Chair of the Theater Conservatory Nadine Gomes to Chair Panel During the Sarah Siddons Society's Annual Benefit
The Sarah Siddons Society has announced that Tony Award-winning actress Beth Leavel will receive its 2025 Sarah Siddons Award for outstanding artistic achievement in theatre.
The honor will be presented at the Society’s annual benefit on Monday, November 17, 2025, at The Arts Club of Chicago (201 E. Ontario St.), with a 6:00 p.m. reception followed by a 7:00 p.m. program.
Leavel’s celebrated Broadway career spans more than fifteen productions, including Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, The Prom, The Drowsy Chaperone, Baby It’s You!, Lempicka, Bandstand, Elf, Mamma Mia!, Young Frankenstein, 42nd Street, Crazy For You, The Civil War, and Show Boat. She received the Tony, Drama Desk, NY Outer Critics Circle, and L.A. Drama Critics Awards for her performance as the title character in The Drowsy Chaperone and earned multiple nominations for The Prom and Baby It’s You!
2025 Benefit Program
The evening will feature musical selections from Leavel’s most iconic roles, performed by Missy Aguilar, Angela Ingersoll, Alexis J. Roston, and Sawyer Smith, under the direction of Christopher Pazdernik with music direction by Beckie Menzie. The event will be hosted by NBC 5 Chicago features reporter LeeAnn Trotter and will also include the induction of the 2025 Sarah Siddons Society Scholarship Recipients.
Single tickets and sponsorships are available now, with proceeds benefiting the Sarah Siddons Society Scholarship Program, which supports theatre students at leading Chicago-area universities.
“It is an honor for the Sarah Siddons Society to present Chicago’s oldest and most prestigious theatre award this year to Beth Leavel,” said Society President Martin Balogh. “Beth, with her powerful vocal skills and impeccable comedic timing, has brought incredible authenticity to every one of her Broadway roles. We could not be more pleased to recognize her immense talent.”
While in Chicago, Leavel will also join a special student conversation with theatre majors from the Society’s partner universities, moderated by Nadine Gomes, Chair of the Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts.
About Beth Leavel
Beth Leavel most recently appeared on Broadway in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends and earned Tony, Drama Desk, and Drama League nominations for The Prom. Her extensive credits also include Baby It’s You!, Lempicka, Bandstand, Elf, Mamma Mia!, Young Frankenstein, 42nd Street, and Show Boat. Her television appearances include ER and The Walking Dead.
About the Sarah Siddons Society
Founded in 1952, the Sarah Siddons Society’s mission is to fund scholarships for promising theatre students at top Chicago institutions, including Columbia College Chicago, DePaul University, Roosevelt University, Northwestern University, and Northern Illinois University. For more information, visit sarahsiddonssociety.org.
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