When Betty Buckley steps onto the Fox Tucson Theatre stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, she will perform as part of what critics have called one of the most compelling artist-arranger partnerships in contemporary cabaret. 

That partnership features her and her longtime pianist / arranger / music director, Christian Jacob. Together, they will celebrate her 20th album, “Enough: Live at Joe’s Pub.”

“All of these arrangements were written by Christian,” she said. “I think they’re so gorgeous.” 

Recorded at sold-out shows during Buckley’s residency at Joe’s Pub in New York City, “Enough” includes songs written by James Taylor (“On the 4th of July”) and Sara Bareilles (“Enough” and “You Matter to Me”), among others. 

Buckley describes “Enough” as a response to the present moment — not in a political sense, but in a human one. 

“To address the cultural moment, bringing back some of the great songwriters who I loved from the ’60s and whose poetry really made a difference,” Buckley said during a Zoom call.

“Like in James Taylor’s ‘On the 4th of July:’ where he sings, ‘… the things you believe they believed in then / such as freedom, and freedom’s land and the kingdom of God and the rights of man / with the tiny tin voice of the radio band singing ‘love must stand’ / love forever and ever must stand and forever must stand.” 

“Enough” also features Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “Always Something There to Remind Me,” which was covered by Naked Eyes; Stealer’s Wheeler’s “Stuck in the Middle with You” and Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’.”

“All of these arrangements were written by Christian, and I think they’re so gorgeous,” she said. “With the album, it was our quartet, which included Christian, guitarist Jordan Peters, percussionist Keita Ogawa and bassist Tony Marino. For the show in Tucson, it will just be Christian and me.”

She speaks about her Tucson show as she speaks about many things: with a mix of enthusiasm and a storyteller’s instinct. Bareilles — known for her 2007 song “Love Song” — was complimentary of Buckley’s renditions of her songs. “You Matter to Me” appeared in her musical “Waitress,” while “Enough” is from the forthcoming musical “The Interestings.” 

“She was quite generous and very gracious in sending me the music,” Buckley said. “She gave me her blessings to record it. And then she listened to the final recordings and was very generous in her praise.”

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Rewarding career

Buckley’s musical life began early, shaped by her mother, a singer and dancer known as the “Jitterbug Queen of Texas Tech.” “She was my real inspiration,” Buckley said. “She would sneak me out of the house for my dance lessons.”

Her mother’s record collection — “great lady singers and musical theater cast recordings” — became Buckley’s education. “I sang in church when I was 2, 3,” she said. “I’ve been singing ever since.”

Her father, an Air Force lieutenant colonel, opposed her entering show business. Journalism became her compromise. 

“I was a journalism major and worked on newspapers because my father didn’t want me to be a professional actress,” she said. “But I’m grateful for my journalism degree. They go hand in hand in terms of storytelling.”

Her mother died at age 99. “I think about it all the time,” she says. “I’m so fortunate that she was my mom.”

Buckley’s award-winning career spans theater, film, television and concert halls. She has appeared in films such as “By Design,” “Eternity,” “Imaginary” and “Split.” 

In 2024, “The Mayfly,” an animated short film written, produced and narrated by Buckley played the film-festival circuit and won several awards, including Best of Festival, Best Director and Best 2D Character Based Animation at The Los Angeles Animation Festival. 

She has lit up the Broadway stage with “1775,” “Pippin, Song and Dance,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “Carrie.” 

On television, she had a recurring role on “Law & Order SVU,” co-starred in “Preacher” and guested on “The Cleaning Lady,” “Supergirl,” Chicago Med,” and “Pretty Little Liars.” For HBO, she has appeared on “Getting On,” “The Leftovers,” “The Pacific” and for three seasons had a recurring role on “OZ.” She starred as Abby Bradford in the hit series “Eight is Enough.”

In terms of her music, Buckley and Jacob’s collaboration is built on trust — and on the occasional creative standoff. 

“Every year I do a new collection of songs at Joe’s Pub,” she said. “Christian and I start working on that collection about six months in advance, and then we both have to agree on the songs.

“Sometimes they don’t. “Sometimes he won’t be interested in a song I like. And so, if I’m really in love with it, then I persist.” She laughs. “It’s a pretty good partnership.”