The Evolution of Bernadette Peters

I had a VHS copy of "Into The Woods" as a kid, that's how I knew of her. Her rendition of the witch is still my favorite thing she's done.

I was a teenager in the early 80’s and was constantly told “you look just like Bernadette Peters”, until I started to really detest her - I wanted to just be me, and didn’t get her appeal at that point. 40 years on I realize now what a compliment it was: she is an extraordinary and unique talent.

Bernadette Peters is about 74 now, and my my my, she still looks fantastic. I grew up in the 60s and 70s and she seemed to be everywhere back then. Sigh, I was smitten as a kid.

I moved to NYC as a young musician in 1984. Sometime that year, I was in an elevator with 3 other guys at the Ansonia on 72nd, home to many famous voice teachers. The elevator stopped and in walked Bernadette Peters, score in hand, obviously coming from a lesson or coaching. We all were struck dumb...she was gorgeous, radiant, and exuded star charisma. We were all too shy to say anything. I realize now this was when she was doing Sunday.

She's a wonderful singer; she was wonderful as the Witch in "Into the Woods", and her interpretation of the title role in "Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theater" episode "The Sleeping Beauty" was absolutely priceless.

This was marvelous. Thank you for these.
Her Rose was stunning, though the production wasn't. She deserved that Tony that she didn't get. Her "Rose's Turn" on a random Wednesday night was practically as thrilling as the one she gave at the Tonys.

Sunday in the Park with George was my favorite to watch with my daughters. That was very formative for my girls. They are incredibly talented musically.

First saw her on Carol Burnett when I was a kid. Bernadette has swept me along as a huge fan ever since. She is a powerhouse.

Just saw her perform Sondheim live this afternoon l. Cried 8 times. Took my father who has loved her for a long time (and Sondheim). Thank you Bernadette for your beauty, grace and soul. It was a great show.

i saw her in Cinderella when i was 7, and fell in love. I've watched my DVD of the PBS recording of Into the Woods so many times it was full of skips. wonderful video

I saw Bernadette in Hello Dolly a few years ago and she made me fall in love with the show. She's still so amazing on stage

WOW. Just... wow - Fanny Brice, "Funny girl".
This phrase alone is, perhaps, the best way to comment on this video. You've worked so hard on it - and oh, boy, does it show! Many little steps of Bernadette's career, her big-breaks, her flops - you've shown EVERYTHING HERE.
Peters' career is that one long story, which is so hard to tell. But still, you did it! And not only you did it - you did it with such love and passion. Bravo!

Oh my gosh I love her!! Sunday in the park with george and into the woods are two of my favorite musicals of all time...and she is just pure magic in both of them. 💕 ...I was born in 95 and loved brandis cinderella growing up...but it never clicked it was her until I got into musical theatre! So much respect for her! 💕

I was fortunate enough to have seen the original Broadway productions of "Sunday in the Park with George" and "Into the Woods" with Ms. Peters. She is in every sense of the word a true star. Thank you for this episode, excellent as always.

I just discovered your channel two weeks ago and have binged most of your videos already -- they are so well done! I know how much work it takes to produce something this long and this thoughtful. Thank you for sharing your insights. I only saw Bernadette once on stage -- in another Sondheim piece, but a rare one: it was a concert version of "Anyone Can Whistle" at Carnegie Hall in 1995. The cast was fabulous (Madeline Kahn!!!) and Bernadette certainly had charisma. But the show itself was almost incomprehensible!

Queen Bernadette!!! 🙌♥️😭

She is a Broadway artist that I cherish every time I watch her and I love her versatility and her sheer range of emotions and talents goes to show you that she is one talented actress who has a lovely singing voice and is very charming and flirtatious

She steals every scene she’s in. She just has that quality that causes your eyes to fixate on her.
As a kid, I adored her in Annie and in Cinderella. Her voice is on of a kind (speaking voice and singing voice) and her face is so unique but also able to shape-shift easily into her various roles.

