Alicia Keys & More to be Honored at Black Theatre United 2024 Gala

Black Theatre United has unveiled details for the auction at the 2024 Gala, “Generations of Excellence,” honoring renowned conductor, composer, and music director Linda Twine with the 2024 Accountability Award; Chief Diversity Officer of Meta, Maxine Williams with the 2024 Advocacy Award; and 16-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist Alicia Keys with the 2024 Aspire Award, and taking place Monday, September 30 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom.

The Gala will include both a Live Auction by Patrick Tully and a Silent Auction. The four items that will be auctioned live include:

• A Karaoke Night with BTU Founders LaChanze, Vanessa Williams and Norm Lewis for 20 people.
• 2 Tickets to the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans.
• A Celebrity Private Chef Experience for 10 people at Vanessa Williams’ private dining room
• An all-inclusive retreat at private villa “La Maison Michelle” in St James, Barbados

The evening’s silent auction will include:

• A Martha’s Vineyard private home for 5 days
• Dinner for 4 at Chef Preston Clark’s table at Lure Fishbar
• 4 field-side New York Yankees tickets
• 2 Tickets and Dinner to BTU Founder Norm Lewis’ 2024 Christmas Show at 54 Below

The silent auction will also be available online via OneCause beginning Monday, September 23 through Monday, October 7. To learn more about the auction items and to place a bid, please visit the BTU Gala OneCause page HERE.

BTU is thrilled to also announce their newest initiative: The BTU Marva Hicks Musical Theatre Scholarship. This scholarship will provide $10,000 to a student who is training in the field of musical theatre every year for four years. The scholarship, created in memory of Marva and her lasting contribution to the musical theatre field, will be given to a student based on financial need and merit.

Limited availability for single tickets to the Gala are now available and begin at $1,000. Tables begin at $10,000.

Tickets and tables are available now at www.BlackTheatreUnited.com/Gala. 

Directed by Jerry Dixon with music direction by Joseph Joubert, the evening will feature performances by Broadway legends André de Shields, Leslie Uggams, and Stephanie Mills with Ephraim Sykes, Nichelle Lewis, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and newcomers Sydney Terry, Gabrielle Rice, Darrin Scott, Savannah Lee Henry and Caleb Mayers, as well as a featured performance by Matthew Whitaker and the next generation of musical theatre performers from the Class of 2024: Owen Scales, Aidan Jones, Kianna Kelly Futch, Logan Durrah Broadnax, Jalen Bunch, Aria Evans, Ahmeer Bethea, Harry Cornelio, Kal Rutledge, Jenna Rose Young, Talib Thompson, Joshua Lewis, Kennedy Jackson, and Amirah Joy Lomax.

The Gala will feature special presentations by Shoshana Bean, Telly Leung, Kristin Chenoweth, Danny Burstein, Mia Neal, Peggy Eisenhauer, Juliana Canfield, Raúl Esparza, Jeanine Tesori, Kara Young, Mario Cantone and more, as well as BTU Founders.

The 2024 Gala’s honorary co-chairs includes Emmy, Grammy, Oscar & Tony Award winner Whoopi Goldberg; Oscar winner Ariana DeBose; Tony, Emmy & Grammy Award nominee Josh Groban; Tony & Grammy Award winner Marc Shaiman; Tony & Grammy Award winner Patti LuPone; Richard Jay-Alexander; Oscar  winner Spike Lee and Oscar & Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Stephen Schwartz. Gala Co-Chairs include Dr. Indira Etawroo (Harlem Stage), Kevin Brown (Ernst & Young) and Jana Fleischman (Roc Nation).

 Proceeds from the gala will support BTU’s empowering programs including student internships, the BTU Design Initiative, the Marva Hicks Musical Theatre Scholarship and BTU’s Education program.

 For more information, please email gala@blacktheatreunited.com or visit www.BlackTheatreUnited.com.