Performing festive holiday tunes and classics from the American songbook.
Two-time Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell brings his unmistakable voice and commanding stage presence to Whitaker Center on December 16th at 7 PM. Mitchell has captivated audiences across theater, television, film, and concert stages with a voice that is rich, powerful, and impossible to forget. Join us in the Sunoco Performance Theater for an evening of showstopping talent from a true Broadway icon.
About Brian Stokes Mitchell
Dubbed “the last leading man” by The New York Times, two-time Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell has enjoyed a career that spans Broadway, television, film, and concert appearances with the country’s finest conductors and orchestras.
He received Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards for his star turn in Kiss Me, Kate. He also gave Tony-nominated performances in Man of La Mancha, August Wilson’s King Hedley II, and Ragtime. Other notable Broadway shows include Kiss of the Spider Woman, Jelly’s Last Jam, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and Shuffle Along. In 2016, he received his second Tony Award, the prestigious Isabelle Stevenson Tony, for his Charitable work with The Actors Fund. That same year, Stokes was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.
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December 16, 2026
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More on Brian Stokes Mitchell
An extremely versatile and in-demand singer, Stokes has performed at venues spanning jazz, opera, pops, country, and musical theater worlds. He has worked with John Williams, Marvin Hamlisch, Gustavo Dudamel, Keith Lockhart, Michael Tilson Thomas, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Big Band, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the Muppets. Stokes has made multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall beginning with his debut with the San Francisco Symphony through his televised performance in South Pacific opposite Reba McEntire to his sold-out solo concert, which he continues to perform throughout the U.S. He has been invited twice to perform at the White House (both times aired on PBS’s “Great Performances”) and has performed multiple times for Presidents Clinton and Obama.
Stokes has delved deeply into various music disciplines. In addition to singing, he began studying piano at age 6. A self-professed autodidact, his musical curiosity led him to teach himself composing, arranging, and orchestration, starting in his teens. He later studied Film scoring, orchestration, and conducting both privately and through UCLA and subsequently scored and conducted a number of “Trapper John, MD” episodes, a series on which he was also a regular cast member. His musical talent has extended to the present day as producer, arranger, and orchestrator on his three solo albums, including Simply Broadway and his latest recording, Plays With Music. Stokes has appeared on more than 20 albums. Read His Full Bio Here
Interested in Sponsoring The Art of the Holidays Benefit?
Event sponsors enjoy a VIP pre-show reception, reserved seating for the mainstage performance, and recognition as a category sponsor!
For more information, contact our Development Office at development@whitakercenter.org
Presenting Sponsor
Supporting Sponsor
Celebration Sponsors
Marsha Everton and Jack Stover