The Look Book Goes to Liza! at 80

The Look Book Goes to Liza! at 80 Backstage at Carnegie Hall, actors, dancers, and musicians prepped their Liza Minnelli numbers for her 80th birthday. Photo: Frankie Alduino Tony d’Alelio ↑Actor, Flatbush You’re about to go on. How are you feeling? The overture just finished, and I have goose bumps. I’ve never performed here before. I’ve only been here one other time, and that was to see Chita Rivera. What will you be performing? “Mein Herr” from Cabaret and then “Ring Them Bells” from Liza With a “Z.” So I’ll be stomping out there as a Kit Kat doll with a cigarette hanging out of my mouth and some bloomers. Do you have any preshow rituals? Yes. I do my push-ups. I do squats. There are the physical rituals of warming up. But then also anytime I perform Bob Fosse’s work, I put a hand on my heart, I look up to the sky, and I say, “I got you, man.” Khori PetinaudDancer, Crown Heights Robyn HurderActor, Highland MillsWhat happened to your middle finger? I almost took it off with an electric hedge trimmer while doing yardwork. It was two days before I started rehearsals for “Mein Herr,” which takes a lot of strength. I can only do it with one hand, really. So it’s been a challenge, and my back is letting me know. James TsaoMusician, Midtown East Ali StrokerActor, Briarcliff Manor Kristin ChenowethActor, Upper West SideDo you have a favorite Liza story?I got to meet her when I was doing You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown on Broadway, a big moment in my career. She just grabbed my face and said, “Hang on tight, honey. It’s going to be quite a ride for you,” and I never forgot that. Mikayla R., Ioana A., and Maya B.Actors, Harlem and Williamsburg Donna MurphyActor and singer, Upper West Side Marisha WallaceActor, Goldsboro, North CarolinaWhat was it like playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret? I was the first Black Sally Bowles full time. I wanted to interpret the role as a mixture of Liza and the singers who influenced her, like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. It was nice to mesh those two worlds because people forget Liza has a lot of soul in her voice. Lorna LuftActor, Upper East Side Candice BergenActor, Upper East Side Tori BaroniActor, Washington HeightsHave you performed at Carnegie Hall before? The first time was with my high-school choir, but we didn’t sell many tickets. Now I don’t get nervous performing here because I assumed they let anybody do it. I told that to my therapist. She was like, “You should feel good about yourself. Most people don’t get to sing at Carnegie Hall.” And I was like, “It sure doesn’t feel that way.” Andrew RannellsActor, Greenpoint Isaac MizrahiFashion designer, West Village Kate BaldwinActor, Maplewood, New JerseyWhat inspired the green tonight? I feel a little weird about it because I’m one of only several people who are not wearing sequins and I feel like I should be wearing sequins. I am a redhead, so I like green. It’s such a dumb answer, but it’s true. Julie HalstonActor, Prospect–Lefferts Gardens Lauren BlackmanActor, singer, and dancer, Upper East Side Mario CantoneActor and comic, ChelseaWhat’s the worst you’ve ever bombed onstage? I performed at an all-male Italian country club. That was horrifying. The other time was at the Apollo. And it wasn’t even an Amateur Night. I got booed off the stage. Jacob Guzman and Tyler EisenreichActors, Washington Heights Photographs by Frankie Alduino The Look Book Goes to Construction School The Look Book Goes to Dyke Prom The Look Book Goes to a Frozen-Yogurt Line See All The Look Book Goes to Liza! at 80 Your product is saved! You’ll receive emails when your saved products go on sale. Manage preferences. Every product is independently selected by editors. Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission. New York Teens at Home A Sensible New Yorker’s Guide to Legionella Season It’s Humiliating. It’s Exhilarating. It’s a Line. Who Was the Man in 2B? New York’s Youngest Real-Estate Agent Is a 19-Year-Old Pageant Queen New York Teens at Home A Sensible New Yorker’s Guide to Legionella Season It’s Humiliating. It’s Exhilarating. It’s a Line. Guarding the Kiddie Pool and Slinging Slime New York’s Youngest Real-Estate Agent Is a 19-Year-Old Pageant Queen