Betty Buckley

All Music Guide:

Actress/singer Betty Buckley has starred in numerous theatrical productions, as well as making appearances in film and television, but she is perhaps best known for her role as Grizabella in the Broadway version of Cats and her corresponding performance of the show's signature number, "Memory."

Betty Lynn Buckley was born on July 3, 1947, in Fort Worth, Texas; at age 11, she attended a production of The Pajama Game and fell irrevocably in love with the theater, studying vocalists like Judy Garland and Ella Fitzgerald to develop her technique. After getting a degree in journalism from Texas Christian and touring with a USO troupe, Buckley found her way to New York, where in 1969 she landed the Broadway role of Martha Jefferson in 1776. She moved to London later in the year, where she starred in Neil Simon's Promises, Promises, and spent the next five years acting in both London and New York, as well as portraying the gym teacher in the 1976 Stephen King film Carrie.

In 1977, Buckley achieved national recognition with her role as the stepmother on the television series Eight Is Enough; she landed roles in such films as Tender Mercies and musicals like I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road. When Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats made the jump from London to Broadway, Buckley was tapped to portray Grizabella; in spite of the character's trademark song, "Memory," having been a hit single for London cast member Elaine Page, with versions also recorded by Barbra Streisand and Judy Collins, Buckley acquitted herself so well that she was awarded the 1983 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She went on to appear in productions of The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1985), Song and Dance (1986), and the short-lived Broadway version of Carrie (1988; this time portraying the religious mother).

More recently, Buckley has appeared in the films Frantic (1988) and Wyatt Earp (1994) and the play Sunset Boulevard (1994). In addition to her cast recordings, Buckley has also begun recording a series of albums, both live and in the studio, mostly consisting of show tunes. The first, 1987's Betty Buckley, featured several of the singer's own compositions; 1993's Children Will Listen returned her to more standard territory, and 1994's With One Look diversified her range a bit, with covers of Hank Williams, Joni Mitchell, and Mary-Chapin Carpenter. 1997's Much More was followed two years later by Betty Buckley's Broadway. Heart to Heart appeared in the spring of 2000.

Wikipedia:

Betty Lynn Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is an American theater, film and television actress and singer. She is a Tony Award winner and Grammy Award nominee.

Early life

Betty Lynn Buckley was born in Big Spring, Texas and raised in Fort Worth, the daughter of Betty Bob (née Diltz), a dancer and journalist, and Ernest Lynn Buckley, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force and former dean of engineering at South Dakota State University. She is the oldest of their four children. She has three brothers—Norman Buckley is a film editor and TV director. While a student at Texas Christian University (TCU), she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha and crowned "Miss Fort Worth" in 1966 and was runner-up in the Miss Texas competition. Buckley was then invited to perform at the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, and it was there that she was spotted by a talent scout. After returning to TCU to earn her college degree, she toured Asia to visit soldiers wounded in the Vietnam War. After this, she worked for a time as a reporter for the Fort Worth newspaper, but went to New York City in 1969, where she landed the role of Martha Jefferson in 1776 her first day in town.

Career

Stage and screen career

Buckley made her Broadway debut in 1969 in the musical 1776; she has been called "The Voice of Broadway" by New York magazine. Her rendition of "Memory" in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats established her reputation. She is perhaps best known for the 1977–81 TV dramedy Eight is Enough. She joined the show in its second season when the original star, Diana Hyland, died after the first four episodes of season one. Hyland's character (Joan Bradford) died, and Buckley was cast as the widower's new romantic interest, Sandra Sue Abbott (nicknamed Abby), who would become stepmother of the eight children to which the series' title refers.

Buckley also appeared in the original movie version of Carrie in 1976. She played Miss Collins, Carrie's gym teacher; in 1987, she appeared as Margaret White in the musical adaptation of the film. In 1977, she recorded an uncredited solo on the song "Walking in Space", in the movie Hair.

She played the role of a country singer in Bruce Beresford's film Tender Mercies (1982), in which she sang the song "Over You".

She also appeared in the Woody Allen film Another Woman (1988) and in Roman Polanski's Frantic (1988). In 2001–03, she played a role in seasons 4–6 of the HBO series Oz. She also has guest-starred in a number of television series, including Without a Trace, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Monk. She guest-starred in a Christmas special of the TV series Remember WENN, in which she sang "You Make It Christmas".

Buckley sang "Memory" from Cats at the Kennedy Center Honors in December 2006 as part of the tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber. In 2007, Buckley appeared with Quintessence at Lincoln Center in its Great American Songbook series.

In 2008, Buckley played "Mrs. Jones" in M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening opposite Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel. She appeared as "Marion Leckie", mother of Robert Leckie in the HBO series The Pacific, produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, which aired in 2010.

Buckley also appeared in the 18th episode of Melrose Place in 2010 as a food critic cast by her brother Norman Buckley, who directed the episode. She has recently filmed a guest star appearance in an episode of the new Fox series The Chicago Code. Most recently she appeared on Pretty Little Liars as Regina Marin, also directed by her brother Norman.

Buckley participated in a reading of the musical Ruthless! in September, 2010, playing the role of Sylvia St. Croix/Ruth DelMarco.

In 2011 Buckley starred in the Dallas Theater Center production of Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring with Tovah Feldshuh.

Music career

Buckley has recorded 12 solo albums and gives concerts and makes guest solo appearances across the U.S. each year. She is also a composer; her first recording contains mostly songs she wrote. She is also featured on many Broadway compilation recordings, and on the original cast recordings of 1776, Cats, the Promises, Promises London recording, Triumph of Love and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She has been twice nominated for a Grammy Award.

Her albums, Quintessence and 1967, were released by Playbill Records in February 2008. Quintessence features jazz arrangements of standards by her longtime collaborator, jazz pianist Kenny Werner. 1967 is a recording made when Miss Buckley was just 19, produced by T-Bone Burnett.

Her new album "Ghostlight" was produced by the legendary T Bone Burnett and will be released in 2012.

Personal life

Buckley was married to Peter Flood in 1972, divorced in 1979, and has no children. She lives on a ranch in Texas and participates in NCHA cutting horse competitions while continuing to appear in films, television and theater and to sing concerts in a wide variety of venues.

Buckley has also taught song interpretation and scene study for over 40 years. She conducts master classes in Fort Worth, New York City, Los Angeles and other cities around the country. "No matter what your career, to communicate at your best is absolutely vital, whether it's to one person, a group or an entire audience. But most people get nervous, forgetful and too fearful to express themselves," says Buckley. "I'll help you redefine that fear and use it to your advantage. We'll talk about the dynamics of communication, the essence of common respect, and training your mind to focus on your behalf."

Buckley's official website contains her concert and theater schedule, a detailed biography and timeline, and summaries of her singing and acting accomplishments.

Broadway credits

Off-Broadway credits

Filmography

Five Time Champion (2011) as Fran

The Happening (2008) as Mrs. Jones

Mummy an' the Armadillo (2004) as Let

New World Order (2002) as Rose Kross

Simply Irresistible (1999) as Aunt Stella

Wyatt Earp (1994) as Virginia Earp

Last Time Out (1994) as Maxine Black

Rain Without Thunder (1992) as Beverly Goldring

Another Woman (1988) as Kathy

Frantic (1988) as Sondra Walker

Wild Thing (1987) as Leah

Tender Mercies (1983) as Dixie

Carrie (1976) as Miss Collins

Television