Tony Winner Betty Buckley Will Star in Revival of Dear World at London's Charing Cross Theatre

By Andrew Gans
August 5, 2012

Tony Award winner Betty Buckley, who will return to Feinstein's at Loews Regency in October with a brand-new program, will star in The Charing Cross Theatre's production of Jerry Herman's Dear World, which begins performances in February 2013.

The production will be directed and choreographed by Gillian Lynne, the choreographer who helped guide Buckley to a Tony Award for her performance in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats. Performances will continue through the end of March.

Buckley, her assistant confirmed to Playbill.com, will play the role of Countess Aurelia, the part created on Broadway by Tony winner Angela Lansbury.

"Set in post-war Paris in 1945,"  production notes state, "this musical fable of Good versus Evil is a tale for our times, with only a madwoman and her odd collection of acquaintances to save the city from corporate greed."

Based on Jean Giraudoux's "The Madwoman of Chaillot," Dear World opened on Broadway in 1969 with Angela Lansbury in the lead role of Aurelia, the Madwoman of Chaillot. Although the show played only 132 performances, Lansbury went on to win a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical.

Charing Cross Theatre is located on Villiers Street in London. For more information call 08444 930 650 or visit www.charingcrosstheatre.co.uk.

*

As previously reported, Buckley will play Feinstein's, which is closing its doors in December, Oct. 2-27. Details about Buckley's newest concert act will be announced at a later time.

Buckley has also announced a slew of concert dates and master classes through the end of the year.

Aug. 5 - 9: Song Interpretation and Monologue Workshop at the Schreiber School; call (212) 741-0209 or visit info@tschreiber.org
August 11 & 12: The Art House in Provincetown, MA with Seth Rudetsky
August 19 - Mahaiwe Theater in Great Barrington, MA - Ah, Men! with John McDaniel and Tony Marino
Sept. 2 - With Michael Feinstein at Tanglewood
Oct. 2 - 27 - At Feinstein's in NYC
Oct. 30 - November 4: Rrazz Room in San Francisco - Ah, Men! with Christian Jacob, Peter Barshay and Alan Hall
Nov. 15 - 18: The Smith Center in Las Vegas: Ah, Men! with Christian Jacob, Peter Barshay and Matt Betton
Dec. 3 - 6: Song Interpretation and Monologue Workshop at the College of the Desert in Palm Desert
Dec. 8 - Annenberg Theater in Palm Springs - Ah, Men! with John McDaniel

Betty Buckley offered acclaimed performances in Broadway's Sunset Boulevard, Carrie, Song & Dance, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 1776, Triumph of Love and Promises, Promises. She won a Tony Award for her performance as Grizabella in the Broadway production of Cats, and she starred on the London stage in Promises, Promises and Sunset Boulevard, earning an Olivier Award nomination for her work in the latter. Her screen credits are numerous.

Read more about Betty Buckley's career at the Playbill Vault.

Watch a Video Celebration of Betty Buckley, from Broadway to London and Carnegie Hall, here.

*

The complete track listing for Buckley's new CD follows:

I Can See It
From The Fantasticks (Music by Harvey Schmidt, Lyrics by Tom Jones)

My Defenses Are Down
From Annie Get Your Gun (Music, Lyrics by Irving Berlin)

Jet Song
From West Side Story (Music by Leonard Bernstein, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim)

Maria
From West Side Story (Music by Leonard Bernstein, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim)

I Won’t Dance
From the film "Roberta" (Music by Jerome Kern, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harback, Jimmy McHugh & Dorothy Fields)

Venice
From Elegies (Music, Lyrics by William Finn)

Luck Be A Lady
From Guys and Dolls (Music, Lyrics by Frank Loesser)

Song On The Sand
From La Cage Aux Folles (Music, Lyrics by Jerry Herman)

A Hymn to Her
Adapted from the song “A Hymn To Him” from My Fair Lady (Music arranged by Eric Stern and Lyrics by Eric Kornfeld)

Come Back To Me
From On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (Music by Burton Lane, Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner)

Hey There
From Pajama Game (Music, Lyrics by Richard Adler & Jerry Ross)

Sweeney Todd Suite: Not While I’m Around/Johanna/My Friends
From Sweeney Todd (Music, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim)

Corner of the Sky
From Pippin (Music, Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz)

More I Cannot Wish You
From Guys and Dolls (Music, Lyrics by Frank Loesser)

For more information visit www.palmetto-records.com.

Visit the Playbill Store for other vocal recordings, cast recordings and theatrical memorabilia.