March 12
Born Today:
Liza Minnelli
The daughter of Judy Garland (1922-1969) and director Vicente Minnelli, Liza Minnelli (1946-) became a star in her own right, most notably in Cabaret (1972), directed/choreographed by Bob Fosse (1927-1987) and in the award-winning TV production Liza with a ‘Z’ (1972). She famously replaced Gwen Verdon (1925-2000) briefly in the original Broadway production of Chicago (1975) and Julie Andrews (1935-) in the original Broadway production of Victor/Victoria (1995). Minnelli used daily dance lessons to help her recover from a serious illness in 2000, and began performing again the following year.
Also Born Today: Dance teacher and ballet maven E. Virginia Williams (1914-1984) so hated losing her students to out of town opportunities that she founded the Boston Ballet in 1963, in part with the support of choreographer George Balanchine (1904-1983), head of New York City Ballet. The Ford Foundation grant that made this possible, and also funded the formation of the Pennsylvania Ballet, Washington Ballet, and Cincinnati Ballet companies.
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Ballet Premiere: La Sylphide (Filipo Taglioni version) in 1832