On Liza

The latest episode of BRAVO's "Inside the Actors' Studio" featured Liza Minnelli in a special two-hour program, referred to by James Lipton as a master class. And that's what it seemed to be.

In addition to being interviewed, and somewhat guardedly candid about her childhood, Minnelli sang three songs, chosen specifically to demonstrate various challenges in performance singing.

Although it would have been interesting to listen to her speak at length about her personal life, and everyone is dying to know all the juicy tidbits about her marriages, especially to David Gest, it was much more interesting listening to her speak with authority about her craft. Notably, more people than usual were visibly taking notes while she spoke. Sprinkled throughout her conversation with James Lipton were nuggets of practical performance advice.

Minnelli related this story: When she was a girl, she asked her father what acting was. He said he didn't know. But the next day he came back to her and said he had given her question a lot of thought. And he thought acting was hearing something for the first time, and saying something for the first time. Which is, of course, acting in a nutshell. That ability to take and, night after night, present a story as if it's happening now.

She talked about how lucky she was to have Fred Ebbs as a friend, and how she gives him credit for creating her performance persona, with the songs he and John Kander wrote for her. And how lucky she was to have the same great dance coach for life, since she was age 5, and for being able to find great, talented people, and learn from them.

One thing I inferred from her comments is: Stealing from other performers happens. But it should only happen when you have tried other things, and someone else has created a gesture, or a look, or other piece of business that is exactly right for that moment. Is it really stealing? Or is it taking the best of what someone else has done, and use it to create the most dynamic moment possible? To make the work the most important thing?

To watch someone like Liza Minnelli, who has remained successful as a performer, and been given accolades and awards through a four-decade career, reminds us that there is no substitute for hard work and a dedication to professionalism. It also makes one wonder why we are so willing to be sidetracked by someone's personal life, and allow it to color our thinking about their talent.

Because, when it comes down to it, the main difference between celebrities and us is that we don't go through our lives under the constant scrutiny of the public eye. Given that ninety percent of what we hear is untrue, and ninety percent of the remaining ten percent is truthiness -- someone's version of the truth -- perhaps we need to be a little more empathetic. How many of us would enjoy having the paparazzi follow us around and interpret our lives for everyone to read?

More young actors today should take a look at how Minnelli approaches her work, and learn from it. Because, no matter what the decade, or what the circumstance, she is always Liza with a Z. And she knows it, and is always respectful to that.