Mandy Barnett in Concert August 16, 2009

Crossville’s MANDY BARNETT returns to Cumberland County Playhouse on Sunday afternoon, August 16, after her smash hit Ryman Auditorium revival of ALWAYS, PATSY CLINE. She’ll sing an exciting mix of Country, 40’s & 50’s Blues, and Jazz at the Playhouse for the 2:30 PM concert.
Her Crossville concert follows two July appearances on the world famous Grand Ole Opry, and precedes later engagements at the Wilson County Fair and in Bowling Green, Kentucky. As the original “Patsy” in the Ryman’s ALWAYS PATSY CLINE, Mandy loves Patsy’s songs, but the repertoire for this “singer’s singer” now includes many great standards and styles in popular music.
In 1986, when MANDY was 10, she entered a contest at Dollywood where she beat out 2,500 adult and child contestants to with the “Best Country Act” in the “Dollywood Search for Talent” contest. That started a two year run at Dollywood where she worked during the summer, sharing the stage with a then undiscovered Suzy Bogguss. At 12, Justin Tubb invited Mandy to debut on the Grand Ole Opry as part of a tribute show to his father. MANDY performed Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” to rave reviews.
MANDY starred in the first run of Always, Patsy Cline, in the completely renovated Ryman Auditorium in Nashville where Patsy had performed many times. The shows were sold out every night and received top reviews across the country leading to a record deal with Asylum records where MANDY released her debut CD “MANDY BARNETT.” Prior to “ALWAYS”, Mandy made her musical theater debuts as
Annie Oakley in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN at the Playhouse, and as “Prudie” in the Playhouse’s PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES. Though still in high school when she played Annie Oakley, the late Mary Crabtree, Playhouse founder who had seen Mary Martin and Ethel Merman in the role on Broadway, commented that Mandy sang the Irving Berlin classics the best she ever heard.
MANDY BARNETT’S release “I’ve Got a Right to Cry” was a huge critical success. Rolling Stone Magazine named the record the top country record of the year, and she received excellent reviews in People Magazine, Newsweek, Interview, and multiple national newspapers. Since “I’ve Got a Right to Cry”, MANDY has had several releases on movie soundtracks, “A Walk on the Moon,” “Traveller,” “Space Cowboy,” “Election,” and “Drop Dead Gorgeous”.

Official Website: http://www.ccplayhouse.com