Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!

by Liza Minnelli

“Kids, Wait Til You Hear This” is the autobiography of EGOT icon Liza Minnelli. This fascinating, untold story reveals the intimate truth of the only child born to Hollywood legends Vincent Minnelli and Judy Garland. For the first time, here is Liza up Raw, strong, sexy, hilarious and heartbreaking. Liza decided at the age of 16 that “sympathy is my mother’s business. I give people joy.” That veil of joy, however, masks a lifelong struggle with Substance Use Disorder, hunger for love, broken marriages, multiple miscarriages, and hospitalizations—the highs and lows of unparalleled artistic success and lifelong friendships, as well as chronic anxiety and the threat of financial ruin. Despite every challenge, Liza’s is a life wrapped in laughter. Today at nearly 80, she opens her heart, mind and memories, sharing secrets we never knew. Liza’s book celebrates supreme artistry and, more importantly, her human rights activism. “It’s time to tell the truth, Liza says, “and help people heal, as I have, one day at a time.”

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, Music, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

420 pages, Hardcover

First published March 10, 2026

Reviews

[V. Briceland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel at least four times more gay after completing LIza Minnelli's long-awaited memoir, Kids, Wait Till you Hear This!. And I was pretty gay before. Not because I spent several days steeped in Liza's world of the musical theater, as costumed by Halston and scored by Kander and Ebb, though I did come away with a slight case of Fosse neck. Not because Liza has seemingly slept with more gay men than I ever could. No, it was because Liza's memoir was a hypodermic of high camp, plunged straight into my grateful little heart.

Pianist Michael Feinstein, Liza's most persistent friend of Dorothy (and yes, one of her past lovers), sets the book's tone by spending his introduction crabbing about Kristen Wiig's SNL sketch, "Liza Minnelli Tries to Turn Off a Lamp." He doesn't care what you or anyone else thinks. It's not funny. Wiig isn't funny. And SNL or anyone else who's imitated Liza over the years should owe her royalties, dammit. Liza joins his disgruntlement world tour before page ten, damning Lady Gaga as a malignant saboteur and promising an autobiography full of truth telling, error correcting, and score settling. Boy, does she deliver, especially on the last front.

Kids is the kind of memoir with passages that read along the lines of "I heard the screams the night my chum Cheryl Turner daughter of Lana murdered her stepfather, but that is not my story to tell,” then later call back to these lurid words when infant Liza accidentally kicks Mama (that would be renowned actress Judy Garland, to the likes of you) in the head and describes Judy's outrage as, "but it wasn’t as bad as the screams from Lana Turner’s house.” Ouch. That's a literary choice.

It's the kind of memoir in which Liza, fresh from her Oscar-winning performance in Cabaret, joins the cast of Lucky Lady and encounters nothing but rudeness and abuse from co-star Gene Hackman—then more or less concludes with (I'm paraphrasing, but not by much) "He was horrible to me! Horrible! I was really really really sad years later when he starved to death after his wife passed away, winky-face emoji, crossed-fingers emoji, face with halo emoji."

Savage!

It's also the kind of book in which Liza's feud with Lady Gaga at the 2022 Oscars occupies more real estate than the making and reception of all her post-Cabaret movies combined. And that's kind of a pity, because although I thrilled every time Liza sharpened her nails to take out someone who wronged her (the section about final husband David Gest is brutal), I mostly was hoping for her lively take on the art she created in the wake of sequins and heavy perfume she left through the last six decades.

The book's earliest chapters, particularly those that delve into her often fraught relationship with Garland, are the most satisfying. By the time Liza's independent enough to be having a streetside brawl with her lover Martin Scorsese about having slept with Mikhail Baryshnikov (Liza: "Who wouldn't?!"), while Liza's current husband was right there watching, the messiness was beginning to make me check out, a little.

But along the way are hundreds of camp little moments, such as the glamorous weekly Monday-night Hollywood parties Liza would throw that simply everybody attended— Whoopi, Anjelica, Janet, Rosie, Roddy, Mizrahi, Quentin, Madonna—to enjoy the buffet that she served from elegant Elsa Peretti-designed sterling silver bowls piled high with…KFC. Or the time she invented the moonwalk and taught it to Michael Jackson. Or the time she, and I quote, "crunked it up" to a Mary J. Blige song. More than once she gets the details wrong: the Donna Summer smash single wasn't "Hot Love." It was "Hot Stuff," Liza.

But Liza's determination to appear omnipresent in over a half-century of popular culture and to remain ever-current and hip (she is such a fan of Chappell Roan, y'all) lends this enjoyable, gossipy memoir an edge of unreality as artificial and exaggerated as Ms. Minnelli's eyelashes.

[Flo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A legend with so many mistakes makes for a great biography- unless you make a mistake with this one as well.