My introduction to the wonderful Bernadette Peters was Faerie Tale Theatre's Sleeping Beauty when I was only about 4 years old, and that production was also my introduction to the Sleeping Beauty story. I've loved both ever since. It's interesting how many fairy tale related projects she's been in, actually; a TV broadcast of Once Upon a Mattress back in the '70s, Into the Woods, Disney's Beauty and the Beast: Enchanted Christmas, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, Hallmark's Prince Charming, and even a fairy tale-themed episode of Grey's Anatomy. She's just magical!

Excellent retrospective of a superlative talent.
(btw Pennies from Heaven is a favourite of mine)
Man, how I would have loved to have seen her interpretation of Mama Rose. Ya either got it or you don't (and lordy, Bernadette's got it in spades)

I've always had a fascination with her. Amazing singer and such a good priece of mind for nobody in the else in her category. She is unique, talented and I doubt if there's another woman like her.

Growing up in Australia, I first saw her on telly in Sunday In The Park With George, & I just fell in love! I was an art student, & it was so fascinating to see her story, & the whole creation of the painting, from such a different point of view.

Oh that was wonderful... Love Bernadette Peters... Not that I've seen her in a lot her her wrk... I was just watching the movie The Jerk... She's sooo beautiful sweet looking and her voice is down rite from Heaven... I really love her... She wonderful in everything... Thx for allowing me to watch this much of her... 🌿🌹🌿

I was a child in the 70s, living for television, and remember Bernadette vividly from that era. Congratulations on including "All's Fair" here because it's virtually NEVER mentioned today. And kudos for teaching me some things I never knew about her prior to that period, like her real last name! Congrats, this is very well done (honestly head & shoulders above what I was expecting)!

As I pressed play, liked and subscribed. I was wondering why Bernadette Peters was not on The Gilded Age. Then boom, great minds thought alike. Thank you for this episode!
I first saw Bernadette Peters on Maude or All in the Family. However, her roles in the films, The Jerk, Pennies from Heaven and Annie is where I fell in love with her star. Her preference in Into The Woods, I can watch forever and always want more. If she's in it I will always watch it, no matter what it is. A true star. ⭐

Another brilliant piece about a fabulous performer! I think I first saw her on The Carol Burnett Show and have been a fan ever since. Thank you for the wonderful content you produce!

I love Bernadette Peters!! As a kid who grew up in the 70s and 80s in the Philippines, I've only seen her in a few TV shows and the film Annie. But the most memorable for me was when I've seen her on tv sing 'Let me sing and I'm happy'... I was entralled with how she sang it with such emotion/drama and such small lips...from then on I became a fan...I can't recall if it was a concert or what (I was about 12+- y/o ☺️ in the 80s), all I remember was the song, how she sang it, how she looked like.. gorgeous in a gown and her lovely curls...I was surprised to learn later on that she was actually a Broadway star.. 😍

I first remember her in "Annie" and loved her. But when I was little I got her confused with Cindy Lauper and thought she sang "girls just want to have fun". It wasn't until I was grown up that I knew her real name.
Also side note - she was in an episode of Grey's Anatomy in one of the early seasons (when Izzy was still around).

The muppets episode is one of the best in the series. She’s right there with Rita Moreno’s episode. But be ready to pause, cause you’ll miss a lot of jokes laughing

Bernadette Peters truly owns the song "Time heals everything". All of her many different performances of this song are great; however the definitive version is from the Broadway cast album "Mack and Mabel". So very many excellent singers have sung this but even the great ones pale in comparison. She truly owns this song like Judy Garland owns "over the rainbow", "the man that got away"and so very many more.🤔🤗👍❤️

I grew up watching Bernadette Peters; I can't remember a time when I wasn't aware of her. My grandparents watched reruns of The Carol Burnett show and I loved The Muppet Show; because I loved The Carol Burnett Show and musicals so much, my grandma bought me a VHS copy of Annie, and of course I was enamored with Bernadette. I watched The Oddyssey when I was younger as well, and many of her other works whenever they came on TV. Into the Woods is my favorite Sondheim musical, and her Witch is the best I've ever seen. I never get tired of Bernadette Peters, and I can truly appreciate the way she has kept her personal life out of the press and has neatly crafted a persona for herself.
I would LOVE to see her in The Gilded Age -- she's so perfect for it!

