Linda Eder
Eder at the Avalon Hollywood concert
Born (1961-02-03) February 3, 1961 (age 63)
Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
SpouseFrank Wildhorn (1998-2004)
ChildrenJake Wildhorn (b. 1999)
Musical career
GenresPop, showtunes, adult contemporary
Years active1980s–present
LabelsRCA Victor, Atlantic
Websitelindaeder.com

Linda Eder (/ˈɛdər/; born February 3, 1961[1]) is an American singer and actress. She is most notable for having originated the role of Lucy Harris in the Broadway musical Jekyll & Hyde, for which she was nominated for the Drama Desk Award.

Biography

Eder was born in Tucson, Arizona, on February 3, 1961, and raised in Brainerd, Minnesota. Her parents, Georg (from Austria) and Laila (from Norway), exposed her to music at an early age. She cites Judy Garland,[2] Barbra Streisand,[3] and Eileen Farrell as her childhood inspiration. Eder cites Garland, specifically, as her greatest influence.[4]

Before her work on Broadway, Eder sang in clubs in Minneapolis and performed at Harrah's Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 1988 she won the talent show Star Search, where her performance caught the notice of Frank Wildhorn. She signed with RCA Records and starred in two 1991 stagings of Wildhorn's musical Svengali (the 1990 world premiere and 1995–96 national tour), the 1997 Broadway production of his Jekyll & Hyde, and the 2003 World Premiere of Camille Claudel. During those years, Eder recorded several CDs on Angel Records and Atlantic Records.[5] Wildhorn and Eder married in 1998[6] and divorced in 2004; they have one son, Jake.[7] Eder won the Theater World Award (1996–97) for Best Broadway Debut in Jekyll & Hyde.[5]

Since her divorce from Wildhorn, Eder has mainly performed in live concerts at venues including the Greek Theater, Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center. She has continued to release solo albums,[5] including one recorded live at Skidmore College in 2014.[8]

Notable Theatre Roles

Show Role Year(s) Production
Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical Lucy Harris 1990 Houston(World Premiere)
Svengali Trilby 1991 Houston(World Premiere)
Svengali Trilby 1991 Sarasota, Florida
Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical Lucy Harris 1995-1996 1st US Tour
Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical Lucy Harris 1997-1998 Broadway
The Civil War Hanna Hopes 1998 Houston(World Premiere)
The Civil War Hanna Hopes 1999 Broadway
Camille Claudel Camille Claudel 2003 Connecticut(World Premiere)

Discography

Solo albums

Musical albums

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

Singles

Video albums

Awards

Awards Performance
Theater World Award Best Broadway Debut, Jekyll & Hyde (1997) Won
Drama Desk Award Leading Actress (Lucy), Jekyll & Hyde (1997) Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Leading Actress (Lucy), Jekyll & Hyde (1997) Nominated

References

  1. ^ "Linda Eder". Pandora.
  2. ^ Holden, Stephen (April 11, 2010). "Pop-Country Echoes and Movie Songs Reverberate in a Cabaret Setting". The New York Times. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
  3. ^ Holden, Stephen (February 26, 2003). "IN PERFORMANCE: POP; A Pumped-Up Vocal Athlete Whose Role Model Is Streisand". The New York Times. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
  4. ^ Ernie Manouse (2006). Linda Eder. KUHT. ((cite book)): |work= ignored (help)
  5. ^ a b c "Linda Eder". The Official Masterworks Broadway Site. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  6. ^ "WEDDINGS; Linda Eder, Frank Wildhorn". The New York Times. May 3, 1998. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
  7. ^ Jones, Kenneth. "Frank Wildhorn and Linda Eder, Couple Who Made Music on Stage and in Studio, Split Up" Archived September 6, 2005, at the Wayback Machine, playbill.com, July 28, 2004
  8. ^ "Linda Eder Will Record First Live Album; Tix Now Available". Playbill. Archived from the original on July 26, 2014.

External links

Authority control databases
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