In March 1965, when photographer of life Bill Eppridge spent some time in a mission with enormously talented daughter of Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli was only turning 19 and launching what would prove to be a monumental own career. In fact, was about to debut on Broadway in the Flora of the red menace, a role that she would do at the time, the youngest woman in history to win a Tony Award for leading actress. (Also in the creative team of the show: composer John Kander and Fred Ebb, lyricist collaborated for the first time on Flora.) I would do in the future in classics as Cabaret Broadway team - later turned into a film starring Minnelli, of course, in his role as an Oscar as Sally Bowles - and Chicago winner.)
Liza Flora allowed Eppridge in his spirit trials and he even invited him to her birthday party 19 in New York, but in the end life published one photo of Eppridge. Here, on his birthday (born March 12, 1946, in Hollywood) and tribute to Minnelli and enduring career, LIFE.com presents a series of images - most of whom never ran in the life - a legend in the making.
Liza, of course, was not unknown to the world of the spectacle: Judy Garland was his mother, his father was Vincente Minnelli, had performed with her mother at the London Palladium and off-Broadway - had a little work done, but Flora the red menace would be his most high-profile role to date, the concert that pushed you completely out of the shadow of her famous parents and in another care facility.
Performance of premiere of Minnelli in Flora, life wrote: "would she acted and danced with a clumsy, captivating charm, cast seems to ' what-am - do-here?', he sang with a voice that quivered gently thanks to the boom of the seat belt, and occasionally they are uncontrolled - which only added to his sympathy..." She certainly seemed his mother makes several Rainbow. When he sang, also had echoes of Judy - the old catch and wavers and beats that you made a song it sounds as if what was happening by a nervous breakdown. But soon faded image of Judy and Liza came into focus.
In the decades since Eppridge made these intimate photos of the budding star, Liza has performed in famous concert halls of the world, accumulated numerous awards for his singing and acting happy to new generations of fans with appearances of thief in touchstones of pop culture and contemporary as Arrested Development. But his early years were really something special. As she herself Liza said life in 1965: "eighteen is great, but 19 is the best of all." It is when they are going to open in his first show on Broadway. "
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