singer and arranger Kay Thompson and none other than Ira Gershwin

Just a few days ago, on March 12th, Liza celebrated a birthday

and I thought it was high time that we, here at Cast Party, celebrate her

Now I have to tell you that very few people on this earth occupy a warmer place in my heart

than Liza. We've been great friends for about 15 years. I've opened for her, I've worked with her

on a daily basis, and I actually lived with her for a short time in Los Angeles. So, on her birthday

we sat down to talk like we always do, except this time, the tape was running. She's entertaining

absolutely hilarious, and ladies and gentlemen, there was not an eyelash or a sequin to be found

Every once in a while, you're going to hear some jingling That's her little puppy, Emmalina

Coming in to check on how things are going, which is very nice And so, from high atop the music room of her New York, New York penthouse

Get ready for an all-star, cast-party, Liza birthday celebration Don't delay, come keep me company

And the clouds will roll away Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday, dear Liza. I love you, Liza. I love you, too

Sexy lady. Happy birthday to you. Who was that

I think that says it all doesn't it? Who was that, Jimmy? That was Toxic Audio

Thank you Toxic Audio, that was beautiful. Aren't that good? Yeah! That's fun

Oh yeah. Happy birthday! Thanks Jimmy! And thank you for letting us celebrate with you

Well are you kidding? I wouldn't celebrate with anyone else. Thank you. You really started your year off with a bang

You did a bunch of amazing concerts at Westbury Music Fair. Was it fun for you

It was wonderful because it's just, you know, it's whenever you do a new show, you know, you get to a certain point in your life and there's really not a new show

You put new numbers in or you find numbers that you haven't done in a long time or you frame things differently

But there are things that people want to hear. So you find a way to present them in a different way

It's like, as Charles Aznavour once told me, as you grow older

and Martha Graham said this about dance, Charles said it about song, you bring whatever you've learned in the years that you've got to the moment

Whether it's in a song or in a dance, you're going to do it a little bit differently

So you're never going to repeat yourself exactly the same way. And I find from show to show I never repeat myself

because it depends on what I'm getting back from the audience. Well, yeah, you have so many songs that you're known for, so that's how you keep it fresh

for yourself too, plus the audience. Yes, and I always find songs that I want to sing

You know, I'll hear something on the radio and I think, God, what a great lyric or what a good idea that is

Or you'll say to me, you know, you or Billy or somebody, Billy Stritch or any of our friends

that we have so many friends in common will say, why did you sing that song

You haven't sung that in a long time. It's so great to hear Showstoppers again

Oh, thank you. That was fun. Thank you. And I'm my own best friend

Yes. Which just killed. Isn't that arrangement glorious? It's gorgeous. Marvin Hamlisch did that arrangement, and it's so wonderful

No, well, your arrangements have always been the best on the road. Don't you think? Don't you agree that your stuff is just top-notch

The arrangements, the way the shows are put together, I don't know if you can agree with that or not, but..

Thank you. You know, I go to see a lot of stuff, and there's... Yeah, I like my arrangements

You just can't beat the people that you've worked with and that have put your shows together through the years

Well, you know, Fred Ebb is so responsible for that. But one of the great things that he did with me

was he always let me musically... He trusted me musically to do what I felt

as far as arrangements went, what I wanted to hear in the background

or what kind of drive or what the orchestra was saying. as opposed to the lyric

Because sometimes it's a very simple song, but what's played in the orchestration

is what you're thinking. And that's the acting part of it, for me

That's what acting in song is. It's finding where the feeling is coming from

and what chords one would hear in one's head if one were feeling something. You know, I need a diminished chord

instead of just a regular chord. there's something or it's I guess it's the way you color the different emotions

that go through a song it's almost like another performer on stage that that

you're having a conversation with yes it's like a Greek chorus that's helping

you along with with your thoughts it's what you're thinking you know like if

Like in I Am My Best Friend, there's a lyric that goes

and trusting to luck, that's only for fools. I play in a game where I make the rules, which sounds very self-confident

