Liberace’s Talent, Wardrobe Draw 13,000

by Bill Rice, The Troy Record, July 11, 1972

Liberace only cries, as the famous joke about him goes, on the way lo the bank. The entire secret of the man’s success, as demonstrated in two full house performances at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Sunday, is an ability to laugh at himself and make his audience laugh along with him. And that’s an important part of his secret. You laugh with Liberace—never at him. Estimated total attendance for the two Sunday shows was 13,000 people, making it one of the most successful concerts of the season.

The dashing Gorgeous George of the Ivories first appeared on stage escorted by two beautiful Russian wolfhounds. He was wearing a two-hundred-year-old coat, embroidered with gold. When the coat was discarded he stood attired in a flashy Argentine gaucho outfit.

After running through a Burt Bacharach medley and music from “The Godfather,” he said “Why don’t I step out and slip into something more spectacticular.” He then added what was a tremendous understatement, “You’d be disappointed if I didn’t.” For elaborate costumes have become as much a part of his act as the 88 keys on his piano.

Liberace’s costumes start at around $5,000 and reportedly go as high as $10,000. Besides those mentioned, his outfits included a glittering silver array with boots to match which Liberace announced with “Hi-ho-Silver”; a red white and blue stars and stripes outfit, complete with hot pants; one in “Polish Pink” with spangles; one in shimmering black with diamond buttons {“they cost more than the suil but I couldn’t come out here with just bultons”}; a red sweater with white knickers that made him look like a childhood Mozart and finally, the stopper of them all, a jacket with liny lights that flashed on and off when stage lights were dimmed.

One of the show’s highlights was when the superstar came off stage and walked along the front row, showing his magnificent rings to the audience.

See what you get it you practice?” he said to one wide-eyed youngster.

He found one lady in the front row who was watching his show with binoculars.

Liberace gets away famously with an approach that would cause anyone else to get booed off the stage.

He finishes a song with a flourishing toss of one hand in the air and jumps up with a kick of a foot and stands posing with an open-mouthed grin.

He then steps towards the audience and says something mundane like “I love that kind of music, I’m so glad you liked it too.” With Liberace it works marvels, and scores of performers would give an arm to be able to coddle an audience the way this man does.

Liberace knows just how darkly to color his humor, to avoid offending anyone. He refers to a standing ovation as a chance to straighten out one’s shorts.

At one point he pulled out a beautiful white handkerchief and began lo wipe the perspiration off his face with all the airs of a prince, and then said, “Damm Schlitz.”

The pianist’s keyboard abilities are all too familiar to expound on. He scampered in his own florid style through everything from boogie-woogie to Сhopin.

Alter the show, Liberace revealed in a press interview that he is working on an autobiography to be published next year. The name—what else but, “I Cried All the Way to the Bank.” It may eventually be turned into a Broadway show and then a movie.