The first half is where the gold is. Her troubled relationship with her mother, her career high with Cabaret, and her crazy romantic life (with Peter Sellers and Martin Scorsese, among others) are always entertaining, with both the good and the bad.

The second half, less so. Her struggle with her addiction repeats itself. And right at the end of the biography, Liza makes a mistake: she attacks Lady Gaga for something that most people who have seen the Oscars appearance cannot blame her for. The controversy around the use of AI for the audiobook and the limited promotion for the book confirm that she is in the wrong. Her medical condition is serious, and her appearances can look good only with a lot of editing and/or a lot of help from her friend, Michael Feinstein.

I really don’t understand why this chapter is in the book. It makes Liza look like she is in denial about her medical condition and that, unfortunately, people around her cannot even tell her this truth.
Unfortunately, it leaves a bad taste because, once again, it feels like Liza is telling a lie. The question is: who is this lie for, since it doesn’t fool the public?

[Stacey B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liza could certainly belt out a song. She is a noted icon. In her own right? Probably, but had big shoes to fill at the time.
The title of her book sounds like something she would say. :)

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this was so raw, so honest and utterly captivating. Liza will make you laugh, and make you cry in the same chapter. She talks directly to the reader which always makes me smile, and thanks us for our lifelong support. I couldn’t love Liza any more than I do after reading this… her life sure has been a Cabaret, and I wish her many more healthy ajnd happy years to come.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

"When people start writing about your personal life instead of your art, you have crossed a line that can never be uncrossed."

Liza Minnelli is the "Original Nepo Baby" being the daughter of classic Hollywood director Vincent Minnelli and the legendary and iconic Judy Garland. She's become a icon in her own right..I mean she's an EGOT( Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner.

She didn't really have a childhood. Her mother was dealing with addiction and money issues and her father(she doesnt say anything about it) was probably gay. Liza has dealt with her own money and substance abuse problems. And shes also had experience with being married to gay men. Liza's love life was chaotic as Hell and so entertaining to read about. She's also had to deal with tons of health issues. But shes 80 and still kicking (just not as high). Liza is a born entertainer and storyteller. She makes the most traumatic and sad things sound darkly hilarious.

"I'm going to be a great star. That is, if booze and sex don't get me first."

I had so much fun reading this book and the audiobook is probably even better because she narrates it herself. I highly recommend this book.....Also watch Arrested Development and Cabaret.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

If my mother's superpower was wringing sympathy from a crisis, mine was trying to make everyone feel better.

I have moments when I think I'm something of a failure as a gay man. For instance, now... when I've just finished reading her memoir and I'm thinking, 'I just don't get Liza Minnelli.' 

Of course, I'm exaggerating; gay men can be known for that. ~ or to 'heighten reality'. (It's part of our charm.) But, for me, it's just that I can't place Liza in my personal gallery of gay icons. 

I've always thought her talented - and have recognized the strength in some of her best screen performances ('Cabaret', 'The Sterile Cuckoo', 'New York, New York', 'Stepping Out'). But her sidecar style as an entertainer is not something I've been much drawn to. Although I had plenty of opportunities, I've never seen her perform live. 

This is in contrast to, say, a performer like Bette Midler (who I *have* seen live). Preferring one over the other can simply be a matter of (esp. music) taste (which usually can't be explained well) - but I've always thought of Midler as a performer who pulls people *in*... as opposed to someone like Liza (not that there's anyone like Liza), who enjoys 'throwing a party' in a performance yet still seems to be keeping an audience at arm's length. 

As she says above, she has always wanted to make an audience "feel better". But most audiences don't go to concerts to feel better. They go to feel drawn in by the performer, to be thereby transfixed, transported to the performer's world. I'm not doubting that some audiences have experienced that through Liza. I just never have. And that puzzles me. 

As does her memoir. I gather from what she has written that she was encouraged to see autobiography as an opportunity to 'come clean' and 'set the record straight' - even though the story we've had up to now has not been all that inaccurate (certainly not to the extent that Liza claims). 

She states that she inherited drug / alcohol dependency from her mother. I believe her. That happens; it's tragic, and Liza is certainly to be applauded for surviving the tragedy daily - for picking herself up and for starting all over again, as many times as she has. 

That said, Liza also states that, for most of her life, she managed herself and her relationships through a kind of deceit - a kind of hiding away that lingered in stark contrast to a 'good-time girl' facade. It's a sort of schizophrenic process, even though she has never otherwise been schizophrenic. And I'm sure that - along with the drugs and alcohol - it took its toll. No one can be 'on' 24/7 - yet it seems that Liza felt forced into that very position, even as she was doing her best to cultivate it. 

