Broadway star Linda Eder takes the stage with "Linda Eder's Christmas," 8 p.m. Dec. 12, State Theatre Center for the Arts, Easton.

As a child, Eder never dreamed she would one day be performing for thousands of fans.

"I was very, very shy," she says in a phone interview. "Never in a million years did I imagine I would sing live onstage."

Eder credits her high school choir teacher in Minnesota with giving her the push to become a singer.

"I was so shy that I never even sang in front of my family. It took all my courage to audition for choir. My choir teacher really believed in me. She encouraged me. She was great."

For her performance at the State Theatre, Eder will sing selections from her two Christmas CDs, 2000's "Christmas Stays The Same" and 2013's, "Christmas Where You Are." She will also perform selections from her new CD, "Linda Live," which includes songs from "Jekyll and Hide," "Evita" and "The Sound of Music."

Eder portrayed Lucy in her Broadway debut in the musical "Jekyll & Hyde," for which she received a Drama Desk nomination in 1997.

Eder launched her recording career in 1991 with her self-titled debut album and soon established herself as an interpreter of pop standards and theatrical songs. She has had 15 solo albums.

She has performed for sold-out crowds in venues across the country and throughout Europe. She has been featured on numerous PBS television concert specials. Her 2001 holiday concert, "Christmas Stays the Same," was broadcast on Bravo TV and is a popular- selling DVD.

Eder has recently begun independently producing her own music. "This seems to be the direction the industry is going in. "A lot of record deals with major labels aren't very lucrative for artists anymore. [Producing my own music] gave me some sleepless nights at first, but it really brought the fun back into recording for me."

Eder is looking forward to her performance at the State.

"I love to do these holiday shows. They only come once a year. At every venue, there is a different choir singing with me and that's something special."

The Lehigh Valley Gay Men's Chorus accompanies Eder at the State.

After the show, Eder is expected to sign CDs and meet fans in the theater lobby.

Tickets: State Theatre Box Office, 453 Northampton St., Easton; statetheatre.org, 1-800-999-STATE, 610-252-3132