Minnelli Rules Out Return to Bway Musicals; Develops Kay Thompson Show and Album

The legendary Liza Minnelli, who appeared on "Larry King Live" on March 15th, revealed to the talk show host that a return to Broadway theatre is not likely to be in her future--a show and album devoted to the work of her godmother Kay Thompson, however, is.

Responding to King's question on the possibility of doing a Broadway show again, Minnelli stated, "Oh. Theater again? No. Larry, no...Eight shows a week? No. I just turned 60, what am I, crazy?"

The star is willing to return to the New York stage for concerts and one-woman shows. "In fact, the show I'm working on now, I'm doing about my godmother Kay Thompson, who was a brilliant musician," she stated. Minnelli--the daughter of Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli--also responded to a live caller's question with news that she is working on a Thompson album.

A collaboration with the cabaret world's Billy Stritch and Michael Feinstein, the album will pay tribute to Thompson, who "wrote all the great arrangements for MGM. And she was a spectacular woman. You know, after she did all of this marvelous musical stuff, she then went ahead and wrote a little thing called Eloise," stated Minnelli.

In addition to her work as an arranger for several classic MGM musicals, Thompson gained fame as a nightclub singer and as an actress. She appeared as fashion editrix Maggie Prescott--singing "Think Pink!"--in Funny Face, a film for which she provided vocal arrangements. She also contributed song lyrics to The Harvey Girls, Ziegfeld Follies (both featuring Garland), and Good News. Thompson's beloved series of children's books about Eloise--a little girl living at the Plaza Hotel--have inspired two TV movies, as well.

Minnelli became the youngest performer (to that date) to win a Tony Award; at 19, she won for her Broadway debut in Flora The Red Menace. She is the winner of three Tony Awards, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, two Golden Globes and an Emmy (for "Liza with a Z"). Minnelli also won a Theatre World Award for Best Foot Forward, a Tony Award for The Act, and a Special Tony Award in 1974. She was nominated for an Oscar for The Sterile Cuckoo, and won the Oscar and Golden Globe Awards for the film version of Cabaret, directed by Bob Fosse. Her other Broadway credits include Minnelli on Minnelli, The Rink, Chicago and Victor/Victoria, and she has also been seen on film in New York, New York, Arthur and others.

An eagerly anticipated re-airing--fully restored and digitally remastered--of her multi-Emmy-winning 1972 concert "Liza with a 'Z'" will premiere on Showtime on April 1st.

To read the full transcript of Minnelli's interview with Larry King, visit the following link.