But the chords that Marvin and I discovered to put behind them

what I wanted, what I wanted to hear, is very disturbing. So you know that she's having trouble

One thing I know And I've always known I am my own best friend baby alive but baby alone and baby her own best friend

And he's the guy who told me he cares But they were scratching my back

Cause I was scratching his ears

And trusting to luck That's only for fools I play in a game

Where I make the rules And rule number one From here to the end

Is I am my own Best friend Well, this radio show is, you know, our listeners are, it's a theater-based radio show

So let's talk about influence a little bit. You've already mentioned so many people

We've been talking for two seconds. I know. Well, I was so influenced as far as concert singing or singing in your own show by a man called Charles Aznavour because he made each song a different movie

and as we were saying before i've found that if i do a complete character study

of each song i know what color hair the woman has her singing i know what the decals on her

refrigerator look like i know what part of the country she lives in i know you know it's a real

character study and those are the secrets that make each song specific you don't have to tell

anybody, they see it. They see that they're watching a whole person. In other words, well

you know what I mean. I'm not saying this as well as I could, but I'm trying to. Well, you're such a child of the movies. My God. I mean, it's your background. It's your

heritage. So it would only make sense that looking at each piece like a film

Well, you look at it like a part. You look at it as a different role

who is the girl who is saying this what is her experience that makes her say at this particular

point in her life these words and that i learned from astivore because he always approached things

as an actor and that's how i never thought of myself as a singer i always thought of myself as

as an actress who could sing you know when she had to and that's how i you know look at it and

I've learned how to sing over the years by being in contact with wonderful people like

Billy Stritch and various vocal teachers I've had, and by singing with you and Cortez, Alexander

and all of the different influences that I've had in New York City have been just great

Well, you really get out and see so many different people. Oh, yeah, I like to see everything

I love to see everything. Well, I think you've said you're one of those people who one foot is, you're straddling kind of one foot in the, you know, you grew up with MGM people hanging around

And then another foot was very ensconced in pop music and rock and roll

Absolutely. And the dance part of it. So it is that I've got, you know, one foot in each world

And I think that that helps because I love rock and roll

but sometimes you can take you know for instance like you better sit down kids

which was Sonny and Cher to put that with Canter and Ems married

and then have the transition of the marriage until it gets to a divorce musically

that was the kind of thing that I really enjoyed doing where I would go out

with a photographer and say because Peter Matz who did the orchestration said what do you mean

you want a marriage to fall apart and it happens in a very many bars and I said well I'll think of a way to describe it better

and what I did was I hired a photographer and we went out and we took pictures of images that I liked

for instance for you wake one day look around and say somebody wonderful married me

and you see the good you know the new house and the this and the other

then you see a picture of the bills on the table and a picture of the kids screaming

and a picture just of a woman with her head buried in her hands with worry

you know, and a picture of suitcases packed by a door. So I gave him those pictures to orchestrate into your Better Sit Down kids

and that's what he did. To give, for you wake one day

You might not understand kids But give it a try

How should I put this I've got something to say

Your daddy is staying But I'm going away

Oh no, we're not angry It's hard to say why

It's just your father and our kids We don't see eye to eye

I know you don't want this Well, neither do we But sometimes things happen that we can't foresee

Now don look so sad kids And try to be calm Just because I am leaving I will still be your mom

Just remember I love you, and though I'm not here You just call if you need me

And I'll always be near Say a place before you go to bed

Make sure you get yourself to school on time I know you'll do the things your father asked

He's gonna need you more You stay in line Keep in mind your daddy's gonna need your help

A lot more than he did before No more fights over little things

Cause I won't be there to stop you anymore Come on and kiss me goodbye

My eyes are just red kids You know I'm too big to cry

You just remember I love you And oh, I'm not here

You just call if you want me And I'll always be near

Just remember I love you Just remember I love you

Just remember I love you How are you so able to speak to musicians like that

You're really good at that. But I'm not. See, I don't know. From a B natural to a B flat to a flat at third to a flat at third

