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Illinois Conservatory for the Arts’ annual ‘A Night of Broadway’ features Tony winners and local favorites

Money raised supports scholarships for ICA’s high-level arts education programs for youth

The Illinois Conservatory for the Arts, a nonprofit arts education institution in the western suburbs, will host its third annual “A Night of Broadway” benefit gala and concert featuring its greatest all-star lineup of Broadway stars to date: J. Harrison Ghee, the first openly non-binary performer to win the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2023 for their performance in “Some Like It Hot”; Amber Iman, 2024 Tony Award-nominated actress for her role in “Lempicka”; local favorite Karen Mason, an Arlington Heights native who originated the role of Tanya in the Broadway production of “Mamma Mia”; Aisha Jackson, the first Black actress to play Anna in “Frozen” on Broadway and current star of “The Notebook” on Broadway; and Myles Frost, winner of the 2022 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Michael Jackson in “MJ the Musical.”

Backed by a 20-piece orchestra led by Broadway veteran music director (“The Who’s Tommy”) Valerie Gebert, the soloists will present a program of hits from Broadway and popular music.

“A Night of Broadway” takes place on Friday, Feb. 21, at Wentz Concert Hall at North Central College, 171 E. Chicago Ave. in Naperville.

Attendees have the option of purchasing a ticket for either the full evening gala with VIP concert seating, starting at 5 p.m., or concert-only seating and after-party access, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Concert-only tickets start at $50 with gala tickets starting at $250.

The gala features a festive cocktail hour, plated dinner, silent auction, and a DJ-hosted after-party where guests can mingle with the performers. For more information or tickets, visit ilconservatory.org/events.

The musical program for the evening features the five all-star soloists performing numbers from Broadway and popular music including some of the most iconic songs from the shows that made them famous.

The repertoire includes Jackson singing “Brave” by Sara Bareilles, “Human Heart” from The Notebook and “Don’t Rain on My Parade” from “Funny Girl”; Frost singing “Smile” by Michael Jackson and “Can You Feel It” from “MJ The Musical”; Mason singing “I Don’t Want to Know” from “Dear World,” “You’ve Got a Friend” by Carole King, and “Colored Lights” from The Rink; Iman singing “Hold On” from “Secret Garden” and “Imagine” by John Lennon; and Ghee singing “You Could’ve Knocked Me Over With A Feather” from “Some Like it Hot,” “Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries” from “Fosse,” and closing with the LGBTQ+ anthem “I Am What I Am” from “La Cage Aux Folles.”

The Illinois Conservatory for the Arts is hosting a musical program with five soloists performing numbers from Broadway and popular music. Courtesy of Illinois Conservatory for the Arts

“For the past three years, we have had the honor of bringing some of the biggest names on Broadway today to the Western suburbs for this extremely special event,” said ICA Executive Director Dylan Ladd. “In addition to giving audiences the rare opportunity to see these powerhouse music theater stars in concert together, ‘A Night of Broadway’ is an important fundraising opportunity for us, ensuring that we have the ability to continue providing high quality arts education to Chicagoland youth.”

About Illinois Conservatory for the Arts

Founded in 2020, the Illinois Conservatory for the Arts (originally Academy of the Arts) is a nonprofit educational institution in Naperville. Led by professional artists, executive director and co-founder Dylan Ladd and artistic director Chadaé Nichol, it offers high-level arts education for adolescents and teens through year-round extracurricular classes and weeklong intensives. The Studio is ICA’s evening and weekend classes in music, dance, and theater taking place in four eight-week sessions throughout the year. IMPACT is ICA’s weeklong musical theater intensives offered during summer and winter breaks for middle and high school students that bring top professional artists from Broadway, TV and film and beyond to work with students on growing their skills. In the fall of 2025, the Illinois Conservatory for the Arts will open a pilot program for a K-12 day school combining pre-professional arts training balanced with rigorous academics.

For more information, visit ilconservatory.org.

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