You heard it here first: Liza’s coming to town

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Psssst. Any Liza fans out there? We have a secret to share.

If you have to ask “Liza who?” then you probably won’t care what we’re about to tell you: The Emmy-, Grammy-, Tony- and Golden Globe-winning performer will be making an appearance in Southern California.

That’s right, Liza’s not at the Palace, Liza’s at the Rubicon. Or she will be next weekend anyway to kick off the opening of “The Best is Yet to Come – The Music of Cy Coleman,” which will have its world premiere at the 206-seat theater in Ventura on July 19.

Coleman, who died in 2004, wrote the music for such shows as “Sweet Charity,” “City of Angels,” “The Life,” “Barnum,” “On the Twentieth Century” and “The Will Rogers Follies.” “The Best is Yet to Come,” devised and directed by Coleman’s friend David Zippel, features performances by Lillias White, Jason Graae, Sally Mayes, David Burnham, Julia Murney and Billy Stritch in a revue-style show with no dialogue.

For those who haven’t figured out who “Liza” is, here’s a clue: Minnelli. The Broadway diva, whose “Liza’s at the Palace” picked up a Tony Award last month for special theatrical event, is serving as the celebrity chairwoman of the Rubicon’s gala event.

Sorry, but tickets for the opening-night show apparently are sold out. We have it on good authority, however, that people willing to shell out $50 can attend the after-party at the Marriott Ventura Beach Hotel, where Minnelli might actually sing a number in honor of Stritch, her longtime collaborator who happens to be the musical director of “The Best is Yet to Come.” The catch is that you also have to buy a ticket to one of the performances to be eligible to purchase a $50 party ticket.

All of this is a fund-raiser for the Rubicon’s new works program. The production of ‘The Best is Yet to Come’ runs through Aug. 2 at the Rubicon Theatre, 1006 E. Main St. in Ventura. For more information or to purchase tickets to the show, go to www.rubicontheatre.org or call (805) 667-2900.

-- Lisa Fung