It wasn’t that long ago that Tony Award-winner Betty Buckley concluded her stint as Dolly Levi in the national tour of Helly, Dolly! A little time off to rest and now she’s in concert mode. The rest of 2019 finds her only having two stops. The first stop for Betty Buckley in Concert begins on Thursday for three nights at the Samueli Theatre at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa.
These shows are billed as cabaret performances. Having seen Buckley many times in this setting, concertgoers are indeed in for a treat. She knows her way around just about any song you could name (and certainly plenty you can’t.)
My fondest memory is seeing her at Pepperdine several years ago when she called for a volunteer to come up on stage. No one was particularly willing, so I raised my hand and the next thing I knew she was singing “You’ve Got Possibilities” from It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman! to me. I had the privilege of not just hearing her through the PA system, but to hear how amazing she sounded without amplification. I was that close. And I was blown away. That’s an evening I’ll never forget.
Given that she’s known for her role as Grizabella in Cats, it is probably safe to assume you will hear “Memory” from that show. Don’t be surprised if a song like “Before the Parade Passes By” from Hello, Dolly! finds its way into the setlist either.
Betty Buckley is an actor who sings and a singer who acts. That gives her tremendous abilities that no fan of Broadway musicals and great singing should miss.
November 2nd Buckley will be performing at The Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.
For tickets for this week’s shows go here.
For tickets at The Saban go here.
Photo of Betty Buckley by John Boal/Courtesy of bettybuckley.com