Reading about all of this in her memoir, I felt sorry for Liza - a sentiment she would clearly loathe, since she refers to herself as a 'survivor'. Yet it's not so much that I pity her as much as I recognize the singular trap that came to dominate her life.

The book's title notwithstanding, there's not much in the memoir that is particularly unknown to us. We do get more examples of just how much of a struggle it has been for Liza to continue through on the rough and rocky road to sobriety.  

At the same time, the reader gets the impression that this 'memoir' thing is a whole new experience to Liza in more than one way. It seems to feel new to her to reveal who she is. The sense of having largely lived in a bubble - and of being an intensely private person - is there. Liza has learned to protect herself, so - to a degree - she is doing that. 

Occasionally I wasn't convinced by her perspective - i.e., her view of the Studio 54 period; although I'm surprised she could remember anything at all about that 'chaotic' chapter. Conversely, I found myself admiring when she was particularly candid - i.e., her takedown of husband #4, David Gest. As well as her fiery reaction to the rudeness / insensitivity of Lady Gaga and the Academy itself when she appeared at the Oscars in 2022. I would have liked much more of this kind of 'opening up' throughout the book in general. ~ not to read Liza being bitchy, but to get her perspective.

I rarely read celebrity memoirs - and I read this one because my best friend sent it to me (I think, I hope) as a sort of 'entertainment'. My reservations aside, I found it an instructive read. (The difference between 'memoir' and 'self-analysis' makes for a fine line indeed.)

It ends on a singular plateau of hope. And, overall, I would say it was a brave attempt on Liza's part. I don't use the word 'attempt' lightly. In what she writes, Liza is certainly *in there*. Onstage, Liza has always been known for her utter lack of reserve. In addressing the 'kids', a sharper hold on that attitude would have served the memoir well. 

[Marc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liza Minnelli has given us an incredible gift with this memoir and I loved reading every page. Her journey has been something else and she is still living it! I'm a big fan and, even if you aren't, I highly recommend it.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this, especially because Liza Minnelli has lived such an interesting life—but this just didn’t work for me.

It felt very scattered and all over the place. Stories jumped around with no real structure, and I kept waiting for something deeper that never really came. It was more like random memories than a cohesive memoir.

What stood out the most was how it felt like she was almost acting as a sounding board for her mother’s innocence, constantly defending or softening things when it came to Judy Garland—but at the same time telling stories that showed just how difficult and, at times, horrible that upbringing really was. That push and pull felt confusing and never fully explored.

There are moments that should have been really powerful, especially around her childhood, but they didn’t land the way I expected. I just never felt fully connected.

Overall, it felt lackluster and unfocused. A few interesting stories, but not enough depth to really make it worth it for me.

[Douglas Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s be clear- this book was getting 5 stars from me the minute I slapped down by credit card to purchase it (Yes, I paid full price for a book) and as always, Liza did not disappoint. Finally an autobiography where I don’t get bored when the author talks about their parents for over a hundred pages!
Liza gives you everything you want- stories about Mama and Papa, Frank Sinatra, Kay Thompson, Andy Warhol. Halston, Michale Jackson, Broadway backstories,making Cabaret stories, Studio 54 memories, details about Arthur, the origin of her Pet Shop Boys collab, her time on arrested Development- and of course all her affairs and husband- both gay and straight. She doesn’t sugar coat any of her shortcomings or mistakes and writes candidly about her alcohol and substance abuse.
There are a few moments where Liza tells the same story or detail twice but that only makes this book feel more like a casual conversation with an icon.
I loved this book and wanted to own it because I will definitely read it again. Highest recommendation with 5 out of 5 stars.

[Tanya Anderson]

I DNF at 30% or so. There were a few inaccuracies, which is to be expected in a memoir as it's told from a very specific point of view. However looking more into the writing of this book, I am dubious of Liza's actual involvement.

I am also pretty sure the audiobook narration is AI. There were some obvious inconsistencies that I don't believe Liza would make (including not knowing who was in Roman Holiday and mispronouncing lyrics to a song written FOR her). I was enjoying it, but scratching the surface raises too many questions...

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

We CANNOT set a precedent for AI narration. The quality of this audiobook was truly horrendous. While I’ll keep my thoughts on her judgment and reasoning as reflected by this creative decision (and her apparent actions throughout her life) offline, it’s clear she’s her mother’s daughter…

[Iayat Riaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first came across Liza Minnelli when I was about fifteen years old. My English teacher (incidentally, we later became colleagues and we now mutually follow one another on Goodreads—she knows who she is!) was surprised to discover that Liza Minnelli’s mother was Judy Garland, another late-teen discovery of mine.

It was perhaps surprising that I hadn’t made the connection earlier, because my parents were great admirers of the Golden Age of Hollywood and its larger-than-life personalities — figures such as Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, and even the global pop phenomenon Michael Jackson — and, of course, Liza Minnelli herself.

