Tony Award winner Jessie Mueller brought the crowd to their feet at Broadway Dreams’ tenth annual benefit gala with a rendition of the Dolly Parton/Whitney Houston anthem “I Will Always Love You.” Watch the performance above.
The performance from Mueller (Waitress, Beautiful), who will return to Broadway next year in Carousel, paid tribute to Heather Headley, the guest of honor at the December 12 event at the Plaza. The fellow Tony winner sang the classic in the stage adaptation of The Bodyguard, earning an Olivier nomination for her West End performance.
The evening, which raised funds for Broadway Dreams’ continued efforts to strengthen the accessibility of arts education, also featured a performance of Aida’s “Written in the Stars,” the Elton John and Tim Rice duet Headley performed in her Tony-winning stint in Aida, by the musical duo A Great Big World. Take a look below.
Additional performers on hand to sing the praises of Headley included Adrienne Warren, Quentin Earl Darrington, and Katrina Lenk.