Stars:
Paul Hipp,
Shawn Levy,
Michael Dolan,
Macha Grenon,
Maureen Stapleton,
George Touliatos,
Kenneth Welsh
Director:
David Greene
Summary: Liberace remains one of the most unique performers in the history of popular music. This appropriately glitzy made-for-TV biopic dramatizes the long and varied career of the larger-than-life pianist, with actor Victor Garber (ALIAS, TITANIC) turning in a fine lead performance as Mr. Showmanship himself.
Liberace remains one of the most unique performers in the history of popular music. Born of Polish-Italian extraction in 1919 Wisconsin, Wladziu Liberace was a child prodigy, winning a musical scholarship at age seven and making his solo concert debut four years later. When he returned from performing in an armed forces band during WWII, the pianist decided to leave a promising classical career in pursuit of mainstream stardom, and, by the early 1950s, was a successful pop recording artist. As Liberace began utilizing everything from cocktail jazz and Tin Pan Alley standards to easy-listening versions of classical themes, his showmanship expanded, encompassing outrageous costumes and elaborate stage designs. Even after his records stopped selling, Liberace continued to remain a huge concert attraction (particularly in sin-city Las Vegas) until his AIDS-related death in February 1987. This appropriately glitzy made-for-TV biopic dramatizes the long and varied career of the larger-than-life pianist, with actor Victor Garber (ALIAS, TITANIC) turning in a fine lead performance as Mr. Showmanship himself.