Bernadette’s back: to perform with Erie Phil on Mercyhurst stage

The Mercyhurst Institute for Arts & Culture’s 2022-2023 season commences in grand fashion on Saturday, Sept. 17, when Tony Award-winning Broadway superstar Bernadette Peters returns to Mercyhurst University, joining the Erie Philharmonic for a special one-night-only concert in the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center.

Throughout her illustrious career, Bernadette Peters has dazzled audiences and critics with her performances on stage, film, and television; in concert; and on recordings. She has garnered numerous accolades, including three Tony Awards and a Golden Globe, three Emmy and four Grammy Award nominations, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

One of Broadway’s most critically acclaimed performers, Peters recently starred as Dolly Gallagher Levi in the hit musical “Hello, Dolly!” Prior to that, she starred in the City Center Encores! production “A Bed and a Chair: A New York Love Affair,” featuring music by Stephen Sondheim and orchestrations by Wynton Marsalis, and on Broadway in Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music” and “Follies.”

Peters garnered both the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for her performance in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Song and Dance” and won a Tony Award for her performance in “Annie Get Your Gun.” She received Tony nominations for her outstanding performances in Sam Mendes’ critically acclaimed revival of “Gypsy”; Neil Simon’s “The Goodbye Girl”; Stephen Sondheim’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical “Sunday in the Park with George”; Jerry Herman and Gower Champion’s ode to the movies, “Mack & Mabel”; and the Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green musical, “On the Town.” In addition to these honors, Peters earned a Drama Desk nomination for her unforgettable portrayal of The Witch in Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods.”

She boasts an impressive list of television credits, including guest-starring on the NBC series “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” for which she earned an Emmy nomination. The popular series was made into a TV movie musical titled “Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas” for The Roku Channel. Other recent TV appearances include The CW’s “Katy Keene,” CBS All Access’ “The Good Fight,” Amazon Prime’s Golden Globe-winning series “Mozart in the Jungle,” NBC’s “Smash,” ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “Ugly Betty.” She recently completed production on the new Apple TV series “High Desert,” scheduled to be released in early 2023.

In addition to starring in the Lifetime TV movie “Living Proof,” Peters has lit up the silver screen in over 30 films throughout her distinguished career. She received a Golden Globe Award for her memorable performance in “Pennies from Heaven.” Other film credits include “The Jerk,” “The Longest Yard,” “Silent Movie,” “Annie,” “Pink Cadillac,” “Slaves of New York,” Woody Allen’s “Alice,” “Impromptu,” “It Runs in the Family,” “Coming Up Roses,” “The Broken Hearts Gallery,” and most recently, a surprise appearance in the popular Jonathan Larson biopic “tick, tick…BOOM!”

Peters has recorded six solo albums, including the Grammy-nominated “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight,” “Sondheim, Etc.: Bernadette Peters Live at Carnegie Hall,” and “Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers & Hammerstein,” in addition to numerous original Broadway cast recordings.

Peters devotes her time and talents to numerous events that benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Her “pet project” Broadway Barks, co-founded with Mary Tyler Moore, is an annual star-studded dog and cat adoption event that benefits shelter animals in the New York City area. She is a New York Times best-selling author who has penned three children’s books: “Broadway Barks,” “Stella is a Star,” and “Stella and Charlie: Friends Forever.” All proceeds from the sale of these books benefit Broadway Barks. Peters resides in New York and Los Angeles with her rescue dogs, Charlie and Rosalia.

Tickets for Peters’ concert, priced $40-$65, can be purchased online at the MIAC ticketing website, over the phone at 814-824-3000, or in person at the Mary D’Angelo Performing Arts Center box office (open Tuesday-Thursday, noon-5 p.m.). Each order is subject to a $3 per ticket processing fee, regardless of purchase or payment method.

This performance is sponsored by Mary Lincoln and WQLN, and the 2022-2023 MIAC Live season is sponsored by Scott Enterprises, Dr. & Mrs. Robert Guelcher, Aetna, Cumulus Media, and the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority.