By Mary Ann Bourbeau
Eden Espinosa will be performing many genres of songs, including taking audience requests, at her show “An Evening with Eden Espinosa” at the Holmdel Theater Company Nov. 13, part of the Broadway at the Barn series.
Eden Espinosa has flown to the highest heights – literally – starring as Elphaba in the hit Broadway musical “Wicked.” But she says she feels most at home performing intimate concerts for small audiences.
“Over the years, I’ve really found the place that is comforting is my concert world,” she said. “I find it’s a place of connection between the audience and me, like we’re all in a living room together.” “An Evening with Eden Espinosa” will take place in the Holmdel Theatre Company’s “living room” at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, the latest in the theater’s Broadway at the Barn series. Espinosa will sing the songs she is known for and those from her favorite musicals, as well as some Sondheim, pop and rock covers and a few numbers from her second album, “Revelation.” “I also love singing songs from roles I would never be cast in, especially those written for a male voice,” she said. Espinosa will engage the audience with stories and conversation while also taking song requests, performing them a cappella. “It’s my first time performing at Holmdel Theatre,” she said. “I’m excited to feel everyone’s energy.”
In addition to her theatrical roles, Espinosa works steadily in the voiceover world, with credits including the Disney Channel’s “Tangled the Series,” “Robot Chicken” and “MAD TV.” That work, along with teaching, kept her afloat when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down performing arts venues. Espinosa’s career began at a very young age. When she was 10 years old, the Anaheim, California, native took part in recording children’s albums. By age 17, she was performing professional stage shows and singing in a cappella groups at Disneyland. “I grew up in Southern California, so Disney was a part of my upbringing,” she said. “It was always a dream of mine to perform there. There’s such a strong sense of magic! Bringing those characters to life was very fulfilling. Those were some of my favorite years.” Espinosa’s television appearances include “Law and Order,” “Ugly Betty” and “Elementary.” On stage, she portrayed Anita in “West Side Story” at the Royal Albert Hall in London and Daniela in “In the Heights” at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. She toured Denmark and London as Emma Borden in the rock musical “Lizzie” and originated the role of Sadie Thompson in the world premiere of “Rain” at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego.
She took part in the national tours of “Falsettos,” portrayed Maureen in “Rent” and the title characters in “Flora the Red Menace” and “Brooklyn the Musical.” But the role she is most known for is her critically acclaimed portrayal of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West in “Wicked,” on Broadway as well as the Los Angeles and San Francisco productions. “I will forever be grateful for my part in it,” she said. “Wicked has such a strong sense of community, with those of us who have done it over the years as well as the fans.” Espinosa just completed a run of the world premiere of a new musical, “The Gardens of Anuncia” at the Old Globe Theater. “It was a crazy ride doing a show during a pandemic,” she said. Now she’s busy preparing for her upcoming show at Holmdel Theatre. “I want people to feel like they got to know me as I share a piece of who I am and my heart,” she said. Tickets are $45 and are available at holmdeltheatrecompany.org. Proof of COVID vaccination will be required for entry or proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the show. Next up on Friday, Dec. 3, Holmdel Theatre Company presents Broadway at the Barn: Holiday Edition starring Betsy Wolfe (“Waitress”).
The article originally appeared in the November 4 – 10, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
