If I told you there was a Liza tribute act at the Fringe, you'd probably expect sequins, smoke, mirrors, lights, kick lines and, of course, an awful lot of dancing around chairs. Cillian O'Donnachadha's new production, a biographical musical exploring the life and times of one of Broadway's best-loved performers, doesn't include smoke or kick lines, but does include sequins galore - and that's no bad thing.
Sharon Sexton stars in this one-woman show as Liza Minnelli herself, recounting the years building up to her status as one of the most celebrated performers of the twentieth century, and her battle to escape her mother's shadow, both in her private and public lives. Liza's story is given to us with honesty and (for the most part) historical accuracy, and Sexton's portrayal of the superstar's mannerisms and singing style are close to perfection.
We meet Liza in her dressing room, preparing for an unnamed performance. Her age is not given (probably for the best, as Sexton is a good few decades Minnelli's junior, the time is not set, but the story loses nothing in Sexton's portrayal - if suspending disbelief has ever been difficult, then it's not here. The story is interspersed with songs from the back-catalogue of hits that the Broadway Baby made famous, including ‘Some People’, ‘Maybe This Time’ and ‘Mein Herr’ - and some that aren't actually from Cabaret. That said, the lack of her most famous number - the title from that same musical - leaves the audience wanting that tiny bit of razzamatazz that the show misses.
The other thing lacking is a live accompaniment, which may have strengthened the sound of the whole show. That said, there is something more intimate about leaving Liza with her audience and nobody else cluttering the stage, though the use of spotlights during the sung sections means that this switch from the private to the performing Minnelli means that a piano, or similar, alongside her on the stage would have been no bad thing.
Similarly, her obsession with her mother leaves little room for the other side of Liza’s life - her men. While her passion for Judy Garland is not unfounded, the influence of her four husbands on her life should not be ignored.
But all that aside, this is a wonderful little show, full of heart-wrenching emotion and laugh out loud comedy. If life is a cabaret, then Liza’s is the most powerful of them all.
