To an eclectic résumé — fashion designer, talk-show host, QVC vendor — Isaac Mizrahi has added another: Café Carlyle headliner. The 55-year-old Brooklyn native debuts his cabaret act there Tuesday with the felicitously titled show, “Does This Song Make Me Look Fat?”
Here’s what he told The Post about singing, dressing and how Liza Minnelli helped him conquer stage fright.
How did you come up with that title?
One of the great fears of my life is that someone will publish a picture of me while I’m singing, because you always look fat when you’re singing. I hate to set myself up for this, but I’ve been dieting for a number of months, and I think I dropped maybe two dress sizes. I was like a 14 and now I’m about a 10.
How best to describe your voice?
It’s kind of like a toad meets Liza. I used to know Elaine Stritch, and told her, “You’re a great musician,” and she said, “No, I’m a great raconteur, meaning she could tell a song. I think she was a great singer and a raconteur. More important than singing a song is being in the room and listening to yourself. And there’s nothing I love listening to more than myself!
It’s kind of like a toad meets Liza.
- Isaac Mizrahi on his singing voice
Who did you listen to, growing up?
I began my life as a female impersonator. As a tiny kid, I did Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland and Dionne Warwick. I’d listen to my Streisand records when I was 8, and people — not my parents — would beg me to do these imitations. Later, I was very into Blossom Dearie. I like hearing less of a singer and more of an arrangement. I have a really great band.
I understand your act also involves re-gifting. What are you giving away?
I go to a lot of gala parties, and you get bags of stuff you don’t need, and it just collects. There’s [also] stuff that didn’t sell too well on QVC, like Christmas ornaments. How do you get your audience to like you? Give them s - - t!
Ever worry you’re spreading yourself a bit thin?
I think others worry about it for me. I think it’s more of a worry to not do stuff you really want to do. [Singing] is something I’ve been doing for years. The only thing that takes anything out of me is stage fright. But Liza taught me a great deal. I did costumes for her in the late ’90s, and you never saw someone take a stage the way she does. She saw me [sing] at [the piano bar] 88’s a few times and gave me pointers. She said, “You’re so nervous! What’s your favorite thing to eat?” I told her mint-chocolate-chip ice cream. “Imagine, two hours from now, no matter what, you’ll be in bed with a bowl of [it.]” And I was like, “Oh my God, it’s true!” It made me feel completely chill. Thank you, Liza!
Your biggest contribution, fashionwise, would be . . .
I think it was [the 1995 documentary] “Unzipped,” because that was a look at fashion that never existed before. And the clothes? There were so many. Besides the strapless choker dress, there were pants with a knot in them that everyone copied. I was in a restaurant in LA, and someone said, “I love those pants you knocked off from Kenar.” I wanted to stop everyone and say, “This woman is crazy!”
Taking a leaf from your red-carpet quizzes: Are you wearing underwear?
Oh yes. Boxer briefs, black ones. But not cute little things. There’s coverage involved.
Isaac Mizrahi performs Tuesday through Feb. 11 at the Cafe Carlyle, 35 E. 76th St., $70 to $140; 212-744-1600.