Betty Buckley's Downstage Center interview

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/5/10 at 7:40pm

Has anyone else listened to Betty's interview? I really enjoy listening to her talk. She doesn't seem nearly as crazy as people here make her out to be. There's some great comments made about Carrie and Arthur Laurence's dislike of her performance in Gypsy.

http://americantheatrewing.org/downstagecenter/detail/betty_buckley
Updated On: 5/5/10 at 07:40 PM

[binau]

Posted: 5/5/10 at 9:27pm

Oooo burn... ('SPOILERS' in case you wanted to hear it from the horse's mouse)


Betty Buckley claims that Barbara Cook is not an 'athelete' on stage like she is, and her performance in CARRIE was concert-esque. (But she 'loves' Cook's singing voice).

Updated On: 5/6/10 at 09:27 PM

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 5/5/10 at 10:10pm

Hehehehehe - I listened this afternoon and her comments about Barbara Cook made me laugh out loud! (Unfortunate, because I was at work at the time.) You have to read between the lines for the "crazy", but it is there.

[twinbelters]

Posted: 5/6/10 at 2:54pm

Listening... she sounds fine... sincere.. pleasant.. commanding... I dig her!

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 5/6/10 at 3:10pm

I think Betty is one of the most articulate, thoughtful and talented actresses working today. I love extended interviews with her where she really express her depth. I think her candor speaks to her comfort in her own skin and knowing that she is at a point in her career where she can be honest. I don't think anything she said was disrespectful to anyone. Its so lame how people try to start nonsense.

[amoni2]

Posted: 5/6/10 at 7:54pm

Anyone know her actual final weekend in "White Lies"? I went a couple of weeks ago and she out the whole weekend.

[Marquise]

Posted: 5/6/10 at 8:12pm

Horses mouse?!!!

[Sirius Black]

Posted: 5/7/10 at 12:21pm

Betty is brilliant. She is not crazy - she just doesn't put up with bull**** from people. If she were so ghastly - she would not contunue to work - which she clearly does. She is not everyone's cup of tea - but who is?

Updated On: 5/7/10 at 12:21 PM

[Brick]

Posted: 5/7/10 at 12:44pm

She does?

[Pianist3912]

Posted: 5/7/10 at 1:17pm

I mean, she's got something else lined up after White's Lies, so good for her. From this very interesting interview, I got strong notion that she's always been very intent on what she wants, which might be good or bad.

[Marquise]

Posted: 5/7/10 at 3:07pm

I loved her story on how she fired her first agent when he purposely didn't get her an audition for PIPPIN because he wanted Jill Clayburgh (another client) to get the role because he could get more money for her and told the producers of the show that Betty was "no longer in the business".

When Betty found out she confronted him and he told her to "Grow up...you need to realize that is the nature of the business" to which she replied, "No, you need to grow up and realize you are no longer my manager."

Also her story on how she landed PROMISES, PROMISES in London after a failed first audition is the stuff of show business legend. First failed audition, shut out, determination to win the part and the fate on her side...finally getting it in the face of adversity.

GREAT STUFF. She should write a book.
Updated On: 5/7/10 at 03:07 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/7/10 at 5:41pm

The stories that have floated about Buckley for years aren't that she's crazy. Amanda Plummer is crazy. The word has been (increasingly so) that Buckley is simply impossible to deal with. Whether its coming from a place of no-nonsense perfectionism or not, its definitely cost her a lot of work over the years. She is the Faye Dunaway of Broadway.

[Brick]

Posted: 5/8/10 at 3:14pm

Actually, I thought that was a lovely interview. And that's what I love about that program: it can completely change my perception of someone, or make me suddenly fall in love with a performer I'd never even thought twice about.

[isntitromantic]

Posted: 5/10/10 at 12:28pm

A lovely interview, yes indeed. I thought it was very insightful when she was talking about the negotiations for Carrie and how rough they were and went right down to the wire. Told the next morning everyone would be out of work, she finally agreed to the conditions offered. What was also interesting was how she glosses Sunset, saying she was a year on Broadway. My roommate at the time (the late company manager, G. Eric Muratalla) worked for the producers and remembered many transatlantic calls at three in the morning before she would agree to Broadway. Her terms over what she wanted i.e., perks was outrageously picayune.

[theeatah]

Posted: 5/11/10 at 1:39pm

My favourite part is when she recounts how the CATS people thought she was too healthy-looking for Grizabella, who should give off an appearance of death/dying, before mentioning "you know, Elaine Paige played it in London." ?!

To be fair, she does clarify by noting that Elaine Paige is "petite".