The Goodman Theatre toasts to success with Tituss Burgess

Since 1925, the Goodman Theatre has told bold stories onstage and has outlasted many other troupes to become Chicago's oldest not-for-profit theater organization.

To have staying power of this magnitude is no easy task and holding annual fundraisers is an important part of its sustainability.

On May 16, Goodman's Gala returned to the Fairmont Chicago on Columbus Drive, which has become comfortable for repeat benefactors in the upscale venue.

With a Bruno Mars concert happening on the same night nearby at Soldier Field, the surrounding area and heavy traffic around Millennium Park proved challenging to navigate for some of the donors arriving in their black-tie regalia.

The cocktail reception began promptly at 6:30 p.m. with an open bar and passed appetizers. After the chimes were rung, guests descended into the massive ballroom to find assigned tables and begin the Mediterranean salad as a first course.

Announcements were made by executive director John Collins and artistic director Susan V. Booth before two performers previewed a campy new song from Iceboy! running June 20-July 26, starring Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman. The story of a woman named Vera Vimm adopting a frozen neanderthal and singing showtunes promises to be one for the books during Pride month.

The Tituss Burgess concert started at 8 p.m. with a lengthy overture from a talented four-piece band. The Broadway star entered the room with a cover rendition of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”

Straight from the microphone, the talkative, out and proud Pisces who lives in New York City confessed he had never visited the Windy City before but described it as “beautiful.”

Tituss sang Shirley Bassey's “Goldfinger” and joked about the food on the menu with one patron. The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star broke the fourth wall and told the audience to raise their hands with questions. This interactive method works well in a cabaret setting, but when one person asked his preference between the baseball teams, the Chicago Cubs and the White Sox, it threw him a curveball.

Things got back on track as he launched into Cole Porter's “Miss Otis Regrets.” Burgess has the chops and displayed a wide range of notes that night, but sometimes lost the crowd with slow song choices.

Previous Broadway entertainers who have performed at Goodman's galas before, like Kristin Chenoweth, have played major, large-scale concerts and built skills for an audience this size.

He closed with The Little Mermaid, but instead of singing one of his Sebastian the Crab tracks, he chose an Ursula song accompanied by a Sherie Rene Scott story.

Tituss took a bow before exiting, while attendees dove into their plates of beef short ribs and washed the bites down with wine. Two raffle winners were announced to a

A sea salt caramel tart and coffee were followed by late-night bites as revelers danced to the Gentlemen of Leisure band.

The creators of the Goodman Gala 2026 have embraced past fundraisers while making subtle improvements, such as digital programs to save paper and centerpieces only on the back tables to not block views. The organizers have the festivities down to an art and have made regular attendees eager to see which Broadway singer they will book next.

The event's proceeds contributed to a good cause and the Make It Better Foundation matched every dollar donated to support the Goodmans' Education and Engagement programs.

It's never too late to donate and for various programming throughout the year, visit goodmantheatre.org