Believe it or not, my parents intensely disapproved of almost all teenage shows, but Turner Classic Movies was a firm household favourite and definitely on what I jokingly referred to as the “Mugabe and Bush approved watch list.”

Neither of us (i.e., Lucy and I) could quite understand the fuss about Liza Minnelli at the time, even though I had feverishly read The Andy Warhol Diaries when I was in Sixth Form.

As everyone now knows, I was more of a Barbra Streisand fan. Still, it's worth noting that Barbra Streisand is referenced quite a lot in Liza's memoir which probably shouldn't come as a surprise as Liza and Barbra both began their careers in the early 1960s, both appeared on The Judy Garland Show in 1963, are both recipients of the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) so one has to give credit where it is deservedly due!

However, an eager viewing of Cabaret—a copy of which I was grateful to find in my school library (I was fortunate to have remarkable librarians who nourished and nurtured my cultural curiosities)—proved fundamental in shaping my fascination with Germany’s Weimar era, the works of Christopher Isherwood, and the exploration of political and social questions through film and literature more broadly.

Fun fact: the role of Sally Bowles was originally created on Broadway by the great theatre legend Julie Harris in I Am a Camera. Harris later spent seven years playing the wonderfully eccentric country singer Liliemae Clements on Knots Landing, a spin-off of Dallas, which I have very much enjoyed watching over the last few years.

So the years went by, and I continued to maintain a rather cursory interest in the world of Liza Minnelli until, on a cool Thursday evening last week (12 March—coincidentally Liza’s 80th birthday), I decided it was finally time to cast aside my fifteen-year-old judgement. I picked up a copy of Minnelli’s memoir, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, and began reading it that same evening.

What can I say? It has been an absolute corker of a memoir.

Raw, emotional, circumspect, and gossipy in equal measure, it is a very true, no-holds-barred account of the complexities of childhood trauma and tragedy, the legacy of substance misuse and a narcissistic mother, and an equally loving father.

It also offers wonderful insight into the creative process behind so many of her films and roles, and the resilience that has allowed Minnelli—despite profound health challenges—to survive and endure.

Above all, the memoir reveals her magnetic personality and the enduring truth that kindness can still shine through, no matter what you may be going through.

Even though Barbra Streisand’s legendary 1,100-page magnum opus, My Name Is Barbra, will likely remain the gold standard of show-business memoirs, Minnelli’s captivating and often moving book (in which she references Barbra quite a lot!) comes remarkably close.

Indeed, in its raw emotional honesty and courage, Minnelli’s memoir may even surpass it.

For that reason, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! is, without question, my memoir of the year.

In the meantime, I think I might go back and watch Cabaret and New York, New York with a fresh pair of eyes to see what all the fuss was about!

[Timothy Deer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Extremely disappointed to discover the audiobook was recorded with AI (among other issues with the book itself).

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

What just happened? What on earth did I just read? This is not the actual Liza Minnelli writing this memoir. I have read (checks list of books read since 1994) over 600 memoirs so I understand that many celebrities work with a ghostwriter. However, the writing process of this book was akin to playing the game of telephone. Liza told her friend (best friend forever!!!) Michael Feinstein her life story and he then told it to not one but two separate ghost writers, Heidi Evans and Josh Getlin. The ghost writers then consulted the memoirs of various people tangentially related to Liza in order to flesh out the story even more. The end result reminds me of that Spanish ruined fresco that was in the news in 2012. You might recall the story. An amateur painter decided to "restore" an image of Jesus called Ecce Homo and the end result was hysterically mangled. The real Liza Minnelli is like the original image.



This book is like the restored version of the fresco face. I cannot figure out how to legally show the restored potato Jesus face so click on this wikipedia link to see the visual representation of how off kilter this memoir is.

Ecce Homo article

I saw that the audiobook of this memoir is narrated by the A.I. voice of Liza which fits perfectly! Of course a robot version of Liza is reading the robot version of her life story! And guess who helped Liza sell the rights to her voice? You guessed it, her BFF Michael.

I debated starting a drinking game where the reader has to take a shot every time "Liza" references Michael and how amazing he is. (I'm not going to keep adding the quotes around Liza so moving forward imagine that I am.) Every time the phrase Great American Songbook - capitalized! - appears also warrants a drink. That is the name of Michael's foundation and the name of his PBS documentary. It was wild how often the book managed to work the story back around to him.

Twenty six years ago Liza was diagnosed with viral encephalitis, a major brain illness that causes seizures and brain damage, she came close to death. She also for decades was a very serious alcoholic and prescription drug abuser. Neely O'Hara in Valley of the Dolls has nothing on Liza! I wonder how well she would have been able to share her life story with Michael. As an 80 year old with serious health issues, she was not capable of revealing very much, I fear.

