The Black Ensemble Theater, led by Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor, will celebrate 44 years of musical theater with its BE Gala, with the theme "The Legacy Continues: Together We Are the Change, A Musical Celebration Eradicating Racism." This event is a virtual telecast taking place on Facebook Live, VON-TV on Apple TV and ROKU on Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m.

The event is chaired by James and Esther Bryan, with a special message from Dionne Warwick. Proceeds from the event will fund Black Ensemble Theater's award-winning productions, which have a cross-cultural audience of more than 55,000 people a year. Also, its educational outreach programs serve more than 10,000 inner-city youth annually.

Visit BlackEnsembleTheater.org to register for free for the event or to purchase a sponsorship. To inquire about sponsorships, contact Tynnetta Qaiyim at 773-754-3914 or tqaiyim@blackensemble.org .