No, but that's not the point. Raise your, you know. Raise this

Raise this and flat this and sharp this. I don't know how to speak musically

Diminished, 13th, a flat at fifth. I mean, I'm learning that as I go on, but I see it in terms of pictures, in terms of emotions

And anybody who is musical and who has a sense of imagery, and most great arrangers do

know what you're talking about and they can play that sadness or that sense of disturbance or that

sense of joy or that builds of glory or that whatever if you give them the image that you're

thinking of that's how I've always worked with the rangers and you know it's Marvin Hamlis makes

me laugh because I'll say no no Marvin it's it's it's a setting sun on the beach and he'll play

something I'll say no no the east coast oh yeah 33a I got it well I remember you did a cut with

on the gently album with um Herbie Hancock yes and I remember you telling me that you set this

you created a whole story for him to come up with the the vibe of this and he just said roll the tape

the most gorgeous cut yeah he just said I hear you roll the tape and then I just watched him and

And then I came in when he, when it was right. We just knew, we just knew

In the wee small hours of the morning

When the whole wide world is fast asleep You lie awake and think about the man

And never, ever think of cutting sheep When your lonely heart has learned its lesson

You'd be his if only he would call

In the wee small hours of the morning

That's the time you miss him most

So, your big hit on this fantastic TV show, Arrested Development

Yes. Truly hilarious. Thank you. You make me laugh. Well, you make me laugh just on a daily basis

Thank you, Jeremy. But where did this character come from? Well, it came from Mitch Hurowitz, the producer and the writer of the show itself

I mean, you know, it was actually Ron who called me, Ron Howard, who called me about the show

But when I finally met Mitch and we were talking about the things that could be wrong with this particular woman and her character

we just went nuts and started thinking of things. and we'd left so hard at everything we thought of that he just you know would write them in and

incorporate them and and you know I mean her all of her phobias and her her dizziness and the fact

that she you know just so jealous of uh Jessica Walters her nemesis great And they both named Lucille Yes Lucille I and Lucille II That is just the weirdest idea I love that so much

The first one I saw, you fell out... What do you call it when you fall over? Vertigo. Vertigo

You just fall out of the camera and you hear this crash. Yes. And then the next thing you see is you with a big band-aid on your head. Yes

Lovely, and your hair kind of bent. Well, I did that. I just, I bent my hair and put the band-aid on and walked up to Mitch and said, is this okay

And he screamed laughing. He said, yeah, that's fine. It's so you. It's so your sense of humor

Yeah, but you know me. I know, but that's what people don't know. I know

I don't think they knew that I had a good sense of humor before this. So now it's just great fun taking the mickey out of myself and everything else

So great. You know, somebody that loves you. We had a little call from a friend of yours

Who? Oh, listen. Liza girl, it's Tony Danza I just want to wish you a very

very happy birthday, in fact I want to sing my birthday diddy

I know it's hard to sing to Liza Minnelli but I figure what the heck is your birthday

so I might try it, this is Tony Danza's birthday diddy, ready? It's somebody's birthday, I wonder who

It's somebody right in this room near you So look all around you until you see

who is smiling and laughing My goodness, it's you, happy birthday Liza, from all of us

to you. Happy birthday, Liza. We sing this song for you. We congratulate you and

send good wishes too. Happy birthday, Liza. May all of your dreams come true

Liza girl, happy birthday. That's fantastic. Isn't that great? Oh, Tony, thank you

Is this like Larry King with people calling in? Don't you feel like you're on Larry King? Yes! This is big time

Oh, it's very big. Oh, Tony is so much fun. I'm so glad he's on TV

And he's so good. I mean, you know, he's so, he's one of the people. You know

he's one of the guys. He's just, he's, he's, he's, he's the guy next door

He's the guy who's working on the street corner. He's the bus driver. You know, he has that kind of

appeal to everybody. But he also tap dances. Oh, he's a great tap dancer

So it's like he's riding a very odd, you know, fence too. Oh yeah, and he's a wonderful actor

