Acclaimed artist-in-residence Betty Buckley carves out week for 杏吧直播间 students, Erie area arts patrons

Betty Buckley

杏吧直播间 artist-in-residence Betty Buckley, whose career spans theatre, film, television, and concert halls around the world, will return to campus for a weeklong workshop, Sunday through Thursday, April 14-18, and a public concert at Walker Recital Hall on Friday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m.

Buckley currently co-stars in the new horror film 鈥淚maginary.鈥 From Blumhouse, the genre-defining masterminds behind 鈥淔ive Nights at Freddy鈥檚鈥 and 鈥淢3GAN,鈥 the film explores the universal idea of imaginary friends and childhood connections to them and what otherworldly realms they may inhabit.

Additionally, Buckley recently wrote, narrated, and produced 鈥淭he Mayfly,鈥 an animated short film directed by award-winning animator Sue Perrotto, with music by Buckley鈥檚 longtime musical director and accompanist Christian Jacob. 鈥淭he Mayfly鈥 had its world premiere on March 24 at the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival (AmDoc Film Festival) in Palm Springs, California.

The recipient of honorary doctorates from Boston Conservatory of Music and Marymount Manhattan College, Buckley has taught at Boston University, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Central University, Carnegie Mellon, Boston Conservatory of Music, Syracuse University, Ball State University, Marymount Manhattan College, Fordham University, College of the Desert in Palm Desert, California, University of North Texas, and University of Texas at Arlington. She has also taught workshops at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Festival, and Smith Barney Investment Firm, and has been on the faculty of T. Schreiber Studio in New York City for over 40 years.

Buckley is a 2012 Theatre Hall of Fame inductee, the 2017 recipient of the Julie Harris Award for Lifetime Achievement from The Actors Fund, and the 2023 recipient of the American Songbook Association Lifetime Achievement Award. She won a Tony Award for 鈥淐ats鈥 and received her second Tony nomination for 鈥淭riumph of Love.鈥 She garnered an Olivier Award nomination in London for her performance in 鈥淪unset Boulevard,鈥 which she repeated to more rave reviews on Broadway.

In 2018 and 2019, Buckley headlined the first national tour of the new Broadway production of 鈥淗ello, Dolly!鈥 Her other Broadway credits include 鈥1776,鈥 鈥淧ippin,鈥 鈥淪ong and Dance,鈥 鈥淭he Mystery of Edwin Drood,鈥 and 鈥淐arrie.鈥 She starred in the London productions of 鈥淒ear World鈥 and 鈥淧romises, Promises鈥 (Evening Standard nomination).

Off Broadway she has starred in 鈥淭he Old Friends鈥 (2014 Drama Desk nomination), 鈥淲hite鈥檚 Lies,鈥 鈥淛uno鈥檚 Swans,鈥 鈥淓dwin Drood鈥 for the NYSF, and 鈥淚鈥檓 Getting My Act Together and Taking it on the Road.鈥 Regional credits include 鈥淭he Perfectionist,鈥 鈥淕ypsy,鈥 鈥淭hreepenny Opera,鈥 鈥淐amino Real,鈥 鈥淏uffalo Gal,鈥 鈥淎rsenic and Old Lace,鈥 and 鈥淕rey Gardens鈥 (2016 Ovation Award nomination). 听

Her film credits include M. Night Shyamalan鈥檚 hit film, 鈥淪plit,鈥 released in January 2017, in which she co-stars with James McAvoy and for which she received a Saturn Award nomination. Other film credits include Shyamalan鈥檚 鈥淭he Happening,鈥 Brian de Palma鈥檚 鈥淐arrie,鈥 Bruce Beresford鈥檚 鈥淭ender Mercies,鈥 Roman Polanski鈥檚 鈥淔rantic,鈥 Woody Allen鈥檚 鈥淎nother Woman,鈥 and Lawrence Kasden鈥檚 鈥淲yatt Earp.鈥

Her recent television credits include a recurring role on 鈥淟aw & Order: SVU鈥 for NBC and a guest starring role on the new Fox/Warner Bros. show 鈥淭he Cleaning Lady.鈥 She co-starred in the third season of AMC鈥檚 鈥淧reacher,鈥 NBC鈥檚 鈥淐hicago Med,鈥 HBO鈥檚 鈥淭he Leftovers鈥 and 鈥淕etting On,鈥 the miniseries 鈥淭he Pacific,鈥 and the series 鈥淥Z.鈥 She starred for four seasons as Abby Bradford on the hit series 鈥淓ight is Enough,鈥 and has made guest appearances on 鈥淲ithout a Trace鈥 and 鈥淧retty Little Liars.鈥 She also starred in the miniseries 鈥淏onnie and Clyde,鈥 鈥淩oses for the Rich,鈥 and 鈥淓vergreen,鈥 along with various films for television. Buckley has received two Emmy nominations.

She recorded the audio play 鈥淭he Vanishing Negative鈥 by Aaron Mark for Audible in 2020. In 2022, Buckley released the compilation recording 鈥淏etty Buckley Sings Stephen Sondheim鈥 as a tribute to the late composer. 听The recording consists of 24 songs previously recorded throughout her career. 听Buckley has recorded 18 CDs, including 鈥淗ope,鈥 released in 2018; 鈥淪tory Songs,鈥 released in April 2017; and 鈥淕hostlight,鈥 produced by T Bone Burnett, released in 2014. 听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 Cith. 听For her work in the national tour of 鈥淗ello, Dolly!鈥, she was honored with the Sarah Siddons Award for outstanding performance in a Chicago Theatrical Production.

Tickets, priced $35-$45, can be purchased online at miac.universitytickets.com, over the phone at 814-824-3000, or in person at the Mary D鈥橝ngelo 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 Weber Murphy Fox, and the 2023-24 MIAC Live season is sponsored by Scott Enterprises, Aetna, Alan & Patti Schaal, the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality, and the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority.