Topic Hello Jerry! Where is Bernadette? from the General Chit-Chat forum.
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| Author | Topic: Hello Jerry! Where is Bernadette? |
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Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 6/10/2006 at 5:46:44 PM ET
This weekend a friend gave me the gift of the new DVD transfer of "Jerry Herman's BROADWAY at the Hollywood Bowl".
I am loving every minute of this great show, but ... where is Bernadette?
Have you seen this DVD? How odd to have video messages from Liza M. and Angela L. (and even the bizarre appearance of Paul & Linda McC) .... but not even a single word from Bernadette Peters , the original Mabel.
I've been trying to work out why she wasn't around at the time - maybe "The Goodbye Girl" was taking her time up?
On this DVD all the great songs from Mack and Mabel are covered by other artists. There is a thrilling "Time Heals Everything" from Lorna Luft .. but why no mention of Bernadette? I only ask because it seems such an odd omission.
as Bernadette says....just keep moving on.....
|  Jean
Registered User
Registered:
6/7/2003 | posted: 6/10/2006 at 6:07:08 PM ET
You are exactly right, Scottie. The Jerry Herman at the Hollywood Bowl was done on June 30, 1993. Bernadette was, at that time, on Broadway in "The Goodbye Girl". (Girl opened on Broadway
Feb 13, 1993,in previews, and closed Aug 15, 1993.)
She really couldn't have done the Hollywood Bowl tribute to Herman unless she took time off from the play, which obviously did not happen.
As to why there was no video message, I have no answer.
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 6/10/2006 at 6:34:43 PM ET
I remember watching that on television back in '94. Wasn't that the show where after Lorna Luft finished some number there's a shot of an audience member and you can read his lips telling his companion "Gee, she's good--almost as good as Liza." Or did I just imagine the whole thing?
The way I figure, if Bernadette showed up at every tribute to everyone she's ever worked with she'd never have time to do anything else. Show Biz has become tribute mad. Witness last year's Sondheim orgy. Not that he didn't deserve it, but it did seem a tad overkill.
Actually, Bernadette has appeared at various other Jerry Herman things over the years.
|  Sister Rose
Registered User
Registered:
5/4/2004
From:
NYC | posted: 6/10/2006 at 7:23:56 PM ET
Ugh, I bought this dvd. I TRIED to watch it. If anybody wants it, let me know and it's yours.
http://sarahbsadventures.blogspot.com/
| Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 6/10/2006 at 7:41:16 PM ET
quote:
?
The way I figure, if Bernadette showed up at every tribute to everyone she's ever worked with she'd never have time to do anything else. Show Biz has become tribute mad. Witness last year's Sondheim orgy. Not that he didn't deserve it, but it did seem a tad overkill.
Yes, perhaps. But on the other hand, how many composers' roles did Bernadette Peters originate? Let's see, there's Jerry Herman ... and there's , oh, lets see... Mr Sondheim. They are not just people she has merely "worked with", surely?
Call me daft, but these are important works by important composers and the participation in a "tribute show" by the artist who created these roles IS rather nice - and even historically important perhaps.
as Bernadette says....just keep moving on.....
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 6/10/2006 at 8:21:48 PM ET
Scottie, I take your point, but the exigencies of scheduling for someone like BP can be very complicated.
I'm just sorry there's not a DVD of the 2001 Actor's Fund tribute to Herman. The double CD is very entertaining and Bernadette is on hand for one of the more powerful renditions I've heard of "Time Heals Everything." Channing and Lansbury even get to swap Dolly and Mame at the end. It's just tremendous.
| Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 6/11/2006 at 7:55:19 AM ET
Which goes back to my original point about her probably being tied up with The Goodbye Girl at the time.
It just seems odd that someone you just wouldn't expect like Paul McCartney pops up on video to send a message to Jerry and yet one of his most famous "collaborators" doesn't - that's all I meant.
The BP version of Time Heals Everything you mention on the other Herman tribute is indeed very powerful. I've just finished watching the Actors Studio episode featuring Bernadette which is getting an airing a couple of times today in the UK on the SKY Performance Channel - I have seen it before but it was a very ropey copy that I had bought some time ago. How interesting to hear her explain how she approaches the songs and how she treats each song almost as an individual story with a specific "character" in mind. Fascinating!
Wouldn't it have been nice to have had a double helping of the interview - just like they did with Streisand? I would be equally fascinated to hear Bernadette talking about her acting roles in the many films she has made over the years.
as Bernadette says....just keep moving on.....
| Jean
Registered User
Registered:
6/7/2003 | posted: 6/11/2006 at 9:04:18 AM ET
Here is something that Bernadette said in an interview published in American Drama, Winter 2003, interview by Gabriel Miller, discussing the upcoming production of Gypsy, among other things:
"Yes, it's interesting, but I don't like talking about something I haven't quite worked on yet. I have some ideas, but I don't like talking about the inner workings because I like to keep them to myself as an actress. I just don't like
talking about that kind of prep work because what we're doing, and what I'll be doing, is using such personal things to keep them working and fresh. It's like Sada Thompson said, "Oh God, you never talk about something because then its gone forever." But that's how you work on things, you just find such personal things that they surprise you."
I get the distinct idea, from this and some other things she's said over the years, that she is quite reticent about discussing roles, or how she approaches music.
(On a side note, Happy Birthday, Scottie; I usually miss the birthdays because I forget to scroll down.)
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 6/11/2006 at 10:44:57 AM ET
I was almost surprised she went on Inside the Actor's Studio at all. I bet she had a million ground rules going in, as to what she would and wouldn't talk about. Lipton seems so eager to ingratiate himself and to accomodate "his" celebrities; it wouldn't shock me if he gave a list of the questions ahead of time for approval or rejection (to everyone, not just Bernadette).
One of the more noticable aspects of the Actor's Studio show with Bernadette was how much more she wanted to sing than talk. She seemed to be getting up every few minutes to do another song.
| Scottie
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2006
From:
Edinburgh, Scotland | posted: 6/11/2006 at 2:42:22 PM ET
Perhaps she accepted because it was set up more in the nature of a "master class" with the songs presented as lessons in interpretation of lyrics and phrasing etc. I love how several of the students are in tears when she is singing Move On at the end of the programme... perfectly understandably of course.
Thanks, Jean, for your birthday wishes. I was born in the year of the Rat - but it was a vintage year nevertheless.
as Bernadette says....just keep moving on.....
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 6/11/2006 at 4:49:28 PM ET
Ah, yes. The '24 Bordeauxs were classic.
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