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| Author | Topic: BP on WNYC now! |
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 moljul
Registered User
Registered:
4/2/2001
From:
New York
Fav. BP CD: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Fav. BP Song: Dublin Lady
| posted: 7/31/2005 at 3:28:26 PM ET
Ah yes, home ec. classes used to have the dumbest sewing "projects".
|  GYPSY1527
Registered User
Registered:
2/20/2004
From:
New Jersey
Fav. BP Song: With So Little to be Sure of
Fav. BP Show: Gypsy
Fav. BP Character: Dot
Fav. BP CD: Sondheim Ect.
| posted: 7/31/2005 at 3:35:45 PM ET
Just my two cents:
What a wonderfully insightful interview! I just about died when she and Shwartz(sp) had that little dialoge about "Playing Merman". I also learned so much about Bernadette in this interview! I had no idea that she admired Judy Garland (who by the way is my favorite singer EVER)and wore ruby shoes during "Have yourself a merry christmas". I was also so delighted that she request "Swannee w/ the applause" Yeay!
| moljul
Registered User
Registered:
4/2/2001
From:
New York
Fav. BP CD: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Fav. BP Song: Dublin Lady
| posted: 7/31/2005 at 4:06:53 PM ET
For those of you who are not familiar with the Jonathan Schartz Show, he asks his guests to bring music with them that is important to them. Not necessarily their own, obviously. So let me try to remember and sum up Bernadette's rather ecletic tastes in music.
The Carousel Waltz
Judy Garland
Elvis Presley
Frank Sinatra
Martha and the Vandellas
Ray Charles
Chopin
John Whelan (Irish Music)
A woman who's name I'm blanking on that she heard in Vegas when she was 13. Someone help me out, its on the tip of my tongue.
Am I leaving anyone out? I think I am.
And who knew Michael was so musical? Apparently he taught himself to play guitar when he was younger but claims he can't now though there was something about if she starts to play a little bit on the piano, he'll play along with her.
Ah, the musical moments of the Wittenberg household. 
Just a really great interview.
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 7/31/2005 at 4:34:27 PM ET
Oh my God, thank you guys so much for the advice about the Satellite radio free trial. I agree with everyone, that was THE best interview I've ever heard. Brilliance! I could listen to Bernadette talk forever. She is so interesting. She seemed really comfortable with Jonathan Schwartz and it just worked out so well. I never expected it to be two full hours like that. Classic radio. Couldn't have been better.
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 7/31/2005 at 5:02:42 PM ET
Oh my goodness, I am disappointed. I was out and missed the interview. Thanks for the posts-anything else anyone wants to add?
Jenn
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 7/31/2005 at 5:54:09 PM ET
Here's a little run-down: At the beginning her microphone wasn't working, but that was fixed quickly. Schwartz said "You look very much like Bernadette Peters," and she said "Thank God!"
They briefly mentioned the sit-com pilot and how it might be a midseason replacement. Then they talked about Mandy Patinkin on television, and she said how great and exciting he was. She said "he takes television to a new place."
This led into a discussion of Sunday in the Park with George. One thing I never realized was that Bernadette had pneumonia when she came back to do the video. I had heard she was sick, but didn't realize it was that serious. She tried to play the part with full-out intensity and just not worry about how hoarse and terrible she sounded, because she knew they would go back and loop her vocal parts later when she was better.
Then they talked about Light in the Piazza, which Bernadette loved, "a great experience."
She thought the director captured Italy perfectly, because for her it's the air that's different, and the hat blowing off in the wind was an "astute and clever" way of invoking that. Schwartz asked if she liked the movie Roman Holiday, but she said that she didn't remember it that well and the Hollywood film about Italy that she really got into was Summertime with Katharine Hepburn in Venice.
Then they came to her first musical selection, "The Carousel Waltz." She selected the '94 revival recording because the technology was better so conveyed the "intensity" more. Of course she talked about discovering the 78s at home when she was about 8, and how that was really what made her fall in love with musical theatre--"I just went to heaven."
She talked about as a child seeing Richard Rodgers at the old Variety Arts rehearsal studio. Her mother pointed him out, and Bernadette's reaction was "He's sort of yellow." Her mother explained that he was ill. She mentioned playing Lisel in summer stock, which is the point where she broke into those lovely bars of Edelweiss mentioned earlier. Schwartz mentioned how he was the one who suggested she record Out Of My Dreams, and she said "I thrill to sing it. I might go home now and sing it just for myself."
