It was written to showcase the talents of Kander and Ebb favorite Liza Minnelli, who portrayed Michelle Craig, a fading film star attempting a comeback as a Las Vegas singer.

[2] Directed by Martin Scorsese, choreographed by Ron Lewis, with costumes by Halston, the cast included Barry Nelson, Mark Goddard and Wayne Cilento.

"[4] Another New York Times writer noted that "If there's a point 'The Act' underscores most, it's that Miss Minnelli on Broadway has incomparable star power.

"[1] With an all-time ticket-price high of $25 for Saturday night orchestra seats, The Act had $2 million in advance sales,[1] then the highest in Broadway history.

But the production was doomed from the start, with its star, Liza Minnelli, behaving erratically and frequently missing performances (more than 10% of the entire run).