Bernadette Peters - Ourselves ... as a Serious Cabaret Singer!
Bernadette Peters is the way many (most?) of us would like to imagine ourselves ... if we were able to step through that magical mirror into our other more theatrical and alternate careers ...
I saw her in concert in Sydney a few years back - and still have some of the glittering golden 'coins' she threw out into the audience in her opening song, 'Pennies from Heaven'.
She performed both the following and contrasting Stephen Sondheim pieces.
'Not A Day Goes By' from 'Merrily We Roll Along' ...
... where here she nearly looses to a degree that's almost uncomfortable, particularly at the end - but then maybe it's planned that big cos a live audience is not as close as the camera.
What do you think?
The other song is 'Hello Little Girl' from 'Into the Woods' - with Peters being less than a little wolf-ish ... to an innocent Red Riding Hood.
The lyrics are so incredibly witty and close to the bone I thought I'd put down the first verse and the last lines ...
Look at that flesh, pink and plump
Hello, little girl...
Tender and fresh, not one lump
Hello, little girl...
This one's especially lush,
Delicious... Mmm...
Hello, little girl, what's your rush?
You're missing all the flowers
The sun won't set for hours
Take your time ...
There's no possible way
To describe how what you feel
When you're talking to your meal!
... hope you're chuckling away!
So, are any of you guys Peters devotees?
Absolutely, saw her in Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George, and Song and Dance. She is truly wonderful. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeletehey anon
ReplyDeletelucky you to have seen in in so much
i was surprised by the impact she has in person from the stage - she filled the opera house hall here, working into every corner
her phrasing extracts the meaning of a lyric in a way that's particularly satisfying - not just musical singing
CYA!
nick
I know it's gay heresy, but you can keep Liza and Celine. Bernadette is THE BEST,
ReplyDeletehey alan
ReplyDeleteLiza and Celine who? (LOL)
cya
nick
Hi Nick, long time no silly comments from me ;)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and I definitely agree with Alan: She is The BEST. Only had the supreme pleasure of seeing her in Into The Woods but have been compiling quite a few DVDs and CDs of anything she has ever done/been in. Who be Liza? LOL, sorry. I just don't get it how Ute Lemper, say never really took off as a major gay icon (well she did with me). Anyway, where was I? 6am is a very confusing time for me. Oh right. Was about to say "kudos", so: Kudos! Intensely pleasuring post as far as both my ears and the organ between them is concerned ;)
TC!
hey pete
ReplyDeletebeen missing your 'silly comments' - and what does that say about me if they really were - i think (for the sake of our own mental health) we'd better take the position that we have sparkling wit and incisive penetrating intelligences - whatever the truth of the matter!
speaking of Liza (who?), she came here recently, somewhat in the form of a musical Jocelyn Wildenstein - people said it was scary stuff, and sad ... but mainly scary
the great thing about bernadette peters is that when she is performing you can luxuriate in the intelligent (and beautiful) things she does with a song - yum
and ute lempere was my instant icon after seeing her here - and then in paris in her one woman musical theatre piece at the theatre du chatelet
glad to hear pleasure is still sited in those two remarkable organs - and hope to get a responses from both again in the not too distant future
big kiss X
nick
hey rick
ReplyDeletegood to hear from u
yeah, been a big fan of hers for so long too
cya
nick
She is a great entertainer, and I've always respected her talent. I've never seen her in person.
ReplyDeleteBut, I saw her some years ago on the celebrity edition of "Jeopardy!" the TV game show, and unfortunately, it is my duty to inform you that she's dumb as a post.
Yeah, I agree. Bernadette is the "Queen". Wit.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Bernadette Peters is truly great. Saw her in Sunday in the Park, Into the Woods, Gypsy, etc. All great performances. But I haven't seen a concert appearance! She hasn't done much lately. where did you find the video clips? Would love to see the whole show! This looks like the show that she did for GMHC in NY a number of years back.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting,
Randy NYC
hey wit
ReplyDelete... and the empress and the czarina and and and !
best
nick
hey ken
ReplyDeletesome performers are great on DVD but not so much in person - and the reverse - bernadette peters did not disappoint live - came away with that glow that comes from really good music making and a lively and engaging and warm interaction with a decent human being
grab the opportunity if it comes you way - i'm sure you plan to
suspect i wouldn't be any more electrifying on 'Jeopardy!' but who knows! an off day? cos her interaction with an audience suggests more - even tho it's planned and so on
best
nick
I have been going to musical theater for almost 3 decades now and mostly in NYC cause I live here but elsewhere in the world..If you like Bernadette and you are a fan it doesn't matter HOW she sings ...So I was very eager when "GYPSY" came back to Broadway...Broadway ,today , is a bit weird...cause they will play that show everywhere and this show was played out on Long Island, which is an hour by train..that was the Patti Lupone version...anyway I got tickets to the Peter's "Gypsy" and it was still in previews..paid over USD140 for that seat...and it is my favorite musical for many reasons but that person that chooses to play the mom is on stage almost the ENTIRE show..that is doing 8 shows per week in NYC...I could not believe people were giving her a standing ovation..she couldn't hold notes, she couldn't HIT the notes of that musical etc...pure waste of money..even IF it was someone I was crazy for, I would say this cause I believe an audience is entitled to a pure performance after we pay huge sums of cash....well she started to call in sick alot after it opened and then another production ,the one out on Long Island, came into Broadway with Patti...that was joyous and the way it should be played..the person before that was Angela Lansbury I saw play it..WOW!!..SHE IS WOW on stage! and so was Patti
ReplyDeleteCheers..
Tony(nyc)
hey tony in NYC
ReplyDeletei mostly started my musical theatre going as a kid in london - when it was 50 pence in the gods - you could go 4-5-6 times a week and i did.
singers are often great ... within a certain sphere - and sometimes a actor can 'sing' and sell a performance - i saw lauren bacall in 'applause' and she can't sing to save her or anyone else's life but it didn't matter - did grabbed the audience by the scruff of the neck and just shook it all about!
be in touch
cheers, nick