JAM Orchestra Presents Be Our Guest: The Music of Alan Menken

A newly announced concert event celebrates the music of legendary composer Alan Menken, whose work has defined generations of Broadway and film storytelling. Be Our Guest: The Music of Alan Menken will be presented for one night only on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 7:30 PM at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre.

The concert will be performed by the 24-piece JAM Orchestra, conducted by Aaron Kaplan, and will feature vocalists Johanna McKenzie Miller, Aurora Penepacker, Lorenzo Rush Jr., and Christopher Johnson.

An eight-time Academy Award winner, Menken is the composer behind some of the most beloved works in musical theatre and film, including Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Newsies, Little Shop of Horrors, Sister Act, and A Christmas Carol. The evening will feature iconic musical selections from his legendary theatrical and Broadway score canon.

Johanna McKenzie Miller, Artistic Director of Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, is a director, performer, playwright, and arts leader. Her directing and performing credits span major Chicago theaters, including Paramount, Drury Lane, Marriott Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, with recent work including A Christmas Carol at Metropolis.

Lorenzo Rush Jr., a Joseph Jefferson and Black Theater Alliance Award winner, is a Chicago native with more than 15 years on leading Chicagoland stages, including Court Theatre, Marriott Theatre, and Porchlight Music Theatre. His work extends to screen and voiceover, with credits including Chicago P.D., Empire, Fargo, and national campaigns for the Chicago Cubs, American Express, and Sony.

Aurora Penepacker, a mixed Filipina-American actor, singer, and songwriter, is a Roosevelt University graduate whose Chicago credits include Writer’s Theatre, Drury Lane, Kokandy, Citadel Theatre, and Oak Park Festival Theatre. She recently received a 2025 Joseph Jefferson nomination for Outstanding Performer in a Principal Role for her performance as Natasha in Writers Theater’s production of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.

Christopher Johnson, a Chicago-based actor and singer, has performed across Chicagoland stages with Blank Theatre Company, Music Theater Works, Citadel Theatre, and Kokandy Productions. Metropolis audiences may recognize him from recent productions, including Rock of Ages, The Addams Family, Sister Act, and Legally Blonde.

Aaron Kaplan, Artistic Director of the JAM Orchestra, is a conductor, cellist, educator, and 3-time Jeff Award nominee in the Chicago area. He has conducted over 100 musical productions for companies such as Theo Ubique, Blank Theatre Company, Metropolis, Citadel Theater, and many others. He is also an Orchestra Director at Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South High Schools, conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra for the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestras, and has recently guest conducted the North Shore Chamber Orchestra, Arete Orchestra, and the Peoria Ballet’s performances of The Nutcracker.

JAM Orchestra is recognized for presenting musical theatre and concert repertoire with full orchestral integrity, spotlighting the craftsmanship of great composers and arrangers through carefully curated, large-scale performances.