BETTY BUCKLEY
Add May 1 to the ever-expanding list of concert appearances for Betty Buckley. Buckley, who is appearing this weekend at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has just arranged a concert in Greensboro, North Carolina, on May 1. The concert will be held at the University of North Carolina, and the Tony winner will be backed by her usual quartet of musicians.

Also, a reminder that BB has been nominated for two MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Awards, one for Major Female Vocalist of the Year and the other for Major Artist Recording of the Year (for Much More on Sterling Records). The MAC Awards will be held on Sunday, April 19 at the Manhattan Center's Hammerstein Ballroom on West 34th Street. Call 212-465-2662 for more information...

BERNADETTE PETERS
Bernadette Peters was in Los Angeles this week to film an episode of the new Tom Selleck program, "The Closer." The CBS sitcom will feature Peters as a friend from Selleck's past; stay tuned for an air date. . . Peters is also set to perform in concert this weekend (March 27 and 28) in Dayton, Ohio, at the Dayton Convention Center . . . And, what's even more exciting is that it appears that BP is set to star in the upcoming revival of Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun. Although no official announcement has yet been made, Liz Smith had this to say in her column in Thursday's New York Post. Says Smith, "Fran and Barry Weissler sent me some gorgeous tulips after I suggested they put Bebe Neuwirth into the upcoming Annie Get Your Gun revival. They advise that they've already selected Bernadette Peters, and add, 'And, anyway, we don't ever intend to let Bebe out of Chicago !'"

BARBARA COOK
This week, I heard from a loyal diva watcher and Barbara Cook fan who attended Cook's recent concert at Queens Theatre in the Park. Originally scheduled for December 27, Cook was forced to cancel her evening performance due to vocal problems. However, all was forgiven when Cook enchanted the audience last Friday night with her thrilling soprano. What follows is Cook's eclectic program for the evening:

Cabaret/Sing Happy
It Might As Well Be Spring
I'm Beginning To See the Light
Look For the Silver Lining/Pennies From Heaven
Nobody Else But Me
Oh, What a Beautiful Morning
A Wonderful Guy
This Nearly Was Mine
Heart
The Very Next Man
The Surrey with the Fringe on Top
He Was Too Good To Me/Losing My Mind
A Trip to the Library
Errol Flynn
You Could Drive a Person Crazy
Can't Help Loving That Man/Bill
Accentuate the Positive
Encore: We'll Be Together Again (no microphone)

I am often asked to supply discographies for many of the women of the musical theatre, and I recently came across one for Barbara Cook that I thought you would be interested to have: As of Today (Collectors' Series)
Close As Pages in a Book (DRG)
Oscar Winners (DRG)
Broadway Years (Koch Records)
Live From London (DRG)
The Disney Album (MCA)
Songs from the Heart: Rodgers and Hart (Drive Archive)
Live at Carnegie Hall (Columbia)
Secret Garden (Varese Sarabande)
The Best Of (also featuring John Raitt) (Ranwood Records)
Celebrate Broadway, Volume 6: Beautiful Girls (RCA Victor)
Celebrate Broadway, Volume 5: Hello Young Lovers (RCA Victor)
Thumbelina Soundtrack (Capitol)
She Loves Me
The Rodgers and Hammerstein Songbook (Columbia)
Broadway's Fair Ladies (Columbia)
American Musical Theatre, Volume 4 (Smithsonian Records)
The Music Man (Capitol)
Show Boat (RCA Victor)
The King and I (Columbia)
Broadway Magic: the 60's (Columbia)
Cabaret Christmas (DRG)
American Songbook Series: Berlin (Smithsonian Records)
Carousel (MCA)

And, finally, for those of you who have yet to see Cook live, you can get another chance beginning this Tuesday, March 31 when she returns to the chic cabaret room of the Cafe Carlyle (Madison Avenue at 76th Street). Call 212-744-1600 for reservations.

ANDREA MARCOVICCI
Singer/actress Andrea Marcovicci has been one of the most enjoyable performers on the cabaret scene in the past decade, performing beautiful, themed shows that have been hailed by critics and audiences alike. Marcovicci has also recorded many of her shows, and her CDs to date include Marcovicci Sings Movies, What Is Love?, I'll Be Seeing You: The Love Songs of WWII; Just Kern; December Songs (a song cycle by Nine and Titanic composer Maury Yeston); Always Irving Berlin; New Words; and I Am Anne Frank (co-starring Stephen Bogardus as Peter). Marcovicci's latest work was recorded live for Radio 3 BBC in London at the Pizza on the Park cabaret in Knightsbridge in London, England, and is titled Andrea Marcovicci: Live from London. The recording features love songs from the theatre and focuses primarily on standards like "As Time Goes By" and "Some Enchanted Evening," but it also includes songs from more recent shows: Falsettos and Sunday in the Park With George. The CD is available by mail from Cabaret Recordings Inc. (Send $18 to Cabaret Records Inc., P.O. Box 4034, Garden City, NY 11531.) Following is a list of the tracks on Live from London:

As Time Goes By
Love Song
Medley: Where or When/ My Romance/I'll Tell the Man on the Street
That's Him
Some Enchanted Evening
Someone to Watch Over Me
Medley: Touch of Your Hand/Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Medley: Nobody's Heart/It Never Entered My Mind/Little Girl Blue
Shakespeare Lied
My Husband's First Wife
What More Can I Say?
Springtime
Finishing the Hat
There But for You Go I
Hello Young Lovers
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Marcovicci also has several concert and club dates set up for the next few months. From April 15-17, she will perform her newest show, "Noel Coward Selections," at the Gardenia in Los Angeles (call 213-467-7444), and on April 23-25 she will perform this new act at the Kaplan Penthouse in New York where she will be backed by the New York Philharmonic. Call 212-721-6500 for more information.

