Tony Winner Kristin Chenoweth to Join Marilyn Horne for DAMES AT 'C', 1/22

Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth will join mezzo-soprano opera singer Marilyn for the upcoming DAMES AT "C" concert at Carnegie Hall. The concert series will take place January 22nd at 7:30pm. DAMES AT "C" is part of Marilyn Horne's THE SONG CONTINUES... series taking place at Carnegie Hall January 19th through January 22nd.

The full cast for the concert will include Keri Alkema, Elaine Alvarez, Amanda Majeski, Jennifer Zetlan, Michael Baitzer, Warren Jones, Tamara Sanikidze, and David Shimoni.

Horne's first major professional engagement was in 1954, when she dubbed the singing voice of Dorothy Dandridge in the film Carmen Jones. Until that point, she had worked as a background singer for several TV sitcoms, as well as recorded covers of popular songs of the early 1950s, which were sold in dimestores around the country for $1.98. She made an appearance on The Odd Couple as a character named "Jackie," her own nickname, a meek and nervous would-be singer who develops into a full-blown diva and essays the role of Carmen with brilliant results; she also sang on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. She made her Los Angeles debut the same year when she performed the role of Hata in The Bartered Bride with the Los Angeles Guild Opera.

Her first major breakthrough came when her singing ability was recognized by Igor Stravinsky; her operatic career began when he invited her to perform in the 1956 Venice festival. She remained in Europe for three seasons singing for the Gelsenkirchen Opera.

She was highly acclaimed for her performance as Marie in Alban Berg's Wozzeck at the inauguration of Gelsenkirchen's new opera house on May 22, 1960. In 1964, she returned to the United States to appear in Wozzeck at the San Francisco Opera.

For many years, Horne was associated with the Australian soprano Dame Joan Sutherland in their performances of the bel canto repertoire. They first performed together in a concert version of Vincenzo Bellini's Beatrice di Tenda at Carnegie Hall in February 1961. In 1965, they were paired again in a performance of Rossini's Semiramide with the Opera Company of Boston.

Horne made her debut at Covent Garden in October 1964 as Marie in Wozzeck. Her La Scala debut was as Jocasta in Stravinsky's opéra-oratorio, Œdipus rex on March 13, 1969. Another of Horne's breakthroughs occurred that same year during a performance of Rossini's Le siège de Corinthe at La Scala, when Horne received a remarkable mid-act seven minute ovation. Horne made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1970 as Adalgisa in Bellini's Norma with Sutherland in the title role. She thereafter appeared regularly at the Met, opening the 1972-1973 season as Carmen. A great success there was in Meyerbeer's Le prophète, in John Dexter's production. In 1984, she sang the title role of Handel's opera seria Rinaldo (directed by Frank Corsaro), the first Handel opera ever performed at the Met.

Although best known for her bel canto and opera seria roles, Horne also performed much American music, both contemporary music, by composers such as William Bolcom, and traditional popular songs. She can be heard on the soundtrack of Flower Drum Song singing "Love, Look Away" and sings the role of Lady Thiang on the Philips recording of The King and I which stars Julie Andrews and Ben Kingsley.

Kristin Chenoweth effortlessly transitions between stage, film and television. Chenoweth recently received the 2009 Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her memorable performance in the ABC series Pushing Daisies. On the stage, Chenoweth is best known for her show-stealing, Tony Award winning performance in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and her triumphant star turn when she originated the role of Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked, which earned her a leading actress Tony Award nomination. Chenoweth recently starred in the highly rated Lifetime Original Movie The Twelve Men of Christmas and will next be seen in Disney's 2010 release of You Again with Jamie Lee Curtis and Kristen Bell. She will also return to Broadway in Spring 2010, starring alongside Sean Hayes in the much-anticipated revival of Promises, Promises.

Tickets for DAMES AT "C" range in price from $37 to $45 and can be purchased through the Carnegie Hall website at www.carnegiehall.org.

For more information, visit www.carnegiehall.org.