Bernadette Peters
IN case you lost count, those were 15 pushups Bernadette Peters pumped out the other week on “The View.” And she did them in heels! Exercise is just one way the 70-year-old trouper prepares for “Hello, Dolly!” It seems Peters’ predecessor, Bette Midler, gave her “a bunch of research” for the role: “Bette said, ‘I have more, but I didn’t want to scare you!’” Peters, who shares her Upper West Side digs with rescue dogs Charlie and Rosalie — who’ve inspired children’s books she’s written — tells BARBARA HOFFMAN where you’ll find her on her nonworking weekends.
My gym is downstairs. I run on the treadmill, go on the elliptical — and then I like to take the dogs out. In the summer, Rosalie wants to go to Sephora, where they have water and she can lie down on the cool floor. Then she wants to go to Barneys because she wants to say hello to the guard there and lie down on their floor!
On weekends, Salumeria Rosi at Amsterdam and 73rd has this fabulous eggs and tomato sauce [dish]. My grandmother used to make that, and I was so happy to discover [it] in this restaurant! There’s an outdoor section, and in the warm weather we like to sit there under the awning. I love to go down in the Village and shop at Urban Zen, on Greenwich Street. It’s Donna Karan’s store. I’ve worn her clothes for years, and she helps people in Haiti so a lot of the proceeds go there and [to] other charities. I [found] pullon pants and leggings there, and great sweaters and this wonderful hat. I don’t wear fur, but for the “Hello, Dolly!” opening Donna gave me this fabulous wrap: pieces of black chiffon made to look like feathers.
Jeffrey on 14th Street has a little bit of everything: clothes, jewelry, Chanel bags. Jeffrey — I don’t know his last name — used to be a buyer for shoes for Nordstrom. He’s like a pioneer. It was a very desolate area and he was the first person to open a store there.
My friend Joel Grey took me to Bar Pitti quite a while ago. The waiters are wonderful and they have great food. There’s a dandelion salad — dandelions are weeds, but if you like bitter [foods], it’s fabulous.
When my niece comes to town — she’s 8 — she loves to go to Alice’s Tea Cup. [The Upper West Side restaurant] actually carries my books, and there’s a fabulous chicken salad with apples in it. They also have fairy wings to try on and buy. This year, my Rosalie was a fairy for Halloween.
I’m at the Shubert Theatre now, under a big red sign that says “Hello, Dolly!” It’s right next to the alley, where Broadway Barks will be on July 14!