Liza Minnelli was born in Hollywood, California to the legendary Judy Garland and acclaimed director Vincente Minnelli. Liza Minnelli made her first film appearance at the age of three in the 1949 musical In the Good Old Summertime starring her mother. At the age of 19, Liza became the youngest person to win a leading actress Tony Award for “Flora the Red Menace.” The film The Sterile Cuckoo (1969) brought her her first Academy Award nomination. In 1972, Minnelli appeared in her career defining role of Sally Bowles in the movie version of Cabaret for which she received the Best Actress Academy Award and a Golden Globe.

Hot off the success of Cabaret, Minnelli again teamed with director Bob Fosse for the groundbreaking TV special Liza with a Z which was re-released on DVD in 2006.

Over the years, Minnelli has won an Oscar, Emmy, three Tony Awards, two Golden Globes and a Grammy. Ms. Minnelli is back on the road and will be appearing August 30 at The Venue exclusively at Horseshoe Casino.

GAY CHICAGO: I have to tell you I am very excited about this interview!

LIZA MINNELLI: Well ,thank you very much.

GC: I saw you at the Tony Awards and girl, you looked good!

LM: Thank you, it’s all this dancing with the Kay Thompson show and Kay was my godmother. (Kay Thompson served as main vocal arranger for many MGM musicals and as vocal coach to the stars, including Judy Garland.) I am going to bring these guys with me and they are going to play the Williams Brothers. I bring everyone with me when I do my night club act - all the musicians, everything. Kay’s night club act was called “Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers” and the harmonies and the unexpected turns and musically she thought like nobody else. She did all of my parents pictures, so when I was born they made her my godmother. I couldn’t be happier; its the greatest gift my parents could have given me.

GC: I have to ask, how are you feeling?

LM: Wonderful!

GC: Good, I will admit I like a good tabloid story. What has been the biggest lie told about you?

LM: Where do I start?

GC: When they said you beat David [Guest], it did make me laugh.

LM: Me? Are you nuts? Oh, my god. Thank God that’s over [laughing]. I am not a negative person, so it’s weird.

GC: Let’s go back to the ’70s when you did the film A Matter of Time that your father directed. Who shows up on the set, daddy’s little girl or Academy Award winning actress Liza Minnelli?

LM: My father’s daughter.

GC: Is there a role on Broadway you still want to play?

LM: Not right this second. I am working so hard on this thing with (choreographer) Ron Lewis. We have worked together since 1970, and the dancing in this show - you’re just not going to believe it.

GC: I can’t wait.

LM: Part of the show is my own stuff, the first half of the show is my own stuff and the second half is the Kay Thompson stuff.

GC: I loved watching you on the TV show Arrested Development. How did they get you involved?

LM: They called me.

GC: I watched the show and was always worried that they were going to hurt my Liza. Every time you fell, I thought you were going to hurt something.

LM: I went to dance class and my teacher, when I found out they wanted me for that role. When I was talking to the producer, the more we talked about the role and the more we laughed, I was like what if she has vertigo when she gets upset and suddenly falls down. I went to Lugie [dance teacher] the week before I go out and I learned every way possible to fall down without hurting myself.

GC: Every time you fell, I was like, “My Liza, what are you doing?” I was worried and I started watching the show because of you. I love my Liza!

LM: Yeah?

GC: I loved the movie Stepping Out.

LM: Thank you. Do you have the Radio City show?

GC: No I don’t, but all weekend, I have been listening to Liza’s CDs. One of my all-time favorites of yours is “Gently.”

LM: It’s lovely, isn’t it?

GC: When you sing with Johnny Mathis and your duet with Donna Summer.

LM: That was fun!

GC: You re-released “Liza with a Z” two years ago. When you watched it again, what did you think?

LM: I worked on getting it released for seven years. I thought this is a great piece of work of Fosse’s, and there has got to be a way to preserve it. It can’t just sit in a warehouse some place. So I went to somebody and asked where are the cans of the film Liza with a Z? He said in a warehouse someplace [laughing].

GC: You just made me happy hearing the Liza laugh.

LM: It’s so awful. Everyone I know has this lovely polite laugh ... I sound like a horn.

GC: Know I love it! I wanna know more about the show.

LM: I also am bringing 12 musicians and three costumes.

GC: Over the years, you have worn so many Halston and Bob Mackie creations. Do you still have them? Are they in a warehouse?

LM: They are in drawers in my home that are locked and water-proofed. I do have another place where I keep them.

GC: When you’re not working, what do you do for fun?

LM: I am so used to working. The first thing I like to do is turn on the TV.

GC: I loved when I heard that you and Tony Danza had a TV night.

LM: Absolutely, for 24.

GC: I saw you almost two years ago at the Chicago Film Festival and I found you so interesting. Have you ever taught acting classes?

LM: Yes. I sometimes teach at the Actors Studio.

GC: You have worked with some amazing people. If I say a name, can you say the first thing that comes to mind?

LM: Alright.

GC: Bob Fosse.

LM: Perfect.

GC: Frank Sinatra.

LM: The best.

GC: Sammy Davis Jr.

LM: One of a kind.

GC: Burt Reynolds.

LM: My darling, darling friend.

GC: Goldie Hawn.

LM: [Laughing] She is my girlfriend. I love Goldie!

GC: For years, they talked about you and Goldie starring in the movie Chicago. Does it bother you that it never happened with the two of you?

LM: No, not really. They wanted to do it their way and I wanted to get gritty, because it wasn’t really glamorous.

GC: Dudley Moore.

LM: The most magnificent pianist. The funniest man in the world. I really loved him with all my heart. We stayed close.

GC: I didn’t realize you worked with Phil Ramone.

LM: Oh, yes, and he is working on the new CD that I am working on now.

GC: How is it going?

LM: We just finished putting down the voices. But, yes, Phil is doing the album.

GC: When do you think it’s coming out?

LM: I am not sure yet but I think it’s going to be called “Bizzaz with a B.”

GC: All I can say is I cannot wait to see you on August 30!

LM: See you then.

Liza Minnelli will be appearing Saturday, August 30 at The Venue at the Horseshoe Casino.Tickets are available through all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, www.thevenue-chicago.com and 312-559-1212. Must be 21 for all shows and must be 21 years or older to gamble.