Following her fantastically-life-affirming turn as Dolly Levi in ‘Hello, Dolly!’, Betty Buckley took only the briefest of breaks at her beloved Texas ranch, where horses and sunsets and family offered a much-needed balm for restoration and rebuilding. Not that Ms. Buckley was ever idle. She hatched her plans for concerts and teaching dates almost as soon as she said goodbye to Dolly, and her upcoming stint at Cafe Carlysle (March 10-21) looks to be another jewel in her performing crown. Ever since being bowled over by her portrayal of Norma Desmond in ‘Sunset Boulevard’ I’ve been a fan of Ms. Buckley’s. Her stage work is the stuff of studied genius, and her gloriously extensive catalog of recordings is a road-map of a singer’s journey. Not content to express herself solely through music, her acting prowess (a stunning turn in ‘Split’ recently) was honed by her stage work, as well as numerous appearances on television and film. Taken together, all those talents and skills are put to exquisite use in her live performances.
I had the privilege of attending one of her shows during the release of the ‘Hope’ album and it was just as wondrous as expected. In between some of her upcoming shows, Ms. Buckley will be offering several classes, and it struck me that the mark of a great artist is whether or not they share their knowledge and giftswith the world, allowing others to learn and grow from the choices and paths they have taken. Buckley has been roundly praised for the way she instructs – honoring and challenging her students while respecting the task at hand. In addition to respecting her students, she has always honored her audience. She once explained that instead of putting either artist or audience on a pedestal, she prefers to see them as equals, which opens up an entirely new dialogue. So much of a powerful performance depends on the investment of the viewer, and Buckley has been one of the artists who manages to completely engage the audience, whether it’s by transforming so magnificently into an indelible character like Dolly Levi or Norma Desmond, or by so personally attending to every nuance of a story song in her concert work.
There is an element of respect to Ms. Buckley that has always fascinated me. In a business where so much is based on egomania and self-promotion and relentless ambition, she’s made a career – a wildly-varied and successful career – without falling prey to such vainglory, bringing a timeless beauty that resonates within and without. That’s not easy to do in our culture of instant and unforgiving cancellation, or in an environment where youth is valued over all else. Ms. Buckley continues to defy is the world’s ageist notion that relevance and success is a thing of youth – simply by doing what she does, over and over again, and reinventing the ways in which an artist expresses themselves. It is a feat of majestic strength and power. She’s been doing that for her entire career, touching upon Broadway, television, singing, film and teaching. Her concert work may be seen as the most personal form of artistic expression, as the entire show is a journey of her own making. I’m looking forward to taking that journey with her once again.
