Looking back now at photographs of Minnelli during those heady days, the electricity that powered her scene-stealing style is infectious. The look stuck and, after winning the Best Actress Academy Award at the 1973 Oscars for her role in Bob Fosse’s Cabaret (1972), became her hallmark. The signature, zero-fuss pixie cut was enthused with the same no-nonsense spirit (her hair reportedly had to be hacked off after a piece of chewing gum became entangled in it). At just 19, she scooped the 1965 Best Actress Tony for her Broadway debut in Flora the Red Menace, timely recognition of her effervescent talent and grit determination.ĭance was a backbone of her performance, hence the workaday uniform of a black polo neck and pencil-cut trousers or leggings (note the Mary Janes). The star, who was born into the Hollywood hubbub (her parents were actor Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli), has enjoyed a hard-earned prodigious career in musical theatre spanning more than seven decades. In Murphy’s rendering, American actor Krysta Rodriguez shines as the hair-flicking, high-kicking, EGOT -winning Minnelli. Halston was extremely showbiz, as were the ‘Halstonettes’ - a nocturnal collective of ultra-talented women (including Elizabeth Taylor, Cher, Elsa Peretti and Liza Minnelli) who were party pals at the height of the Studio 54 era. With members of Halston’s family questioning the factual correctness of the show, we’ll stick to indisputable truths.
That is most likely why Netflix’s Halston - a dazzling five-part biopic from Ryan Murphy, which tells the high-octane life story of Roy Halston Frowick (played by Ewan McGregor) - feels so necessary. If Instagram is to be believed (don’t), everyone is going about their business in opera gloves and thong bikinis. Larger-than-life style is everywhere and nowhere in 2021. Elizabeth Taylor’s jewellery arsenal? For sure. Jayne Mansfield’s Pink Palace (complete with heart-shaped swimming pool)? That was showbiz. ‘Showbiz’ should be overtly decadent to the point of cliche - you must categorically not be able to look away. Showbiz style is the fashion world’s sickly dessert course - the one buried under a waterfall of toxic-hued sauces, which arrives embedded with sparklers after a procession to its own theme song, and has the whole restaurant craning their necks to see what on earth just passed by. Cascading ruffle gowns, acres of fringing and dinner-plate-sized sunglasses fire our most elementary fashion synapses. (TODAY reached out to a representative for Minnelli for comment on the show and Rodriguez, and did not hear back.We don’t use the word ‘showbiz’ enough any more when describing knockout style. This is what connected her to the role and ultimately, Minnelli herself. I was just really impressed by this person who we know as this very larger than life performer that actually in her roots was a very dedicated and grounded actress.” Krysta Rodriquez as Liza Minnelli in episode 102 of Halston. I loved watching her strive for honesty in everything that she did and that is something that I tried to do. "So when I was starting to go back in her early days, because the show starts with her around about 20, she was so earnest and open during that time in her life. "Everyone knows Liza, but I sort of knew her in icon status where you don’t necessarily know everything about them," she shared. Because of this, she says she assumed she knew everything there was to know about Minnelli, only to learn she was wrong when preparing for this role.
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Rodriguez, 36, may be best known for her roles in “Smash,” “Trial & Error,” “Quantico” and the Netflix comedy series “Daybreak.” Her love of performing started with a passion for Broadway when she was a young child. "The way we lean forward when we watch Liza perform is not because she's perfect.