Bernadette Peters Quotes

Singing lessons are like body building for your larynx.

In my career, there have been three things that were challenging: playing gay; playing a Jewish woman; and playing Anton Chekhov. The scariest part was playing Chekhov!

When something isn't done, you want to do something about it.

I lost a very dear friend who lived with AIDS for about 17 years. Rejecting early treatments that were iffy, he thought he saved himself. I really miss him a lot.

I love Some Enchanted Evening, and If I Loved You. And as I sing them more and more, I find new favorites.

When I grew up in the '60s, your hair had to be straight and you had to be skinny and have no boobs, and it was like not my era.

I think my manager of 30-some odd years now, Tom Hammond. He's as fine a person as you could ever meet. And he's had great theatrical taste and has influenced me that way.

The challenge of film is making it right there at that moment, and then you get to move on.

Animals speak with pure affection. It's important to me to get something going in NY so we can get to be a no-kill city, and give the animals homes and more attention and love.

You'd look out and there'd be little babies watching the show, and boys and girls. They loved the cowboys, and they loved Annie. There were young people seeing the show for the first time. I stayed for two years because I enjoyed it so much.

Getting plenty of sleep is always great. It really is. I have a girlfriend who's sending me a slant board.

Working on behalf of companion animals is so important. We start to realize how healing they are.

"Into the Woods" was... a lot of running around in the woods! I can't wait to see the show again. People didn't realize it back then, but kids still come up to me-young people-and they talk about it. It really made its mark.

When there's a terrible illness like AIDS sweeping through, you help people.

No One Is Alone by Stephen Sondheim is all about thinking for yourself and being your own person.

Stephen Sondheim told me that Oscar Hammerstein believed everything that he wrote. So there's great truth in the songs, and that's what was so wonderful to find.

The first Broadway show I ever heard was the recording of 'Carousel', and it was a very vivid experience.

I'd like to one day play Amanda, the mother, in The Glass Menagerie.

I love pasta with the homemade marinara sauce I had as a kid.

It was like being high when you reach those high notes.

The first big lead that I had on Broadway was in a show called La Strada.

George M. is where I met my dear friend Joel Grey. We connected at rehearsal one day during a five-minute break. We were both looking out the same window and we knew in five minutes that we'd made a connection.

I feel strongly for gay marriage to be accepted.

We've been listening to Wagner, which is so great.

It was one of the most exciting, perfect evenings of my life, my solo debut at Carnegie Hall. And knowing we were all there to raise money for Gay Men's Health Crisis made the evening an extraordinary experience.

I don't smoke, I don't drink much, I don't eat red meat. I stay out of the sun.

It Might As Well Be Spring... I used to sing that as a young girl in my voice lessons. Then I picked it up again and it spoke to me in a whole new way.

You've got to be original, because if you're like someone else, what do they need you for?

I know Mama Rose is a great role and I love having a chance to do it.

I've been fortunate in my career to have performed in revivals of great musicals and to have originated roles in musicals that have in turn been revived. And I'm not dead!