They talked about Sondheim, of course. She's never watched him compose, because it's a very private moment. She talked about her childhood lessons: tap, ballet, voice, piano, which led him to ask if she took swimming lessons. Of course we know the answer to that. What does she do at the ocean? "I dip my toe in the water." She did mention getting in the water with the dolphins that time.
Okay, there's a lot more, but I need to take a short break, so I'll be back.
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 7/31/2005 at 7:54:59 PM ET
The next musical selection was the Ray Charles song mentioned earlier. Bernadette said "I was a child of the fifties." She grew up with black & white television, watching people like Ray Charles on Ed Sullivan. When he died last year, she was shocked and felt a big loss. When she described how she and her sister used to sing "Hit the Road, Jack," it led into some questions about her sister and the rest of her family. She said she was close to her sister, and they were going to have dinner together tonight.
She said her brother was in import-export work at the airport, and had three daughters who have young children of their own. She mentioned her sister's son, Tian, being a music producer-performer in California. She said when she was young it might make her nervous to know when her family was in the audience, but now it really doesn't prey on her mind anymore. She's just busy and focused on what she's doing, and doesn't worry about who's in the audience.
Next, on to her husband. She talks to him a little bit about his work as a financial advisor, but doesn't really understand it that fully. She thinks he just has a really good instinct for what's going to happen (she meant in markets, the economy, etc.) Then came the famous story of how they met. She joked "he said he was stalking me." As to why she waited to marry so late in life, she said "I had to straighten a few things out in my head...all the other people would not have been correct...[I needed] to learn life's lessons...learn how to live."
Then Schwartz asked about her workout routine. Bernadette said she does 15 to 20 minute intervals on her StairMaster in the mornings before she takes a shower. She watches television while she's doing this, usually The View. She also does weights, situps, squats, etc. She said her husband is a "big workout fanatic" so they have a lot of equipment.
The next song played was Nowhere To Run To by Martha and the Vandellas. Bernadette talked about being a teenager in the time of discotheques, Twiggy, and long straight hair. On Friday or Saturday nights she would go with her friend Michelle to The Scene on West 46th, or if they were "highbrowing it" to Sybill Burton's disco Arthur on the east side. This was where the story about rushing home that Moljul told came in. Schwartz asked if she still liked to dance. She said yeah, she still loves it. Then came the part about her husband being inherently musical and so forth. He loves Sondheim shows, but doesn't have a lot of patience for most other musicals. When Schwartz tried to get her to say which ones, she said she wasn't about to name names.
Next up came a big discussion of her Carnegie Hall concert. At this point they played Judy's Swanee. The next song was Sinatra singing P.S.I Love You. She grew up listening to his albums, and saw him perform at Radio City late in his career. She said "by then he was reading his lyrics. I was just thrilled he could see--he could sure still sing." The song they played was recorded in 1957, so he asked Bernadette what she was doing right at that time. She said around then she did a Kraft Theater and a Hallmark Hall of Fame. She said they didn't have a lot of money and weren't able to travel or see many shows, "My father was a working man!"
The conversation moved on to the 1961 Gypsy tour, and her experiences with the show in Las Vegas. Here they played I Hadn't Anyone Til You by Roberta Sherwood, who was performing in the Riviera lounge at that time. Sherwood wore glasses and a sweater over her shoulders and played the cymbal while she sang. Apparently Bernadette's mother was fascinated by her because she had entered show business in middle age after being widowed. At one point Sherwood was appearing with Bing Crosby's sons, who were also in an Elvis Presley movie Bernadette had just seen on television, so this segued into a discussion of Elvis.
They played Are You Lonesome Tonight and Bernadette talked about how Tom Hammond took her to see Elvis live for he first time. She said "Elvis walked out and my mouth dropped open..now I understand..this is a superstar!"
She loved his humor, how he would laugh at himself, his voice of course.."The charisma! Omigod!"
She talked about her own debut in Las Vegas at the Riviera, opening for Rich Little and for Bob Newhart. She did a 35 minute set and had two "boys" with her. She said "You had to catch their attention. I went out in the audience to get their attention, dancing on the tables."
Next they played Vladimir Ashkenazy performing a Chopin piece. I don't think they mentioned which one, and I'm not knowledgable enough to be able to identify it. Maybe someone else can. This was on one of a group of classical CDs that Tom Hammond gave her near the end of his life "as a gift to think of him." Hammond had dementia and was aware that he was getting it. She said "he was a lovely, terrific man..he's given me this glorious career..he was very important to me."
