Liza Minnelli - CARNIVAL
During the latter part of 1963 and early 1964 Judy Garland worked on her weekly television show, in Hollywood. She asked LIZA to leave Best Foot Forward and come to Hollywood to appear as a special guest. The show gave LIZA the chance to perform and demonstrate her talent to the millions watching. After it aired, LIZA was offered a lead in the stage show "CARNIVAL".
with Directed by
CARNIVAL
at the
MINEOLA PLAYHOUSE
Mineola, NY, 1964
Starring:
LIZA MINNELLI
as Lili
David Daniels & Scott Merrill
Rudy Tronto
"By January 15, 1964, Liza had recovered from the excruciating pain of her kidney stone attack and was eager to work again. She was offered the chance to tour in Carnival and joyfully accepted. Judy, partly prompted by her concern for Liza's health, but primarily by her own relentlessly strong will to keep Liza with her in California, did everything she could to prevent her from opening at the Mineola Playhouse on January 28.
Consequently, she released a statement on January 18, 1964, that Liza would not be appearing in Carnival. Simutaneously, her attorneys dispatched a telegram to the show's producers saying that, given Liza's bad health and the fact that she was a minor, her mother had deemed that she should not appear. Liza spent days in tears, torn between obeying her mother and pursuing her own desires. Nonetheless, despite threats from Judy that she would drag her off stage, on January 28 at the Mineola Playhouse and then, on February 11 at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, Liza Minnelli appeared in Carnival. Jusy never interfered with her daughter's career again."
-from Born a Star by Wendy Leigh