Liza Minnelli's reps have just informed Bobo that on Sept. 2, she will be able to give him 10 minutes for a phone interview.
I wrote back and said that unfortunately, I can only give her five.
But seriously, folks. I thought I might take the opportunity to crowd-source this opportunity. What would YOU ask Liza Minnelli?
(She'll appear at the INB Center on Oct. 15.)
Samples:
When's the last time you actually ate a Snickers bar?
For your encore here, will you agree to change the chorus of your signature song from 'New York, New York" to "Spokane, Spokane"?
What was the best bit of vocal-coaching advice that Kay Thompson gave you?
What are you doing to improve your poll numbers among gay women and elderly men?
Your thoughts? If Liza's people are calling soon and you'll only be able to ask a half-dozen short, pointed questions, what exactly would you ask Sally Bowles / Judy's daughter / Liza with a Z?
Your sample questions are so embarrassing, I can only hope that you are kidding. I would ask Liza to talk about what performing means to her and whether or not she still gets as much joy from it as she did when she was younger - and what is her secret for calling up the energy to perform live.
ReplyDeletePlease tell me this is a joke. And we wonder why celebrities make fun of smaller towns. Clearly because of "journalists" like this.
ReplyDeleteThe last one made me laugh out loud. And I rarely laugh out loud!
ReplyDeleteHope the interview was a blast!
So what was the interview like?
ReplyDeleteIt was on her cell phone; I think she was stuck in NYC traffic. She's engaging, positive, funny, giggly, full of stories. Nice enough to call me by name. Turned on the enthusiasm.
ReplyDeleteAlways a bit unnerving to hear a distinctive voice coming out of your own office phone. Preview to be published Oct. 14, the day before she appears here.
The goal with celebs is always to get them off-script. When she started the boilerplate on her new album, Confessions, I got her steered into brief stories touching on her mom, Oscar Levant, Charles Aznavour, and the Chairman of the Board.
I think I'm gonna lede with Aug. 26, 1967 at the Palace. Just as I hung up -- 10 mins. on the dot -- I regretted not asking just one or two more questions about that night. (She was there.)
She would have answered it, because Liza ... she liked me, she really liked me.
I _did_ in my juvenile fashion, ask her to change the lyrics to "Spokane, Spokane' -- and she had an interesting riposte. We also talked about fame, and her ability to laugh at herself, where that came from.