Fosse refused to shoot on videotape, as was usual with TV specials, and used eight 16mm cameras to give it a filmic gloss.
Wearing designs by Halston with music co-ordinated by Marvin Hamlisch, Liza explodes with energy and is rarely offstage, usually surrounded by a chorus of Fosse's favourite dancers.
I was reminded of Pauline Kael's critique that it was hard to accuse Liza of going over-the-top as that was her default position and here she is pure showbiz electricity but the setlist allows her to show her vocal and dramatic range.
This setlist includes comedy, pop and easy listening numbers as well as a sizzling CABARET medley.
And of course, Fosse's distilled, sexy, magnificent choreography still dazzles.
Shelf or charity shop? Shelf! My brother had seen CABARET first and was so knocked out he bought the soundtrack of LIZA WITH A 'Z' which I soon appropriated. The show is still a great achievement, Fosse managed to capture the pure essence of his star. Remarkably after winning four Emmy Awards, the programme vanished from view after two repeats. Liza owned the rights to it but assumed it was lost until she heard from Michael Arick, a film restoration expert, that he had found a print and after a lengthy restoration period, it was re-released in 2005 - he even found the deleted "Mein Herr" number from the CABARET medley. Liza and Fosse's Emmy Awards joined their Academy Awards for CABARET; Fosse's Tony awards for PIPPIN in the same year made him the only director to win the Best Director awards in theatre, film and television in a single year.
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