Humanitarian of the Week: Bernadette Peters

Bernadette Peters

She’s the angel-faced Broadway baby with a voice as clear as crystal Her ability to emote while singing is legendary. This multiple Tony and Drama Desk Award winning singer and actress has starred in some of the most successful shows on Broadway. Her many collaborations with Stephen Sondheim were the epitome of the art of musical theater. She’s also an author of children’s books. But, there’s more to Bernadette Peters than her illustrious resume and her mane of curly locks.


Along with longtime friend Mary Tyler Moore, Bernadette Peters founded “Broadway Barks” in 1999. This organization is dedicated to finding homes for dogs who are in need of adoption. Peters and Moore host an annual event in July which functions as an “adopt-a-thon” and has matched many dogs with the perfect new home. In 2009, Peters held a special concert called “Broadway Barks Because Broadway Cares” as a fundraiser for Broadway Barks and also Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS—an organization on which she serves on the Board of Trustees. The concert raised over six hundred thousand dollars for both organizations.

In addition to her work with these two groups, Peters serves on the Board of Directors for Standing Tall—an organization dedicated to assisting children with multiple disabilities. She has also offered her talents to a host of other causes and organizations for both animals and humans. Here’s someone who could sit back and enjoy the rewards of her vast talent. Instead, she chooses to share her many gifts with souls in need. For this reason, Bernadette Peters is our “Humanitarian of the Week.”