Krakowski and Mandrell to Co-Host 'Broadway Meets Country'

Tony Award-winner Jane Krakowski (Nine, London Guys and Dolls, "Ally McBeal") will join two-time CMA Entertainer of The Year and country music superstar, Barbara Mandrell to co-host the second annual "Broadway Meets Country" gala concert on Monday, October 30.  The show will be presented by CMA as part of "Nashville Celebrates Country," a week of activities leading up to "The 40th Annual CMA Awards."

In addition, country superstar Trisha Yearwood has joined the all-star ensemble of scheduled performers.

"Broadway Meets Country" will be performed at the James K. Polk Theater at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) in Nashville.  "Broadway performers will sing their favorite Country songs and Country artists will sing their favorite Broadway show tunes.  This special charity concert is a celebration of the universality and crossover appeal of these two popular musical genres and some of their best performers," state press notes. The evening will raise funds for both TPAC Education and The Actors' Fund of America.

"It is an honor to share the stage with Barbara, and to join my friends and peers in an evening filled with surprises," said Krakowski.  "Nothing is more thrilling than performing live – to do so in Nashville where music is part of the city's lifeblood, is every singer's dream." 

Krakowski star in the highly-anticipated primetime series "30 Rock" (debuting October 11 on NBC), playing the star of "The Girlie Show," a network variety show that serves as the backdrop for the workplace comedy.  A collection of Mandrell's songs recorded by top country artists entitled, "She Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool: A Tribute To Barbara Mandrell," will be released October 17 on BNA Records Nashville. 

The line-up of top artists scheduled to perform at "Broadway Meets Country" includes: country music stars Josh Gracin, Raul Malo, Lorrie Morgan, Jamie O'Neal, SHeDAISY, Lee Ann Womack and Trisha Yearwood ,along with Broadway's Laura Bell Bundy (Hairspray), Michael Cerveris (Sweeney Todd, Assassins), Renee Elise Goldsberry ("One Life to Live," The Color Purple), Brian d'Arcy James (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Sweet Smell of Success), Julia Murney (national tour of Wicked, The Wild Party) and company members from Disney's The Lion King national tour.  More stars will be announced soon. 

Stephen Oremus, music supervisor for Wicked and Avenue Q both on Broadway and London's West End, returns as the evening's musical director and arranger.  The event will be co-executive produced by Jed Bernstein/Above the Title Entertainment in conjunction with CMA.  Bernstein executive produced the 2005 "Broadway Meets Country" event while serving as President of the League of American Theatres and Producers.

Ticket prices are $500, $150, $75 and $35 and are available online through www.tpac.org; in-person at the TPAC Box Office (Downtown or at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in the Mall at Green Hills); at all Ticketmaster outlets; or by calling Ticketmaster at (615) 255-ARTS (x2787).  For additional concert information, please call (615) 244-2840 or visit www.CMAawards.com.

(615) 244-2840 or visit www.CMAawards.com.