LEA SALONGA at Carnegie Hall

There are few singers in the musical theatre who boast a voice as beautiful as Lea Salonga's. The former Miss Saigon star possesses a pure, rich, creamy tone and exquisite control of her instrument throughout its entire, impressive range. And, on Monday night, in an evening benefiting Diverse City Theater Company, Salonga proved her mettle in a three-hour evening — directed sublimely and with theatrical flare by Richard Jay-Alexander — that featured songs mostly drawn from the musical theatre's past few decades.

Elegantly dressed in a black pantsuit by Rajo Laurel (Carmen Marc Valvo designed Salonga's second-act gown), the Tony Award-winning actress was visibly moved as she made her entrance onto the famed Carnegie Hall stage amid a throng of cheers from the packed house. After opening with Stephen Sondheim's "Another Hundred People," Salonga joked, "I'm so glad you're here to help me remember this night because right now I'm having an out-of-body experience." She introduced musical director-conductor Kevin Stites and the 28-piece orchestra before launching into the beautiful Barry Manilow-Johnny Mercer tune, "When October Goes." Salonga's jazz inflections and open, full tones were reminiscent of some of the great gal singers of the fifties; in fact, hers is such a pliable voice that she can take on several different vocal styles with ease. It is a voice that can croon the sweetest children's lullaby or belt out an emotional Broadway ballad.

Salonga then offered a terrific version of A Chorus Line's "Nothing," adapting the well-known Marvin Hamlisch-Ed Kleban tune to fit her specific heritage: "Maybe it's genetic. They don't have bobsleds in Manila," she sang to a roar of laughter. She then spoke about her audition, at age eight, for the Filipino production of Annie, explaining that after she sang "Tomorrow," those in the room gave the young star-to-be a standing ovation. "I knew right then I was going to like show business," Salonga admitted. She began singing an uptempo version of the Annie anthem, and midway through she was joined by the show's original star, Andrea McArdle, who was dressed in a slinky white gown; the combination of Salonga's lush vocals and McArdle's clear, powerful tones made for an especially exciting finale. Salonga then graciously stepped aside, and McArdle offered a solo version of Sondheim's "Everybody Says Don't," belting the Anyone Can Whistle tune with gusto.

A simple, heartfelt rendition of Kander and Ebb's "Married" led to her introduction of husband Robert Chien, and then Salonga delivered a Filipino tune written by godfather Jose Mari Chan, the first person Salonga ever saw perform on the Carnegie stage. Entitled "Hahanapin Ko," Chan's song, said Salonga, "explains what ties all Filipinos, who are away, back to their home." It was one of the most heartfelt offerings of the night, and the audience responded enthusiastically. The actress announced that she and her husband are expecting their first child in May, and she then proceeded to launch into a particularly poignant rendition of Baby's "The Story Goes On." Halfway through the song, original Baby star Liz Callaway joined Salonga, and the soaring sounds of Callaway and Salonga was one of the most exciting vocal moments of the evening. Callaway, who brushed a few tears away, told Salonga that she sounds exactly the same as she did 14 years ago in Miss Saigon, adding with a laugh, "You also have not aged at all, and it's a little irritating!" Salonga and Callaway then re-created Miss Saigon's "I Still Believe," and over a decade later, their rendition of the duet between the ill-fated Kim and the American soldier's new wife Ellen has lost none of its power. In fact, it was the first song of the evening to bring the audience to its feet for a lengthy standing ovation. Callaway then took centerstage for a stentorian version of Stephen Schwartz's "Meadowlark."

Salonga spoke about the show that made her an international star, Miss Saigon, which brought her an Olivier Award for the London staging and a Tony for her Broadway work. She explained that, at 17, she wasn't quite ready for the sexual aspects of the show and was a bit shocked when she first saw the costume sketches and realized she would have to wear a bikini. In tears she called her father, saying, "They're only going to remember me for wearing a bikini!" Her pragmatic father responded, "They're not going to remember you for wearing that bikini. They're going to remember you for shooting yourself at the end of the show!" Salonga then closed the first half of her solo Carnegie Hall debut with an emotional, goose-bump inducing version of Saigon's "I'd Give My Life for You."

With but one exception — a wonderful, full-length version of "Reflections," the theme song from Disney's "Mulan" film — the second half of the evening featured one gloriously sung theatre tune after the other: Flower Drum Song's "I Enjoy Being a Girl" and "Love, Look Away"; Jesus Christ Superstar's "I Don't Know How to Love Him," which suited Salonga's voice perfectly; Funny Girl's "People," which utilized the original Broadway orchestrations; a lovely medley of Oliver's "Where Is Love?" and "As Long As He Needs Me" that built to a stunning climax; and two songs from Les Misérables. The first Les Miz offering was "On My Own," which Salonga explained was also her audition song for Miss Saigon. After listening to her exciting version of the Alain Boublil-Claude-Michel Schönberg tune, it's easy to understand why she landed the role. Paolo Montalban, who is currently starring in the Paper Mill Playhouse's production of Cinderella, then joined Salonga for a particularly touching version of Les Miz's "A Little Fall of Rain" as well as a solo on "My One and Only Love."

The evening concluded with Salonga's renditions of two songs from Wicked, the Stephen Schwartz musical that the actress said she would love to appear in at some point. She made a case for herself as Glinda with "Popular" — sounding astonishingly similar to Kristin Chenoweth — but a better case for herself as Elphaba with a rousing version of "Defying Gravity" that spectacularly ended the evening and spontaneously brought the crowd to its feet.

The star returned for an encore of Peter Allen's "I Honestly Love You," and then the audience demanded a second. Salonga explained that there was only one piece of music left, "A Whole New World," but the arrangement required another singer. She asked for a volunteer from the audience, and Daniel Berlin, a tall young man who had never previously met Salonga, performed the "Aladdin" tune almost perfectly to the delight of everyone in attendance. It was extremely touching to watch a somewhat nervous Berlin sing with a woman he obviously adores and to see Salonga guide him through the song, tenderly mouthing the lyric to him. It was a truly spirit-raising finale to a wonderful evening, and the crowd was once again on its feet cheering.

LINDA EDER at Carnegie Hall

In her fourth solo evening at Carnegie Hall this past Wednesday, Linda Eder presented a two-act performance entitled By Myself: Celebrating the Music of Judy Garland. Drawn mostly from her newest CD, "By Myself: The Songs of Judy Garland," Eder belted her way through a host of songs performed by the late, great entertainer. Does Eder have Garland's vulnerability and unending emotional depth? No. But does Eder possess one of the most exciting belt voices around? Yes. And, it's that voice — a remarkably rangy instrument that opens at the top to reveal thrilling, vibrato-filled high notes — that stopped the show several times throughout the more than two-hour evening. In the six years since she bowed at Carnegie Hall, Eder has also grown as a performer: She is more confident, more at easy and quite funny in her between-song patter.

Eder, dressed in a mauve gown in the first half and a black one in the second, opened her program with an upbeat pairing of "Almost Like Being in Love" and "This Can't Be Love." After joking, "I can't breathe, and it's not just because of this dress," the former Jekyll & Hyde star said the evening would both celebrate and applaud Garland's musicality and would include several tunes Garland performed at her own famed Carnegie Hall concert in 1961. She then launched into a swinging medley of "The Best Is Yet to Come," "The Man I Love" and "Just in Time." Throughout the evening, Eder spoke much about Garland and how the singer inspired her own career path. Eder also chatted about the men in her life — son Jake, now age six, and new beau Craig — who were both in the sold-out crowd. Continued...