The Envelope Please: Susan Egan Brings Broadway's Best to Chicago


She made her Broadway debut in Beauty and the Beast, originating the role of Belle.  For two and a half years, Susan Egan enchanted audiences with the Alan Menken songs, providing a strong positive role model to princesses everywhere.  It was okay for a girl to be smart and have a dream of a better place.  Egan received both Tony Award and Drama Desk nominations (1994) for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her performance.  Egan continued in the Disney realm providing the voice for the sassy Megara in the animated Hercules.  Animation fans will also recognize Egan as Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond on Cartoon Network’s hit Steven Universe, Lin in the Academy Award-winning Spirited Away, Gina in Porco Rosso, and Angel in Lady and the Tramp II.  In addition, she appears regularly in television and film.


Egan brought her significant talents to Chicago as part of the 2019 Grant Park Music Festival.  She was joined by Madison Claire Parks and Doug LaBrecque to perform The Envelope Please:  A Tribute to Broadway and Hollywood’s Best under the direction of Conductor Lawrence Loh.  The show featured award-winning music by Cole Porter, Alan Menken, Richard Rogers, Stephen Schwartz, Marvin Hamlisch, Andrew Lloyd Weber, and more.  Supported by the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus, Egan, Parks, and LaBrecque took the packed Millennium Park audience on a trip down memory lane singing a medley of Broadway and Hollywood favorites.  It was delightful to watch families singing along to “A Whole New World” from Aladdin and “Music of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera.  The audience loved Conductor Loh showing off his Charleston dance skills, encouraged by Egan as she sang the title song from Thoroughly Modern Millie (which she headlined in on Broadway).  The awesome Chicago weather combined with the amazing musical talent to create a truly special evening.
Susan Egan and Terrance Mann in Beauty and the Beast

From Chicago, the perennially busy Egan travels to Copenhagen where she will perform her one woman show, “The Belle of Broadway”, on the Disney Cruise Line – Europe.  Then it’s back to the United States for the next leg of the Broadway Princess Party tour.  In 2018, Egan formed a company with fellow Broadway stars Laura Osnes (Cinderella, Bandstand), and Courtney Reed (‘Jasmine’ in Aladdin) as well as musical director Benjamin Rauhala to produce concerts worldwide based on the popular concert series of the same name, which originated at 54 Below in New York City.  Their Broadway Princess Party won ‘Outstanding Roadshow 2019’ at the Nashville First Night Awards and was nominated for ‘Best Special Event’ at the 2019 MAC Awards.  Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, Broadway Princess Party tour is not scheduled to return to Chicago.
Susan Egan in Broadway Princess Party

It was a pleasure to hear Egan perform live once again.  Yes, I admit, I am a fan.  Performances like The Envelope Please: A Tribute to Broadway and Hollywood’s Best is the unifying community event the Grant Park Music Festival intended.  Too bad Egan doesn’t bring her amazing musical and comedic talents to Chicago more often.

To learn more about Susan Egan and her music visit www.SusanEgan.net.  For more information about the Grant Park Music Festival, visit www.GrantParkMusicFestival.com. 

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