Bebe Neuwirth has achieved extraordinary success in theater, television, and film. In 1980, she made her Broadway debut in A Chorus Line. She then appeared in Little Me, Dancin’, and Sweet Charity, for which she won her first Tony Award, followed by Damn Yankees, Fosse, The Addams Family, and Cabaret. Bebe won her second Tony, as well as the Drama Desk, Astaire, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League Distinguished Performance of the Year Awards for her portrayal of Velma in Chicago. A few years later she played Roxie in the show, and a few years after that she played Mama Morton, making her the only triple-threat to have played all three leading ladies’ roles on Broadway. Bebe’s Velma is recorded on the Grammy-winning cast album of Chicago. Her many and diverse roles in regional theater and Off-Broadway include Anita in West Side Story, Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Writer’s Block written and directed by Woody Allen, and The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman, both at the Atlantic Theatre Company, among many others. On London’s West End, Bebe followed Chita Rivera into the role of Aurora in Kiss of the Spider Woman. In 2005, she appeared in the critically acclaimed Here Lies Jenny, a music theater piece comprised entirely of music by Kurt Weill, at the Zipper Theatre. It was directed by Roger Rees and choreographed by Ann Reinking.
Neuwirth is well known for her work in film and television. She won two Emmy Awards for her role of Lilith Sternin Crane on “Cheers,” and gained Emmy nominations for her work on “Frasier” and for her portrayal of Dorothy Parker in the television movie Dash and Lilly. She’s been a guest on many shows including “The Good Fight” and “Blue Bloods,” and recently played Julia Child’s best friend Avis Devoto in HBO Max’s “Julia.” She has appeared in numerous films, including Say Anything, Green Card, Bugsy, Jumanji, Summer of Sam, Liberty Heights, Celebrity, The Faculty, and Tadpole.
Neuwirth toured a symphony show, “Bebe Sings Weill and Kander & Ebb,” and a piano cabaret show, “Stories with Piano.” Her two CDs are a studio album called Porcelain, and another recorded live at 54 Below called Stories. . . in NYC.
In November of 2023, Neuwirth was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame. Her awards include the CTFD Rolex Dance Award, the Dance Magazine Award, and the Sarah Siddons Society Award, among many others. As a vice-chair of the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly the Actors Fund), she founded the Dancers’ Resource – a program aimed at addressing the particular emotional and physical challenges faced by professional dancers. She has an Honorary Doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music, is an Honorary member of IATSE Local 1 (Stage Hands Union), and is an Honorary Zeigfeld Girl.