As a result, the information in this book is cobbled together by various interviews given in the past. It was not current day Liza sitting down for long formal detailed interviews where she really goes in depth into her emotions and thoughts. Throughout the memoir Liza mentions what a private person she is and how she never expressed her true self in interviews. And therein lies the heart of the problem with this book. The point of a memoir is to hear straight from the horse's mouth the inner feelings and thoughts of the person. That never happens.

Another analogy I kept thinking of while reading is the story The Stepford Wives. Again with the robots, I know! It just really is how the book reads. The book is written in short declarative sentences - think the old children's reader Dick and Jane. Very "See Spot run!" It was so strange and off-putting. Another comparison to think of the author voice of this memoir - the book is like the robot from the old tv show Lost in Space. I never ever felt that the Liza in this memoir was relatable or even real.

My favorite line in the book was when Liza was describing a scene and asked "What was I thinking?!" Hahaha OMG I don't know Liza! That's why I wanted to read this memoir - to learn what you were thinking. The fact that the writers not once not twice but multiple times had to quote in detail from other memoirs was so telling. Also, the quotes were so much more well written than this book so the quotes highlighted the strangeness of the overly simplistic writing style. Every time I thought the book couldn't get wackier, it did.

I have read so many old Hollywood memoirs - SO MANY - and was really looking forward to getting Liza's take on things. I have read the memoir of her childhood friend Cheryl Crane(Lana Turner's daughter) and Cheryl spoke so fondly of Liza. I also read Candice Bergen's memoir. Another childhood friend of Liza's. And I read Gary Crosby's memoir, yet another childhood friend and neighbor of Liza's. I find memoirs of people raised in Hollywood in the 1930s-1950s so fascinating. It was such a insular world, with the studio system in place. Stars pretty much all lived in either LA or NYC. They socialized with each other in a way that celebrities don't anymore. I wish that someone had forced Liza to tell her childhood stories forty years ago, before her years of hard living caught up to her.

I think in order to get a coherent view of her life I will have to resort to reading a biography. I was hoping for something like Barbra Streisand's memoir. Now that is a detailed and thoughtful memoir! Oh Liza, if only you had kept diaries like Barbra did.

I did end up feeling very sorry for Liza, her tough life really shone through this crazypants memoir. OMG her mom, what a terrible mother! Not quite as bad as Natalie Woods' mother but close. The way people used Liza, men especially, was so upsetting. As she got older, everyone started to take advantage of her. Michael discovered when helping Liza deal with her financial issues, that her dentist was charging her $10,ooo to fill one cavity. That's awful! Again, this happens fairly frequently with celebs. Their money managers and accountants rob them blind. I can think of a dozen celebs off the top of my head who have been robbed like that.

What with her money issues and her inability to perform anymore, I do understand her selling the rights to her voice and publishing this book. She worked like a dog for decades and she should be able to live out her final years in peace and with financial concerns to worry her. Gosh, just think how much money she'd have right now if she'd invested it wisely and stayed on top of everything.

Quotes - a taste of the crazy:

Although I privately called him Daddy, he'll be Papa in this book. LOL what, why?

We didn't have cell phones in those days, so I put coins in a machine in the hotel lobby and called him from a contraption many of you have never seen. We called them telephone booths. Are there a lot of 14 year olds reading this memoir?

Michael Feinstein is the true love of my life. He's made it possible for me to enjoy a life of peace, stability, and joy, free of the burdens that once consumed me. After forty years, he defines the meaning of friend.

I later found out Papa took care of that with a phone call to his pal Gene Kelly, the legendary actor and dancer. When I knocked on Gene's door to trick or treat, he so convincingly pretended to be frightened and collapsed. "A witch!" he shouted. "A terrible witch! Save me!" Best Halloween ever. I wish she had been able to flesh out stories like this.

At thirteen, I was my mother's caretaker-a nurse, doctor, pharma-cologist, and psychiatrist rolled into one. It was a crazy balancing act. l'd give Mama drugs every day so she could function. Then I'd watch to make sure she was okay. I lost count of the times I called doctors to say she'd run out of pills. Again with the summary of her life. I wish she had elaborated and gone into detail about one event, to give the reader a better picture of just how it felt.

I got thrown out of the hotel for failing to pay my bills and slept for a few nights on a bench in Central Park. You know, the place you're not supposed to go after dark? God smiled down on me, because no one attacked me Again with the summary of what should be an important scene. A pivotal event like this should be developed more than three sentences.

