Black Ensemble To Host Gala, National Chair Tom Ricketts

The acclaimed Black Ensemble Theater, led by Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor, celebrates 43 years of musical theater excellence in Chicago with an unforgettable gala filled with joy, exuberance and pure excitement. More than 500 supporters and friends of Black Ensemble Theater are expected to attend the upbeat and music-filled event with special performances by stars of the Black Ensemble Theater.

This year Black Ensemble will introduce a new format to the event that will also include dinner stations, outstanding entertainment, a live auction and a Casino Room. The BE Gala 2019 will be held Friday, October 18, 2019 at 5:30pm at Venue West, 221 N. Paulina St. in Chicago.

The event will be chaired by Gala National Chair Tom Ricketts, Executive Chair of The Chicago Cubs and Cubs Charities. Proceeds from the event will fund Black Ensemble Theater's award-winning productions that have a cross-cultural audience of more than 55,000 people a year and their transformational educational outreach programs that serve more than 10,000 inner-city youth annually. Black Ensemble is dedicated to helping create a world that is free and healed from the devastating disease of racism.

"It is within the mission of Black Ensemble Theatre to help move our world forward to a better place of positivity, acceptance, and understanding, and we are thrilled that Tom Ricketts is joining us in that mission as the national chair of our 2019 Gala, comments Jackie Taylor. "We are working together to cross cultural boundaries and create a stronger level of respect for all people as we share this world together. We hope you will support us in this mission as we work to eradicate racism and build a better future for us all."

The BE Gala 2019 is proudly sponsored by Presenting Sponsors Jim & Esther Bryan and Dona & Sam Scott Foundation; Platinum Sponsors Liz & Don Thompson and Cleveland Ave, LLC, BMO Harris Bank, and ComEd; Silver Sponsor Hyatt; Bronze Sponsors Allstate and Cushman & Wakefield; and Diamond Sponsors Charity & Associates, P.C.

Black Ensemble Theater's Board of Directors is led by: Founder & CEO Jackie Taylor, Chairman Tyronne Stoudemire (Hyatt Hotels Corporation), Vice Chairman Alan Bell (Charity & Associates PC), Ron Redd (BMO Harris Bank), Brad Kreiger (Cushman & Wakefield), Nicholas Yassan (Rany Management), Andrea Zopp (World Business Chicago), Wayne McPherson (Kellogg School), and Darenae Ariel Evans (Kellogg Northwestern).

To purchase tickets or to inquire about sponsorships, contact Tynnetta Qaiyim at 773-754-3914 or tqaiyim@blackensemble.org. Individual tickets cost $300; tables for 6 cost $5000. More information is available at: https://blackensembletheater.org/together-we-are-the-change/.

Founded in 1976, by the phenomenal producer, playwright and actress Jackie Taylor, Black Ensemble Theater is the only African American theater located in the culturally, racially and ethnically diverse north side Uptown community. Through its Four Play Season of Excellence, The Black Ensemble Theater dazzles audiences locally, nationally and internationally with outstanding original musicals that are entertaining, educational and uplifting. The Black Ensemble Theater has produced more than 100 productions and employed over 5,000 artists and serves annually more than 10,000 underserved youth through their award-winning Educational Outreach Programs.

The mission of the Black Ensemble Theater Company is to eradicate racism and its devastating effects upon society through the theater arts. For more information on the Black Ensemble Theater Company, visit www.BlackEnsembleTheater.org or call 773-769-4451.