BP in the Place to Be

One of our favorite scenes in one of our favorite movies has gotta be from the 1979 classic The Jerk. No, not the part where Navin discovers his “special purpose,” silly. We’re talking about the sweetest part of the movie, when Navin and Marie walk along the beach and sing “Tonight You Belong to Me.” We were impressed with Steve Martin’s crazy ukulele skills, but we fell head over heels for the wide-eyed, angelic-voiced, innocent-yet-tough Bernadette Peters. And our love has only blossomed with time, although her cinematic appearances have become increasingly rarer.

You see, Peters is a self-described “Broadway Baby.” Her heart belongs to the Great White Way. She’d rather be singing Sondheim than standing on a Hollywood film set. She’s been singing her heart out and performing regularly since about 1980, and has won seven Tony Award nominations along the way. Her career has endured, and her voice remains just as sweet as it was back in ’79. Hear for yourself tonight at 8 when she takes the stage at the Arsht Center. To give additional bombast to her renditions of the music of Stephen Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Irving Berlin, a full orchestra will accompany the stage and screen legend.
Sat., March 8, 8 p.m., 2008