Liza Minnelli Hotboxing With A Cigarette While Belting Out ‘Great Day’ Is A Balm For The Soul
How we're all trying to be.
I don’t know who needs to see Liza Minnelli puff on a cigarette and bang out a show tune in the back of a limo right now, but it’s Friday, so I’m guessing everyone?
The legendary Broadway singer — who presented the award for Best Picture at this year’s 74th Academy Awards with Lady Gaga — was filmed holding a cigarette and singing Sarah Vaughan’s ‘Great Day’ from her 1961 album After Hours. And look, not everything needs to be documented, but we’re really glad that this was.
Minnelli’s obvious love for life — her joie de vivre, if you will — is on full display in this moment, as is her undying love for the greats, which obviously includes the American Jazz musician Sarah Vaughan. Vaughan’s ‘Great Day’ is a hard one to sing — it’s packed with key changes and requires lots of vocal control, so it’s hard not to love Liza’s unbothered hotboxing rendition.
Minnelli’s friend and collaborator Michael Feinstein posted the video to his Instagram page a couple of days ago, with the caption, “Just found this on my phone. Liza on her way to the Oscars, happy and excited”.
Is anyone else feeling a strong urge to take up smoking, right now? [Junkee does not condone taking up smoking.]