Yeah, yeah, I really like him. I think he's, I'm so glad they were picked up for the second season

Of course, well it's a huge show, that show. It's wonderful. Looks great. Looks great

And it's different than all the other shows. Yes, it is. It's just great. Yes, it is. Because he's really show business

Yes. He totally gets it. Yeah. Which brings me to show business

Yes. Growing up in Hollywood with all that unbelievable talent around you, did you know then that you were special

That you had talent? Oh, are you nuts? Of course not. I mean, it was like, I'm telling you

at that point Hollywood was a town where everybody did the same thing so it was basically like

growing up in a mining town if your parents were miners the whole town did one thing so everybody's

parents did the same thing so nobody was thought they were special we all just was normal to us

because that's the only thing we knew I didn't know it was unusual until I moved away when I was

15 and I came to New York and I thought oh my goodness everybody thinks it's so glamorous there

It's really a nine-to-five town. You know, you were there for a long time

And you've worked there and lived there. I mean even more than who your parents were, as a talent, as a performer

did you have something in the back of your mind like growing up like, I know how to do this

This I can do. No. I wanted to be a dancer always

I loved watching Sid Charisse. And I was always hanging out when I'd go after school to MGM and visit my dad

until he went home and then I'd ride home in the car with him. What I would do is I would go to the dance rehearsal halls and watch that

But then at 11 I decided I wanted to be an ice skater, so that all went away. How's that going for you

It's great. And then I saw my first Broadway show, which was Bye Bye Birdie

and that's when I knew what I wanted to do. I looked at all those kids up there

I thought, oh my God, how wonderful. That's what I want to do

I want to be part of that. Oh, that's interesting. Yeah. So, so, Birdie was your first Broadway show

Well, Broadway, I didn't, to me, L.A. was the most boring place in the world

You know, again, making movies is slow going. It really is slow going

But the theater is, you know, it's so full of life. And I had no idea my father had done so much in the theater

I thought I was, you know, just doing a whole new thing

I was coming to New York, and I was going to be in the theater as opposed to anybody else in my family

I found out my entire family was always in the theater, but I didn't know it at that point, you know

And, yeah, I came here with the... I could have cared less about movies

I just wanted to be in show business in the theater. Right, right. Oh, I didn't..

No, I did not know that. Oh, yeah. Your parents brought music into your life

In your dad's movies, Is there a specific song that takes you right back to that time

Sitting on the set, on the boom with him. Yes, from Brigadoon

Go home, go home, go home with Bonnie Jean. Go home, go home, I'll go home with Bonnie Jean

Go home, go home, go home with Bonnie Jean. Because I used to learn all the dance numbers

I used to watch and do that, and I got to push the playback button sometimes on the set

it'd say okay ready roll on speed play that and I push the button and you hear go home go home

what a what a fantasy that must have been and you got all the costumes I know he made you

he had beautiful costumes made for you my father was what he did was he fired my imagination

so he taught me that I could be anything I wanted to be that there were no limits

And the way he did that was, for instance, at Christmas time with my mom

she would give me wonderful things like, you know, a little necklace or bath salts, soap, shoes

you know, nice things like that, toys. But my father, I could have five costumes a year of anything I wanted

So I would pick costumes from like some of his movies, or if I saw something, I'd say, I want to be a Junebug

And he'd have Irene Sheriff design me these. Like Irene Sheriff, I got some of the costumes from The King and I

And I was fitted at Western Costumes by Irene Sheriff. I mean, down to the tiniest detail

And I don't know, it sounds like he spoiled me terribly, but he had something in the back of his mind, too

which was to let me know that there were endless possibilities. that you never had to be stuck

that you never had to be anything anybody else wanted you to be

that your imagination, you could be anything you wanted to be. You know, and it was important that he taught me that

That great song, you did it at Radio City, Seeing Things. Yes. It was such a great, great tribute to that

