A great decade for Bernadette Peters
A great decade for Bernadette Peters
#1A great decade for Bernadette Peters
Posted: 1/1/20 at 10:19pm
In the last 10 years, Bernadette gave a definitive performance of "Send in the Clowns", headlined a wonderful cast of "Follies" and was a triumph in "Hello, Dolly!". Here's to the next decade and hopefully some interesting projects, such as a reunion of Sunday in the Park with George, a revival of Dear World, a concert of The Visit, involvement in Sondheim's new show or anything else on the horizon! Thanks Bernadette!!
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
Jarethan
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/10/11
#2A great decade for Bernadette Peters
Posted: 1/1/20 at 10:33pm
qolbinau said: "In the last 10 years, Bernadette gave a definitive performance of "Send in the Clowns", headlined a wonderful cast of "Follies" and was a triumph in "Hello, Dolly!". Here's to the next decade and hopefully some interesting projects, such as a reunion of Sunday in the Park with George, a revival of Dear World, a concert of The Visit, involvement in Sondheim's new show or anything else on the horizon! Thanks Bernadette!!"
I would love to see her in a revisal of Dear World (including elimination of the title song or a drastic re-writing of the lyrics). I think she would be terrific. Think she would be great in the Lilianne Montevecchi role in Nine if we are lucky to get one before even she is too old for the role.
As you know, I don't agree with you re Follies (I did not like her or Jan Maxwell). I thought she was great in ALNM and was really disappointed that I was unabletosee her in Dolly. I am sure she was terrific; hell, she was perfect for the role.
TheGingerBreadMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/7/12
#3A great decade for Bernadette Peters
Posted: 1/1/20 at 10:49pm
I don't think that there's been a decade which HASN'T been great for Bern. She's a treat and we're lucky to have a lady like her gracing our stages from time to time.
#4A great decade for Bernadette Peters
Posted: 1/2/20 at 8:43am
I was fortunate enough to see her in 'A Little Night Music' as well as "Hello Dolly!". And as an extra treat - the first season of "The Good Fight" , the spinoff from 'The Good Wife'.
She may be too old now, but she would've been great in a revival of 'Mame'. But I think that ship has sailed.
ErmengardeStopSniveling
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
#5A great decade for Bernadette Peters
Posted: 1/2/20 at 8:52am
David10086 said: "She may be too old now, but she would've been great in a revival of 'Mame'. But I think that ship has sailed."
I've always thought that. She's probably at the very top of Mame's age bracket right now. The bigger issue aside from age is the financial optics –– Dolly sold because it's Dolly and there were still plenty of theatre lovers who had missed it with Bette or wanted to see it again; I do not think it's financially viable to build a big Dolly-style revival around Bernadette. (And the Toni Collette revival is supposedly happening in 2021/22)
Bernadette in an ENCORES production of Ballroom has always been a pipe dream of mine. Has she ever sung Fifty Percent?
The Other One
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/1/08
#6A great decade for Bernadette Peters
Posted: 1/2/20 at 9:16am
Didn't like her in Follies (the director was not a good director of actors, Elaine Page being the biggest casualty), but otherwise she did indeed have a great decade. I treasure having seen her in Hello, Dolly!
Dear World is not a good show, apparently, and in spite of its largely lovely score has proven resistant to revising, but she would be a wonderful Countess Aurelia. She might have better luck in a revival of The Madwoman of Chaillot.
Auggie27
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/13/03
#7A great decade for Bernadette Peters
Posted: 1/2/20 at 9:53am
She surprises me, consistently. I didn't think she was a perfect match for Desiree, and she was remarkable, her "Clowns" re-minuted the emotional underpinnings, mysteriously, as her Desiree dared wear her heart on her sleeve more than any I've seen. And then I thought was would never make "Dolly" hers after Midler, and damned if she didn't bring something new to it that absolutely worked. She had a zany warmth, and you could see another kind of business woman. Unlike any other Dolly, she seemed Irene's peer, and they made a statement about two women surviving before they even had the vote. I'd say, she can do whatever she wants. She has an uncanny ability to judge what's right for her.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
#8A great decade for Bernadette Peters
Posted: 1/2/20 at 9:55am
What a lovely, positive thread.
I too hope for Dear World to finally hit the heights and Bernadette is ideal casting.
#9A great decade for Bernadette Peters
Posted: 1/2/20 at 11:48am
Let's not forget to mention that she also created memorable characters on TV on 'The Good Fight' and even more so on "Mozart in the Jungle". She co-hosted on "Live! with Kelly" several times, and continues her incredible work on "Broadway Barks".
Updated On: 1/2/20 at 11:48 AM
#10A great decade for Bernadette Peters
Posted: 1/2/20 at 11:54am
Her performance in Dolly was one of the most joyous performances I've ever seen. She was clearly having such a ball in that role, playing up her Bernadette schtick when necessary and bringing in real pathos when called for.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
rosheider
Chorus Member Joined: 7/29/19
#11A great decade for Bernadette Peters
Posted: 1/2/20 at 10:39pm
In pictures, she does not appear to have aged much and kept the same basic style forever. She must avoid the sun like the plague, have beauty secrets, or has made a pact with the Devil. I suspect the latter.
Jarethan
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/10/11
#12A great decade for Bernadette Peters
Posted: 1/2/20 at 10:44pm
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "David10086 said: "She may be too old now, but she would've been great in a revival of 'Mame'. But I think that ship has sailed."
I've always thought that. She's probably at the very top of Mame's age bracket right now. The bigger issue aside from age is the financial optics –– Dolly sold because it's Dolly and there were still plenty of theatre lovers who had missed it with Bette or wanted to see it again;I do not think it's financially viable to build a bigDolly-style revival around Bernadette. (And the Toni Collette revival issupposedlyhappening in 2021/22)
Bernadette in an ENCORES production ofBallroomhas always been a pipedream of mine. Has she ever sung Fifty Percent?"
Unlike Dolly, Mame ages at least 15 years over the course of the show. That ship passed a long time ago. The only question I have relates to dancing. Lansbury danced the hell out of that show, especially in the title number, where her kicks were (no doubt intentionally higher than the ensemble). I do not ever recall Peters dancing in a show, even a little bit. Am I forgetting something? For that reason, I question whether she would have been perfect for the role as conceived. Take out the dancing Mame does and you eliminate a good amount of the excitement.
#13A great decade for Bernadette Peters
Posted: 1/2/20 at 11:33pmBernadette looked shockingly good on the NYPhil broadcast. I think we can all agree that she does more than avoid the sun, surely lol.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
AEA AGMA SM
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/13/09
#14A great decade for Bernadette Peters
Posted: 1/3/20 at 4:11am
Jarethan said: "Unlike Dolly, Mame ages at least 15 years over the course of the show. That ship passed a long time ago. The only question I have relates to dancing. Lansbury danced the hell out of that show, especially in the title number, where her kicks were (no doubt intentionally higher than the ensemble). I do not ever recall Peters dancing in a show, even a little bit. Am I forgetting something? For that reason, I question whether she would have been perfect for the role as conceived. Take out the dancing Mame does and you eliminate a good amount of the excitement."
I don't know if she could still do them today, but her kicks were certainly high enough for "Easy Street" in Annie. And of course she did a lot of tapping in a number of variety show appearances (especially the Carol Burnett Show) in the 70s and 80s and did quite a bit of dancing in Pennies from Heaven.
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