Linda Eder, Douglas Sills, Carl Anderson and composer Frank Wildhorn continue a mini-tour in Florida, performing a special "theatrical concert event" dubbed Once in a Lifetime, Nov. 16-21, at Miami's Jackie Gleason Theater.
In West Palm Beach Nov. 9-14, the trio sang unlikely show tunes ("Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," crooned by Sills, for example) under the musical direction of composer Wildhorn (Eder's husband) in a staging overseen by Jerry Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown).
Presenters and promoters have seen the show, and there is talk that the evening may have a future life on tour.
The concert was conceived by Eder (rhymes with better) and Wildhorn (The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Civil War, Jekyll & Hyde) and uses half a dozen of his tunes, plus a list of works by writers from Andrew Lloyd Webber to Stephen Sondheim.
Anderson may be best known as Judas in the film, "Jesus Christ Superstar," Eder starred in Jekyll & Hyde on the road and on Broadway and Sills is the popular, Tony Award-nominated star of the original Scarlet Pimpernel in 1997. Audiences in Miami can expect lots of quirks and musical reversals when the singers bite into tunes they would never get to perform on Broadway: Anderson singing "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," Sills singing "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" and Eder singing "Man of LaMancha."
The songlist changes nightly and includes works from Gershwin to Sondheim to, of course, Wildhorn, whose The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Civil War, Jekyll & Hyde and Havana are all be represented.
Eder gave birth to Jake Wildhorn Aug. 23, 1999. Her new album, "It's No Secret Anymore," was released Sept. 28.
Eder will perform her solo concert Dec. 10-11 Orange County Performing Arts Center (Costa Mesa, CA) and Dec. 18 at the Ordway Theatre in Minneapolis, near her hometown of Brainerd, MN.
Eder's single of "The Christmas Song" is available free with purchase of her new CD, "It's No Secret Anymore," at most retail outlets in New York City.
Once in a Lifetime tickets are $48-$58. Call (305) 673-7300 for information.
-- By Kenneth Jones
