Linda Eder: Christmas Stays the Same
Thursday, December 18, 2025 at 8pm
This performance is presented without an intermission.
Billy Stritch: Musical Director/Piano
Eric Halvorson: Drums
Aaron Heick: Saxophone
David Finck: Bass
Showcasing one of the greatest voices of our time, Linda Eder has a diverse repertoire spanning Broadway, standards, pop, country, and jazz. In concert, she effortlessly transitions between genres, delivering each with equal mastery.
Born in Tucson, Arizona, and raised in Brainerd, Minnesota, Eder began performing immediately after high school, singing throughout her home state before securing a position at Harrah’s Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Her breakthrough came during the 1987 season of Star Search, where she achieved twelve consecutive victories, capturing the attention of audiences and record companies alike.
Eder launched her recording career in 1991 with her self-titled debut album, quickly establishing herself as a leading interpreter of pop, standards, and theatrical music. She released two more solo albums before making her Broadway debut in Jekyll & Hyde on April 28, 1997. Portraying Lucy, she electrified audiences eight times a week at New York City’s Plymouth Theatre, performing her signature songs “Someone Like You” and “A New Life,” earning a Drama Desk nomination. Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote, “What do we mean when we use the word perfection? The question arises every time I watch the pop singer Linda Eder…”
After Broadway, Eder’s recording career continued full speed. Her discography includes 18 solo albums and numerous musical recordings. She has long focused on Broadway, standards, and pop, delivering dramatic, emotionally resonant interpretations of familiar songs. Her first Christmas album, Christmas Stays the Same, showcases her ability to make beloved holiday music uniquely her own.
In 2008, Eder explored country-pop with The Other Side of Me, including a song she wrote. In 2010, she collaborated with Clay Aiken on Roy Orbison’s “Crying” for his album Tried & True. In 2013, she founded her own label, Tressamail, Inc., releasing Christmas Where You Are, featuring fan-selected tracks, two originals, and a mother-son version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with her son Jake.
Eder has since released additional recordings under her label, including her first live CD, Linda Live (2014), and Retro Volume 1 (2015), featuring lush Broadway-style melodies by composers such as Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse. In 2018, she released her 17th solo album, If You See Me, featuring a title track composed by her son Jake with lyrics by Linda, and her first behind-the-scenes DVD, The Other Side, chronicling three years of personal and professional moments.
On television, Eder has appeared frequently, including her Animal Planet special TrailMIX, highlighting singers with a passion for horses, and numerous PBS specials such as Linda Eder: The PBS Concert and Best of Broadway: The Love Songs. Her 2001 holiday concert, Christmas Stays the Same, aired on Bravo TV and remains a popular DVD.
The concert stage remains central to Eder’s career. She has performed for sold-out audiences across the U.S. and Europe at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Radio City Music Hall, Davies Hall, and more. Collaborating with luminaries like Marvin Hamlisch, Michael Feinstein, and Keith Lockhart, Eder continues to find her greatest joy on stage, sharing her voice and spreading happiness through her music.
Billy Stritch began his career in Houston, Texas, forming the vocal trio Montgomery, Plant and Stritch, which performed across New York and Europe from 1983 until 1990. A chance meeting with Liza Minnelli in 1991 led to him creating vocal arrangements for her record-breaking Liza Stepping Out at Radio City Music Hall. Over a 25-year collaboration, he served as her accompanist and opening act, and he also toured with Tony Bennett as pianist and musical director.
A solo performer, Billy has presented shows—including tributes to Mel Tormé and Cy Coleman—across concert halls and nightclubs nationwide. He is music director for vocalists including Marilyn Maye, Linda Lavin, Linda Eder, Christine Ebersole, and Paulo Szot. He co-wrote the Grammy-winning “Does He Love You,” recorded by Reba McEntire and Linda Davis, which topped the Billboard Country Chart, sold over five million copies, and earned a Grammy Award.
Billy has arranged music for numerous top performers, including Minnelli On Minnelli and Liza’s At The Palace at Broadway’s Palace Theater. He also appeared as Oscar in the 2001 Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of 42nd Street.
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