McDonald to Sing 'American Songbook' in Oct.; Airs on PBS

Four-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald will return to Lincoln Center to launch the ninth season of the "American Songbook" series.  On October 11th and October 12th, she will perform in concert at Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

McDonald, who will return to Broadway in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of 110 in the Shade in spring of '07, will treat audiences to songs from her new CD, "Build a Bridge," which features an array of songs by contemporary pop and musical theatre composers.  Tony Award-winner Ted Sperling (The Light in the Piazza) will provide musical direction for both concerts.

In addition, the October 12th concert will be broadcast on PBS' "Live from Lincoln Center."

The follow-up to "Way Back to Paradise," "How Glory Goes" and "Happy Songs," "Build a Bridge" will feature much of the material that McDonald previously performed at Lincoln Center last year as part of "American Songbook."  It will be released by Nonesuch Records in September.

"Build a Bridge" will include 13 tracks--including "To a Child" and "Tom Cat Goodbye" (Laura Nyro), "My Stupid Mouth" (John Mayer), "Damned Ladies" (Rufus Wainwright), "I Wanna Get Married" (Nellie McKay), "God Give Me Strength" (Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello), "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" (Randy Newman), "Wonderful You" (Jane Kelly Williams), and "My Heart" (Neil Young).  A number of musical theatre composers will also be represented on the CD.  McDonald will also include The Light in the Piazza's "Dividing Day" and Myths and Hymns' "Build a Bridge" (Adam Guettel), "Cradle and All" (Jessica Molaskey and Ricky Ian Gordon) and "Bein' Green" (Joseph Raposo).

McDonald won Tony Awards for her performances in Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime and most recently, A Raisin in the Sun. She has also appeared on Broadway in Henry IV and Marie Christine. McDonald's film and television credits include It Runs in the Family, "The Bedford Diaries," "Mister Sterling," Cradle Will Rock, "Law and Order: SVU," the telemusical of Annie, and the HBO movie Wit. She is also acclaimed as a concert artist, and was recently seen in the Houston Grand Opera's double bill of Michael John LaChiusa's (who are you? I Love You) and Francis Poulenc's La Voix Humaine.

Tickets for McDonald's Lincoln Center concert go on sale September 5th; visit www.lincolncenter.org or call 212-721-6500.  Visit www.nonesuch.com for more information on "Build a Bridge."