Bernadette Peters in Concert with the Pasadena POPS

She's among the most luminous stars of Broadway and beyond, in a career that has flourished for four and a half decades. Since first garnering kudos in the 1968 Off-Broadway musical, "Dames At Sea," Bernadette Peters blossomed into a consummate singer-actress. Her amazing list of credits includes several beloved stage musicals and distinguished work in all mediums.

In her unpretentious but spectacular Southern California concert on Saturday evening, June 29, backed by the Pasadena POPS orchestra, the radiant and perennially youthful star captivated a capacity crowd with a magical evening under the summer stars.

The lovely Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Garden provided a charming setting for an evening of musical splendor. The warm and witty Peters made a wry salute to a peacock wandering the grounds, who decided to chirp with the superstar during a couple of songs. Peters, in tip-top voice throughout, easily surpassed the abilities of her unexpected feathered friend.

Conductor Larry Blank, leading the ever-magnificent Pasadena POPS Symphony Orchestra, and music director Marvin Laird, who travels with Peters to oversee all of her engagements, yielded exhilarating results. The brief first act whetted our appetite for the main attraction: Paul Jan Zdunek, CEO of the Pasadena Symphony Association, kicked off the show with a welcoming speech, and stated that Peters would make her appearance following intermission.

Some gorgeous orchestral segments followed. Zdunek announced an odd but effective offering -- the overture from "White Christmas." He noted the record-breaking triple-digit temperatures that were roasting Southern California, which made the inclusion of this number a welcome tonic.

Next was a series of overtures from classic Broadway musicals, headed by the rousing "Man of La Mancha." Then came an appealing overture from a thus far unproduced stage musical adaptation of the classic film "Three Coins in the Fountain." Concluding the first-act numbers was a scintillating mash-up of a few bars each from several beloved Broadway musicals.

Following intermission, a brief medley of songs from Peters' Broadway shows made the anxious audience wait just a tad longer for the main event. The medley included samples from "A Little Night Music" (in which she played stage diva Desiree) and "Follies" ("Broadway Baby"), and a couple of memorable tunes from Jerry Herman's "Mack and Mabel" (in which she played silent film star Mabel Normand opposite Robert Preston). It seemed entirely fitting that another Herman showstopper from that musical, "When Mabel Comes in the Room," was played just prior to Peters' grand entrance.

Her incandescent personality was immediately evident. Entering in a gorgeous lavender gown, Peters launched into a most apt opening number -- "Let Me Entertain You" from "Gypsy." The lyrics proved perfect as an invitation to her show, though she was quick to point out after the number that she didn't sing it in the show. It's sung by the character of stripper Gypsy Rose Lee. Though one might have thought Peters would treat us to her Mama Rose number, "Rose's Turn" from the show -- that galvanizing nervous-breakdown-in-song number -- she didn't.

One other number I had hoped she would do was Herman's heart-wrenching ballad "Time Heals Everything" from "Mack and Mabel," but she didn't. Clearly a two-hour show of highlights from a career like hers is not going to include everyone's favorite songs. Nonetheless, Peters left no room for complaints.

She focused on a heavy dose of Stephen Sondheim and Rodgers and Hammerstein, who one might guess are her favorites. As their classic songs are welcome under any circumstances, this proved to be a wise choice. She made her way through the rich bill of fare with charisma, class, and consummate skill. Her voice sounds richer than ever.

From Sondheim's "Into the Woods" were the hauntingly poignant "No One is Alone" and the equally profound "Children Will Listen." It was a joy to hear her croon two splendid torch-song ballads from "Follies" -- "In Buddy Eyes" and "Losing My Mind." She did a wonderfully fresh rendition of "Being Alive" from "Company," the heartrending eleven-o'clock number sung by commitment-phobic bachelor Bobby in the show. She sang with passionate conviction in the wistful "Send in the Clowns" from "A Little Night Music." Her spry interpretation of "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" from "Company" was a supreme pleasure.

The Rodgers and Hammerstein classics included the wonderful "Mr. Snow" from "Carousel" and the immortal "Some Enchanted Evening" from "South Pacific," with apt gender changes in the lyrics. In the funniest number of the evening, she likewise made a clever gender-changing switch so the buoyant "There is Nothing Like a Dame" from "South Pacific," modifying its original context -- an island full of horndog sailors.

A heated take on Peggy Lee's scorching classic "Fever," an original song she wrote in tribute to her dog called "Kramer's Song," and an enchanting take on the Disney classic "When You Wish Upon a Star" rounded out the varied evening. This number certified the evening as an entertainment dream come true.

Bernadette Peters in Concert with the Pasadena POPS" was performed on June 29 at Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, 301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia. For information and tickets on future Pasadena POPS performances, visit http://www.pasadenasymphony-pops.org/ticket-information.