As she wrote in her memoir, Stevie went to sleep early to prepare for an intense workday representing her clients. I stayed up all hours, often crashing as the sun came up. By now, I had scraped together money from modeling gigs and used it to pay for acting classes. OMG. This is so strange! If I was writing the story of my life, I would write about my experiences! Not quote a book my roommate wrote! This happened multiple times, using other books in an attempt to deepen the story that Liza can no longer tell herself.

I was on the verge of taking a starring role in Roman Holiday, a new musical based on the hit film starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. Oh wow, what an egregious mistake. Not a musical and not Gregory Peck.

Years later, I read this wonderful line in his memoir about our first meeting HAHAHA what?! It should have read - Since I no longer can recall this meeting to the ghostwriteres, this is what their research turned up.

I've been asked if we were in love during the many years we knew each other. What can I say? I'II defer to Charles. HAHAHA another memoir quoted because the info is missing on Liza's end.

[Jim Dooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some years ago, I read the excellent memoir of Hayley Mills, FOREVER YOUNG. I vividly recall that when I finished it, I immediately started thinking about all of the things I’d wanted to know about her life that were NOT included. Yet, very soon after that, I realized how much I had enjoyed reading what she had decided to include (many of which were fascinating revelations), her writing style that felt as if I was listening to her talking to me, and my feeling that I knew much more about her now than I did when I began the book. (I still have hopes for a continuation!)

One important consideration that I’d learned was to concentrate on the Life Lessons learned from someone who had “Been there and done that,” rather than lamenting that the memoir hadn’t been of the “Tell all” variety. So, I went into the LIza Minnelli memoir, KIDS, WAIT TILL YOU HEAR THIS!” with a much different focus. Consequently, I enjoyed the reading experience immensely.

Pulling back the curtain to talk about life with her Father and Mother (Vincente Minnelli and Judy Garland), glimpses of Gene Kelly, the revelations about her time with Peter Sellers, and going on tour with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. were fascinating. Conversations with Martin Scorsese, Ben Vereen and Bob Fosse were intriguing, while her close friendship with Marvin Hamlisch and Michael Feinstein were new to me.

The most valuable part of learning from a memoir (for me) is discovering what the writer felt was so vital to share that the memoir needed to be written. In KIDS, WAIT TILL YOU HEAR THIS!, it became apparent that while “I need to set the record straight” was important, the writer felt that she also needed to describe how to cope with living a life of substance abuse, and what we should keep in mind beforehand if we want to enjoy more fulfilling senior years. The Hollywood and Broadway stories were great, but the “meat and potatoes” were living healthy to be able to do what you want and aging well.

For the longest time, my exposure to Liza Minnelli was her role in the film version of CABARET, and her high-energy television special, “Liza With A Z.” Both were incredibly impressive. Years later, I’d finally catch up with THE STERILE CUCKOO on cable television. I’d also see ARTHUR and NEW YORK, NEW YORK in the theater. (I was not a “raving fan” of either.) However, I’ll never forget reading interviews about how Liza Minnelli had quite literally saved “Chicago” when Gwen Verdon suffered an extended illness. I think that was the moment when I fell in love with her. Indeed, one of my favorite parts of her memoir was her description of the audience reaction when they learned about the substitution. That is one of those “legendary theater moments” that I would have given so much to have seen!

When I finished the book, I felt that I had a much better understanding of Liza Minnelli as a person. (I nodded a lot when I read her comments about taking care of ourselves when we’re younger so that our senior years will have more promise. I do hope that those who were disappointed that there was not enough gossip did take notice of her advice. It was right on the mark.)

I’ve already recommended KIDS, WAIT TILL YOU HEAR THIS! to several friends. And now, I have the privilege of recommending it to you.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished 5⭐️. Loved this book. Written in a warm, conversational voice, it moves through her childhood as the daughter of Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli, her early steps into show business, and the meteoric rise that followed with stage performances, films, and her unforgettable role in Cabaret.

What comes through most strongly is her resilience. The book is a no-holds-barred look at her stratospheric  highs and very low lows. She writes openly about her health issues , some caused by aging, some by substance abuse. All of it was new to me, so this book  led me down so many rabbit holes — heading off to YouTube to watch performances and interviews that expand on segments from the book. Loved them all.

Toward the end of the book, Minnelli also reflects on some of her later appearances, including her brief but memorable role in Arrested Development. Her performance was wonderfully eccentric and, arguably, even funnier than her scene-stealing turn in Arthur, showing that her comic timing remained as sharp as ever.

Overall, the autobiography is an engaging portrait of a performer who has lived through triumph, hardship, reinvention, and enduring fame. Minnelli’s voice on the page feels authentic—funny, emotional, and unmistakably her own

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed on this. I love Liza and enjoy learning about her as much as possible, but this didn't feel written or narrated by her. Apparently the audiobook was supplemented with AI, but it's better than no Liza memoir at all.

