Broadway In Chicago: Summer Concert at Millennium Park

Last night, Broadway In Chicago's Summer Concert at Millennium Park at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion was a magical night of theater performances featuring ten amazing productions coming to Chicago. In association with the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the line-up included The Lion King, Dear Evan Hansen, Chicago, 1776, Wicked, Jagged Little Pill, Tina, Les Misérables, Aladdin, and  4-time Tony Award-winning musical MJ, Michael Jackson.

We arrived at the Pavillion at around 5 pm, and the lines stretched back to Michigan Avenue for the 6:15 event. As we entered, the crowd was electrifying and excited about being outdoors again. From city to suburb, this free concert was packed with theater lovers, and as the night started with Val Warner and Hosea Sanders as the host of the event, you could feel the love tonight in the air.

The night started with the National Anthem sung by the four sensational IHSMTA students, Josh Fermin, Joseph Kotze, Juliet Simon, and Regan Wright. Then the theatrical performance that over 100+ Million audience members worldwide, 70 major theater awards, 25 productions worldwide, and the 3rd longest running broadway show, Disney's The Lion King. Next, Selloane Nkhela brought the crowd to its feet by singing "The Circle of Life." Then, with an enormous big screen behind her, Nkhela dazzled the audience by singing, "Nants ingonyama bagithi baba, Sithi uhm ingonyama." And the excitement continued with D'kaylah Whitley and Sam Primack from Dear Evan Hansen.

Another dazzling rendition came from Christina Wells, who wowed us with When You're Good to Mommy," We heard from singing for 1776, Wicked and Jagged Little Pill, but when Kayla Davion came strutting on the stage as Tina, the excitement in the crowd ignited. The night ended with Les Miserables, a strong performance by Preston Truman Body, and the magical stage presence of Major Attaway as the genie from Aladdin.

The night ended with MJ the musical. Although most of the audience was frantic to see and hear Myles Frost, who is like the reincarnation of the last Michael Jackson, sing one of Michael's songs. However, Frost performed with Ayana George and Christian Wilson, which I believe not featuring Frost; they missed the mark on finishing on a climactic high.

The Summer Concert brought out the excitement for Broadway In Chicago's upcoming theater events, and these ten shows will surely be a can't-miss theater year in Chicago.