Bernadette's Legendary Tony Performance

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 6/10/03 at 10:49am

To say that she blew the town away with her performance of the modified Rose's Turn on the Tony awards is likely an understatement.

She was simply thrilling.

Bernadette Peters joins the very few electrifying moments of Tony broadcasts:

Jennifer Holiday in Dreamgirls

Michael Jeter in Grand Hotel

Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur recreating Bosom Buddies from Mame

and now

Bernadette Peters in Gypsy doing Rose's Turn

How wonderful for all of us that we got to see and via our video recorders rewatch this masterful moment that will go down in show business history.

[theaterbuff]

Posted: 6/10/03 at 11:04am

It was a great performance.

TheaterBuff

[bestofbroadway]

Posted: 6/10/03 at 11:33am

Exactly! One of the best, if not best performances for a Tony Broadcast that I have ever seen. The fact that she was able to do that song without 2 hours of the play leading up to it is a true testament to the fact that she can do anything she sets her sights on.

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 6/10/03 at 12:37pm

It was great, amazing in fact, but I actually think she performs it better in Gypsy. Her number seemed more rushed than some of the others that were performed.

[TxTwoStep]

Posted: 6/10/03 at 1:12pm

was there also a cut from the show version? seemed like it.

Posted: 6/10/03 at 1:31pm

..don't forget Patti LuPone's "A New Argentina" from Evita.

...which brings up this topic..shouldn't they release
THE BEST OF THE TONY AWARDS on DVD or vhs???? I definitely think they should. I mean I only have the Tony's from 1996 till now on tape Updated On: 6/10/03 at 01:31 PM

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/10/03 at 1:32pm

OKay,
let me way in. I promise to be nice.
I still maintain that the only part of the song that gave me chills was the stammered 'mammas' section. Her version of those lines have been the only time where I have been able to tell what those lines meant in the performance of the actress. The rest of it felt off. Yes, she was in good voice compared to what she must have been like in theatre sometimes, but it felt off. Acting wise, I saw her take on Rose. Vocally, however, she had too many Bernadette-isms. No matter what she did, it was Bernadette singing, not Mamma Rose. And don't say that it is ok becasue she is Bernadette. In Hairspray, Harvey makes you totally forget it is him and all you see is Edna. At the end, when she did the foot stomp, it made me think of a pissed off five year old, not a pissed off mother.

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 6/10/03 at 1:35pm

"it made me think of a pissed off five year old, not a pissed off mother."

LOL That's funny because I think she did do that when she was 5 years old on Name That Tune. She got mad at something the host said, and she stomped her foot.

I only have from 1999 foward, and I accidentily taped over everything from Bernadette's acceptance speech on. So I would definitely love to have them on DVD (especially that year).

[magruder]

Posted: 6/10/03 at 2:19pm

If Bernadette stamping her foot reminded you of a pissed off five year old, whatever would you have thought of Tyne Daly slapping the stage with her hand in her performance of "Rose's Turn"?

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 6/11/03 at 3:29pm

I HAve every tony awards on tape since 1980 and nothing even comes close to the , now its four, legendarily electricfying tony performances i mentioned above.

there is always the push it seems to show how big a cast is by featuring a large production. often, it is the thrilling, singular performances, that really create those goosebumps.

[bestofbroadway]

Posted: 6/11/03 at 3:38pm

Huh? It was Bernadette singing? Of course it was her voice, she was singing. And so was Harvey. It still sounded like Harvey. I'm completely dumbfounded by your comment. How does that make any sense. She wasn't Mama Rose cause she sounded like Bernadette? But Harvey was Edna cause he sounded exactly like Harvey? Please explain.

[magruder]

Posted: 6/11/03 at 5:34pm

To the list of legendary Tony performances, I'd have to submit the following:

Barbara Harris doing "Movie Star" from The Apple Tree (1967)
Donna McKechnie and company performing "Turkey Lurkey Time" from Promises, Promises (1969)
Ruby Keeler and company tearing through "I Want to Be Happy" from No, No, Nanette (1971)
The cast performing "I Hope I Get It" from A Chorus Line (1976)
Dorothy Loudon performing "Vodka" during the Gershwin tribute (1983)
Judy Kuhn and (future Tony winner) Dick Latessa
performing "Rags" from Rags (1987)
Michael Jeter and Brent Barrett performing "We'll Take a Glass Together" from Grand Hotel (1990).

[DoReMi]

Posted: 6/11/03 at 6:31pm

Thanks so much for yet another invaluable post about the legendary Ms. Peter's revolutionary performance on the Tonys. I haven't read anything else about how wonderful she was on on this site before your post. Maybe we should just do away with the acting Tonys as there will apparently never be another performance to ever equal hers.




move on.

Posted: 6/11/03 at 9:00pm

i still have yet to see it, I had to leave and drive up to Los Angeles, i have it on tape. I've sooo many good things and sooo many bad, i wonder which one i will think...?

[SisterMaryOnette]

Posted: 6/11/03 at 10:04pm

I have to admit, she was sensational. And had she performed that well on April 17th when I saw the show in NYC, I would have had a different opinion of that play.
We saw Urinetown on the 16th which was FABULOUS, and then gypsy on the 17th which to put it mildly, stunk.
However it is obvious that it has become much, MUCH better and I wish i could see it again.....

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 6/11/03 at 11:20pm

bestofbroadway, I love that picture!

I have one of the first previews of Gypsy on DVD (what! SHHH, I didn't say that), and I am amazed at how much the show has evolved. I mean, I was at the first preview, and have seen it many times since, so I sort of watched it grow rather than see a big leap. It wasn't until I went back and watched the dvd that I saw just how much they changed it. Makes me love it even more now.