Women We Love: Liza Minnelli

Object of our affection: Liza Minnelli, actress/singer.

- She's the daughter of cinematic royalty (Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli) who became a superstar of stage and screen in her own right. And she's back on Broadway starting tonight with Liza's at the Palace ...! The production, described as "an incomparable Minnelli songfest including many of her personal favorites and signature hits", is already a huge hit and has been extended for two extra weeks (until December 28) due to ticket demand. Plus, a two-disc recordingof the show will be released on February 2.

- At the age of three, she made her show biz debut opposite her mother in her father's film In the Good Old Summertime. However, her first professional job was Off-Broadway, and she soon took the Great White Way by storm with Flora the Red Menace, which made her the youngest Tony Award winning Best Actress. She would win two more Tonys (for The Act and a special award in 1974 for "for adding lustre to the Broadway season") and be nominated again for The Rink. Other productions she added her unique "lustre" to include Chicago and Victor/Victoria, as well as several of her own concert events.

- Her first real movie role was in Charlie Bubbles, followed by The Sterile Cuckoo, in which her performance as "Pookie" earned the actress her first Academy Award nomination. Following Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon, she would go on to star in the classic movie musical Cabaret, winning the Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and many other prizes for her iconic portrayal of Sally Bowles. Her other classic film roles include New York, New York and Arthur.

- The legendary television special Liza With a 'Z' netted her an Emmy Award. In addition to her many appearances on musical variety programs through the years, she also memorably guest starred on Arrested Development and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

- Last but certainly not least, her recording career has won her two Certified Gold records and a Grammy Legend Award, thereby completing her grand slam of all the major entertainment awards, a rare feat.

UPDATE: Liza's going to stay at the Palace ...! a little longer: the show has been extended through January 4.

First Look: Breaker as Donkey

With its opening night less than two weeks away, we finally get a look at one of the main characters of Shrek the Musical: Donkey, played by Passing Strange Tony nominee Daniel Breaker. Now how about John Tartaglia as Pinocchio?

The toon tuner, which is still making changes during its preview period, officially opens December 14 at the Broadway Theatre.

Reverend’s Reviews: And Your Little Dog, Too!

2007 was a good year for actress Julie White. She had a memorable role in the biggest movie of that year, Transformers, in which she played Shia LaBouf’s hilariously in-the-dark mom (a role she will reprise in next summer’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen). That same summer, White won a Tony Award for her performance as Diane, the all-knowing talent agent who serves as ringmaster of The Little Dog Laughed. Her Tony acceptance speech alone made many want to see the play but, alas, it had already closed on Broadway.

Praise the Theatre Gods, Julie has resurrected Diane and moved her where she was meant to be all along: Culver City, California! The Little Dog Laughed is having its West Coast premiere through December 21 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, right across the street from the Sony Studios. Joining her are original New York castmates Johnny Galecki, Brian Henderson and Zoe Lister-Jones, as well as original director Scott Ellis.


Written by Douglas Carter Beane (author of the book for Xanadu on Broadway as well as the screenplay for To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar), The Little Dog Laughed is a fairly slight but hugely enjoyable satire about the chaos that ensues when a closeted gay movie star, Mitchell Greene (very well-played by Henderson), falls in love with a male prostitute, Alex (the winning Galecki, who can also be seen currently on the clever sitcom The Big Bang Theory). Alex’s best friend-with-benefits Ellen (a very funny turn by Lister-Jones) complicates matters all the more.

It falls to Mitchell’s lesbian agent, Diane, to save her career, salvage Mitchell’s, redeem Ellen and try to get Alex out of the picture entirely. Her desire to wring a Hollywood-esque happy ending out of this scenario, as well as the gay-themed play she and Mitchell have just optioned to turn into a movie, is the force that propels The Little Dog Laughed to its wry conclusion.

And what a force Julie White is as Diane. While verging perilously at times on going over-the-top, she never does. She succeeds in making Diane hysterical yet human. What’s more, Diane is clearly the smartest of Hollywood power players, even though it has taken her a lot of humiliating turns at playing second-fiddle to get there. The Sunday matinee audience of Hollywood-savvy folks I saw the play with clearly sympathized with her, and loved her.

There are a handful of smart, philosophical monologues in the play that give it some depth, as well as some racy sequences of man-on-man action to titillate gay observers. But The Little Dog Laughed is primarily a farce, and a good if not great one. With a cast this good, though, as well as Allen Moyer’s great sliding-panels set, the material is easily elevated to the ranks of comedy heaven.

Review by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Awards Watch: Rachel Getting Nominated

Rachel Getting Married just may follow in the footsteps of Juno (another film about a misfit young female protagonist) as it goes into this year's Independent Spirit Awards with a leading six nominations. Joining Jonathan Demme's dysfunctional family drama with a half dozen nods a piece (including Best Feature notice) are the lesser known Frozen River and Ballast. Rounding out the top five are Wendy and Lucy (starring Michelle Williams) and The Wrestler (starring Mickey Rourke).

Glaringly missing from the Best Feature and Best Director lists is Gus Van Sant's Milk, which did receive four nominations, including acting nods for Sean Penn and James Franco and a "First Screenplay" nomination for Dustin Lance Black.

The 24th Annual Independent Spirit Awards will be presented in a televised ceremony on February 21 (the day before the Oscars). For a quick look at the nominees, see the comments section below.