The penultimate musical selection was Side By Side, only they played the cut from the revue and Bernadette thought they were going to use the one from Company. She accidentally started talking over the song right at the end, and then said "Oh hi! We're on the air!"
And last of all they played the John Whelan music with a brief conversation about her wedding. And that was it.
| jmslsu01
Registered User
Registered:
6/9/2003
From:
northern VA | posted: 7/31/2005 at 8:01:13 PM ET
Karen, you're an angel. I'm not half as disappointed as I was, thanks to your posts. Thank you.
Jenn
|  Sister Rose
Registered User
Registered:
5/4/2004
From:
NYC | posted: 7/31/2005 at 8:15:07 PM ET
I can't believe I missed this (saw Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe this after which was wonderful and spectcularly intense) - thanks for the "transcript" Karen. I had hoped to have a friend with special software record it for us but she had another commitment. Anyway, I listen to Jonathan Schwartz a lot - he's very neurotic and intense but he plays amazing music - spends a lot of time on history and linking artists too. He was at Wall to Wall Sondheim for most of the day too.
Regis: I'm looking at you, you know, when I see you on stage, in these Sondheim musicals and these great roles...
Bernadette: I'm not as dippy.
Regis:...You are the personification of all that is, you know, sophisticated, magnificent, and here you are sitting next to me and you're stealing books!
|  Rose
Registered User
Registered:
9/28/2003
From:
NY
Fav. BP Song: No One Is Alone and Some People
Fav. BP Show: Gypsy
Fav. BP Character: Rose/The Witch
Fav. BP CD: Gypsy
| posted: 7/31/2005 at 9:53:24 PM ET
I would have kept the radio on a little longer too just to see if I could hear anything but I went to see The Light In The Piazza. Thanks so much Karen.
"Oh no, you won't. No, not a chance. No arguements, shut up and dance." -You'll Never Get Away From Me
"And if it wasn't for me then where would you be Miss Gypsy Rose Lee?" -Rose's Turn
| moljul
Registered User
Registered:
4/2/2001
From:
New York
Fav. BP CD: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Fav. BP Song: Dublin Lady
| posted: 7/31/2005 at 10:10:13 PM ET
It cracked me up during the Elvis discussion when Schwartz asked her if he was thin and trim or overweight by that time. She said he was very trim. "He was Gawrgeous! That's the best way I can spell the way she prounced it. Very funny.
I missed the part about Michael stalking her. LOL
| GYPSY1527
Registered User
Registered:
2/20/2004
From:
New Jersey
Fav. BP Song: With So Little to be Sure of
Fav. BP Show: Gypsy
Fav. BP Character: Dot
Fav. BP CD: Sondheim Ect.
| posted: 7/31/2005 at 10:19:48 PM ET
Just to clarify, I believe she mentioned that Sondheim 'music' is one of the few types of music her husband can tolerate. I thought Stephen might have been trying to press on the issue of pop or rap music possibly. That was my impression though.
| moljul
Registered User
Registered:
4/2/2001
From:
New York
Fav. BP CD: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Fav. BP Song: Dublin Lady
| posted: 7/31/2005 at 10:21:30 PM ET
Well she was saying he liked Sondheim music very much, not that he just tolerated it. But then she said he doesn't have a lot of patience for other types of music which she would not elaborate on.
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 7/31/2005 at 10:54:47 PM ET
Regarding Elvis, she also said, "Lookin'Good!"
|  Mandy
Registered User
Registered:
8/14/2003 | posted: 7/31/2005 at 11:01:18 PM ET
Did anyone record this interview? I was seeing Woolf too and missed it. If you have it available, can you please PM me? Somebody must have had the forethought to tape it! Thanks!
"Let's admit one thing right upfront: With the possible exception of Bernadette Peters, not everyone stays young and cute forever." (NYPost 2/2/05)
| Rose
Registered User
Registered:
9/28/2003
From:
NY
Fav. BP Song: No One Is Alone and Some People
Fav. BP Show: Gypsy
Fav. BP Character: Rose/The Witch
Fav. BP CD: Gypsy
| posted: 7/31/2005 at 11:02:33 PM ET
Could you please let me know too if you taped it?
"Oh no, you won't. No, not a chance. No arguements, shut up and dance." -You'll Never Get Away From Me
"And if it wasn't for me then where would you be Miss Gypsy Rose Lee?" -Rose's Turn
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