Reba McEntire Hits #1; Guests with Stokes on 10/15 at Carnegie Hall

Reba McEntire's 31st studio album entitled, "Reba Duets" was released by MCA Nashville September 18 and has now reached #1 on the Billboard Charts. Featuring duets with some of the most distinctive voices from various genres, the album has 11 original songs and one previously recorded song, the current single "Because of You" with Kelly Clarkson. "Because Of You" holds strong in the Top 5 on the charts.  It has been the fastest climbing single for Reba since 1998 ("Forever Love"). McEntire has achieved 33 #1 hits, won 15 American Music Awards, 12 Academy of Country Music Awards, 7 Country Music Association Awards and 2 Grammy's.

In a stroke of good timing for Broadway fans, she will be appearing as a guest at Brian Stokes Mitchell's Carnegie Hall debut on October 15!  McEntire recently starred opposite Mitchell in a Live at Carnegie Hall South Pacific concert (currently on CD and DVD) which they reprised again at the Hollywood Bowl to much acclaim.

Other stars invited by Stokes to share the stage for this special evening benefiting The Actors' Fund are Phylicia Rashad (who was in Jelly's Last Jam with him, when they replaced Gregory Hines and Tonya Pinkins), Heather Headley (who went on to perform with Stokes in Ragtime after understudying Audra McDonald, star of Aida and now a major recording artist) and opera star Harolyn Blackwell. 

Getting back to McEntire, she wowed audiences after replacing Bernadette Peters in Annie Get Your Gun and rumor has it that she and Stokes will do material from that show as well as a special additional song.

Blackwell and Stokes will sing from Porgy and Bess, Headley and Stokes will duet material from Ragtime and Dreamgirls, while Phlyicia Rashad and Stokes will perform material from Jelly's Last Jam.

It'll be an action packed night, backed by a 42 piece orchestra, and is nearly sold out.

The evening's musical selections will come from Mitchell's distinguished career achievements as one of the central male star figures of the theatre over the last two decades as well as contemporary recordings and music he has always wanted to perform. Also that evening, Patti LuPone will be on hand to present theatrical lawyer John Breglio The Actors Fund Medal of Honor.

"Stokes' celebrated baritone has been heard on some of the world's most renowned stages including Lincoln Center, the Hollywood Bowl, Tanglewood, The Walt Disney Concert Hall and Ravinia.  His musical versatility and thrilling voice has kept him in demand by some of the country's finest conductors and orchestras, performing Broadway tunes, jazz standards and contemporary pieces under the batons of such greats Leonard Slatkin, Marvin Hamlisch, John Williams and Paul Gemignani.  In 2006, Mitchell's solo recording debut served as the flagship release for an innovative new record label, Playbill Records, a venture with Sony BMG," as described in press materials.

This year, The Actors Fund celebrates 125 years of taking care of everyone in the performing arts.  The organization is in many ways a safety net for those in the community who are seeking assistance.  With nearly 36% of entertainment professionals having no health insurance and unemployment rates reaching 70-80%, the Fund was developed as a way for the community to take care of itself; for individuals to help their colleagues and give back to the community at the same time.  Brian Stokes Mitchell has served as President of The Actors Fund for three years.

Directing Mitchell's solo debut is director and producer Richard Jay-Alexander. The legendary Paul Gemignani will serve as the shows Musical Director and Conductor.  He was recently the Musical Director for 110 in the Shade and recently won an Emmy for the aforementioned performance of South Pacific which aired on PBS.  He has more than 35 Broadway and West End shows to his credit.  Gemignani was presented with the American Theatre Wings' Special Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 2001 and has been synonymous for his work with Stephen Sondheim. He recently completed work on the upcoming Sweeney Todd film, starring Johnny Depp.

Tickets for Brian Stokes Mitchell at Carnegie Hall can be purchased by calling the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 212-247-7800 or online at www.carnegiehall.org. For more information, please visit www.actorsfund.org and www.Brianstokes.com. If you want to support the Actors' Fund, there are premium tickets available which include the VIP Party at the Russian Tea Room.

As a critically-acclaimed actor, McEntire has been awarded the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Awards for her work on Broadway in Annie Get Your Gun and starred in the WB/CW's top-rated sitcom "Reba" for 6 seasons, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination and a People's Choice Award.

"Duets" track listing:
   When You Love Someone Like That (Duet with LeAnn Rimes)
   Does The Wind Still Blow In Oklahoma? (Duet with Ronnie Dunn)
   Because Of You (Duet with Kelly Clarkson)
   Faith In Love (Duet with Rascal Flatts)
   She Can't Save Him (Duet with Trisha Yearwood)
   Everyday People (Duet with Carole King)
   Every Other Weekend (Duet with Kenny Chesney)
   These Broken Hearts (Duet with Vince Gill)
   Sleeping With The Telephone (Duet with Faith Hill)
   The Only Promise That Remains (Duet with Justin Timberlake)
   Break Each Other's Hearts Again (Duet with Don Henley)

For more information on Reba McEntire visit www.reba.com