The Owl and the Pussycat

The Owl and the Pussycat appears twice in the diary around Martha Graham’s Covent Garden opening: first as part of Liza Minnelli’s performance, then as a reference point for the look Minnelli wore later that night. The repeated title connects a public stage appearance with the diary’s close attention to her clothing, hair, and resemblance to her mother.

The Covent Garden Performance

After three numbers, Liza Minnelli came on with The Owl and the Pussycat. Martha Graham then delivered a speech lasting about half an hour; the performers wore Halston designs. The diary records the number as one moment in an evening that moved between performance, ceremony, and the social gathering that followed.

The Title Recalled in Minnelli’s Appearance

After the party, the diarist went to Minnelli’s room and noted her see-through fabric dress and brushed-back hair, which recalled the way her mother used to wear it. The diary links this appearance to The Owl and the Pussycat, adding that Minnelli’s hair was a wig, though the diarist could not tell.

Performance and Presentation

Across the two references, the title serves as a practical link between Minnelli’s stage number and her later presentation offstage. The diary gives no account of the number’s lyrics or meaning; its emphasis is instead on the transition from the Covent Garden performance to the details of Minnelli’s appearance in her room.