joe viglione of allmusic described the album as "masterful" and writes, "the song selection is tremendous, and the performance is a milestone for a singer who has already conquered other formats. "center stage" is a delightful treat and will be a considered a classic years down the road, on that you can be sure." "billboard" clarifies, "it's not that she has refashioned her vocal approach -- it remains an affecting ballad voice. but it's employed in the interest here of classy, mostly rarely recorded ballads from the world of musical theater." they conclude, "reddy makes daring choices throughout this album and meets the challenge every time."