Martina McBride is no stranger to a sell-out performance. In her 20-plus year career, she has sold out plenty of huge venues and put on elaborate productions for her fans. But now, it sounds like she's done with all of that. Not done with touring, of course. It's just that this time around, the country songstress is begging to play smaller, more intimate shows.

To give her fans more meaningful performances, McBride kicked off a unique theater tour with a show in St. Augustine, Fla. at the beginning of the month. The 13-date tour will stop at small venues in several states, and McBride will have the opportunity to play material from 'Eleven,' her latest album release.

“I believe the concert experience is about sharing,” said McBride (quote via musicrow.com). “It’s not just an artist up on stage singing songs for an audience. There has to be a connection for it to work…for both of us. In an arena, I always feel like my mission is to keep people up on their feet all night. These theater shows are going to be more about making memories I hope they never forget.”

In fact, the 'Marry Me' singer was so eager to give her fans a smaller, more memorable performance, that she begged her manager to set up a tour of shows in small venues.

"I've been playing arenas for a long time, actually, and I had the opportunity to play some venues in New England that were about 1,500-2,000 seats and I loved it," Martina told the Boot. "I went back to my manager and said, 'Can I play smaller venues? Please.' It's so intimate. You can see everybody you can hear everybody. You can pace your show differently."

Although the small set will probably appeal to longtime fans of the country star, it's definitely not the type of tour that will bring in new crowds looking for a lot of energy. Because of the setting, McBride plans to play some obscure songs and deep album cuts that true fans will love to hear. The cozy venue size will also give the starlet an opportunity to focus her performances on the music -- not lights, flames or other special effects.

The only down side to an intimate tour is that tickets will probably go fast. Check the list of dates below to find out if Martina is coming to a location near you -- and don't delay on buying tickets!

Martina McBride Tour Dates:

5/12 - Clear Lake, Iowa | Surf Ballroom
5/13 - Wabash, Ind. | Honeywell Center
5/17 - Austin, Texas | Austin City Limits Live
5/18 - Houston, Texas | Arena Theatre
6/13 - Vienna, Va. | Wolf Trap Filene Center
6/14 - Kettering, Ohio | Fraze Pavilion
6/22 - Interlochen, Mich. | Kresge Auditorium
8/24 - Wallingford, Conn. | Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre
8/25 - Hyannis, Mass. | Cape Cod Melody Tent
8/26 - Cohasset, Mass. | South Shore Music Circus

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