Cyndi Lauper - Live From Soundstage (2004)

• 75%
• 2004
• Music
• Joe Thomas

Cyndi Lauper, the punky New York princess who just wanted to have fun in the 80's, has matured into a woman who can add an organic honesty to classic standards, as featured on this Soundstage and in her most recent album At Last. From Edith Piaf's "La Vie En Rose" and "Hymn to Love," to the playful "Makin' Whoopee," to somber serenades like "Unchained Melody," "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and "Walk on By," Lauper elevates her adoring audience with a revealing candor, an impressive range and a pensive sense for interpretation. But her performance is also a celebration with Lauper's innate sparkle shining through the fun flashbacks "Time After Time," "True Colors," "Money Changes Everything," "Shine" and, of course, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun." With the audience dancing on chairs, and the artist running up the aisles and delivering anecdotal asides, Grammy-winning Lauper reveals that she's a true performer - at ease with her identity as a modern pop powerhouse, but prepared to revel in her most recent reincarnation.