HAMILTON's Leslie Odom, Jr. & Babyface to Headline Kennedy Center's Spring Gala

The Kennedy Center today announced R&B singer Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and Broadway star Leslie Odom, Jr. will replace Michael Bublé as the headline talent for its upcoming Spring Gala, How Sweet It Is: A Tribute to Marvin Gaye, on Sunday, June 5, 2016 in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Due to required vocal cord surgery, Bublé has withdrawn from this performance.

The evening's program celebrates Gaye's enigmatic and innovative contributions to the Motown sound during the peak of his career in the 1970s and 1980s, and his musical influence that spans generations. Hosted by actress, comedian, and television host Whoopi Goldberg, the gala performance is headlined by multi-Grammy Award-winning artist Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and Leslie Odom, Jr. (currently playing Aaron Burr in the Broadway hit musical Hamilton), and features a talented, all-star cast including Andra Day, Ledisi, and Jussie Smollett, star of the FOX hit show, Empire. Recent additions to the Spring Gala program also include BJ The Chicago Kid and singers Valerie Simpson and Mary Wilson, and will feature local talents, tap-dancing sensations The Manzari Brothers and The Mellow Tones, a student vocal ensemble from D.C.'s Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

From "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" to "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "What's Going On" to "Sexual Healing," Gaye's classic R&B voice produced a wide range of hits-from soul standards to his late-career thematic music that stood as social commentary about the state of the world (the album What's Going On). Upon his posthumous induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, his incomparable vocals were described by the Hall of Fame as "edged with grit yet tempered with sweetness." The co-chairs of the 2016 Spring Gala are Mr. Dale LeFebvre and Mr. and Mrs. Mark D. Ein.

In March, the Kennedy Center announced the establishment of a new award, the Kennedy Center Award for the Human Spirit, a national recognition to be presented annually to two individuals who have had an enduring impact on the advancement of the arts and culture. The awards are bestowed to commemorate the seminal contributions of both President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to the integration of arts in America. The inaugural recipients-philanthropist Wallis Annenberg (Distinguished Philanthropist Award) and Chicago-based conceptual artist Theaster Gates (Citizen Artist Award)-will be honored and presented their awards on stage at this year's Spring Gala. Artist and founder of Pioneer Works in Red Hook, Brooklyn, Dustin Yellin has been commissioned to create an original work of art that will serve as the physical award. The artist made a major exhibition of 12 Psychogeographies at the Kennedy Center in April of 2015, one of which is part of the Kennedy Center's permanent art collection and currently on display in the Center's Hall of States.

The Spring Gala's black-tie evening begins with a reception on the River Terrace at 5 p.m. followed by an elegant dinner on the Roof Terrace at 6 p.m. The Gala performance begins at 8 p.m. in the Concert Hall and the evening concludes with a private, special recognition reception for patrons supporting the Gala at the Platinum and Gold levels. As one of Washington's leading benefit engagements, the annual Kennedy Center Spring Gala provides critical funding to support the Center's performances, education programs, and outreach initiatives. To inquire about Spring Gala VIP packages, patrons may email springgala@kennedy-center.org or call (202) 416-8338 for additional information.

Concert-only tickets for the 2016 Spring Gala "How Sweet It Is: A Tribute to Marvin Gaye" start at $45 and may be purchased at the Kennedy Center Box Office, online, or by calling Instant Charge at (202) 467-4600; patrons living outside the Washington, D.C. metropolitan calling area may dial toll-free at (800) 444-1324.

The Kennedy Center Spring Gala Premier Sponsor is Boeing, whose contributions play a crucial leadership role in supporting the presentation of the Kennedy Center's artistic and educational programs throughout the year.

Photo Credit: Christopher Boudewyns