Jane Lynch Talks 'Annie', 'Glee', 54 Below Show & More

Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Jane Lynch is currently making her solo concert debut at New York's 54 Below. Coming off the filming of the fifth season of GLEE in which she portrays Sue Sylvester, and her Broadway debut as Miss Hannigan in the recent revival of Annie, the actress will appear for a four-night run, June 18 & 19 at 7PM, June 20 & 21 at 8PM.

Today, Lynch spoke with Billboard.com and shares that audiences can expect such classics as Irving Berlin "Mister Monotony" and "Slappin' the Cakes On Me" by Dave Frishberg at her 54 Below performance.

"It's just a bunch of songs that I like to sing, hopefully some engaging patter, and I hope everybody has a good time and I'm not holding people hostage," says Lynch of her nightclub show, adding "Everybody told me as you pick songs that a theme will emerge all by itself. Nothing emerged. There's very little tying these songs together. I say, `Come with me on a musical journey through a world of songs that actually have very little to do with each other.'

Speaking on her Broadway debut as 'Miss Hannigan', the actress shares, "I didn't have any conscious plans to do Broadway but I always wanted to. So when I got the `Annie' gig, everything in me screamed `No!' but of course I said, `Yes.' I was so happy I did it and I got the bug back."

The experience inspired her to try her hand at cabaret at New York's 54 Below. "I saw ("Glee" co-star) Matt Morrison perform here and I said to myself, `Self, this would be fun for you, Jane.' And then I got the call: Would you like four days? Everything inside of me screamed `No!' but I said, `Yes.'"

Lynch also opined on what the legacy of her FOX series GLEE will be. "I don't think you can underestimate truly how powerful this show has been and will continue to be: It's the place where you can go where you're celebrated for who you are. It's this safe refuge for kids. That's what we're all looking for. We're still in high school, a lot of us."

She adds that the show was responsible for many of the successes she has recently enjoyed. "It was a total game-changer," she says of the series. "They would not have asked me to do `Annie' if I weren't on `Glee.' At the time I was kind of known for the Christopher Guest movies. I was enjoying my career. I was happy doing guest spots here and there. But this really upped it."

Read the interview in full here!

Jane Lynch began her theatrical career and developed her comic skills at The Second City, Steppenwolf Theatre and in many church basements all over the greater Chicago-land area. In addition to Glee, Jane's TV credits include Desperate Housewives and Weeds, as well as the final season of The L Word opposite Cybill Shepherd. She has had recurring roles on Two and a Half Men, where she was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress, Criminal Minds and The New Adventures of Old Christine. With her wit and luminous stage presence, Jane served as the host for the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Jane also has a long list of film credits, including Julie & Julia; Christopher Guest's For Your Consideration, A Mighty Wind and Best in Show; Talladega Nights; The 40 Year Old Virgin; Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and many more.

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