Country Music superstar and top CMA Awards nominee Lee
Ann Womack and Broadway leading man, TonyŽ Award Winner, Brian Stokes
Mitchell, will co-host the Nov. 12 "Broadway Meets Country" concert, a
benefit performance celebrating the universality and crossover appeal of
these two popular genres and their performers.
This special charity performance is a fundraiser for The Actors' Fund of
America, for which Mr. Mitchell is President, and the American Red Cross
Disaster Relief Fund.
The announcement was made today by the Country Music Association and The
League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc. who are collaborating on
this unique and unprecedented event "Broadway Meets Country" -- which
will be a highlight of the weeklong series of events leading up to "The
39th Annual CMA Awards" known as "Country Takes New York City." The
"Broadway Meets Country" concert is presented by Anheuser-Busch, Inc. and
Michelob Ultra.
Lee Ann Womack, who is nominated for CMA Female Vocalist, Single, Album,
Music Video, and Musical Event (2) of the Year, returned to her roots this
year with her album There's More Where That Came From and those roots are
strong and run deep. Raised in Jacksonville, Texas, Womack received an
early education in Country Music from her father, a part-time Country disc
jockey. She signed a writing contract with Tree Publishing in 1995 and a
year later she signed a recording contract with Decca Records (now MCA
Nashville).
A critical darling, her third album, I Hope You Dance , kicked Womack's
career into high gear. The title track became her biggest No. 1 hit,
crossing over to the pop charts and ultimately helping the album sell more
than 3 million copies. The songs on There's More Where That Came From,
including "I May Hate Myself in the Morning," may never never hit the pop
charts, but Womack's classic Country-influenced album will stand the test
of time as one of her most honest works.
Brian Stokes Mitchell, has enjoyed a rich and varied career on Broadway,
television and film, along with appearances in the great American concert
halls. His musical versatility has kept him in demand by some of the
country's finest conductors and orchestras. Earlier this year in New York
he made his cabaret debut as both singer and musical arranger at
Feinstein's at the Regency in his critically acclaimed one-man show
"Love/Life" which then moved to the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln
Center. In June he headlined the Carnegie Hall concert presentation of
Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific" with Reba McEntire, which will
air on PBS next year.
Highlights of Mr. Mitchell's Broadway career include performances in "Man
of La Mancha" (TonyŽ nomination and Helen Hayes Award); "Kiss Me Kate"
(TonyŽ, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards); "Ragtime" (TonyŽ,
nomination); August Wilson's "King Hedley II" (TonyŽ nomination); "Kiss of
the Spider Woman;" "Jelly's Last Jam;" and David Merrick's "Oh, Kay!"
His very long television career began with a seven year stint on "Trapper
John, MD." Numerous film and TV appearances more recently include "One
Last Thing" which just debuted at this year's Toronto Film Festival,
recurring roles on "Crossing Jordan" and "Frasier," PBS' "Great
Performances," DreamWorks' "The Prince of Egypt," and his "Presidential
Debut" in "The Singer and the Song" from the White House."
Broadway and Country Star-Studded Line-Up
The glittering line-up of performers scheduled to appear, in addition to
Mr. Mitchell, include Broadway performers Reneé Elise Goldsberry, Andrea
McArdle, Donna Murphy, James Naughton, Idina Menzel, Marian Seldes, Ben
Vereen, and Patrick Wilson.
