Liza Minnelli didn’t just walk onto the stage of the Lyceum Theatre in 1972. She took it hostage. When people talk about Ring Them Bells Liza with a Z, they aren't just talking about a song; they’re talking about a moment in television history that shifted how we view variety specials. It was lightning in a bottle. Kinda chaotic, incredibly polished, and purely Liza.
Bob Fosse was the architect behind the camera. Fresh off his Cabaret success, he knew exactly how to frame her. He didn't want a static concert film. He wanted a cinematic event. Most people don't realize that Liza with a "Z" was filmed in one single take in front of a live audience. No safety net. If she tripped, the world saw it. If she missed a note, it stayed in. But she didn't miss.
What Ring Them Bells Actually Means for Liza's Career
The song "Ring Them Bells" is a storytelling masterpiece written by the legendary duo Kander and Ebb. It’s funny. It’s frantic. It’s about Shirley Devore, a woman who travels the world to find a husband only to find him living right next door. Honestly, it’s the perfect vehicle for Minnelli because it requires acting as much as it requires singing.
You see her sweating.
That’s the thing about this performance that feels so human compared to the high-gloss, AI-filtered performances we see today. By the time she gets to the "back in Apartment 5-G" line, she’s physically exhausted. You can see the perspiration on her brow and the way her breathing changes. Fosse kept the cameras tight on her face, capturing every twitch of her eyelashes. It was intimate.
The Kander and Ebb Magic
John Kander and Fred Ebb were the secret weapons. They understood Liza's psyche better than anyone. They wrote "Ring Them Bells" specifically to exploit her ability to play the "lovable loser" who wins in the end. This wasn't just a cabaret tune; it was a three-minute play.
- The character arc of Shirley Devore is a classic trope.
- The frantic tempo mimics the anxiety of the 1970s dating scene.
- The choreography by Fosse used "small" movements—shoulders, fingers, eyes—to tell a big story.
Why the 1972 Special Almost Didn't Happen
NBC was nervous. Variety specials were usually safe, family-friendly affairs with guests like Bing Crosby. But Liza was different. She was edgy. She was the daughter of Judy Garland, carrying a massive legacy on her shoulders, and people were waiting for her to stumble. Instead, she soared.
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The special won four Emmy Awards and a Peabody. For years, however, the film was thought to be lost. Can you imagine? One of the most significant pieces of 1970s pop culture just sitting in a vault, deteriorating. It wasn't until the late 1990s and early 2000s that the negatives were recovered and restored. Seeing Ring Them Bells Liza with a Z in high definition today is a testament to the preservation of art. It looks like it was filmed yesterday. The colors are vibrant—that iconic Halston red mini-dress practically leaps off the screen.
The Halston Connection
Speaking of the dress, we have to talk about Roy Halston Frowick. He designed every costume for the special. The "Ring Them Bells" outfit was strategic. It had to allow for high kicks and frantic movement while still looking chic. It was basically a shimmering armor. Halston and Liza were inseparable, and his minimalist aesthetic balanced out Fosse’s complex lighting.
Technical Mastery: One Night Only
The filming was a logistical nightmare. They used eight 16mm cameras. This was 1972; they didn't have digital monitors to check the playback instantly. Fosse had to trust his gut. He treated the stage like a movie set, directing the audience as much as he directed Liza.
When she sings the bells, she isn't just mimicking a sound. She's vibrating.
The rhythm of the song is relentless. It starts at a moderate pace and accelerates until the finale. Most singers would lose their breath, but Minnelli’s breath control—trained by years of Broadway—is elite. She uses the "bells" as a percussive element. It’s jazz. It’s theater. It’s pop.
The Cultural Legacy of Shirley Devore
Why does Shirley Devore resonate so much?
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Maybe because everyone has felt like they were looking in the wrong place for happiness. Shirley goes to Iceland. She goes to Rome. She goes to Disneyland. It’s a hilarious travelogue of desperation. But when she finally meets "Dover" in the hallway of her own building, it’s a moment of pure musical comedy gold.
Liza with a "Z" proved that a solo performer could carry an entire hour of prime-time television without a single guest star. No comedy sketches with puppets. No awkward duets with a fading crooner. Just one woman, a microphone, and a hell of a lot of talent.
Misconceptions About the Performance
Some people think the audio was dubbed later in a studio.
Nope.
That’s her live voice. You can hear the slight rasp and the way she catches her breath between lines. In modern music, we’re so used to pitch correction that a real human performance can sound "imperfect" to the untrained ear. But those imperfections are where the soul lives. When she shouts "Ring them bells!" she’s pushing her vocal cords to the limit.
How to Study the Minnelli Method
If you’re a performer or just a fan, there’s a lot to learn from this specific number.
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- Eye Contact: Notice how she never looks "past" the camera. She looks into it. She’s talking to you, the viewer at home, individually.
- Physicality: Every gesture has a purpose. When she mentions "Euro-rail," her body shifts to mimic the movement of a train. It’s subtle, but it builds the world.
- Pacing: She knows when to pull back. The middle of the song has a slight dip in energy that makes the finale hit ten times harder.
The Restoration of a Masterpiece
In 2005, the special was released on DVD after a massive restoration effort. Before that, fans had to rely on grainy bootleg tapes or memories of the original broadcast. The restoration revealed details nobody had seen in decades—the sweat on the dancers, the texture of the sequins, and the sheer intensity in Liza’s eyes during the "Ring Them Bells" sequence. It was a revelation.
The film was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and even had a limited theatrical run. It wasn't just a "TV show" anymore; it was recognized as a piece of cinema.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
To truly appreciate the "Ring Them Bells" performance, you have to look at the context of 1972. The Vietnam War was raging, the world was changing, and Liza Minnelli represented a bridge between the Old Hollywood of her mother and the New Hollywood of the 70s.
- Watch the full special, not just the clip. The buildup to "Ring Them Bells" matters. You need to see the exhaustion and triumph of the earlier numbers to understand why this one feels like a victory lap.
- Listen to the lyrics. Fred Ebb was a master of internal rhyme. The way "Devore" rhymes with "Dover" and "Floor" is a masterclass in songwriting.
- Observe the lighting. Fosse used "limelight" effects to isolate Liza, making the stage feel infinite yet claustrophobic at the same time.
- Research Halston. Understanding the fashion of the era helps explain why Liza’s look was so revolutionary—it was the birth of "disco chic" before disco even existed.
The performance remains a benchmark for what is possible when the right performer meets the right material at the exact right moment in time. It's a reminder that talent, when backed by grueling work and a clear vision, is timeless. Ring those bells, indeed.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts:
To get the most out of this historical performance, track down the 2006 remastered DVD or high-definition streaming version rather than watching low-quality uploads. Compare the "Ring Them Bells" sequence to her performance in Cabaret (released the same year) to see how Minnelli adapted her style between film and the live stage. For a deeper dive into the songwriting, look for the Kander and Ebb "Original Cast" recordings to hear how they initially envisioned the character of Shirley Devore before Liza transformed her into an icon.