Thank you, Jim. Gorgeous. Seeing things There's a way of seeing things

A certain way of seeing things that makes the difference Is that sun up there a circle spun of light and air

Or just a practical everyday sun

You and I have a way of seeing things

A different way of seeing things He'd say Paint your truth with my illusion

Please consider seeing things my way

Well, we're in a room that I know was designed by a lady named Kay Thompson

Yes. Who I certainly grew to adore, who was your godmother. Yes

How did her voice influence you? Enormously

She was my mother's best friend. She was head of the music department at MGM in the early 40s

which is unheard of for a woman to be a head of anything in the early 40s

especially the entire music department at MGM. the vocals, all of those arrangements. She had her own radio show, and then she went on after

being with MGM, she had an act called Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers

which is something, of course, that we are going to recreate. And you're a big part of that

because I'm going to make an album called The Godmother and the Goddaughter. And it will be

Liza Minnelli salutes Kay Thompson. And it will be about Kay Thompson and the Williams brothers

and all of the vocal arrangements that she did. And, of course, you're going to be helping me with those arrangements

The singers will be yourself, Billy Stritch, Johnny Rogers, and, of course, Michael Feinstein

How? I mean, I couldn't be more excited about that. Yeah, it's going to be really wacky because she was so out

Man, I mean, when you hear her arrangements, they're just still better than anybody else's. They really are. They're still better

They're still better than anybody's. Nobody sounded like that then, did they? They're so bloody exciting

They just lift you right out of your seat. Well, she certainly had a big hand in jazzing up MGM

which kind of before that was kind of heavenly choir-y sounding in the background, right

Well, everything was. There were two great arrangers, Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins

and they completely give Kay Thompson credit for their arrangements. she heard things that most people didn't hear she was a genius musically and then of course

she went on to write Eloise and so many other things I mean she was a renaissance woman

to the nth degree and the times that we all had in this room together

were wonderful just wonderful and you know how special she was so to be able to

To pay tribute to her and to celebrate her is enormous. Enormous for me

And I hope that all of your listeners look for that album. Because we're going to perform it at the Lincoln Center Jazz Festival Halls

So you've already sung there. Yes. You got right in there. I opened the big hall with a bunch of other wonderful people

And it was just great. Is it a great room? I haven't even been in. And it's really great. It's just for singing

Right. You just go in there, and it's musical. It's just great, great music

Of all the Kate Thompson tunes, is there something that's your fave

Well, the one that sticks out in my mind, of course, is I Love a Violin. And why don't you play that for them now, too

Okay. Okay. Okay, here's Kate Thompson and the Williams Brothers with I Love a Violin

Hit it. I love a violin

I love a violin Whenever I'm with you Whenever I'm with you

Cause a violin Cause a violin Tells me what to do Tells me what to do

For instance when we dance For instance when we dance In dreamy candle glow

In dreamy candle glow The violin says yes, so why should I say no

And when the violin begins to sob and sigh, I look at you and I, I've got you full of love

So honey, hold me close, my heart is in a spin. I know that I'm in love

But am I in love With you Oh, the violin I love the violin

I get hilarious Cause my middle name Is Stradivarius

They go with a friend Don't care about the things Who wants a holiday

A holiday for strings And when the strings of the orchestra play

Into your arms I romantically glide I understand what the violins say

When they go pit, I have to spit So honey, hold me close

Violin And when the strings play Into your arms I glide

I understand what the violins say When they go pit My heart goes pit

I heard one of the best quotes ever about you. What? And it's, of course, by, it was said by the brilliant Fred Ebb

He said, asking me my opinion of Liza Minnelli is like asking a kid about Christmas

Oh. Is that the best thing? When did he say that? I don't know

I just read it and it just killed me. Killed me. Oh, my God

What a wonderful thing for you to tell me. Thank you so much. Isn't that great? because he's, I've always thought that Freddie invented me

