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Linda Eder
Born	3 February 1961 (1961-02-03) (age 49)[1] Tucson, Arizona
Occupation	Singer and Actress
Spouse(s)	Frank Wildhorn (1998-2004)
Official website

Linda Eder (born February 3, 1961) is an American singer and actress.

Born in Tucson, Arizona on February 3, 1961 and raised in Brainerd, Minnesota. Her parents, Georg (from Austria) and Leila (from Norway), Eder was exposed to music at an early age. She cites Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, and Eileen Farrell as her childhood inspiration. Eder denotes Garland, specifically, as her greatest influence.

Biography

Eder has performed on numerous occasions at New York's Carnegie Hall and Palace Theater, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, State Theatre in Minneapolis, Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre, at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, and at the Wortham Center in Houston.

Before her work on Broadway, Eder gained experience in the entertainment industry. She teamed up with classmate Paul Todd, who had won international awards for his piano and organ playing, and began the "Paul and Linda Show". They traveled all over the U.S. performing concerts. After the duo went separate ways, Eder found herself as a lounge singer at the famous Harrah's Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. After someone suggested that she should strive for more better opportunities, Eder tried her hand at the talent show, Star Search, where she reigned undefeated for a record 13 weeks. Her performance caught the notice of Angel Records and, subsequently, Frank Wildhorn. She starred in two 1991 stagings of his musical Svengali, the 1990 World Premiere, 1995-6 National Tour, and 1997 Broadway production of his Jekyll & Hyde'', and the 2003 World Premiere of Camille Claudel (musical). The two married in 1998 and divorced in 2004; they have one son, Jake. Eder is a recipient of the Theater World Award (1996-97) for her work in Jekyll & Hyde.

During Eder & Wildhorn's high-time on Broadway, she received much attention for her not only her Broadway vocals, but her pop-albums as well. She made frequent appearances on the Rosie O'Donnell Show, Live with Regis and Kathy Lee, amongst countless other talkshows, especially displaying her vocal abilities. She also appeared for an interview & song on the David Letterman Show, however, it was hosted by Kathy Lee Gifford, who has often proclaimed her (as well as Rosie) as one of the best voices they have ever heard. On Rosie's show, Rosie would often be seen playing a clip of Linda's famous single "Vienna," at random moments. She was invited to Kathy Lee Gifford's final performance on "Live..." and sung the song "Anything Can Happen," which was written for the musical Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure, which will have it's world premiere in 2009 (although not starring Eder).

Linda lists her first musical theatre credit to her high school days as the Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music. The first professional Broadway musical production, a national tour, she saw was Evita, a role which she had once expressed interest in playing.

As mentioned above, Linda's major theatrical career began in 1988, when she auditioned in Florida in front of Frank Wildhorn for the leading role of Lucy in Jekyll & Hyde. Very impressed with her vocal skills, she was immediately cast, although no production was planned at that time. In 1990, the Alley Theatre in Houston agreed to host the world premiere of Jekyll & Hyde, the first musical ever performed there. The show was extended several times, and Eder received raves for her performance. Following this triumph, Wildhorn debuted the musical Svengali, starring his two leading performers from Jekyll - Linda and Chuck Wagner. The musical also eventually played at the Asolo Theatre in Sarasota Florida in 1991. She then performed with several workshops for The Scarlet Pimpernel, as the leading lady Marguerite St. Just.

In 1995, after several workshops with Jekyll & Hyde, she was once again Lucy; Robert Cuccioli and Christiane Noll starred opposite her. The show debuted at the Theatre Under the Stars in Houston, before moving to Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre. Following these two successful runs, Linda's headlining stint as Lucy traveled across the national from Fall 1995 until Spring 1996, with a hopeful Broadway mounting then. However, the show was delayed.

Finally beginning previews the following March 1997, new creative team members joined, which Linda has both said helped the production greatly, but was also its downfall. Along with the transfer came the dismissal of Lucy's first big number, "Bring on the Men." Although several rumors have circulated as to why it was cut, Linda has said that Director/Choreographer/Scenic Designer Robin Phillips felt that it was unnecessary, did not fit the piece, and a more friendly approach was necessary. Linda on her Greatest Album hits mentions that it was his "stupid decision" to cut the song, which was one of her favourites from the piece. She has however given some praise to him, mostly due to the acting coaching he gave to her. Linda was rewarded with 1997 Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations, and a 1997 Theatre World Award for her debut performance. Critics such as Regis Philbin and Rosie O'Donnell considered Eder robbed of a Tony Award nomination, both of which had featured her (and Frank Wildhorn and his other musicals) on their respective shows several times. Eder was married to Wildhorn whilst performing on Broadway, and officially left on August 30, 1998. Luba Mason replaced her. During this time, rehearsals were about to begin for The Scarlet Pimpernel (musical) SP 2.0 to begin, in which many thought Linda would be joining as Marguerite. However, Linda declined (as she was to have a child) and instead Rachel York was cast.

