Coming up: American Songbook Series

Now in its 15th season, Lincoln Center's acclaimed series will expand its scope and offer two separate series that celebrate the best in American singing and songwriting -- while featuring plenty of the music world's leading lady vocalists.

"American Songbook in The Allen Room" will run from Jan. 30 through March 2, 2013 and will present 15 nights of music from a wide array of music, spanning Broadway old and new, rhythm & blues, country, pop, gospel, blues, rock, jazz and folk. That will be followed by " "American Songbook in the Penthouse," from March 29 to April 20. The series of weekend-only performances will be presented exclusively in the initimate atmosphere of the 225-seat Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse.

Complimentary glasses of wine and bottled water will be served to audience members, who will be seated at cocktail tables. The Kaplan Penthouse was the site for American Songbook shows before the series moved to The Allen Room in 2005.

The Allen Room series will feature performances by:

• Jan. 30 (Wednesday), 8:30 p.m.: Lea Salonga: The series will open with a performance by the female vocalist who earned national attention on Broadway for roles in Miss Saigon and Les Miserables.
• Jan. 31 (Thursday), 8:30 p.m.: Valerie Simpson: In addition to having a magical voice, Simpson has also written or co-written classic songs such as "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," "I'm Every Woman" and "Solid (As a Rock)."
• Feb. 7 (Thursday), 8:30 p.m.: Cecile McLorin Salvant: An up-and-coming jazz vocalist, Salvant won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Vocal Competition in 2010 in Washington D.C.
• Feb. 14 (Thursday), 8:30 p.m.: Mavis Staples: Heralded as one of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" by Rolling Stone, Staples has been performing since 1950 when she started with her family group, The Staple Singers, known for their hits "I'll Take You There" and "Respect Yourself."
• Feb. 15 (Friday), 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.: Kristin Chenoweth: As both an acclaimed TV and film actress and Broadway starlet, there isn't much that Chenoweth can't do when it comes to entertaining a crowd -- having both an Emmy (for her role in Pushing Daisies in 2009) and a Tony Award (in 1999 for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown). She also was nominated for a Tony in 2004 for her role of Glinda, the good witch, in Wicked.
• Feb. 27 (Wednesday), 8:30 p.m. Kathy Mattea: As a two-time Female Vocalist of the Year by the Country Music Association and a two-time Grammy winner, Mattea's songs are known by many country music fans -- especially her hit "Where've You Been."
• March 2 (Saturday), 8:30 p.m.: Ingrid Michaelson: The Brooklyn-based performer started earning fame when her music started to appear on TV shows such as Grey's Anatomy, The Vampire Diaries and Scrubs. In addition to singing, Michaelson also plays guitar, piano and ukulele.

The second Penthouse series will include an opening performance on March 29 by Lindsay Mendez and Marco Pacguia, who will perform a number of jazz, pop, soul and contemporary songs; and a performance on April 5 by Cristin Milioti, the star of the Tony-winning musical Once. The series will conclude on April 20 with a concert by Ben Sollee, whose unique sound comes as result of folk, bluegrass, jazz and R& B influences.

Tickets can be purchased online at AmericanSongbook.com via CenterCharge at (212) 721-6500, at the Alice Tully Hall, Avery Fisher Hall Box Office, or at the Frederick P. Rose Hall Box Office. Premium packages -- including wine, dinner, and the best seats in the house -- are available for $250. For more information and the entire lineup, visit the website.