Ridgefield Playhouse Presents LYLE LOVETT, 7/8

This year's Summer Gala at The Ridgefield Playhouse will feature singer/songwriter and actor Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group on Monday, July 8. A singer, composer and actor, Lyle Lovett has broadened the definition of American music in a career that spans 14 albums. Coupled with his gift for storytelling, the Texas-based musician fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel, and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down barriers. A consummate showman, known for his sarcastic wit and Grammy Award winning vocals, Lovett's songbook includes the hits "Here I Am", "Cowboy Man" (#10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs), "Give Back My Heart" and "That's Right (You're Not from Texas)".

The evening kicks off at 6 p.m. with food, open bar, silent auction items and live music under a tent, followed by a live auction and Gala performance by Lyle Lovett. The under-the-tent "dinner-by-the-bite" will include plentiful hors-d'oeuvre courtesy of Jay's Bar, The Bayou North, La Piazza, Nature's Temptations, Sarah Bouissou Catering and Some Things Fishy Catering, an Argo tea tasting and open bar courtesy of Raise the Bar, music by Carly & Eliza and a Playhouse-style silent auction. A piece of signed memorabilia by Lyle Lovett will be featured in a stage live auction before his performance at8 p.m. This event is part of the Doyle Coffin Architecture Singer/Songwriter Series?and is underwritten by Northeast Builders of Ridgefield, LLC, The Cugine Family and Ridgefield Magazine.

Lovett has earned four Grammy Awards including Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Album. His live performances are pure entertainment infused with his stories and his Texas-based fusion of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down genre barriers.

Critics and fans agree that Lyle Lovett's concerts offer "...a first-class experience, with first class musicians... that makes you feel like you've been lucky enough to be invited into his living room for a special evening. Each time I leave his concert I feel like it was time (and money) well spent."

Lovett was one of the most distinctive and original singer/songwriters to emerge during the '80s. Though he was initially labeled as a country singer, the tag never quite fit him as he had more in common with '70s singer/songwriters Randy Newman and Townes Van Zandt, combining a talent for incisive, witty lyrical detail with an eclectic array of music -- from country and folk to big-band swing and traditional pop. Lyle Lovett has broadened the definition of American music in a career that spans 14 albums. He has been touring in support of Release Me, which hovered at #1 for several weeks on the American charts, since its debut in February. Lovett was featured in the coveted "What I've Learned" column in the February 2012 issue of Esquire. He received an American Music Association's inaugural Trailblazer Award and the distinction of being the Texas State Musician.

For tickets ($150), call or visit the box office at The Ridgefield Playhouse, (203) 438-5795, or order online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a not-for-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.