Lynda Carter is gearing up for another Billboard blockbuster. Direct from two nights at the Lincoln Center’s Allen Room, the Wonder Woman of television fame returns to the Kennedy Center for “Crazy Little Things,” an evening of memorable hits from the great American songbook.
Lynda Carter’s ‘Crazy Little Things’
Where: Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: $35 to $75; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org
Her first album, “At Last,” rang up at No. 8 on Billboard shortly after its release last season. That potpourri of a dozen songs that tantalize and reverberate with gorgeous melodies and imaginative arrangements will be followed shortly by a second album incorporating some of the numbers Carter has prepared for Saturday’s cabaret show. “These are all songs I love to sing, and the title comes from my sense of humor,” she said. “I love variation, so I chose music from a variety of genres. They aren’t covers, but are reimagined and put into different contexts. It was hard to narrow down the choices even though the whole band participates. I give them arrangements I’ve directed, then we toss around ideas, throwing out some and keeping the best.
” ‘Locomotion’ is one of my favorites in the program. It’s not done the old way, but in a slow groove with a back beat. I have a very different take on Al Green’s ‘Let’s Stay Together,’ another on ‘Up on the Roof,’ and I add a country favorite with Patsy Cline’s ‘Walkin’ After Midnight.’ ”
Carter’s repertoire is so deep and flexible, she often readjusts the program from night to night as the occasion warrants. When she first comes on stage, she takes stock of the audience, connects immediately, then launches into a number that best fits the mood. Blessed with an enormous range and interpretive chops, she has been singing every style from country to classical since beginning her initial career as touring band singer. Along the way, she became a TV and film heroine and recently spread her wings on London’s West End as Mama Morton in “Chicago.”
The glamorous mother of a son who recently graduated from college and a daughter in her freshman year, she places family first, even as she plans her next album with producer Kyle Lehning. Her composing skills come to the fore with “Jessie’s Song,” a parting gift to her daughter.
“It’s not sad, just my way of communicating with her that she’s going to be OK away from home,” she said. “The transition was difficult for us, as we’ve always been close, so I knew it was important to let her know she mustn’t worry about me. She’s doing very well and, like her brother, is already receiving honors.”
Carter is still basking in kudos coming in for “At Last.” She swings in “Deed I Do” and “Cloudburst,” vamps in “Cry Me a River” and “Blues in the Night,” and adds pizzazz to the James Taylor standard “Secret of Life.” Fans can expect a healthy serving of this collection along with the surprises she’s preparing for an eclectic evening.
“The Terrace Theater is easy to be in because it’s so warm,” she said. “Cabaret is like a mini-concert with a little bit of an unplugged feeling, a more intimate way of connecting with people. Nobody listens to just one type of music today, so I’ve prepared a program that ranges from touching ballads to rip-roaring numbers.”
