Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Belting Broadway divas still going for broke: PATTI LUPONE at Carnegie Hall and LINDA EDER at 54 Below

• By drediman
• February 4, 2026
• No Comments

Over two consecutive nights, I had the great pleasure of basking in the presence and vocal firepower of a pair of legendary Broadway belters. These would be Patti LuPone and Linda Eder, both highly distinctive vocal stylists who are, at this later stage of their distinguished careers, still thrillingly going for broke. As always, read on for my further thoughts on these respective divas’ recent one-night-only outings.

PATTI LUPONE: MATTERS OF THE HEART
Carnegie Hall

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of her acclaimed song cycle Matters of the Heart (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), Patti LuPone returned to Carnegie Hall with a slightly revised and updated version of the show (she originally performed the show in 2000 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center). Conceived and directed by Broadway’s Scott Wittman, the theatrical concert is in essence a reflection on the many forms of love as manifested through a tapestry of standards from the Broadway and popular songbooks — delivered in a forceful and commanding manner that’s distinctly LuPone’s. The beauty of the show’s concept and structure is that it can bear evolution and gradual re-shaping over time, which is why LuPone has revived it at various points over the years as she herself has evolved as a person and performer, bringing fresh perspectives each time. Although well balanced, the evening was decidedly weighted towards and informed by show tunes, namely the songs of the great Stephen Sondheim (“Not a Day Goes By”, “I Never Do Anything Twice”, and the notable addition of “Being Alive” from Company) and Rodgers and Hammerstein (“A Wonderful Guy”, “Hello, Young Lovers”). The more more malleable selections were those from the popular song, like Cyndi Lauper’s ever-affecting “Time After Time”, which was newly incorporated into the evening. Throughout, LuPone was in fantastic voice, her unique trumpet-like instrument artfully slicing through songs and rising to the occasion when her iconic belt was in need. Accompanying her onstage was her superb music director Joseph Thalken, as well as the Four Play String Quartet, who mustered an orchestral sound that belied their humble numbers. Going off topic, the outspoken star concluded the evening with a passionate plea in support of the arts and a scathing and emotionally unfiltered “call to arms” diatribe against Donald Trump and his takeover of the Kennedy Center. Although she may occasionally cross the line, you’ve got to respect LuPone’s penetrating chutzpah when it urgently matters. It turned out to be perhaps the most memorable part of an already satisfying evening.

LINDA EDER
54 Below

No one sings quite like the great Linda Eder anymore. Indeed, her soaring belt and disciplined breath control are a throwback to the go-for-broke vocal technique that made Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand legends. Based on a recent visit to one of her concerts at 54 Below (RECOMMENDED), I’m happy to report that — well into her 60s (as she herself advertised, the stage and recording star’s birthday was actually yesterday) — she still has the guts and ability to thrill with her singing, especially when accompanied by her equally great music director Billy Stritch on keys. And for someone who saw and obsessed over Eder in the original Broadway cast of Jekyll and Hyde, I admit that I swooned a little when she launched undaunted into anthemic power ballads like “Someone Like You” and “In His Eyes”, the latter of which she sang with one of her talented vocal students (from the Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse musical, she also brought out the rollicking and sultry “Bring on the Men”). In Sunday’s show, she by and large stuck with tried-and-true material, which allowed the evening to take in a playful, fast-and-loose quality, keeping her accomplished band on their toes (in addition to Stritch, the tight ensemble also included the wonderful David Finck on bass and Aaron Heick on woodwinds). But Broadway wasn’t the only thing in store for Eder’s adoring fans. Over the course of the concert, her eclectic selections ranged from jazz (“Steppin’ Out with My Baby”), to rhythm and blues (“Son of a Preacher Man”), to the American Songbook (a medley of Judy Garland hits), and beyond. By and large, Eder is a carefree, down-to-earth kind of performer, appeasing her fans with laidback banter and appealingly presenting herself as a sort of Everywoman from Minnesota. She ended the set in crowd-pleasing fashion with a rousing rendition of the title song from the musical Man of La Mancha, sending the audience out on a heated high into the frigid winter night.