02/06/2009 7:00 am

Culture

Liz Smith: Barbra's New 'Yentl' … Liza Gets Personal … Young Diva on the Rise: Renee Olstead!

YENTL, Barbra Streisand, 1983/Everett Collection

And while we have great entertainers on the brain, I recently sat down with Liza Minnelli for an interview that will appear shortly in Parade magazine – the March 1 cover.

Liza looked great and was in fine fettle, fresh from her triumph at the Palace Theater on old Broadway. The only thing Liza really wants to talk about is her work, though I did get her to stray into personal areas.

Liza has a truckload of Kay Thompson stories (Liza’s Palace stint was, in part, a tribute to her fabulous godmother, Kay.) I like this one:

Liza: “Years ago, Franco Zeffirelli invited me to his beautiful villa in Italy. Kay came along. Franco kept saying he wanted to direct me as – are you ready? – Camille, but dressed up like a boy. It was, you know, one of those kinds of visits. The place was inundated with the most gorgeous flowers. I didn’t know what they were, so I asked Kay. ‘Bougainvillea,’ she said. The next day, I was still raving over these flowers, but couldn’t remember the name. ‘Bougainvillea,’ Kay said, with a little more emphasis. So, OK, the next day, same thing. ‘Bougainvillea,’ Kay said, and was looking at me like, ‘What’s with her?’

“Later, we were out on a sailboat, and Kay was quiet, which for her was quite unusual. Suddenly, she leapt up in the boat, and shouted, ‘I’ve got it. I’ve got it!’ She looked at me and said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, appearing  here for the first time – Boog and Vellia!’

“Needless to say, I never forgot the name of that flower again.”

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More Liza: On February 12, Liza, along with Donna Karan and Howard and Cindy Rachofsky will be honored at AmFAR’s NYC gala at Cipriani 42nd Street. They are being recognized for their work in increasing AIDS awareness.

Joan Osborne, of blues, rock and country music fame, will perform. Along with burgeoning chanteuse Renee Olstead

Miss Olstead, born in Houston, TX, is simply amazing. I first heard her sing when she was 13. She sounded like an experienced, powerhouse torch singer in her late 20s! She loves to interpret the great standards. Warner Records has been bringing her along slowly. (I mean, what can you do with a child who sounds like a woman of the world?) Now she is 19, and ready to roll. Her new album “Skylark,” hit the stores late last month.

Click here for a bit of what Miss Olstead can do.

She is also a knockout, and she can act! Now that she practically is a woman, the long a’borning Anita O’Day bio-pic might suit her just fine.

Click here on this text to read my New York Post column.

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9 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

MugsyPeabody
And, unlike so many of the men so honored by our culture, Ms. Streisand started with nothing and is a billionaire armed, in a sexist world, with nothing but her own wits and talent. Mazel tov, and may you live forever!
By MugsyPeabody on 02/06/2009 2:02 am
ChromeToe
this is way off topic mugsy… but you’re post reminded me of something. My cousin rose from extreme poverty, neglect and abuse into a very succesful executive position. she was the youngest person in her role in the country at the time as well as one of only a handful of women to promote in her arena. she had a 7th grade education. she literally clawed her way to where she wanted to go. At one point in the late 90’s she bought herself a beautiful jaguar. She used to have people ask her all the time what her husband did for a living. man would that piss her off. she had a standard line about how she bought that car with her money and her job. I guess rather central to the story is that she’s also incredibly beautiful. Movie star beautiful. So of COURSE everyone thought she had an older husband with money. I remember riding around with her running errands and having people look at her of course. i could see their heads spinning with “oh ya.. age old story”… sexism… racism… all kinds of ism’s still exist for sure
By ChromeToe on 02/06/2009 8:12 am
GrandeCamper
Now that’s a story. Thanks for sharing it. Sad that everyone thinks she married for money.
By GrandeCamper on 02/06/2009 11:17 am
MugsyPeabody
Not off topic at all, particularly, Chrome Toe, in view of the theme of “Yentl.” Thanks for writing this. That’s what I would love to see more of on wOw, us, being human, in a safer vessel. (Of course, I hope your cousin developed some smart-ass rejoinders for these foolish people.)
By MugsyPeabody on 02/06/2009 5:03 pm
phyllisDoylePepe
The first time I heard Streisand sing was sometime in the late fifties or early sixties. I was at a house party, taking a swim in the backyard pool when suddenly I heard this voice coming from the record player inside. It stopped me cold. It was Barbra’s first album: “Color Me Barbra.” I fell in love then and have remained an avid admirer ever since. After John Lahr saw Liza’s last concert his write-up for The New Yorker was less than kind: Minelli reminds me of a gas fire. she looks good, she gives off a kind of heat, but she’s not real.
By phyllisDoylePepe on 02/06/2009 11:11 am
GrandeCamper
Streisand is in a class by herself. I loved Yentl! I wanted to grow up like that be someone who was strong and powerful. I didn’t break threw any glass ceiling but I still like that idea.
By GrandeCamper on 02/06/2009 11:20 am
crisbronson
she has an amazing voice… i wish she were doing more with it now.
By crisbronson on 02/07/2009 10:24 am
JeannotKensinger
When my husband was still single and living in San Francisco he often went to the Purple Onion and heard Streisand there. He was strictly into opera and in love with Rise Stevens but he melted (so he said) when he heard Streisand. I do not like to watch movies over and over again. Having said that I do not know how often I saw Yentl and a Star is born, 2 of my favorites. I just adore her.
By JeannotKensinger on 02/08/2009 9:19 am
rockyrocky
Fabulous photograph of Ms Streisland! Such a unique beauty.
By rockyrocky on 02/08/2009 9:15 pm