An amazing video history/tribute to one of the greatest ever to walk a Bway stage (I love the image toward the end showing Elaine Stritch - nobodies fool and promoter of others than herself - looking on admiringly as BP sings in a famous Sondheim tribute). She will be forever the best Dot in”Sunday…” Thanks for this!

That was a superbly crafted presentation of a spectacularly talented artist! Thank you!

My first introduction was from a VHS copy of Faerie Tale Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty when she played that princess and Christopher Reeve was her prince!

she discovered the fountain of youth - never ages

I've been in awe of her since Sunday in the Park with George and Song and Dance. What a Talent!!!

Slaves of New York , one of my favorite movies and books and thenthere was the tearjerker My Last Best Year

I saw her in the brilliant first season of "Smash" and then realised that I had seen her before in other things, and I read about what a Broadway legend she was. This overview is so informative, I learnt a lot.

That hair, that voice, those pipes? She was MADE for show biz ❤

1. I was lucky enough to get to see Her Highness & Victor Garber in Hello Dolly!
2. I couldn’t agree more that Julian Fellowes needs to find a place for her in season 2 of The Gilded Age.

I used to basically live at the public library in the early 90’s. When I wasn’t reading a book, I was checking out VHS tapes. One of them was Sleeping Beauty. That’s the first time I knew about Bernadette Peters. She really stood out from everyone else in the cast. So talented and such a unique individual.

awesome .. what a well produced video. Never come across your channel before. I was just browsing psychedelic music (because I love it) and discogs had one of her early singles listed as such. I loved the song so I wanted to find out more about her. This was the perfect place. :)

Seriously my idol. I just saw her in Naples, FL on March 18th. Still a beautiful singer and she is so so pretty!

Wonderful video.Thank you. I've always loved ,the talented Bernadette.

I just paused your video to go watch Bern's "Rose's Turn" which l had never seen. Ah-mazing.

I saw her in the movie Annie when it first came out (1982), but I didn't fully realize Bernadette's full range of work till my aunt once said Frances Ruffelle sorta sounded like her (in Les Miz), in about 1991 so I got her solo album and then got the recordings of Into the Woods and later got the VHS of that and also got the recording of Sunday (and later saw the live video). Became very intrigued by this multi-faceted talent. A mix of silly and sweet and serious and downright touching! She is and was everything.

Into the Woods was my first exposure to Bernadette Peters. The original Witch.

Bernadette Peters has always been a great love of mine, I grew up with her and have loved her ever since I watched Cinderella as a child. She is one of my favorite musicians of all time and my over-emotional self almost cried watching this... its been quite the day. thank you for making this and giving her well-deserved love.

I know her as Rita from Animaniacs. Even as a child, I was absolutely blown away by her voice and passion, and wondered how such a talent could be on a silly cartoon week after week.

Ms. Peters grew from a charming soubrette into an astounding talent. I'm glad you finished with the clip of her in the red dress, singing Not A Day Goes By'. I've watched her sing that song many times, but that evening she was absolutely brilliant.

PBS into the woods this was my first musical and i fell in love with Broadway

Since you asked, I became aware of Bernadette Peters when I first listened to my brand-new original cast album of "Dames at Sea." (I was a junior in high school, so have some respect for your elders!) I have just started watching your videos and I find them very informative, well-researched and very entertaining. Somewhere along the line, I remember you referring to the funding for "Ragtime." I've watched your piece on "Rebecca" and I'm interested to know if you have done a piece about the funding for "Ragtime."

I am a French girl, just looking for interesting videos on RUclips. I never heard of Melle Peters before. Thank you, great work

Oh, and can we also talk about her being a great beauty as well as a major talent❤ Thank you so much for this look at the works of this hardworking major star💕

I had first heard about her on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. I love that show and her character!

I've ADORED Bernadette Peters since her appearance in the Muppets LOL.

Just discovered your channel and I really appreciate your videos! As somebody who is a total outsider to the world of theater, thanks for providing comprehensive and nuanced takes without gatekeeping or using a ton of theater jargon. Please consider covering Sutton Foster next!

I first saw her in Into The Woods. To this day its my favorite musical

That issue of Playboy is the only issue I have ever owned, and I still have it today. I first saw her in The Jerk, one of my favorite comedies of all time. She has been my favorite actress of all time. She has such an amazing singing voice.

