Singers Hopkins, Weldon Form a Dynamic Double Bill

There’s a bargain double bill this week at the Cinegrill in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Singers Linda Hopkins and Maxine Weldon are each headliners in their own right so hearing them on the same program, two for the price of one, has to be considered one of the best musical deals in recent memory.

The booking is taking place because Hopkins and Weldon have just spent a year working together in Europe with a touring company of the hit musical “Black & Blue.” In their opening show on Tuesday night, however, they sang no songs together, despite the clear expectation that they would do so. But expect them to team up before they finish their run.

Hopkins, suffering from a flu-invoked fever yet electing to perform anyhow, was clearly worn out by the time she completed her half of the program. And her usually dependable vocals were delivered with some physical difficulties.

Still, even in less than optimal condition, Hopkins dispensed a powerful performance. Opening with two classic blues--Percy Mayfield’s “Please Send Me Someone to Love” and Leonard Feather’s “Evil Gal Blues”--she instantly revealed her mastery of the form. Tossing in occasional asides to the audience, mugging her brilliant, Louis Armstrong-like smile, singing with a subtle sense of timing, she transformed each piece into pure, share-the-experience storytelling.

Hopkins had fun with “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66” and “Down Home Blues,” and “Stormy Monday” came across as a rich-textured confessional. But by the time she decided to respond to a request for “Deep in the Night,” which won her a Tony Award, her voice had nearly reached the point of no return. Ironically, its fatigued, sometimes raspy quality, simply gave the song an even greater dramatic impact.

Weldon, who opened the performance, is a bright, effusive artist who builds enthusiasm with an irrepressible flow of energy. Her program contrasted a series of effervescent blues numbers with attractive ballads such as “Let It Be Me” and Kris Kristofferson’s “It’s Over and Nobody Wins.” Somewhat more jazz-oriented than Hopkins, Weldon sang with a surging rhythmic feeling and an impressive desire to tell the story without sacrificing the song. She’s a performer who deserves to be more widely heard.

* Linda Hopkins and Maxine Weldon in the Cinegrill in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd., tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. $20 and $10 per minimum. (213) 466-7000.