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Section: Being Well
Liza With a Z, at UB
By Julia Burke
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Liza Minnelli, appearing at UB’s Center for the Arts on November 22; photo courtesy of UB’s CFA.
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On November 22, UB’s Center for the Arts will host one of the great legends of the stage and screen as Liza Minnelli, the ultimate Broadway diva, will perform a special holiday concert to benefit the Ronald McDonald House. Presented by the Derico of East Amherst Corporation, a locally owned McDonald’s organization, this milestone event marks the third year of the Ronald McDonald House holiday concert program. The series set the stage for A-list performances last year with Tony Bennett concert, and Minnelli’s show promises to be the organization’s biggest party yet.
Born into fame as the daughter of screen legend Judy Garland, Minnelli quickly gained success in her own right as an actress in musicals. She received great acclaim in 1972 in the film version of the Broadway musical Cabaret, and went on to appear in several films and in concert. Minnelli has won five Tony awards, an Emmy award and a Grammy Legend Award.
She is also renowned for her extensive work with charities. Her concert at the CFA will raise money and awareness for the Ronald McDonald House, an organization which provides care to hospitalized children and their families.
Guiding the Ronald House holiday concert program to this level of success has been a singular effort. Three years ago, support for the Ronald House came mostly from sponsors in the inner circle of the McDonalds empire; fundraisers were small-scale, employee-driven affairs, usually taking the form of spaghetti dinners, car washes, and the like. It wasn’t long, however, before a seed was planted for a larger-scale fundraiser that included the entire Western New York community.
“The holiday season seems like the key point of the year to have something for the House — it’s so kid-driven,” says Derico’s Enrico Francani. “The process here is to get the awareness of the house out of the McDonalds circle and into the community.”
UB agreed to collaborate on a show at the CFA, and in its first year, the holiday concert featured B. J. Thomas and brought in $25,000 for the house. The next year, says Francani, the bar was raised even higher when the team booked Tony Bennett. “Folks said, ‘You’re never going to outdo this.’ But I’m not trying to outdo anything. This is about raising awareness for the House; to give the employees something to look forward to, to reward their efforts; and to give back to the community.”
Nevertheless, the search for this year’s performer resulted in an ambitious bid for one of the great leading ladies of the century. “I was in New York and my wheels were turning,” Francani recalls. “I was on 7th Avenue and Broadway at the Palace Theatre. Liza was there, and every show was sold out. I asked UB’s talent reps, ‘What do you think of Liza Minnelli?’ They were awetruck — ‘Can we do that?’”
Sponsors were immediately supportive of the idea, and Minnelli was booked for the concert. Francani says the overwhelming support of the Ronald House’s sponsors was especially impressive in light of the recession. “It would have been easy to say, the economy’s tough, we don’t want to take the risk. When times are tough, charities are the first thing to get cut. Ironically, all major sponsors were on board, even in such a trying time. They felt it was for the right reason.”
Francani says Minnelli is a perfect fit for the event. “What takes everybody’s breath away is her passion and her heart when she performs,” he says. “I’m confident that she will be amazing. She just sold out two shows in Los Angeles, and about six weeks ago she got a Tony for her show at the Palace Theatre. She is a true Broadway diva.”
The CFA has been the venue for the past two Ronald House holiday performances, and Francani wants that to continue. “There are a lot of people that still don’t know the CFA exists, and I think it is the best venue to see a show. It’s an intimate theater; every seat is fantastic.”
He also hopes the show becomes a Buffalo holiday mainstay. “The intent is to have a holiday concert every year with the purpose of serving the Ronald House,” he says.
Liza Minnelli will perform at UB’s Center for the Arts on November 22 at 8 p.m. Tickets will be available in the Center for the Arts box office from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and at Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com, or may be charged by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
For more information, visit www.ubcfa.org.
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