MAUREEN McGOVERN
I was recently sent a copy of Cabaret Scenes magazine that featured the multi-octave chanteuse, Maureen McGovern, on its cover. An interview with McGovern by writer Peter Haas was featured in the magazine, and what follows are some of the sublime singer's choice quotes:

about her first recording:
"I was performing at the Ramada in Bedford Heights, outside of Cleveland. Someone who came to see us sent my demo tape to several record companies. Everybody turned me down, except for 20th Century Records. The head of the label heard something in my voice, and told me, 'We'll look for a song for you.' The first thing they sent me was called 'The Morning After,' and we recorded it in Cleveland. I had to fly in from Canada, where I was doing five sets a night at some rock bar. I had a cold, so the song kept coming out as 'the mornigg after.' I had to do it over and over."

about her theatre work, which began with The Pirates of Penzance:
"I really found a home in theater. It grounded me in a way of performing that concerts alone had never done. And I love the ensemble work. In the theatre--and it's as true working with symphony orchestras and bands- it's all interrelated. It's all learning to work together. We need that! We're living on this planet as a disharmonious ensemble. I love working with other people. It's great!"

about her self-training as a singer:
"As a kid, I listened to Streisand, Judy Garland, Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme;--those were all my teachers. Connie Francis, the Andrews Sisters, the McGuire Sisters, I listened to them all, I sang with their records. I could belt out their songs while I was doing the dishes. In high school I used to live and breathe Streisand, every note, every breath, imitate her records. Then, of course, you have to let go and ask, 'Who's Maureen McGovern?' I started listening to Cleo Laine and the jazzier side of things. Her scat singing is phenomenal. I thought: other than a trained opera singer, who could sing that high? But I'd be singing along and suddenly I'd go, 'Oh! I can do that!' I started to sing along with my reed player, doing some flute and sax lines, just trying to sound like the instrument."

about her current plans:
"First of all, I've moved to Los Angeles. I'm a New Yorker at heart, but I feel that over the next five to ten years, I want to do more television and film; the heart of that is pretty much on the West Coast. I would love to be in a sit-com, get into a wonderful movie, play all kinds of roles from a bitchy woman to something comedic, something totally unexpected. That's what was fun about playing the demented nun in Airplane. All this is in addition to my continuing to do recordings and concerts, which I can do virtually from either coast."

REMINDERS: LAURIE BEECHMAN
There will be a memorial to the late star of Joseph, Cats and Les Miz on Monday, April 6. Richard Jay-Alexander--a close friend of Beechman's and director of her various night-club acts--is organizing the tribute, which will be held at the Winter Garden Theatre, where Beechman touched audiences for years portraying Grizabella, the Glamour Cat. The memorial is open to the public and is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

PATTI LuPONE
In addition to starring as Jolly in David Mamet's The Old Neighborhood at the Booth Theatre, LuPone is scheduled to perform in concert at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts, on April 5. Tickets can be purchased by calling 978-922-8500.

DIXIE CARTER
Dixie Carter concludes her run at the Cafe Carlyle this weekend on March 28. The Cafe Carlyle is located on Madison Avenue at 76th Street; reservations can be made by calling 212-744-1600.

KAREN MASON
On March 29 Mason will sing with the New York City Gay Men's Chorus at Avery Fisher Hall in a tribute to George Gershwin.

DONNA MURPHY
Hope you caught a dazzling Donna Murphy in the audience of the Oscars this week, seated next to the Academy Award-winning Joel Grey. Murphy, who was last on Broadway in the King and I revival, will portray Mary Todd Lincoln in a TNT production of The Day Lincoln Was Shot, which will air on that network on April 12.

ELAINE PAIGE
Elaine Paige officially opened this week in Moliere's The Misanthrope at London's Piccadilly Theatre. Tickets are available by calling 011-44-171 287-0464. . .On April 7 Paige will be one of the many stars celebrating Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday through song at the Royal Albert Hall. . .On June 7 and 8 EP will take part in the charity concert Hey Mr. Producer, which will celebrate the work of another legendary Brit, producer Cameron Mackintosh. . . .And, Paige will appear in concert at the Hampton Court Palace Festival on June 19. Tickets may be purchased by calling 011-171-344-4444

JULIE WILSON
Julie Wilson is currently performing at Michael's Pub at 57 East 54th Street (between Madison and Park Avenues). Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. There is a $20 music charge Tuesday-Saturday, $25 Friday and Saturday and a $15 food or drink minimum for all performances. Call 212-758-2272 or 212-355-0243 for reservations.

Well, that's all for now. Happy diva-watching!

by Andrew Gans
e-mail me at [email protected]