Dan's Papers - April 25, 2008 - Bebe Neuwirth Promises Intimate Experience at WHBPAC

Though most people might know her best as the restrained and unemotional Dr. Lilith Sternin, the wife - and later ex-wife - of Dr. Frasier Crane on "Cheers" and "Frasier," anyone who knows anything about theater knows that Broadway is where Bebe Neuwirth has received most of her accolades.

And fans, expecting, perhaps, an extension of her Broadway career, might be surprised when Neuwirth comes to the Westhampton Beach Perfomring Arts Center on Sunday, April 27, she says. Calling it an "intimate experience," Neuwirth says while she will be singing on stage, she will be supported solely by Scott Cady on piano and the show's repertoire will consist of a wide range of songs, from Broadway to Tom Waits, from the well known to the obscure. "These songs are not things I do generally," she said. "But they are very, very beautiful songs that tell beautiful stories. They're all very meaningful to me. They certainly describe moments of my own life."

But it's not all about herself, says Neuwirth, who wants the audience to walk away with its own sense of meaning for each song. "I'd like to have audience [members] come up with their own interpretation of a piece and how it relates to them," she said. "We're performing the show, but the people in the audience are a part of that show."

Neuwirth, who grew up in Princeton, N.J., took to the stage at an early age as a dancer. "I was always a performer," she said. "I've always felt much more comfortable onstage. I'm not an exhibitionist or anything. I'm just kind of shy. It's easier to hide onstage as another character. I always felt a bit uncomfortable in social situations."

She made her Broadway debut in 1980, in the role of Sheila in A Chorus Line. She also was featured in revivals of Little Me, Damn Yankees and Sweet Charity, receiving for the latter a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.

In the role of Velma Kelly, Neuwirth also garnered a Tony, as well as a Drama Desk Award as Best Lead Actress in a Musical, for her work in the 1996 revival of Chicago. She rejoined the cast of Chicago in 2007, this time taking on the role of Roxie Hart.

Considering her vast array of roles, Neuwirth says no one stands out more than the others. "I love them all while working on them," she said, "because you have to. Otherwise, you're going to do a lousy show." She said she just feels lucky to have been able to work with "geniuses" such as Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett and Gwen Verdon during her career.

Neuwirth says that as an artist there are often personal reasons for taking on a particular role. "It might change your life personally, or teach you something," she said. "Artists, through their work, their minds expand and their hearts expand." A good example of this, she says, is when she took on the role of Roxie in Chicago, after she had hip replacement surgery. "I was at a different place in life. I had been very successful and was lucky that I was able to dance again. Somehow, in very subtle ways, it was like what happens to Roxie, who gets a second chance at fulfilling the dreams of her life."

Offstage, she has numerous screen credits as well, aside from her role as Lilith (for which she won two Emmys), including the movies Tadpole, Say Anything, Celebrity and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Her roles have been varied, as she has avoided playing another Lilith. "After 'Cheers,' I turned down a lot of work because I was trying to avoid being stereotyped into a certain type of character," she said.

But, as a self-described "theater rat," the stage is Neuwirth's first love. "I love being in theaters," she said. "I love the old theater feel, the smell, the vibe. It's a communal experience, a visceral experience. Theater is live, muscular; it has energy. It's the most natural thing."

She added, "Theater is the modern day version of when we were first in tribes, gathering together to tell stories. Theater is a natural extension of that. Then it might have been, 'Don't eat plant,' or 'Good hunting to north,' but it's developed into story and song."

Neuwirth's most recent project is an indie film called Adopt a Sailor, written and directed by Charles Evered, about a couple who inadvertently adopt a sailor during Fleet Week. It should be making the festival rounds this summer.

To purchase tickets to her show in Westhampton Beach, visit whbpac.org or call 631-288-1500. Tickets cost $65, $80 or $95.