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PERSONALITY PEEKS:
LINDA EDER, Actor

by FRANK O'DONNELL
November 30, 2006

Linda Eder confesses that she's a "Christmas song snob." When the Broadway phenomenon performs her holiday concert with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, she'll lean toward the classics. "Songs like "Do You Hear What I Hear," "Oh Holy Night." Those are my kind of Christmas songs."

She'll arrive in Providence on Friday, and meet with the orchestra for the first time that afternoon. "I'll rehearse twice with them," says Eder. "Once that afternoon, then once the day of the show in the afternoon sound check."

Does she find that nerve-wracking? "Orchestra members are pretty well trained to read sheet music," she says. "That's not a problem."

Eder will also do some of her Broadway favorites, including selections from "Man of La Mancha" and her signature song from "Jekyll & Hyde."

Eder's been singing since the age of eight. "I saw Judy Garland sing ‘Over The Rainbow," and I knew I wanted to do that."

But she was very shy, and didn't have "the guts" to sing in public. "But I had a very good high school choir teacher," who helped her develop the nerve she needed to perform. "If you've got the desire, you'll do it."          

It wasn't always easy. "I'd be backstage, a fit of nerves and anxiety, asking why do I do this to myself. But once you're out there, it's all worth it."

Eder grew up in Minnesota, mostly on a hobby farm. "I've always felt sort of like two people. The outdoor girl, that's me. I love getting my hands in the dirt. Except when I'm on stage in a sequined gown."

Has she ever tried working the dirt in a sequined gown? "No, but honestly, I would love to be on stage in jeans."

Eder got her big break in 1988, when she was the undefeated singing champion on "Star Search." How does that experience compare with what she's seen of "American Idol?"

"They have a much more massive search, so the people in the top twelve really are good. They're really creating and training them along the way." But, she doesn't like the way the show is judged. "The show is wicked. They can really damage the psyche of young performers."

She remembers watching the performers who lost on "Star Search."

"It was bad enough to lose. At least no one said anything bad to you," she says in a reference to Simon, who she doesn't really like. "How many ways can you say the same insult?"

Despite its shortcomings, she does find that the show has merit. "If you've got talent, "American Idol" is a way to get where you want to be."

When Eder's not on the road, she's working on a new album. "I'm going to do something popish. The songs have been written for me. It's all about the right song and the right arrangement."

Eder plans to produce the album. "If it's not good, I've got no one to blame but myself."

There's also a possibility that Eder will return to the stage before long. "A Broadway show is being written for me. It's a musical comedy called ‘The Seduction of Sheila Valentine." I like it a lot - so I could be back on the boards very soon."

[Linda Eder appears in concert with the Rhode Island Philharmonic at the Providence Performing Arts Center on Saturday, December 9. For tickets and information, contact the theater at (401) 421-ARTS, or check out their Web site at www.ppacri.org. For more information on Linda Eder, check out her Web site at www.lindaeder.com.]