She may forever be associated with Dr. Lilith Sternin, the uptight, repressed and seemingly emotionless love interest of Dr. Frasier Crane on “Cheers” and “Frasier.”
But Emmy- and Tony Award-winning actress, singer and dancer Bebe Neuwirth has enjoyed a long and multi-faceted career, spanning from portraying Nickie in the revival of “Sweet Charity” and Morticia in the Broadway adaptation of “The Addams Family” to chief of staff Nadine Tolliver on the TV show “Madam Secretary.”
Neuwirth also starred in such landmark plays as “A Chorus Line” and “Chicago,” as well as films such as “Bugsy,” “Liberty Heights” and “Say Anything … ”
A native of Newark, N.J., and Julliard graduate who lives in New York City, Neuwirth — whose real first name is Beatrice — will headline Baltimore Hebrew Congregation’s eighth annual “Night of the Stars,” performing her cabaret-style show, “Stories with Piano.” BHC lay leaders Harriet and Jeffrey Legum will be honored at the May 10 gala, which is co-sponsored by Jmore.
Jmore recently spoke with Neuwirth, 59, about her career, favorite roles, musical revue and why she likes to throw around pots.
You started out as a dancer. Did you plan to move into television and film work?
I started dancing when I was 5. I’ve always been a dancer and never wanted to do anything else. I’ve been fortunate that other work has come my way that I’ve enjoyed very much, but I’ve always thought of myself first and foremost as a dancer.
You dance, you sing, you act. Anything you don’t do?
I don’t do stand-up comedy. Though I do cartoon voice-overs [in such shows as “Aladdin,” “All Dogs Go to Heaven” and “Over the Garden Wall”]. They’re fun to do, and no makeup is needed!
Favorite roles?
Lilith Sternin-Crane was a character that cracked me up. I found her hilariously funny. We had to stop taping all the time because I was laughing so hard. Sometimes I watch one of the shows and can see my lips twitching.
Do all of your fans know you from “Cheers”?
No, it depends on their generation. If they know me from “Cheers,” I can tell what age they are, more or less. If they know me from “Frasier,” that’s another age, though I only appeared on “Frasier” once a year for its run, and even missed a year.
Younger audiences may know me from “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” or “Jumanji.” Then there are theatergoers who know me from my debut in “A Chorus Line,” or my roles in Bob Fosse’s shows, or in “Chicago.”
Why did you decide to leave “Madam Secretary”?
I worked on the show for three seasons and had a lovely time with lovely people, but it wasn’t as creatively challenging as I’d hoped it would be. It was my decision to leave, and I was written out gracefully. We all remain friends.
Despite all of your success, do you ever worry about whether you’ll work again?
I think the first response for anyone in the theater is, “I’ll never work again.” It took me many years to realize, “OK, I’ll probably work again.” There’s always a struggle between commerce and art. You try to choose a project that has something in it for you, but also allows you to pay the mortgage.
What are you working on now?
I’m doing guest appearances on TV shows such as “Blue Bloods,” and performing in benefits and one-woman shows such as “Stories with Piano,” which I’ll be doing in Baltimore. The songs all tell a story; some are more abstract, some relate a story about a moment in time. There’s an eclectic selection, from Broadway to Edith Piaf, Irving Berlin, Tom Waits and others. I’ve done the show for several years, in both large concert halls and small venues, and I tweak it every few years to keep it fresh. I like where it is today.
Any personal connections to Baltimore?
Not really, but I’ve always had nice times here, and I enjoyed being in “Liberty Heights” [director Barry Levinson’s nostalgic look at Baltimore in the 1950s].
What do you do when you’re not onstage or screen?
I throw pots! You have to keep the creative energy going any way you can or you get stagnant!
For information about Bebe Neuwirth’s “Stories with Piano,” call 443-524-0284 or visit baltimorehebrew.org.
Carol Sorgen is a Baltimore-based freelance writer.
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