CMA Awards Top Nominee Lee Ann Womack and Tony Winner Brian Stokes Mitchell To Co-Host 'Broadway Meets Country'

Country Music superstar and top CMA Awards nominee Lee Ann Womack and Broadway leading man, Tony® 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" (Tony® nomination and Helen Hayes Award); "Kiss Me Kate" (Tony®, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards); "Ragtime" (Tony®, nomination); August Wilson's "King Hedley II" (Tony® 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.

Country stars, along with Ms. Womack, who are scheduled to perform include Trace Adkins, Glen Campbell, Billy Currington, Raul Malo, Richie McDonald, Jamie O'Neal, Julie Roberts, Carrie Underwood and Trisha Yearwood.

Stephen Oremus is musical director and arranger for the "Broadway Meets Country" event. Currently he is music supervisor/ conductor/ arranger for "Wicked" (original cast recording); and music supervisor/arranger/orchestrator for "Avenue Q" (original cast recording). He was music supervisor/arranger/orchestrator for Jonathan Larson's "tick, tick…BOOM"! in NYC and national tour (original cast recording); music Director for Andrew Lippa's "The Wild Party" at Manhattan Theatre Club (original cast recording).

Event Information

This unforgettable evening will be held at The Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center (Broadway at 60th Street, New York City), against the breathtaking backdrop of New York's Central Park.

This special charity performance is a fundraiser for The Actors' Fund of America, and the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Additional concert information is available by calling 212-869-4535.

About The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc.

The League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc., founded in 1930 and operating under the trademark "Live Broadway," is the national trade association for the Broadway industry. The League's 500-plus members include theater owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers in over 140 North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theater industry.

Broadway industry programs initiated by the League include Kids' Night on Broadway, Broadway On Broadway, an annual outdoor concert in Times Square, The Broadway Line, a national toll-free Broadway information hotline (888-BROADWAY), Broadway Ticket Center, and LiveBroadway.com.

Each year, League members bring Broadway to nearly 30 million people in New York and on tour across the U.S. and Canada, contributing $4.3 billion to the New York economy and billions more to the national economy.

About the Country Music Association and CMA Awards

In 1958, CMA was the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. Its membership includes nearly 6,000 companies and music industry professionals around the globe. The CMA Awards were broadcast on network television in 1968 – making it the longest running, music awards program on network TV. Traditionally one of the highest rated awards specials of the year, more than 37 million people watched all or part of the 2004 CMA Awards, placing it behind only the Academy Awards and in a statistical tie with the GRAMMY's in ratings.

In 2005, the event will be held outside of Nashville for the first time when "The 39th Annual CMA Awards" is broadcast live on the CBS Television Network Tuesday, November 15 from Madison Square Garden. For information about CMA and the Association's initiatives and events, visit www.CMAworld.com.

About The Actors' Fund of America

The Actors' Fund of America, founded in 1882, is the national human service organization, helping all entertainment professionals in theater, television, film, music, opera and dance. The Actors' Fund's broad spectrum of programs – designed to address the specific needs of the community – includes comprehensive social services, health services, emergency financial assistance, supportive and affordable housing, career counseling, and skilled nursing and assisted living care.

The Fund's Emergency Assistance Fund supports our community in times of critical need, including those who have been assisted with shelter, food, clothing, relocation, and other needs due to Hurricane Katrina. Administered from offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, these programs address essential needs and help people solve programs. For more information visit www.actorsfund.org.

About The American Red Cross

The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors-across the street, across the country and across the world-in emergencies. Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to neighbors familiar and new – the nearly 1 million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross. Through almost 900 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. Some 4 million people give blood-the gift of life-through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected.

As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of 181 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work. For information about the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, go to www.redcross.org or call 800-HELP-NOW (800-435-7669).