Though I didn't see her as a child, I did notice her in a pre-fame Maidenform Bra commercial. The commentator here seems to disparage the "cupie doll" look that emerged from Dames At Sea, but it fit her so well that it really became her signature look. He is more impressed with Into The Woods than Sunday In The Park; I saw it as the perfect match of role and performer. It also struck me as quite difficult to sing, so I was very impressed with her work in that. I notice that he didn't mention Annie Get Your Gun. I felt she was completely miscast in that role, but she won the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for it, anyway.

I think "Pennies from Heaven" was a terrific movie, and woefully underappreciated. Peters and Steve Martin were never better.

Wow! Great research and archival footage! Well done!

I've been in awe of Ms. Peters ever since I saw her performance as Lady Larkin in the 1972 TV production of "Once Upon A Mattress". It never occurred to me till now, but that means I've followed her career for over 50 years!

I love this bio, and I am exhausted just watching her career, what an absolute powerhouse ❤

Song & Dance was one of my all time favorite shows.

Enjoyed tremendously. For me, I saw her Carol Burnett when I was a child.

I saw her in concert in Melbourne about 8 years ago; the minute she walked onstage you could tell you were in the presence of someone truly special. She flubbed lyrics, shifted between keys and her vamping wasn't the most polished but you would have forgiven her anything because of her unique balance of charismatic vulnerability.

I saw her in "Annie Get Your Gun" on Broadway when I was in high school, but partway through she became ill. She continued until the official intermission then the understudy took over. Her understudy played the character differently.

Beautifully done!

aaayyyyyyeeeeeoo! Italian-American representation at it's finest! Lawd I could listen to her talk all day. SHe could read me the Manhattan phone book. LOL!! And that singing voice! bellisima!!

Gawd, I’m old. I first fell in love with Bernadette Peters when I bought the vinyl (yes, vinyl) record of Mack and Mabel - in 1974.

I love Bernadette and have 3 of her albums plus "Into the "Woods", "Song and Dance" and "Sunday in the Park with George", "The Sondheim Concert", etc. And I LOVE her in "The Jerk" and "Pennies From Heaven". I saw her once on Broadway in "Into the Woods" and got to have a photo taken with her after the show. Very sweet and kind, too. I also loved her on "The Tonight Show" when she sang the Hank Williams classic "I´m so Lonesome I Could Die"....WOW!!! Can you tell....am a big fan!

Mandy Petikin and Christine Baransky, wow! This is why these people including Bernadette Peters are such awesome actors❤ The theatre creates acting giants💕

I saw Bernadette in ‘Song And Dance ‘ in 1985 on Broadway. WOW! An afternoon I will never forget.

I just bought tickets to see her today!

Saw her on The Ed Sullivan Show. She sang some torch song with tears streaming down her face.

09:03 ROYALTY! Earned royalty.
I was one of thousands of boys who fell in love with Bernadette in the 70s.
SCTV's Andrea Martin did a drop-dead impression of her. And she blowed up real good!

Excellent documentary. I don't know anything about her but respect her immensely thanks to you

She deserved an Oscar nomination for "It Runs in the Family".

My first clear recollection of Bernadette Peters was when I was in a 1983 community theater production of Dames at Sea as Lucky and the only way I could rehears my songs at home was by listening to the original Soundtrack album that she was on and to this day her Ruby will always be the one I hear especially singing Raining in My Heart.

Happy this exists.

Amazing video! Can't wait to watch when you do one on Chita Rivera.

I think growing up, she was in a lot of things that I watched, such as Annie but I never really remembered her until I was a teenager and saw Into the Woods on DVD. Then I looked into her and started seeing her in everything and each new performance made me fall more and more in love with her. I used to check out cast albums from the library and when I randomly found her performance in Gypsy there, I played it on repeat, trying to match her voice (which I can't cuz I'm not a singer or perfomer of any kind). Gypsy is my favorite musical so her being a part of that was wonderful.

I adore her and have my whole life

Mack and Mabel is an amazing show. The best score, I have never understood the critics view of it.