[Katie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

She is exactly how I like my divas - lacking any self awareness, full camp, but very sincere. This being a Gaga revenge book too completes it

[Jama Pyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. I think I enjoyed hearing about the other celebrities that were around her more than hearing about her. I listened to the audiobook and it was odd. I read a lot of the recording was AI. I don't know if that is true or not. But the recording had a very weird rhythm.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

solid for a hollywood memoir but i wish she opened up a little more and i question her actual involvement in this - loved her opening up about her parents and early days, never knew she was on her own from such a young age. fans of Liza or at least people more familiar with her work will get more out of this than i did, I’ve always known who she was but aside from Cabaret i don’t really know much about her music or films since im not really a showtunes person. she also namedrops a LOT so get ready for lots of paragraphs about other hollywood figures. I wish she went more in depth about her exes and what happened with those relationships but she kinda breezes through with information already pretty readily available, and my god the michael feinstein asskissing…. (wondering how much he inserted about himself). also regarding the gaga incident #IStandWithLiza

although this book did introduce me to the fact she made a pop album in the late ‘80s that was produced by the pet shop boys and it bangs!

[Ryan Seller · Rating 4 out of 5]

maybe the campest book I've ever read -- even if the diva vs diva allegations against Gaga tore my heart in twain.

[Keen Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

“I’ve often said that I became an adult too early and a child much too late.”

Minelli is one of those intriguing figures and rare names who transcend generations and remains a living link that stretches all the way back to the so called golden era of Hollywood, through her biological connection to Judy Garland.

I’m familiar enough with the rough, skeletal outline of Minelli’s backstory, but I don’t recall ever seeing any of her movies?...I enjoyed watching her many moons ago in her memorable appearances in “Arrested Development” which proved good value – but I realise that in not being a boomer or a gay man I’m probably not quite her target audience.

I have to say that initially I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. From the start this is a nice, easy read which moves it a good pace and rarely do we dwell on any dull moments. But it soon becomes apparent that the drama never seems to end, with one invariably tumbling, staggering or falling into the next with more people hurt and blamed along the way.

A non-stop cabaret of drama and darkness tinged with tragedy. This often reads like one long catalogue of chaos, need, trauma and addiction bouncing between denial and delusion. It’s no wonder that Minelli is a bit of a gay icon. According to her version, her dad appears to have been the most pure, talented, wronged and perfect human being ever to have walked god’s earth…Maybe that’s why she turned out so well?...Minelli, like her sainted father, clocked up an impressive four marriages, her longest at around 7 years, was actually to a gay Australian man. The number of wild and reckless affairs she indulged in, often whilst she was married to someone else, show us that she was happy to do her bit for equality and female empowerment.

Whenever I’ve seen her in the media, I’ve always felt a bit creeped out. To me it seemed she always carried and exuded a real air of a desperate woman trying so hard to pretend and perform “No, no everything’s fine! I feel great!” routine, but is scarcely keeping it together. There’s no doubt that Minelli hails from a dark and frightening place - a constant camp panto of pretending to be someone else whilst in a perennial battle with the countless demons like addiction and various, chronic illnesses. All along convinced that the next OTT role will allow you the opportunity to finally act or sing your way out of all the pain and suffering.

And yet Minelli in spite of all the years of trauma, addiction and other issues, she still retains some sense of self-awareness, although that is often destroyed by denial. She is remarkably resilient and clearly very talented too. She has clearly learned many lessons, often in the hardest way, but that translates into experience and wisdom. She is incredibly frank and honest though openness can sometimes be confused with honesty. Overall this is an engaging, entertaining and exhausting memoir. What a woman and what a life and I’m sure Liza the musical! can’t be too far away?...

[Wampus Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liza Minnelli has fascinated me for years. She's so unique in delivery and demeanor, seemingly in a world of her own. This tell-some doesn't exactly disprove that notion. Her tales of performances over the years are told in a corny Broadway vernacular, where it's all her and her fans who she connects with on a deep and personal level, at least according to this.

This memoir is odd, because it's so open in many ways but you still suspect a lot is held back. And the near-hagiography of her friend Michael Feinstein always takes you out of the story. I gained some respect for her as an artist (I already am a huge Liza With A Z fan, though being a schlubby straight dude from Oklahoma) and, god, her mom's tale is so tragic. It just feels padded with name-drops and therapy speak, when more anecdotes would have filled out and illustrated parts of her life more clearly.

Still a fun, entertaining read.

[Kevin Nolty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This memoir is scatterbrained in many places. The most interesting part of this book is that her mom’s death was only a small section of a chapter. Very telling about her relationship with her mother. I’m certain she could have leaned into the complicated relationship between the two more. But it was glossed over for the most part. I wanted more juice from this memoir.

