{"id":2242,"date":"2015-08-07T12:47:44","date_gmt":"2015-08-07T19:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/?p=2242"},"modified":"2018-07-25T14:39:28","modified_gmt":"2018-07-25T21:39:28","slug":"stepping-out-with-liza-minelli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dianastevan.com\/uk\/2015\/film-2\/stepping-out-with-liza-minelli\/","title":{"rendered":"Stepping Out With Liza Minnelli"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stepping Out <\/strong>with Liza Minnelli, shot in 1990, had problems of a different kind than the ones mentioned in my last post about\u00a0Bye Bye Blues<\/a><\/strong>. \u00a0Our daughter, Robyn Stevan, was also in this movie.<\/p>\n

The Cast<\/h3>\n

\"Stepping<\/a>Stepping Out<\/a><\/strong>, adapted from a play by Richard Harris, was supposed to be Liza Minelli\u2019s<\/strong> comeback film. She practiced her dance routines for a year before production began on this movie. It\u2019s a heartwarming story about a group of women from different walks of life who take a tap dancing class in a church hall.<\/p>\n

The fabulous Shelley Winters played the pianist. The tap dancers were: Robyn Stevan, Andrea Martin of Second City fame, Jane Krakowski, Sheila McCarthy, Julia Walters (Educating Rita with Michael Caine), Bill Irwin, Ellen Greene ( Little Shop of Horrors) and Carol Woods.<\/p>\n

Our daughter Robyn was called in to read for the film, when Director Lewis Gilbert (of Educating Rita and Alfie fame) saw her in Bye Bye Blues while he was\u00a0flying\u00a0to Toronto for the auditions. Once cast, Robyn put on weight to give credence to her character, which was a gutsy thing to do back in 1990. Not something actresses in skinny-obsessed Hollywood are willing to do.<\/p>\n

\"Robyn

\u00a9 Robyn Stevan and Jane Krakowski<\/p><\/div>\n

Well, as luck would have it\u00a0Stepping Out<\/a>\u00a0came out just as the heads of Paramount were changing. The new guard, to put themselves in a positive light, intentionally or unintentionally disregarded this film and put little money into publicity or distribution. If the film isn\u2019t seen, how can it do?<\/p>\n

\"Robyn

\u00a9 Robyn Stevan, Andrea Martin, and Ellen Greene<\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s a decent story that slipped below the radar. Thankfully, it\u2019a available on Amazon. For tap dancers and anyone who likes a good story, and of course one with the magnificent Liza Minelli, it’s a film worth seeing.<\/p>\n

Rotten Tomatoes<\/a>\u00a0has it listed with a 72% rating with the public, so that’s not bad.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n