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I went to Palm Springs on Friday evening, 1/18/08, to see Eden Espinosa singing with Upright Cabaret. Eden looked killer and sang her heart out, including two of my all time favorite songs - "Songbird" and "A Case of You". So beautiful and soulful and ... well so amazingly EDEN! I hope she records them at some point. (*praying for an Eden record deal very, very SOON!*)
After the first song ("Taking Chances" - lovely, not to mention, fitting!) she had to shake herself out a bit, confessing how nervous she was, and how much she hates being the last on the bill. Because she had to sing more than one song this time, she vowed to herself not to drink before hand. LOL! Despite singing sober, she was certainly "high" off the energy of the previous three performers, whom she praised for their soulful-ness (they were wonderful, I agree!!) She then sang a gorgeous, equally soulful "Songbird". *swoon* She was asked by the Upright boys to sing something from Brooklyn, but she sorta made a solemn vow that she'd probably never sing "Once Upon a Time" ever again. So she sang "Raven" instead - a favorite of hers she did NOT sing in the show. You could tell she loved singing/acting this song... and knew it very well. She sang it with your whole body! Powerful! The woman sitting next to me hadn't heard of Eden before. After this number she said to me, "Now I know why you like her so much." LOL! Yeah baby!! Eden commented how ballad heavy her set was, which she was loving since she's been screaming her face off every night in Wicked. She then went right into "A Case of You". I almost cried. When Eden isn't "screaming her face off" her voice is so beautifully sweet, pure and intimate. It was like she was singing this song to one person, telling them her thoughts and deep feelings... as if describing her own very personal experiences. You can't get any better than that!! Eden should sing more Joni ballads!!! She can tell such an amazing story with a song. That's her incredible acting skills so perfectly mixing with her astonishing singing voice... something many of us witnessed in her Wicked performances. She then announced, in amazement, how the evening was over already, yet she was just getting warmed up. Introducing her last number, she said that with her run in Wicked having just ended, she felt she wanted to do this song, in a different way. However, just as the pianist started playing "Defying Gravity", she stopped to explain further that Wicked has been such a huge part of her life and her soul, as well as who she is as a woman and performer. This song took on a whole new meaning for her during the last week of her run, as she was taking a big leap, out of a cushy successful show into the unknown. She wanted to do the song a little differently, so she sang DG with a fun jazzy groove. Still powerful and heart-felt, but in some ways there was a sense of finality to it, which I didn't quite register until I thought about it later. A weird feeling, yet I'm so excited for her future. EDEN ROCKS!! Friday was my birthday, so sitting there listening to one of the greatest singers of our time (as well as 3 other amazing performers)... I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present. Eden was so sweet after the show. She actually remembered me from our meeting back stage in Dec. My friend Terri came with me to the Cabaret. This was her first time meeting Eden, who graciously took a picture with Terri and signed her Wicked program. The line to meet Eden was long, so we didn't monopolize her time. It was just great to be there and support her and hear her sing again. I look forward to the next time. ~S *Sat, 3/29/08 
Last night, I went to see Eden perform at the Upright Cabaret's return to Mark's Restaurant which was re-opening after renovations. There was a huge lineup of singers. I didn't know most of them, but they were all fabulous!
Eden was again towards the end of the evening. Shane introduced her by raving about seeing her in Brooklyn and that she's been a favorite of Upright Cabaret for a long time. And, yes, they mentioned a little show called Wicked? I think that's what they called it. Eden got on stage, put her glass of wine on the floor after swapping mics, and told the pianist, "Hit it!" As he started the intro she confessed she didn't have anything to say cause she gets so nervous at these things. Cute! She then proceeded to rock the house with Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Unexpected Song" from Song and Dance. I love this song! And once again, Eden performed it like I've never heard it before. Frelling brilliant! Naturally she got lots of oo's and ah's and cheers from the audience with some killer high notes and extended notes, etc, but my favorite was the last note, which she sang so sweet and pure and HIGH! No screaming, just ever so lightly tapping it and holding it with such control. It was beautifully done. The range this girl has is unreal! As soon as she released that last awesome note, she jumped up and down and shook out her nervous energy. ADORABLE! She looked stunning, too, in a chic black dress and boots (I think), and beautifully made-up. Gorgeous! She was the last female to sing. Audra Mae sang a few people before her, and Ty Taylor and Adam Lambert closed out the evening after her. It was a long night, but well worth it. ~S |
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