You know, he really taught me everything that I know and that I value, and not only on a stage

but in my personal life, too. He taught me to pay back when I borrow a quarter from a chorus kid

You know, pay him back. You know, just little things like to be polite

to treat people like you would like to be treated, even if that never happens

Do it anyway. I mean, you had the lyrics of Fred Ebb

and the gorgeous music of John Kander. Oh, Johnny's music is the best

I mean, from the beginning, you had... Now, this is interesting. You know, you watch these American Idol TV shows

and these people are being concocted right in front of our eyes

They give them the material when they get the album deal. Somebody's dressing them

Somebody's teaching them how to be on talk shows. You were, you had some team around you

I just, you know, I had Fred and John. You had Fred and John. You had Halston

And you had Bob Fosse. I know, but. That was later on. But I mean, accumulatively, I worked at the very best

And one of the things that I know is that I don't want to hang around yes people

I don't learn anything. I am attracted to talent. I'm attracted to somebody I can learn something from

Yes people have always bored the hell out of me. I have no reason in this world to have yes people around me

I don't get off on it. I would much rather be with somebody who says

no, that doesn't work. Do it this way. It'll be better. And that is, I think, my best talent is finding people who could teach me

Well, boy, did you find them. Who knew more than I did. Wow. I mean, plus those people are at the top of their game

Well, Fred and John were just starting out. Yeah, but we all started together. By the time Liza with a Z happened, everybody was at the top of their game

Well, we had just finished Cabaret. Yeah. You know? Yeah. But we didn't know Cabaret was going to be a hit yet

Oh, really? No. That wasn't out? No. Oh. So you were just kind of working on... Yeah

With fingers crossed. Yeah. Oh, I did not know that. I'm learning so much

I need to listen to this radio show. I'm very excited. Okay, so Kander and Ebb, these incredible writers writing for you, do you have a song, one of their songs that says it all

One of the songs that I love is from a show that never got produced that I recorded at the Winter Garden

It's called I'm One of the Smart Ones by Kander and Ebb

Here it is. I'm one of the smart ones I got it all figured

You won't find me In one of them broken down flats Commanding an army of brass

Not me You won't catch me Let over and ready to rub

Some grimy old ring in a tub I've been loving on the top of the town

My emerald is weighing me down You cry There goes baby Ain't she

My end High Well now, I had the great thrill

of hanging out with you in Los Angeles a lot. I'll say. A lot

And every Saturday night, we threw a party. Yes. And you taught me everything I know about throwing parties

Oh, honey. Please. My house was jumping. Each Saturday night, we did good, didn't we, Jimmy

So fun. Liza used to say to me. They became historical, those parties. That's for sure

Yeah. And we got the pictures to prove it. Yeah. Liza would say to me

I'm speaking to you now. Speaking of those pictures, Jimmy, I need some. You don't have those

No. Oh, they're yours. Okay. Liza would say, who do you want to meet

and we'd make a list of people, I'm talking now to Ryan, my producer

we'd make a list of people that I wanted to meet. And Liza would call them and they would come

Well, the parties became famous because everybody, it was the kind of party that they used to have in Hollywood

that I used to hear about. Where people got together and they would entertain each other

and sing and be around the piano. And that wasn't happening at that point in Hollywood

And so we kind of brought that back. I brought it back

And it worked. Everybody just wanted to come. Do you remember we had to get parking lot attendants

We had to get security. Security we finally needed. Security. Security. The faces that were walking through that door

You know, I'm fainting, of course, because I love that. But it was shocking

Now, speaking of Hollywood, we got a call from one of your old L.A. pals

Liza, Liza, skies are blue. It's Carol Burnett singing, happy birthday to you

Jimmy! Isn't that funny? Oh my God! Oh, Carol, thank you so much

Thank you, Jimmy. Isn't that fun? Well, you know, I... You guys go back

I did her show, yes. Way back, yeah. I did her show, and I had the most wonderful time with her

