Review: Betty Buckley's Latest Residency at Joe's Pub Is Spectacular

Betty Buckley opened her annual and too-short (three-night) residency at Joe’s Pub last night, Thursday May 16. I caught the second set.

For those few Broadway World readers who aren’t familiar with her, Buckley is most famous for her roles as gym teacher Miss Collins in the 1976 film Carrie, creating the role of Grizabella in Cats on Broadway (for which she won a Tony), and, of course, stepmom Abby Elliott in the television show Eight is Enough. As a singer, she has 18 solo albums to her credit, with multiple Grammy nominations.

The last time I saw Betty Buckley perform, it was at one of her wonderful Saint Bartholomew concerts in 1984. I thought it was the first time. I never saw Cats, but I had pretty cool parents, and sometime in 1969 or 1970, they took my brother and me to see 1776. I remembered Martha Jefferson as being particularly attractive and wonderful, though it would be many years before I realized that it was Betty Buckley in that role.

Buckley was accompanied by a tight quartet of pianist/musical director Christian Jacob, bassist Tony Marino, drummer Keita Ogawa, and guitarist Jordan Peters. The set, she proclaimed, would consist of some new songs and some favorites. She chose mostly familiar songs from multiple genres, with a couple of wonderful surprises.

The star arrived to the stage after a rock/jazz fusion instrumental by the band. Buckley was dressed in black slacks with a black top with something of a chalk-line design, her hair now entirely white. Her patter exudes grace and gratitude, particularly towards her band, and those who made the show possible. By the set’s end, her personal sound man, her “long-suffering” assistant, and many staff at Joe’s Pub received personal acknowledgements from Buckley.

Buckely opened with Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin,” a 1964 song that feels as apropos in today’s times as it was then. For this song, as well as nearly all of them, Buckley held court on a stool, often glancing at her book of lyrics. Though this was distracting visually, it felt more like a crutch than a need. Buckley clearly knows her material. Her delivery and storytelling skills are exceptional, and she sells the story with her voice, eyes and mannerisms. Her voice is in very good shape, though slightly darker and deeper than I remember. Throughout the set, Buckley displayed the crisp enunciation of a seasoned actor, which helps bring every word to life. It was a hallmark of singers like Sinatra.

The star acknowledged the late Joe Papp - the Joe of Joe’s Pub - as a man very important to her career. She auditioned for “every Shakespearean queen” in Papp’s productions, she noted, but was never cast.

Buckley first learned the profound and moving “Everything Must Change” at age 22, while performing in 1776, when she heard Sarah Vaughan perform it in concert. Before starting the song, she had Marino perform an extended, standalone bass solo. She sang it beautifully and with much feeling.

For James Taylor’s “On the 4th of July,” Buckley moved over to Ogawa’s drums while he played an extended solo. By the end of the set, each member of the quartet had such an opportunity to shine, an unusually generous act for a star performer.

Each song in second half of the show seemed to raise the bar on the previous number. After a moving arrangement of Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright,” Buckley got around to a song she described earlier in the set. She had seen Sara Bareilles perform “Enough,” which she wrote for the Broadway-bound musical The Interestings. Buckley was so moved, she emailed Bareilles, asking permission to perform the song. Bareilles had her team send Buckley the demo and music, along with her blessings. This is a wonderful song. Buckley’s rendition was her best acting of the set to this point, performed with only Christian Jacob’s piano accompaniment.

Buckley noted that Paul Simon’s weary, patriotic “American Tune” seems as important right now as it was when he wrote it, and she took the audience with her as she sang “That’s all, I’m trying to get some rest.”

“Enough” might have remained the biggest highlight of the evening, were it not for the finale, a spectacular rendition of the song most associated with Buckley, “Memory” from Cats. Peters, on acoustic guitar, played a lengthy, stunning solo piece, with Buckley at his side. When she began to sing, it was nearly surprising to hear the word “Memory.” For the first time, she stood to sing, and until the bridge, was accompanied only by Peters. Buckley owns this song, and she knows it. There would be no glancing at lyrics. The bass came in at the bridge, with the full band joining at the break. Buckley’s full-throated denouement induced goosebumps and tears throughout the audience, and garnered a standing ovation.

Buckley’s appearance at Joe’s Pub is a bit short, but see it - if it's not entirely sold out.

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Betty Buckley has two additional shows at Joe’s Pub on Saturday, May 17. For more information, click here.

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