The 10 Most Incredible Bernadette Peters Performances

CHILLS. In honor of the Broadway diva’s 65th birthday, here are some of her most memorable performances.

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The 10 Most Incredible Bernadette Peters P...
Louis Peitzman

10. “Sooner or Later”

As much as I love Madonna’s version from Dick Tracy, Bernadette nails this. It’s also just kind of mystifying that she’s still this sexy. It’s a Broadway kind of sexy — the kind that gay men really dig — but come on. She looks fabulous.

Source: youtube.com

9. “Johanna”

No video, sadly, but I love this performance. (Skip forward if you want to miss the gushing over Stephen Sondheim, but really, don’t do that.) It’s one of the loveliest songs from Sweeney Todd, and Bernadette kills it.

Source: youtube.com

8. “In Buddy’s Eyes”/”Losing My Mind”

Let’s get this out of the way: Bernadette was wrong for the role of Sally in the Follies revival. But on their own, her renditions of “In Buddy’s Eyes” and “Losing My Mind” are lovely. Naturally.

Source: youtube.com

7. “Being Alive”

Because I love Company so much, I was a bit resistent to Bernadette’s version. (She’s not Bobby, you know?) But this is great, and the song works just as well for a woman. I’m glad she’s added it to her repertoire.

Source: youtube.com

6. “Rose’s Turn”

Yeah, yeah, Bernadette’s Mama Rose in Gypsy didn’t get the same attention as Patti LuPone’s, but this is just really great. She captures the nervous breakdown perfectly — and still sounds awesome.

Source: youtube.com

5. “Children Will Listen”

Another of her standards, her performance in Into the Woods is sadly not available on YouTube. (You can watch the whole musical on Netflix, though! Do it!) Either way, it’s easy to see why this song is hers.

Source: youtube.com

4. “Move On”

It doesn’t get any better than Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters in Sunday in the Park With George. Her concert version of this song is powerful, but the song works best in the context of the scene. And how could we leave Mandy out?

Source: youtube.com

3. “Not a Day Goes By”

As she says, Merrily We Roll Along is one of Sondheim’s most complex shows, and this is not an easy number. And yet, Bernadette has made it her own with a flawless rendition that has become one of her standards.

Source: youtube.com

2. “Send in the Clowns”

There are other versions of Bernadette doing “Send in the Clowns,” which she ended up performing in the recent revival of A Little Night Music. But this is Bernadette Peters with STEPHEN FUCKING SONDHEIM on the piano. And it’s perfect.

Source: youtube.com

1. “Time Heals Everything”

It’s not the most well-known song on the list — and Mack & Mabel is certainly not the most well-known show — but this is such an incredible, devastating performance. It’s not Sondheim, but it’s breathtaking.

Source: youtube.com

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    • stateoftheartery 2 months ago

      I don’t understand why Unexpected Song wasn’t included.

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    • hermitina 2 months ago

      Also: this creepy, skulky, hilarious, weird performance of “Hello, Little Girl” (also from Into the Woods).  That tongue! :O

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    • marcm5 2 months ago

      She was indeed miscast in ‘Follies,’ but it mostly worked. While I’d’ve gone with ‘Last Midnight’ rather than ‘Children Will Listen,’ I liked this list.

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