Linda performed for several workshops and demo recordings for Mr. Wildhorn. Most importantly, she did several tracks for his Wonderland: Alice's New Musical Adventure (previously called "Alice"), which is having it's world premiere ten years after the first single ("Anything Can Happen") was released, Havanna (for which she has released the title song and several others), a Bonnie & Clyde musical (which was to recently star Brandi Burkhardt, but now Laura Osnes, having it's world premiere in 2009), Dracula, the musical as Mina, Cyrano de Bergerac (musical) ~ The Musical as Roxanne (opposite Douglas Sills in the title role), and finally Camille Claudel (musical), which was written for specifically her, and she was able to perform at 2 runs - one at Goodspeed Opera House and once at the New York Musical Theatre Festival.

Linda's next musical outing was in Camille Claudel in 2003. She performed the role twice that year, at the Goodspeed Opera House. Although the show, presented in an entire chamber-style form, received mixed reviews, Linda gained much attention again. In 2004, it was performed at the New York Musical Theatre Festival however, the show has yet to be produced on a major scale, although several European productions were planned - then scrapped.

The Other Side of Me

Released on September 30, 2008, her new CD The Other Side of Me has a pop/country feel. This is a departure from the style she is known for which is standards and ballads. Her official site www.LindaEder.com has a posting where Linda says "It took a year and a half to make my new CD, the other side of me, but in reality, it has been a lifetime in the making."^{citation needed}

She goes on to say:

As a kid I was a talented but undisciplined piano student. So in one of our early changes of address, the upright piano was left behind. As a young teenager I bought myself a cheap acoustic guitar so I would have a way to accompany my inner poet. What I wrote in those early years and the voice that I used to sing was the truest expression of who I really am. There were no outside influences to color or shape the vowels or direct the emotions. There was no record of past performances to measure up to, just my own words, my own history, and my own voice.

I have finally been given the chance to strip away the costume and sing without the voice of others in my head. I've traveled a long road to find my way back home and I have found it. The Other Side of Me is my voice.^{citation needed}

Discography

Solo albums

• 1989 Vienna (Early UK release of the Linda Eder album)
• 1991 Linda Eder
• 1994 And So Much More
• 1997 It's Time
• 1999 It's No Secret Anymore
• 2000 Christmas Stays the Same
• 2002 Gold
• 2003 Storybook
• 2003 Broadway, My Way
• 2005 By Myself: The Songs of Judy Garland
• 2007 Greatest Hits
• 2008 The Other Side of Me
• 2009 Soundtrack

Musical Albums

• 1990 Jekyll & Hyde: Romantic Highlights (Concept Album) - Lucy Harris & Lisa Carew
• 1992 The Scarlet Pimpernel (Concept Recording) - Marguerite St. Just
• 1995 Jekyll & Hyde: The Complete Work (Concept Album) - Lucy Harris
• 1997 Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical: Original Broadway Cast - Lucy Harris
• 1998 The Scarlet Pimpernel: Encore! (Second Broadway Cast) - Marguerite St. Just ("Only Love," "You Are My Home")
• 1998 The Civil War: An American Musical (Concept Album)
• 1998 The Civil War: The Nashville Sessions
• 2003 Camille Claudel: A New Musical (Studio Demo Recording)* - Camille Claudel
• 2006 Cyrano de Bergerac ~ The Musical (Concept Album)* - Roxanne

*- Although planned, final outcome was that it was not to be released.

Singles

• A Little Bit of Heaven
• Something To Believe In
• Vienna
• Never Dance
• The Christmas Song
• Bells of St. Paul (Christmas)
• Gold (From Camille Claudel
• I Am What I Am
• Lifted
• The Other Side Of Me

Awards

External links

• The Official Linda Eder Site
• The Eder Fan Website