Famed pianist and entertainer Liberace and famed singer and actress Liza Minnelli did not ever perform together.
However, David Saffert and Jillian Snow’s tribute gives us a damn good idea of what it may have looked like if they had.
The pair have been portraying their flamboyant characters for a decade now, but this year marks their Edinburgh Fringe debut, and Saffert comes fully prepared in typical Liberace fashion, striding onto stage wearing an enormous velvet blue cape, only to throw it aside and reveal a bedazzling blue kilt, waistcoat and jacket.
Hopping straight on the piano – complete with Liberace’s trademark candelabra – the immensely talented Saffert strikes up a tune as he introduces his best pal, Ms Minnelli.
Snow is the spitting image of Minnelli as she joins her counterpart on stage, from the make-up right down to Liza’s mannerisms and movements. The pair’s chemistry is electric and it is easy to forget you are watching two tribute acts rather than the real thing as they riff back and forth, poking fun at each other and their careers before bursting into song.
The show features a setlist packed with tunes from Minnelli’s own catalogue as well as delightful covers of modern songs – which will remain unidentified for the sake of surprise but do feature the Cabaret singer on a kazoo on at least one occasion.
The humour is incredibly camp, which is entirely appropriate for two of the biggest personalities in showbiz, and it felt like there was barely a minute throughout the runtime that the audience wasn’t in stitches.
The show is a comedy masterpiece, but its hilarious concept and the daft quips and antics that the pair get up to on stage should by no means take away from how musically talented the two are. Saffert is a master on the piano, and Snow’s powerful vocals would make Minnelli herself proud. Sitting and watching their performance, it was easy to get mesmerised by how well the two work together.
Liberace and Liza: A Tribute achieves everything it sets out to do, celebrating and making light of the larger-than-life duo’s personalities and their imaginary friendship in a way that leaves you howling with laughter, awestruck at their abilities and ultimately clamouring for more come the end of the set.
