Australian Musical Theatre star Trevor Ashley is well known in his homeland as an acclaimed cabaret artist and actor, having starred in the original Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. This May he brings his show, Liza (on an E), following several sell-out seasons down under, to London’s West End. Jason Reid got up early (for once), this week, to speak to him direct from Oz…
I absolutely love the name of the show, it made me howl. Who came up with it?
[Laughs] Thank you, I did, after far too many glasses of wine one night. Just in case anyone doesn’t know, it references her legendary concert Liza with a ‘Z’, but I’m sure all your lovely readers knew that.
So, does the content of the show reflect the crazy title?
Yes, totally! It’s a bit like the Liza concert we all actually wish she’d do. You know, still sing all her big hits, but then bitch about David Gest, drink continuously and be as mental as she is in real life.
Along with the bitching and acting like a loon which of her songs can we expect to hear?
She has a huge and varied back catalogue so you can expect plenty of the favourites that everyone will know: ‘Maybe This Time’, ‘New York, New York’, ‘Losing My Mind’ and ‘Cabaret’. And that’s just a small snippet. A live band accompanies me throughout the show too, which heightens the whole experience for me and the audience.
What do you think the great lady would make of the show?
I think she’d be slightly confronted by it. She’d enjoy most of the songs, but I think it would be tough to hear some of the new lyrics and the way I portray her. Hopefully she’d laugh, but who knows? You kinda never know with Liza…
She’s had a crazy and tumultuous life, how did you decide which parts of it to extrapolate and portray?
I guess I tried to use her most iconic moments. So I focus on Studio 54, Peter Allen, her failed marriages, her family (that could be a show in itself) and her films. All of these are pretty ripe for the picking. But like you said, she’s had a crazy life so I’m certainly never short of material.
There are some guest appearances, too…
Yes, there are a few notable guests. Her mother, Judy Garland pops in a couple of times, but it’s never where you’d expect to see her. I also have a lovely young English singer called Chris Mitchell duetting with me during the show. Most of the time though I’m just pure Liza, because lets face it that’s who everyone wants to see.
Well, of course. And then there are her ‘interesting’ marriages…
Interesting to say the least! Obviously I touch on her husbands throughout the show quite a bit. I mean, she’s had more gay husbands than I have – and that’s saying something. She certainly can pick them!
What do you think Liza’s legacy will be?
In my opinion, she is the last of the true Hollywood legends. With the legacy her parents left her, through to what she has accomplished, she is a star in the correct sense of the word. It’s sad that her voice and body seem to be giving out these days, but I think people will always remember the glory years. And they were truly very glorious.
‘LIZA’ ON LIZA: Trevor sums up Liza’s ups and downs over the last five decades, as he sees it…
1970s: The very beginning of the phenomena! Her sensational concert, Liza with a ‘Z’; her starring role in Cabaret, for which she won an Oscar and a Tony, and replacing Gwen Verdon in Chicago on Broadway in 1975.
1980s: Studio 54, Baryshnikov, the Muppets, the Carnegie Hall concert, Arthur (and lots of terrible movies), The Rink with Chita Rivera and the Ultimate Event with Frank Sinatra and Sammy David Jr. A very eclectic decade!
1990s: The 90s were mostly about concerts. Also her best live DVD – the Radio City concert. And the movie Stepping Out (which I love) with Julie Walters and Shelley Winters.
2000s: Oh dear, this is where it all started to go wrong: Double hip replacement, viral encephalitis and David Gest. Need I say more?
2010s: Cameos in Sex in the City 2 (hilarious) and Smash, as well as a few concerts here and there, but her best work of this decade so far is her YouTube clip: Liza on HSN (Home Shopping Network). Look it up. You’ll scream!
• Liza (on an E) runs at the Vaudeville Theatre, (404 The Strand, WC2R 0NH) from 14-18th May.
