The 80-year-old entertainer was slated to appear at the Sydney Goldstein Theater on Thursday, April 9, for a conversation with singer and pianist Michael Feinstein as part of the City Arts & Lectures series. The event was intended to promote her new memoir, “Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!,” published last month.
In a statement released Friday, April 3, organizers said Minnelli is currently “unable to travel to San Francisco” and is working with the City Arts & Lectures to confirm a new date.
Ticketholders were advised that their original tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled event.
The postponement follows a series of reports regarding the legendary performer’s health.
At a recent promotional event at the Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles, onlookers described Minnelli as appearing fragile and occasionally disoriented during a Q&A session.
In her memoir, Minnelli — one of the few entertainers to achieve EGOT status, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — addresses her long history of health struggles, including five stints in rehabilitation and her recovery from brain inflammation in 2000. She writes candidly about her 11-year sobriety, noting that recovery remains a “daily task.”
“I haven’t ‘beaten’ addiction. Nobody does if it’s in the blood. It can flare up without warning if you’re not vigilant,” Minnelli writes in the book. “But for the first time, I’ve fought it to a draw. I’m keeping it at bay. That’s the truth. That’s the difference. One day at a time. And baby, there’s no going back.”
The memoir also revisits her complicated relationship with her mother, Judy Garland, and high-profile romances, including an affair with director Martin Scorsese.
“Truth be told, our love affair had more layers than a lasagne,” she writes. “We were both Italian. Passionate. Intense.”
City Arts & Lectures officials said they will provide updates via its website.
