Entertainment icon Cher—who launched her career as a singer opposite her former, late husband Sonny Bono before becoming an Oscar-winning actress—recently reflected on the power of music, specifically the work of Tony winner Betty Buckley, in a posting on X (formerly Twitter).
The stage and screen star wrote, "Was thinking about Betty Buckley's song in Cats. She was genius. Music can transport u 2 another universe."
Cher added, "In Moonstruck, when I was supposed 2 be watching the opera & crying… There was nothing/no one on stage… Only the song playing, & my director telling me the story."
READ: Betty Buckley Weighs In on Cats and Sunset Blvd. Revivals
Buckley won a 1982 Tony Award for her performance as Grizabella in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, with her powerfully emotional rendition of "Memory" becoming her signature tune. Cher won the 1988 Academy Award for playing Loretta Castorini in Moonstruck.
Was Thinking About Betty Buckley’s Song In CATS.SHE WAS GENIUS🔥
— Cher (@cher) August 17, 2025
MUSIC CAN TRANSPORT U 2 ANOTHER UNIVERSE.
In Moonstruck,When I Was Supposed 2 Be Watching The Opera & Crying…There Was Nothing/No One On Stage….Only The Song Playing,& My Director Telling Me The Story.
Texas native Buckley, who starred as Dolly Gallagher Levi in the national tour of the Tony-winning revival of Hello, Dolly!, earned a second Tony nomination for her work in the musical Triumph of Love. She starred in both the London and New York productions of Sunset Boulevard, earning an Olivier nomination for her take on the ill-fated silent-screen star Norma Desmond. London audiences have also enjoyed Buckley's work in Promises, Promises and Dear World, and her other Broadway credits include Carrie, Song & Dance, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 1776, and Promises, Promises.
A 2012 Theatre Hall of Fame inductee and the 2017 recipient of the Julie Harris Award from The Actors Fund for Artistic Achievement, Buckley's most recent screen credits include Imaginary, Split, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Cleaning Lady, Supergirl, The Film Crew, Preacher, Chicago Med, The Leftovers, Getting On, Pretty Little Liars, and The Happening. She has been awarded two honorary doctorates of fine arts for her contribution to the musical theatre by Marymount College and the Boston Conservatory of Music.
Photos: See Broadway Turn Out to Celebrate Tony Winner Betty Buckley
Cher made her Broadway debut in 1982 in Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and was also one of the producers of The Cher Show. The Golden Globe-winning and Grammy-nominated artist also received an Oscar nomination for her performance in Silkwood.
Betty Buckley in Sunset Boulevard (Broadway, 1995)
Betty Buckley in Sunset Boulevard (Broadway, 1995)
Betty Buckley in Sunset Boulevard (London)
