Betty Buckley on Embracing the Bed-Ridden Big Edie in Grey Gardens, Revisiting 'Memory' in Concert & More

Broadway powerhouse Betty Buckley is having a busy summer despite a lot of time in bed. In addition to starring in Bay Street Theater’s Grey Gardens in Sag Harbor through August 30, Buckley is readying a series of concerts highlighting her wide-ranging repertoire. Broadway.com chatted with the Texas beltress about her summer gigs, checking in on Carrie and Cats and knocking on the door of the real Grey Gardens.

The Tony winner turned to books and letters as she prepared to take on the role of real-life recluse Edith “Big Edie” Bouvier Beale in Grey Gardens, but she also practiced a more kinesthetic approach by visiting the actual estate with her director Michael Wilson and Broadway producer Daryl Roth. The restored house is home to fashion designer Liz Lange for the summer. “I just hopped up on the porch and knocked on the door,” said Buckley. “She was super gracious and took us on a tour.”

Taking up residence near the titular abode isn't the only way Buckley's embracing her character. After a horse-riding accident in May, she broke six vertebrae. As fate would have it, Big Edie doesn’t leave her bed—unless it's to get to her chair. “I recovered really quickly,” Buckley said, fortunately. “I texted Michael and said, ‘I think the universe is supporting me to play this part. I won’t have to act the physicality!’”

In the midst of Grey Gardens performances, Buckley will offer a series of concerts: first in Bellport at the Gateway Playhouse on August 17, then in Provincetown on September 3 and 4 at the Peregrine Theatre Ensemble. She, accompanied by music director Christian Jacob, will perform songs from her albums Ghostlight and Ah, Men!, American songbook staples and signature Buckley tunes.

“People expect me to sing ‘Memory,’ she says of the Andrew Lloyd Webber anthem she belted as Grizabella in Cats. “I came through the doorway of my potential as a singing actress with that song,” she says, while also teasing that the number is reserved as an encore for deserving audiences. 

Buckley will also headline a post-show talkback for Peregrine Theatre Ensemble’s staging of Carrie. After playing Margaret in the original short-lived Broadway production, she revisited the musical from the audience during the 2012 off-Broadway revival.

“You can’t help but think about your experience and your take on the part,” she admits. It’s a sensation she also experienced recently while attending Cats in the West End: “As soon as I walked into the theater, tears started streaming down my face. It just took me right back there. It was a thrill.”