EDGE Interview: Lorna Luft On Returning to NYC for NYE with New Show

EDGE: What do you love most about performing at 54 Below?

Lorna Luft: It really has become my home away from home and now it's my home. In my home, meaning my husband and I just moved back to New York. I love the fact that when it was designed, it was designed by theater people, so they paid attention to everything technical. It has great sound, great lighting, and great sight lines. It has a feeling that you are in what I call an old-fashioned nightclub, which is how I got all of my education for live performances.

I started in nightclubs right after I did my first Broadway show. At that time there were nightclubs all over the United States and I think I performed in every one of them, I found that they were the greatest teaching places for me. If you are doing something that maybe isn't honest, they're going to catch it. I think you're so bare up there, you're not playing a character and you have nobody to hide behind. Creating a show is an art form and I was lucky enough to learn from two of the greatest writers ever, Ken and Mitze Welch. They did all the special material for the Carol Burnett show and they taught me that a great show needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. Just don't sing a bunch of songs with no material. As a performer, 54 Below gives me everything that I need to deliver a great show.

EDGE: Are you a New Year's resolution-type person?

Lorna Luft: No, I'm not because I find that it can be a lie to yourself. I think the one thing I do hope for is that we have learned something, whatever it is if we've learned about our health, our diet, our exercise, or whatever that's more important to continue doing than making a resolution that may be broken by February.

EDGE: Any plans to record any new music?

Lorna Luft: It's interesting to see how the recording industry has changed since I started. The technology has really changed. It's not about the voice anymore, it's about the package and what sells. I was sitting with a record producer a few nights ago and I asked, "What is it like for producers? He said it's really difficult. After all, if you're not one of the big pop or rock recording artists it's really hard because now all you have to do is hit one button that records and edits everything. They don't necessarily have to hear what you've recorded. They just hear one thing that they like and you're done.

EDGE: Your mom is a gay icon and you and your sister have followed in her footsteps. What do you love about the LGBTQ+ community?

Lorna Luft: I was raised by a woman who was adamant about making sure that you never made anyone feel different and that's because she felt she was different. She wasn't raised in a "normal household," she was raised in movie studios. She worked with adults and not many children and she was incredibly sensitive to making sure that all three of us understood that we were the same emotional beings as everyone else.

I believe in making sure that I am educated and educating others in things that we don't understand. If you don't understand what someone is talking about and or what they are trying to communicate to you, just ask. Don't be afraid. I always found that if I didn't understand something, I would just ask. Recently, I was honored to give out the first Stonewall Inn Brick Award. The award was given out to individuals who have made a massive difference in the LGBTQ+ community. I was recently thinking about how Stonewall wasn't that long ago and if we haven't learned anything from it or haven't continued to educate ourselves and others about it then we are hurting a lot of people. Still today, some individuals are trying to take away the basic human rights of others. It's disgusting. Whenever I'm asked to do something for the LGBTQ+ community or a community that needs a voice, I will be with them. I will stand with them no matter what because that's how I was raised by my mother.

EDGE: Next year is the 85th anniversary of "The Wizard of Oz." Can you share with us a favorite memory you have?

Lorna Luft: It's so difficult to say because my mom made so many wonderful films and of course "The Wizard" is iconic, but many of her other films were too. I'm never going to say that "The Wizard of Oz" is my favorite film because it would mean that all the others weren't. I think each one of her films brought joy, happiness, and emotion to everyone who watched them. My mom did not like home movies, because she didn't like to be filmed when she wasn't working, so her movies are my home movies. And I think that is a pretty cool thing to be able to say.

EDGE: "Grease 2's" 40th anniversary was last year, what memories do you have about making the musical film?

Lorna Luft: I had a wonderful time making it. Recently, I was out with Patrica Birch, the director of the movie. We are all still very connected. Anyone who was in the off-Broadway show of "Grease," the Broadway show, and both movies, we all consider ourselves to be a family. It's something that we're all proud of. I loved making it and I love the fact that when it came out, it was not a big success. One of the big reasons was it came out a lot later than the first one, but also "E.T." was released on the same day and "Poltergeist" and "Star Trek II" had already been out for a week. We all still laugh about it. Now, it has become a cult classic. I do believe that "Grease 2" has one of the best opening numbers in a musical.

EDGE: What are you hoping the audience will experience while attending this show?

Lorna Luft: I want the audience to experience joy and create some lasting memories. I want them to also realize that time's moving quickly. I know exactly where I was last New Year's Eve, and it feels like it was yesterday. It just feels like time is flying by. Maybe it's because we are getting older. My show is only a couple of blocks from Times Square, which is one of the most iconic places you can be on New Year's Eve at my favorite nightclub, I am filled with joy. I want everyone to have a really good time and I want everyone to make sure their hangover the next day isn't really bad.

"Lorna Luft: New Year's Eve in NYC" takes place on December 31, 2023 at 54 Below, 54 W 54th St. Cellar, NYC 10019. For more information,visit the 54 Below website.