I first discovered her when in 2020 I started watching animaniacs when I watched the oringal version of the series during the 7th episode of the first season right then and there I instantly was charmed by her voice and to this day it still soothes and serenades me very relaxing and like mentioned before her personality is charmingly beautiful and delightful and very flirtatious but of course these are all positives to her personality also the first time acutally seeing her curly hair and charmingly beautiful voice in a TV show aside from animaniacs was zoeys extraordnary Playlist and wow I was charmed by her as much as I was when I watched the oringal version of animaniacs when I found out that the show got a Christmas special released last year and discovered that she was going to be in it I got so hyped and excited that I wanted to watch it but then eventually when it came out I didn't get the chance to watch it witch still saddens me to this very day but however all is not last while I didn't get to witness it in all of it's glory I did get to her rendition of a well beloved and cherished Christmas song of mine and that was none other then the iconic Hawaiian Christmas song Mele Kalikimaka I was so happy that she got to sing a song such as that for a Christmas special like that hopefully I get to meet her one of these day's cause the amount of stuff she's in still manages to surprise and absolutely amaze me I also got last year a signed autographed picture of her framed and sitting on my desk and I also have on Two different cds into the wood's and annie get your gun both of witch of course are the versions with her in them honestly both were good and I was amazed at how for both musicals the supporting cast members and Bernadette Peter's herself did such a fantastic job that I still am amazed by the sheer amount of talent that they were able to accomplish and achieve here is hoping that one day I get to meet her in person one of these days

I have loved Bernadette since long ago!

I first saw her when I was about 14 on stage in George M! but didn't know then I was watching a Broadway legend being born. Sadly, I didn't see her in person for any other roles, just on TV in Sunday in the Park and various concerts and movies. She is just awesome.

Pennies from Heaven is one of my favorite musicals. Yes, it's dark and difficult. But oh my god, her "Love Is Good For Anything" with the kids from her classroom is just perfection - a number that truly lifts me in its joyous choreography, Bernadette's seductive glances to the camera, and the kids themselves tapping like they were born to tap. (Most of the numbers are stunning but these are a few standouts: Yes Yes! in the bank with Steve Martin tap dancing amidst stunning chorines; Pennies from Heaven, where Vernel Bagneris dances outside the diner as it rains Pennies; Let's Misbehave. Before most of us knew that Christopher Walken could dance, he showed off his astounding physicality in this seedy striptease.)

What a remarkable video!!!!!

I too knew her from Cinderella! Her performance of Falling in Love with Love still amazes me.

Ive always known about her from her role as the evil step mother in rogers and Hammersteins Cinderella and she’s the best step mother. And after Cinderella I kept on seeing her face in other movies like Annie but I didn’t know how great she was and her awards section on Wikipedia is mind blowing. I’m not surprised she’s damn talented 💖🌸

Bernadette seems to have been in a lot of shows and movies that I never watched, but growing up in 70s, I still knew who she was, even if I wasn't quite sure why she was famous. I probably did see her on the Carol Burnett Show, and I'm absolutely sure I saw her on The Muppet Show, but other than that, I'm not sure where I might have seen her.

I saw Into The Woods on PBS and immediately bought the VHS tape which I still have and watch frequently. I saw her live on Broadway in Song and Dance. Thanks to this video, I realized I saw her in Once Upon a Mattress years before that.

Sunday In The Park with George is my favorite musical and Bernadette is and was luminous in the role of Dot/Marie. The nostalgia and pure human experience-feelings I get from this show are unsurpassed. Also if I’m correct, did Bernadette host SNL in the 80’s?

Thank you for the lovely profile. Despite my decades of appreciation for Bernadette's work, I was initially reluctant to watch. I was an illustrator for a time, and my reaction to "Sunday in the Park with George" was nothing short of traumatic. I'm glad that I took the risk, however, to reacquaint myself with her other career highlights as well. I shed some tears, but they dry quickly.

Wow, never knew how much of her legacy was on screen rather than stage!

Annie was my first memory of her!!!! Love this

i THINK YOU HAVE A GREAT JOB IN FINDING bERNADETTE'S HUMANITY IN THE WHOLE SHOWBIZ WORLD THAT CAN BE SO DESTRUCTIVE FOR SO MANY PERFORMERS. wELL DONE

Great channel. Keep up the good work