Betty Buckley graces the Kate

Hearing a singer as phenomenal as Betty Buckley perform in a venue as cozy as the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center should be amazing.

For those who need a little primer about the Broadway luminary: Buckley originated the role of Grizabella in "Cats" on Broadway (yes, she sang "Memory"). She took over for Glenn Close in "Sunset Boulevard."

And beyond Broadway? Buckley played the gym teacher in the movie "Carrie." She was the stepmother on TV's "Eight Is Enough." She was in M. Night Shyamalan's 2008 "The Happening," and she pops up in a recurring role on TV's "Pretty Little Liars."

Her concert tonight at the Kate will give everyone a sonic preview her upcoming album, "Ah, Men! The Boys of Broadway," which is scheduled to be released Aug. 28. Buckley reinterprets classic Broadway songs that were originally made famous by men from such musicals as "Sweeney Todd," "West Side Story" and "Guys and Dolls."

Next year, Buckley is scheduled to release another album, this one produced by the great T Bone Burnett and titled "Ghostlight."

- KRISTINA DORSEY

Betty Buckley, 7:30 tonight, Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook; with Christian Jacob on piano; $68, $72; 1-877-503-1286.