Because talk about a generous, talented, easy, wonderful person to work with

That was Carol. When I worked with her, I had the best times

Those are such great tapes and great shows. You were doing such interesting material on television then What was the material the song you did It wasn a hit It was just like interesting cabaret material People can do that anymore

She just lives her life For having fun And if you want a date

She'll give you one But mister, let me warn you From the start

That one is all you'll get from Butterfly, McCart If you suggest a romance, she'll begin

Then you turn around and she'll be gone with the wind Here's the story, sir, right from the start

The tragedy of Butterfly the Card Butterfly

She once had a man who met She once had a man who met

She once had a man who met She once had a man who met She once had a man who met But came no wedding day

He was darling, no good gal He looked and ran away And that is why she leads her

Wretched life For butterfly will never be a wife From that day her dreams all fell apart

And they changed her name to sinful Butterfly McCarty Butterfly McCarty

It's unheard of that somebody doesn't have a record to bring people in

Right. But I never did. You know, I didn't. Of course, finally when I did Cabaret

But I'd been working a long time before I did Cabaret. Yeah

You were a Broadway star as a kid. I mean, as a young woman

But right. Well, I was the youngest musical star to ever win the Tony

Yeah. I don't know, it's a wacky career, but I've had such a good time

I'm so grateful for it all. It is an interesting career, isn't it? It's an odd, shocking career, kind of, isn't it

You've created so many great moments on stage. What are your favorite memories as an audience member

Oh, my God, I've had so many. Oh. I've had so many in the audience

that's what I mean you know God I remember seeing Fiddler on the Roof

the first time when it was Zero Mostel was in it it was phenomenal

just gorgeous that was very groundbreaking I remember in London the first time I saw

West Side Story and in London I saw Oliver the first time

and that brilliant set on the turntable, and oh my God, it was incredible

And just down through the years, I'm a huge, huge theatergoer, and I just love that you can, in New York City

walk out the door and go to the theater. I remember sitting in the theater with you

We went to see Hello, Dolly. Yes. And the overture started, and I was gone

It's the most astonishing. I have just tears, weeping. Yes. And I was insanely embarrassed, and I looked over at you, and you had tears streaming on your face, too

Yes, absolutely. Liza, dear Liza, I want to wish you a happy birthday

It means a lot to me, because I remember holding you on my lap on New Year's Eve

and it must have been, I don't know what date, but it was the last year of Hello, Dolly! on Broadway

and I had you and your little brother and you were on my shoulder

and you wanted to stay awake and your mother was singing and you wanted to stay awake

until the new year came in and you couldn't do it and you fell asleep

and Liza, I just never stopped loving you but there's a reason

you're the most talented the most, you're dancing You move like nobody else moves in musical comedy

You sing like nobody else sings, and you know the character, and you've got the energy for being the great star you are

I just think the world and all of you, and I want you to know that

and I want you to have the happiest birthday, and everybody that I know hopes you always have happy birthdays

Well, Jim, you are blowing my mind. Isn't that... I mean, this is amazing

Oh, I just love her. Jim, you're surprising me so much. I'm so... You're hard to surprise

I'm truly startled and delighted. So, Liza Minnelli, who do you listen to now

When you have... Whose CDs do you buy? Well, at the moment, I'm entranced with Maroon 5

Really? Yes. Okay, you've surprised me. What? Really? I didn't know. Oh, I'm crazy about Maroon 5

and I also like Los Lonely Boys oh I like them all

I mean you know I think right now that there's some great great people there's some really

marvelous people I've got all their records back there I know records

I've got all their CDs back there their records what are they

please don't play that gym please I have their 8 tracks in the other room yes

on my gramophone 16mm yeah No, I buy and listen to everything new

And also, you know, I listen to the radio a lot. I always think it's interesting when I'm with you

and some rock and roll guy comes up just almost on his knees with tears in his eyes

They all love you, too. I remember when you did the Freddie Mercury concert

Yes. You were meeting all those rock and roll singers with tattoos. White snake

With tattoos on their tongue and things. And they're like, oh, my God, it's Liza Minnelli

