Tony and Grammy Award-winner Heather Headley brings her incredible vocal prowess to the MAC for an exclusive Chicago-area concert at 4 p.m., Sunday, April 3. "Heather Headley is among the top singers with a vocal that absolutely astounds with its intensity...This woman is one of the great entertainers of the day, on record and on stage (Billboard Magazine).”
Headley’s one-woman show will draw from her excitingly diverse repertoire reflecting her memorable Broadway roles that include the original Nala from “The Lion King” and her Tony-winning performance in the title role of “Aida;” as well as her forays into jazz, R&B and Gospel. She will share insight providing the audience the opportunity to learn why she chose the songs and loves to perform them.
Tony and Grammy Award Winner Headley considers her multi-faceted career a blessing. She was born and spent most of her childhood on the beautiful Caribbean Island of Trinidad. Her family moved to the United States in the early ‘90s where Headley's love for the arts deepened.
In 1997, Headley won the role of Nala in the original Broadway cast of the Elton John and Tim Rice’s hit Tony winning musical “The Lion King.” While still in “The Lion King,” she was asked to audition for the title role in the writing duo’s next Broadway venture together, “Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida.” Headley’s portrayal of the Nubian princess, Aida, won her the praise of critics and the prestigious Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
In addition to other awards, she has also received the coveted Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for 2000. That year she was listed as one of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People and Essence Magazine’s 30 Women to Watch. In 2012 Headley made a triumphant return to the stage, starring in “The Bodyguard” in London’s West End, where she once again received critical praise and found a new fan base overseas.
Headley musical success on the pop charts includes her 2002 debut album on RCA Records, “This Is Who I Am,” which featured productions by several top-flight producers. Two songs, "He Is" and the album track "I Wish I Wasn’t," both emerged as Top 5 R&B and Dance chart hits. Headley earned numerous accolades for “This Is Who I Am,” including Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. She followed up January 2006 with “In My Mind,” her long-awaited second solo album. The opening title tune single became Heather’s first #1 hit, topping the Dance and R&B charts.
In 2009, Headley released “Audience of One” for which she won the Grammy Award for the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album. In 2012, she released “Only One In The World,” an album that featured songs that she wrote as well as some of her favorite songs that she covered.
Headley made her return to Broadway in 2016 starring in the Tony Award winning, “The Color Purple” in role of Shug Avery. In 2018, she had a recurring role on NBC’s “Chicago Med” playing the formidable Gwen Garrett. Headley can currently be seen as a series regular on the Netflix series, “Sweet Magnolias.”
Tickets
McAninch Arts Center, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage, presents Heather Headley in concert at 4 p.m., Sunday, April 3. Tickets are $80-$100. For tickets or more information, visit www.AtTheMAC.org or call the MAC Box Office at 630.942.4000. MAC Box Office is open Tuesday through Sunday, 12 noon to 6 p.m. and one hour prior to performance.
About the MAC
McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located at 425 Fawell Blvd., 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; versatile black box Studio Theatre), and outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programs. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season. The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. Visit www.AtTheMAC.org or www.facebook.com/AtTheMAC for more information.
The MAC’s 2021-2022 Season is made possible in part with support by DoubleTree by Hilton Lisle/Naperville, WDCB 90.9 FM and the College of DuPage Foundation.
Established as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit www.foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462.
Programs at the MAC are partially supported through a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.