Bernadette Peters on Picking Up Her First Tony in a Bob Mackie Gown
By the time Bernadette Peters won her first Tony Award in 1986, she’d been a Broadway headliner for 20 years, including previously nominated performances in On the Town, Mack & Mabel and Sunday in the Park with George. Since her initial Best Actress win for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song & Dance, this theater icon has been nominated two more times (for The Goodbye Girl and Gypsy) and taken home a second Tony for Annie Get Your Gun. Broadway fans are rejoicing at the news that Peters will be back on the boards this summer as Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music, while celebrating the publication of her second children’s book, Stella Is a Star!. Below, Bernadette remembers her first time in the winners' circle.
Which year did you win your first Tony?
1986
For which role and show?
Emma in Song & Dance
Where were the awards held?
Minskoff Theatre
Who hosted?
I don't remember. [Note: There was no host.]
What did you wear?
A purple and black Bob Mackie gown
Who was sitting next to you?
Tom Hammond, my longtime manager
Who did you think would win your category?
I was hoping…!
What was the first thing that ran through your mind when they said your name?
I was thrilled.
Did you forget to thank anyone?
Richard Jay-Alexander, who was our stage manager at the time. He went on to run Cameron Mackintosh's New York office and is now a director.
Did you cry?
I don't think I did, no.
If you could relive that night, would you change anything?
Not forgetting Richard Jay-Alexander.
Who were you most surprised to hear from after the win?
I don't remember.
Did winning a Tony change your life? How?
It did not change my life, but I felt proud to be part of the theater community.
What's your biggest memory of the night?
I remember enjoying singing “Unexpected Song” during the show.
What's the best piece of advice you can offer for getting through Tony night?
Just relax and have a sense of humor.
Where do you keep your Tony?
On the bookshelf in my office.