Liza with a Z changed my life Yes That's funny isn't it funny

I've taken my bow And why I couldn't call you

You brought me fame and fortune And everything that goes with it And we thank you all That it been no bed of roses

No lesser crew I can sit with a challenge for the whole human race

And we ain't gonna lose Oh, oh, oh, oh We are the champions, my friends

And we'll keep our friends to the end We are the champions

We are the champions No time for losers Cause we are the champions

We are the champions We are the champions

I know your fans mean a whole lot to you. Well, I think if somebody's nice enough to spend the time and the money on you

and to really appreciate your talent, then you owe them a thanks

You don't take anything for granted. I don't think you can. The minute you start taking things for granted

you lose the most important thing you can have in your personal experience, and that's gratitude

If you're grateful, it's very hard to be unhappy. Very hard. And I'm extremely grateful for my fans

I'm grateful for the music that's been written for me. I'm grateful that we're sitting here doing your radio show

I mean, this is wonderful, Jim. I mean, think, how many years ago did we meet? And I've watched you blossom into something absolutely spectacular

and become a real influence and have a real voice in what's said in New York

about the musical theater now. And I'm so proud of you. I just thought I would tell you that

as long as we're talking about people that I admire and that I love

You're just wonderful. Thanks. You really are, and Cast Party is tremendous

And besides doing my album, you're also in a film that I'm writing

and that hopefully people will be seeing. It's being produced by Craig Zayden and Neil Maron

And at the moment it's called Katie's Blues. That's the working title

Can you talk about it? Can you tell us what it's about? I know

And you can't either. Do you get tired of being a celebrity

That's a weird question because it's on so many levels, celebrity means a different thing

I still think that I would pay. to have the job I have, to get up on stage and sing songs

I would pay somebody else to do that. I think the cost is in the word celebrity

What does that mean? Does that mean that you are fair game

Yeah. People can say anything they want to about you. And here in America, we don't have any laws or anything

In Europe, you can sue. But here, you just open games. So I think the price you pay sometimes is celebrity

The actual work is what's great. But the celebrity can be cruel

So I literally don't pay much attention to it. I don't. And you know I don't

Liza Mae Minnelli, it's Bruce Valanche calling you on your birthday. It's just so exciting

I'll never forget seeing you in Vegas, coming out on that stage covered in diamonds, singing gold finger

No, wait a minute, that was Shirley Bassey. You were the girl with the cowbells doing the cow-cow, but no, that was Ella Mae Morse

I remember dancing on a piano with maracas, singing I Go To Rio

No, that was Peter. Oh, my God, that Liza Minnelli. Old age plays tricks

It's really just a saddest thing. Well, happy birthday, doll. Just keep on trucking

I love you madly. That's fantastic. Bruce Falland. He is so funny

I've had so many funny times sitting with him at those award shows that he would write for

Right, sure. And just listening to his wisecracks about people. That must be the best part

It was the best part. Of course, when I was up on stage, I knew what he must be saying about me, too

But I didn't care. It was so funny. It was all right. Okay, so if we were going to end the show, and we are

with a song that you think explains how you see things, what would that song be

The song would be Yes by Cantor and Em. What's a little bit of that lyric

Yes, say yes. Life keeps happening every day, say yes. When opportunity comes your way, you can't start wondering what to say

You'll never win if you never play. Say yes. There's mink and marigold right outside

and long white Cadillacs you can ride. Nothing's gained if there's nothing tried

Say yes I once sang that in a prison I did, I just remembered

And I was thinking, oh my god What am I doing Don't say why, say why not

What lies beyond what is Is not So what? Say yes Happy birthday, Liza Minnelli

Oh, Jim, thank you Thanks for doing this I'm so glad that I'm with you on my birthday

and thank you for all of this attention and thank you for talking to all these wonderful people

And ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your attention and thank you for all of the years

that you've allowed me to do what I love to do. Thanks, everyone

Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Liza

Happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday to you