Happy, Happy Birthday Betty Buckley

It's the 3rd of July and I have to give a 'Happy birthday' shoutout to my dear, beautiful friend (and Tony Award winner), the luminous Betty Buckley.

Easily one of the most compelling artists of any medium I've encountered, she is powerful, demure, complex, sophisticated, and earthy at the same time. In many ways, deliciously impossible to define.

With Betty Buckley and hubby Michael after another triumphant performance

In 1992, Betty was (as she recounts) a replacement for the legendary Stephen Sondheim celebration at Carnegie Hall singing "Our Time/Children Will Listen" with the Harlem Boys Choir.

Since she had little time to learn the arrangement, as the story goes, she worried she would be the evening's disappointment.

It is no surprise that she was THE highlight of the evening.

I interviewed Betty some years ago, and by a wonderful twist of fate, we've become good friends.

Over the past few years I've seen Betty in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, NYC and London reveling in her limitless talent.

In any case, please enjoy her heart-stopping performance of "Children Will Listen" below and join me in celebrating another trip around the sun by my dear Betty Buckley.

The performance is particularly moving to me. I began my performing career in the acclaimed Texas Boys Choir in Fort Worth, Texas, where both Betty and I hail from.

Also, "Children Will Listen" is a song was fortunate to perform many times as "Jack" in Into The Woods.

Betty's gentle grace coupled with effortless power is a joy. Trust and believe, I've enjoyed this clip many, many times :)

One last thing - Betty will be starring in the upcoming national tour of the Tony Award winning revival of Hello, Dolly! this fall.

Do. Not. Miss. It.