Carter, backed by musical director and long-time friend John Wallowitch on piano, will play three weeks at the intimate cabaret on Manhattan's East Side. The singer-actress will offer tunes by Bob Dylan, Don Henley, Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Wallowitch. Carter's limited engagement ends Oct. 9.

In an upcoming issue of Playbill Magazine, Carter tells writer David Drake, "I’ve known John [Wallowitch], sung his music, been sitting up around the piano until five o’clock in the morning with him for all these years. But the strange thing is we’ve never actually performed in New York together."

Carter also explained that her show's theme will be "the same as always: innocence to heartbreak to cynicism to innocence again. My show is always a sung version of that. ’Cause that’s the life that we live."

Dixie Carter is best known for her work as Julia Sugarbaker on the long running comedy "Designing Women." She received great acclaim for her work as Maria Callas in the Broadway run of Master Class and was most recently on Broadway as Mrs. Meers in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Her other theatrical credits include A Woman of No Importance, Love Letters, Pal Joey, Sextet, A Coupla White Chicks Sittin' Around Talkin', Fathers and Sons, Jesse and the Bandit Queen (Theatre World Award) and Taken in Marriage, Fathers and Sons. Carter's solo recording is titled "Dixie Carter Sings John Wallowitch Live at the Carlyle."

Dixie Carter will offer shows Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8:45 PM with late shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 10:45 PM. There is a $55-$65 cover charge but no minimum. Cafe Carlyle is located in Manhattan at Madison Avenue and 76th Street. Call (212) 744-1600 for reservations or visit www.thecarlyle.com. *

The upcoming Carlyle season will also include Bobby Short (Oct. 12-Dec. 31), Ute Lemper (Jan. 14-Feb. 26, 2005) and Tony Award winner Betty Buckley (March 1-April 9).