For the first time, The Four Arts brings cabaret to Johnson Hall, featuring three of Broadway’s most celebrated voices in a tradition beloved for its charm and spontaneity in equal measure. Your host for the evening will be Tony Award nominee Alan Campbell. Settle in for a delightful evening with a little something to sip and savor.
You may know Seth Rudetsky as the afternoon Broadway host on SiriusXM, and you may have seen Jessie Mueller light up the Broadway stage in some of its most memorable productions. But tonight, you’ll experience something entirely different: the two of them together!
Seth tours the country with concerts that are never the same twice. Rather than follow a scripted format, he spontaneously interviews his guest between songs, leading to unexpected stories, hilarious revelations, and musical selections that often surprise even the performer! The result is an evening filled with spontaneity, wit, and plenty of Broadway magic.
Jessie will revisit songs from her Broadway roles On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Carousel, and Waitress, as well as her Tony Award-winning portrayal of Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. But don’t expect only familiar favorites. Seth loves to throw unexpected musical challenges her way, often choosing songs Jessie may never have performed before – or perhaps never even imagined singing!
That’s part of what makes these concerts so special. Jessie once confessed that she had dreamed of starring in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. During a Las Vegas concert, Seth surprised her with a former Phantom star and insisted that she sing the title song alongside him. The result? A spectacular performance – and a very memorable surprise!
It’s easy to understand why Jessie is one of Seth’s favorite collaborators. Her extraordinary versatility allows her to move effortlessly between musical styles. She earned a Tony nomination for her Broadway debut in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, singing classic jazz; transformed into a 1970s singer-songwriter for Beautiful; delivered powerhouse pop vocals in Waitress; and later dazzled audiences with her soaring soprano in Carousel. For Seth, that means almost any song is fair game – and Jessie is ready for the challenge!
Seth is equally prepared. He has not only been a pianist on Broadway since 1993 for shows like Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera and Ragtime, he also has a degree in piano performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of musical, so he definitely has the musical chops to accompany whatever unexpected number emerges from their lively conversation.
And if you know Seth from SiriusXM, you know he has a knack for getting performers to reveal what really happens behind the scenes on Broadway. Expect candid conversations, outrageous audition stories, hilarious onstage mishaps, and plenty of sassy banter along the way.
Get ready for an unforgettable evening of extraordinary music, backstage secrets, spontaneous surprises, and two Broadway talents having a whole lot of fun!
Generously supported by Robb and Sara Allan