Her Studio 54 years was just a small portion of a chapter too. She once again stays away from those juicy detail and goes on and on where we don’t want to know more. Another example- Michael Jackson. Barely mentioned. There is no reason we get more about her relationship with Michael Feinstein than Judy Garland and Studio 54 combined.

Another oddity of the book is the wild choice to end the memoir talking about her 2022 Oscar appearance with Lady Gaga. She really wasn’t happy with how she was treated by both Oscar producers and Lady Gaga. But it was very unexpected and strange she ended her memoir on such a sour note. Or is that just more of a look into the life of Liza?

Sure there are some cool behind the scene reveals. And she was very open and honest about her substance abuse and recovery throughout her life. I guess I just wanted more.

[Amy Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A memoir that hits all the points you would expect but perhaps with a little more juice and drama than other stars have been willing to give in the past. That chapter on Lady Gaga and the Oscars, WOW... 👀

[Justin HC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Liza! What a mixed up bag of highs and lows. To rate it as a memoir - I'd give it five stars. She's forthcoming, as brutally honest as she's capable of being (in terms of memory, drug use, and generally impervious delulu), funny, charming, and oh so Liza. I read via audio, but it took me until about three-quarters of the way through to question whether it was AI... which it so clearly is. The AI reader has a way of breaking up the syntax of a sentence that's like jamming on the brakes suddenly.

Beyond its success as a memoir, the book left me with an overall bittersweet feeling. Sure, she's an icon, indelible, instantly recognizable physically and vocally, from a renowned pedigree (the original nepo baby, but not a dig when applied to her). Sure, she's been a survivor and comeback kid more times than you can keep track of. But I couldn't help but feel sad for her by the end. She's kind of the ultimately Pieces (both complimentary and derogatory). Call me naive, but I had no idea so much of her life was so consumed by booze, pills, and cocaine. I mean, yeah, I thought she indulged like all of her cohort in the 70s and 80s... but she continued into the 90s and 2000s and on and on, with revolving door stays at rehabs and some very low points. This is ultimately a sad tale of addiction and how it can derail even the brightest of talented stars.

I also couldn't help but feel it was the cautionary tale of a star constantly sabotaging her own career. She wasn't really a successful recording artist, her movie career was a bust besides Cabaret, and Broadway was really her saving grace (although she apparently had her fair share of flops there too). Her main success - the "meat and potatoes" of her career and income - was always her live shows. You'd think she'd have a lot more classic work to show for her 80 years; but she kind of doesn't, and that made me sad for her (and us!). Funny that Judy lived half as long as her but had a much more important movie and recording career.

The best parts were her detailed retellings of shooting Cabaret and New York, New York, working on Broadway shows like Flora the Red Menace, Chicago and The Rink, recording with the Pet Shop Boys, and touring with Frank Sinatra (who sounded like a full blown nightmare to have to work with). And oof does she hate Lady Gaga lol.

I felt like she didn't really grapple with - or isn't capable of grappling with - her multiple failed marriages. Maybe that's some of the blanked out memory from drugs and alcohol but she kept being like, yeah we ended up great friends with big blank spots in the middle of these failed relationships, particularly her third marriage. Her retelling of her relationship with David Gest was shocking, even having lived through all those tabloid tales of their weird, messy relationship. She couldn't really express how or why she ended up with him, besides being on a ton of pills and "Michael Jackson made her do it."

Also, I couldn't help but eventually laugh at the insane amount of times she references "accidentally kicking mama in the head" when she was 6 years old. What must that scene have been to have so traumatized lil Liza. I was generally surprised at how unflinching some of her portrayal of Judy Garland was; she must've been a real piece of work to have as a mother. Talk about a parent parentifying their child way too young. I gasped at some of Judy's many suicide attempts; grisly stuff. When Judy forced Liza to do a show with her in London, and then, when Liza was inadvertently upstaging her, Judy stage whispered "get her the f off my stage"... that tells you everything you need to know about her and their relationship.

Ultimately, this will be a classic celebrity memoir, and I'd highly recommend to anyone who loves Liza or just a star telling the juiciest parts of their life story.

[Sam Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️ great memoir with tons of good stories. 100% favoured towards her and her memories because 85% of the people mentioned have passed on so unsure how authentic and true everything is.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up
Listened to the audiobook; narrated by Liza.

[Olivia Stepper · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow! audiobooked it and it’s definitely worth listening to her tell the story even though it’s pretty long. she has lived a crazy life and truly was an it girl.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an incredible broad, both her life and career. It feels really special to be able to hear insight into facets of Hollywood that are getting further and further away, like the Studio Era and such. There aren’t many people left alive who can share stories about Humphrey Bogart being a messy diva at a cocktail party!