Bernadette Peters

Bernadette Peters is known for many of her beguiling qualities; her silky voice, her emotional and precise interpretation of even the trickiest of Sondheim's lyrics, and her blizzard of voluptuous blonde curls. It is in fact those very curls that almost killed the gifted actress about whom, in 1985, Frank Rich claimed had "no peer in the musical theater." During the spring of 1964, Peters, in between shows and four years away from landing her breakout role in the critically-acclaimed Dames at Sea, decided to try out for a new musical coming to Broadway called Fiddler On The Roof. Peters, a former child star, had no problem getting her agent to land her an Equity audition for the role of Tzeitzel, Tevye's rebellious, tailor-marrying daughter. But because Peters was such a committed actress, she insisted on doing the necessary research that would accompany a faithful representation of an orthodox Jewish girl, even for the audition. She placed an ad in the Jewish Forward looking for an Orthodox family to put her up for the week, in hopes of learning firsthand about Jewish customs in a traditional setting, and got a response from Irving and Rebecca Tutnauer, who lived in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. Peters stayed with Irving and Rebecca and their four sons, Moshe, Solomon, Yitzchak and Charlie, during the third week of April. It was during this time that Bernadette learned about preparing the house for Passover, keeping Kosher, dressing modestly, and bathing in public after each menstrual period. As the week drew to a close, Mrs. Tutnauer led Miss Peters through the traditional Sabbath meal, preparing the table with wine and Challah Bread, reciting the prayers for each, and, finally, the traditional lighting of the Sabbath candles to usher in the day of rest. Bernadette and Rebecca stood side by side behind the Sabbath candles, which glowed with fire, closed their eyes, and proceeded to chant the Sabbath prayer. "Baruch Atta Adonai...," Bernadette uttered with the velvety tone later associated with her work in Sondheim masterpieces like Sunday In the Park With George and Into The Woods."...Eluhanu Melach Ha Olum..." The Tutnauers were so enchanted with their houseguest's exquisite diction and delicate features that they didn't notice how close her trademark flaxen locks were to the flames of the holiday lights. As Bernadette leaned into the candles, about to murmur, "Amen," the Tutnauers heard a scream from the apartment next door. It seems that Bernadette Peters had left her curling iron on in the bedroom upstairs, and it had brushed up against a curtain that was blowing from an open window's breeze. The result was a fiery blaze that quickly spread into the neighboring apartment of the Wisenheimens, whose shrieks Bernadette ran towards as she foolishly entered her blazing bedroom. Peters would go on to survive the blaze, and lose the part of Tzeitzel to Joanna Merlin.