Acclaimed artist-in-residence Betty Buckley returns to Mercyhurst

Mercyhurst University is thrilled to welcome artist-in-residence Betty Buckley, legendary, multi-award-winning actress and singer whose illustrious career spans theatre, film, television, and concert halls worldwide. Buckley will return to campus for a workshop with Mercyhurst students from Wednesday, March 26, through Friday, March 28, followed by a public concert with Seth Rudetsky on Saturday, March 29, at 7:30 p.m. at Walker Recital Hall. 
 
A recipient of honorary doctorates from Boston Conservatory of Music and Marymount Manhattan College, Buckley has taught at institutions including Boston University, University of Oklahoma, Syracuse University, Carnegie Mellon, and the University of North Texas, among others. She has also led workshops at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Festival and has served on the faculty at T. Schreiber Studio in New York City for over 50 years. 
 
A trailblazer in modern musical theatre, Buckley earned acclaim for her iconic roles in “1776,” “Pippin,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” “Carrie,” and “Cats,” which earned her a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She later received a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Hesione in “Triumph of Love” and an Olivier Award nomination for her lauded portrayal of Norma Desmond in the London production of “Sunset Boulevard,” a role she reprised to further critical acclaim on Broadway. In 2018 and 2019, she headlined the first National Tour of the new Broadway production of “Hello, Dolly!” 
 
Her extensive Off-Broadway credits include “The Old Friends” (2014 Drama Desk nomination), “White’s Lies,” “Juno’s Swans,” “Edwin Drood” for the NYSF, and “I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking it on the Road.” Regional credits include “The Perfectionist,” “Gypsy,” “Threepenny Opera,” “Camino Real,” “Buffalo Gal,” “Arsenic and Old Lace,” and “Grey Gardens” (2016 Ovation Award nomination).   
 
She was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame in 2012 and has received numerous prestigious awards, including the 2017 Julie Harris Award for Lifetime Achievement from The Actors Fund and the 2023 American Songbook Association Lifetime Achievement Award.  
 
Alongside her theatrical achievements, Buckley continues to work extensively in the film industry. She is featured in the new film “By Design,” written and directed by Amanda Kramer, which made its debut at The Sundance Film Festival in January 2025. She is also featured in the upcoming film “Eternity” for A24 Studios, starring Miles Teller and Elizabeth Olsen. In March 2024, she co-starred in “Imaginary” for Blumhouse and Lionsgate. Other film credits include the M. Night Shyamalan hit film “Split,” in which she co-starred with James McAvoy and received a Saturn Award nomination, Shyamalan’s “The Happening,” Lawrence Kasden’s “Wyatt Earp,” Woody Allen’s “Another Woman,” Roman Polanski’s “Frantic,” Bruce Beresford’s “Tender Mercies,” and Brian DePalma’s screen version of Stephen King’s “Carrie.” 
 
Buckley recently wrote, narrated, and produced “The Mayfly,” an animated short film directed by award-winning animator Sue Perrotto, with music by Buckley’s longtime musical director and accompanist Christian Jacob. Animated traditionally in 2D, “The Mayfly” is the story of Megalyn Mayfly, who goes against all expectations and dedicates her short life to music and dance on a quest that takes her from Central Park West to the Upper East Side's Carlyle Hotel. “The Mayfly” had its world premiere on March 24 at the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival (AmDocs) in Palm Springs, California, and has garnered critical acclaim at film festivals worldwide, including The Tribeca Film Festival in NYC. 
 
Buckley’s recent television credits include a recurring role on “Law & Order: SVU” for NBC. She co-starred in the third season of AMC’s hit series “Preacher” and has guest-starred on “The Cleaning Lady,” “Supergirl,” “Chicago Med,” and “Pretty Little Liars.” For HBO, she appeared on “Getting On,” “The Leftovers,” “The Pacific,” and for three seasons on “OZ.” She also played everyone’s favorite stepmother, Abby Bradford, in the drama series “Eight is Enough.” 
 
In 2022, Buckley released the compilation recording “Betty Buckley Sings Stephen Sondheim” as a tribute to the late composer. The recording consists of 24 songs previously recorded throughout her career. Buckley has recorded 18 CDs, including “Hope,” released in 2018; “Story Songs,” released in April 2017; and “Ghostlight,” produced by T Bone Burnett, released in 2014.  She has received two Grammy nominations and tours extensively in concert with her ensemble of musicians.  
 
Buckley has been honored with three Lifetime Achievement Awards for her contributions to theatre from the New England Theatre Conference, The Shubert Theater in New Haven, and the T. Schreiber School in New York City.  For her work in the national tour of “Hello, Dolly!”, she was honored with the Sarah Siddons Award for outstanding performance in a Chicago Theatrical Production. 
 
For her March 29 concert, Buckley will be joined by SiriusXM host, pianist, conductor, writer, and performer Seth Rudetsky. 
 
Rudetsky spent many years on Broadway as a pianist and conductor, as well as two years as a comedy writer on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” for which he received three Emmy nominations with his co-writers. He is now the afternoon deejay on the SiriusXM Broadway channel as well as the host of “Seth Speaks.” He has performed his show “Deconstructing Broadway” in London, Boston (Irne award), and L.A. (with Barbra Streisand in the audience!). He co-wrote and co-starred in “Disaster!” (NY TIMES critics’ pick) on Broadway, which was licensed by Music Theatre International and is being performed around the country. His books include “Seth’s Broadway Diary Volume 1 and 2” (Dress Circle publishing), “My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan” and “The Rise and Fall of a Theatre Geek” (Random House), and the recently released “Musical Theatre for Dummies.” 
 
Tickets, priced $50-$60, can be purchased online at miac.universitytickets.com, over the phone at 814-824-3000, or in person at the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center box office (Tues.-Thurs., noon-5 p.m.). Each order is subject to a $4 per ticket processing fee, regardless of purchase or payment method. 
 
This performance is sponsored by Gary’s Flower Shoppe, and the 2024-2025 MIAC Live season is sponsored by Alan & Patti Schaal and VNET, with additional support from the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality and the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority. 
 
NOTE: While this performance is sold out, additional tickets may be released on the evening of the performance, Saturday, March 29. Seats will be sold to patrons waiting in the cancellation line on a first-come, first-served basis. The box office will open at 6 p.m., but patrons may start lining up earlier in the day.