Bravo!
by Gene Armstrong
s the holidays roll around, the increasing proliferation of Christmas music – in malls, restaurants, coffeehouses and laundromats – tends to devalue what are some pretty good pop songs. When we start to take those much-loved yuletide classics for granted, a powerful voice of character and experience is can be just the ticket to remind us of the original charm contained in these tunes.
Such as the voice of Broadway veteran Linda Eder, who will visit her birthplace of Tucson to perform a holiday-oriented show Dec. 13 as part of the series Broadway in Tucson.
Eder was born in Tucson in 1961, while her family was vacationing here. After the birth, her Austrian father and Norwegian mother relocated to Minnesota, where young Linda grew up on a ranch. She was surrounded by horses, which continue to be one of her passions.
Her professional background includes beauty pageants, a four-shows-a-night stint as a Vegas lounge singer and a record-breaking, 12-week run on “Star Search” in 1988. She went on to stage-musical fame as a star in “Jekyll & Hyde,” a show in which she appeared for 900 performances, as well as “The Civil War,” “The Scarlet Pimpernel” and the recent revival of Leonard Bernstein’s “Peter Pan.”
For most of this autumn, Eder has been on the road performing songs from her ninth solo album, “By Myself: The Songs of Judy Garland,” but she’ll take a breather from that tour for the holidays. She’s only doing six concerts this month, and one of them is the holiday show in Tucson.
For a hint of the flavor of Eder’s performance here, listeners could check out her 2000 album, “Christmas Stays the Same” and the DVD of the same name, which documents the singer’s 2001 Bravo channel TV special. That CD features familiar perennials, such as goose-bump-inducing versions of the carols “Ave Maria” and “O Holy Night,” a supremely swinging version of “Here Comes Santa Claus/Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and a hip “Do You Hear What I Hear?” with tribal African rhythms.
The title track, by the way, is one of several original tunes written by Frank Wildhorn, Eder’s then-husband. Also on that recording is Eder’s interpretation of Judy Garland’s bittersweet “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” which sort of predicted the recent Garland tribute disc.
Some readers may remember that Eder also had a hit single in 1999 with the yule classic “The Christmas Song” (my favorite holiday number), which was included on the holiday release and will no doubt be on the program this month.
Eder’s concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13, in the Music Hall at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave. Tickets cost $20, $30, $40 and $50 apiece; you can get them by calling 321-1000 or 792-4266.
Tucson Symphony Orchestra will present as part of its pops series a program of holiday music titled Yuletide Celebration for three nights, also in the TCC Music Hall. Guest conductor (and former TSO artistic director) Robert Bernhardt will conduct the orchestra, along with soprano Diane Alexander, the TSO Chorus and Mariachi Aztlan de Pueblo High School.
They’ll perform a family-oriented assortment of classic carols, some non-secular holiday pop and, of course, traditional mariachi tunes of the season. Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 16 and 17, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18. Tickets cost anywhere from $20 to $44. Call 882-8585 for more information.
A holiday tradition for 10 years running, the Borderlands Theater production of “A Tucson Pastorela” combines a traditional Southwestern and Mexican-American pageant with humor and timely references to make for a rich way to celebration of Christmas. Brave shepherds, sheep and a dog make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to witness the Nativity, pursued wacky Devils and protected by glorious Archangels.
Written by San Diego journalist and playwright Max Branscomb, the play is performed in verse, with ample room given to Spanish and English-language carols. In addition to the Borderlands actors, the performance will feature live music by the A’Cim Waila Band and dance by Ballet Folklorico Tapatio.
Borderlands will present the show at various times Dec. 8 through 18 in the Leo Rich Theatre at the Tucson Convention Center. Tickets run from $10.75 to $18.75, with discounts available. Call the Borderlands office, 882-7406, for show times and tickets.
Speaking of tradition, the professional company Ballet Tucson will present its version of the classic holiday ballet “The Nutcracker” for four performances in the University of Arizona’s Centennial Hall, on the UA campus 1801 E. University Blvd. This show also represents the ways in which UApresents, the U’s world-class performing arts series, supports the efforts of local artists.
Clara, the Nutcracker Prince, menacing hoards of mouse soldiers – not to forget the Sugar Plum Fairy and the land of sweets – will all be in attendance for performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9; at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10; and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11. Tickets range from $28 to $48; call the Centennial Hall box office, 621-3341, to buy them.
A few laughs always make the winter holidays go by a little more easily, and the improvisational troupe LaughingStock Comedy Company aims to supply them with its holiday-themed show Dec. 27 through Jan. 1 at Beowulf Alley Theatre Company, 11 S. Sixth Ave.
The performers of LaughingStock are veterans of local stages and perform more than 100 corporate-event shows each year around the country. This show represents the increasingly rare chance to catch them in their hometown.
Show times are 7:30 each night during the run, with an extra performance at 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Call the Beowulf Alley box office, 882-0555, information about tickets.
ost Tucsonans are used to associating 4th Avenue with art galleries such as The Drawing Studio, Talawepei, and, until recently, Dinnerware. It’s true that the avenue is a great place to browse gallery spaces, but exciting new work by established artists can also be found every month on the walls of Zoe Boutique, located at 735 N. 4th Ave. While a clothing store might at first seem like a less than ideal venue for art exhibitions, the vividly colored styles on Zoe’s racks and mannequins make an interesting complement to the eye-catching art hanging above them. The store’s owner, Lissa Marinaro, studied art history and painting at the University of Arizona and formerly rented a studio at Solar Culture where she created abstract oils. Two years ago she decided to incorporate her passion for art into her business by hosting art exhibitions at the store. Each show begins with an opening reception featuring live music. “I think art and music and fashion are all kind of one and the same”, she says. “We have these huge white walls, and I really like bringing together fashion and art.”
