Sounds of Theater

Saturday's audience for "The Broadway Divas" is guaranteed a fresh experience. The three "divas" in question have never worked together before.

"There are about 10 women who are on this rotating roster," explains Emily Skinner, and they are teamed according to "whoever is available to do the job."

Skinner, a 1998 Tony Award nominee, has been doing the "Divas" concerts since 2003. But she hasn't worked with co-stars Shayna Steele or Kate Baldwin, who is making her first foray into the format with Saturday's concert, part of The New York Stage & Beyond Series at UNLV's Performing Arts Center.

"It's a good time. We mix it up," Skinner says. "There are duets, solos, trios. It's all over the place." The singers prepare separately, but they also have a band rehearsal here Saturday and will participate in master classes for theater students.

Skinner isn't well-known beyond the circle of serious theater devotees; her Tony nomination came from the offbeat "Side Show" -- a 1997 musical about conjoined twins who become stage stars -- which lasted just 91 performances on Broadway.

She and her "Side Show" co-star Alice Ripley sometimes perform concerts together, mainly in the New York area. Lack of name recognition might lead to indifference in the rest of the country, but Skinner says the opposite is true.

"I really love singing outside New York, because I find people are eager to hear theater music and hear it sung well by people who have done it a lot," she says. "There's a real sort of audience for that."

Steele fronts her own jazz quartet and performed in Broadway productions of "Rent," "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Hairspray." She also sang on the "Hairspray" movie soundtrack as part of the movie's girl group, the Dynamites. On her MySpace page, Steele says she will be part of Bette Midler's show at Caesars Palace next year.

Baldwin was in the Broadway casts of "Wonderful Town" and "Thoroughly Modern Millie." She and Skinner also were in "The Full Monty," but not at the same time.

(Some published press materials also billed Kimberly Grigsby in Saturday's lineup, but she is unable to attend. Musical director Mark Hartman will be covering some of her parts.)

Skinner says the songs from "Side Show" don't really work outside the show. But she will do a tribute to Mae West and some character songs, including "Poor Unfortunate Souls" from "The Little Mermaid," as well as her own take on Broadway hits.

"When you're singing for people, I feel like you should sort of get to know them," she says. "You should leave the theater knowing about them and their take on life in general. I feel like this series sort of does that. We all get to step up and talk about ourselves and sing songs we like."