Great American Songbook Foundation
Songbook Showcase
Payne & Mencias Palladium // Thursday, Jul 16, 7pm ET
Event Details
Thu Jul 16 - 7pm ET
The Songbook Showcase is a public performance of the Songbook Academy® featuring 40 of the nation’s most talented young vocalists, as well as featured performances by five-time GRAMMY nominee Michael Feinstein and Broadway’s Mandy Gonzalez.
Public ticket sales and livestream registration begin May 18.
Learn More
Songbook Academy Class of 2026
The Songbook Showcase offers all 40 participants of the Songbook Academy® the opportunity to perform a solo on stage at the world-class Payne & Mencias Palladium. Each performer brings the music of the Great American Songbook to life, applying what they’ve learned from the program’s exceptional faculty and guest mentors and demonstrating the gold standard of storytelling that defines the Songbook Academy.
In addition to these inspiring individual performances, audiences will enjoy special appearances by Great American Songbook Foundation founder and five-time GRAMMY nominee Michael Feinstein, as well as celebrated Broadway star and guest mentor Mandy Gonzalez.
Admission is only $5, and a free livestream will be available for audiences nationwide.
Event Information
Date: Thursday, July 16 at 7 p.m.Location: Payne & Mencias Palladium at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts
Ticket Information
Livestream
Group Reservations & Accessibility
Tickets are limited to eight per household. For groups larger than eight, please email Tickets@TheCenterPresents.org or call (317) 843-3800 to reserve seats together.
Senior living communities, student groups, and organized community groups are warmly welcomed. Bus drop-off accommodations and group assistance can be arranged in advance through the Fifth Third Bank Box Office team.
For additional accessibility accommodations or assistance with group reservations, please call (317) 843-3800.
Guest Artists
Mandy Gonzalez is an accomplished film, TV, stage actor and author who possesses one of the most powerful and versatile contemporary voices of our time. She has starred on Broadway in the megahit Hamilton as Angelica Schuyler, originated Nina Rosario in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical In The Heights — for which she received a Drama Desk Award — and starred as Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked. She most recently guest-starred as Norma Desmond in the Tony-winning revival of Sunset Blvd.
Mandy also received an OBIE Award and overwhelming critical praise for her performance in the Off-Broadway production of Eli’s Comin’. Television viewers have seen Mandy in recurring roles on Madam Secretary, BULL, Quantico, and alongside Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez in Only Murders in the Building. She has appeared in Across the Universe, After, and Man on a Ledge, and can be heard as the voice of Mei in Disney’s Mulan 2, and Mother Rose on the Disney Plus and Disney Jr. series Alice’s Wonderland Bakery.
Michael Feinstein is a multi-platinum-selling, two-time Emmy and five-time GRAMMY Award-nominated entertainer known for his dedication to preserving the Great American Songbook. He has performed at the White House, Carnegie Hall, Buckingham Palace, and the Sydney Opera House. His most recent album, Gershwin Country, features collaborations with Dolly Parton, Brad Paisley, and other country legends.
In addition to founding the Great American Songbook Foundation, Feinstein serves as Artistic Director of Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts, and is a member of the Library of Congress’ National Recording Preservation Board. He’s also the author of the Los Angeles Times bestseller The Gershwins and Me.
2026 Songbook Academy Performers
Listed alphabetically by last name:
Lucy Chesley, Burbank, California
Jacob Cintron, Westfield, Indiana
Sadie Cohen*, Carmel, Indiana
Finn Davis, Mill Valley, California
Maddie Delbridge*, Pasadena, California
Cecilia Diamond, Agoura Hills, California
Cami Errami, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
Aarthi Eswaran*, Carmel, Indiana
Charlotte Green, Wheaton, Illinois
Grady Griffin*, Carmel, Indiana
Ella Harris, Lexington, Kentucky
Aubreyana Eileen Hoeppner, Kokomo, Indiana
Madeline Hogan*, Winter Garden, Florida
Ian Jones, Carmel, Indiana
Claire Kashman, Indianapolis, Indiana
Clara Keiper, Zionsville, Indiana
Annabelle Kim, Carmel, Indiana
Julianna Joy Lawson-Schlitz, North Aurora, Illinois
Maya Mariano, Westlake Village, California
Ethan Mathias*, Ada, Michigan
Maggie McBride, Ashburn, Virginia
Soren McLaughlin*, Noblesville, Indiana
Julia Mooney, Holmdel, New Jersey
Krishaa Motycka*, Carmel, Indiana
Adrienne Nicastro*, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Sophia O'Toole*, Medfield, Massachusetts
Dilan Patton*, Los Angeles, California
Charlotte Raynor, Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Mia Rettig*, Indianapolis, Indiana
Addison Rogers, Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Connor Ruckman*, Los Angeles, California
Claire Noelle Scrogham, Greenwood, Indiana
Hannah Sevening, Carmel, Indiana
Akshara Shrikant, Boston, Massachusetts
Olivia Steele, Kokomo, Indiana
Lucy Thiel, New Hope, Pennsylvania
Kellyssa Rose Vincent*, West Palm Beach, Florida
Jacob Volker*, Nashville, Tennessee
Caiden Woll, Perkasie, Pennsylvania
Maddox Wood*, Webb City, Missouri
* indicates alumni of the Songbook Academy
About The Songbook Academy®
Now in its 17th year, the Songbook Academy is a transformative summer intensive for high school vocalists, presented by the Great American Songbook Foundation and its founder, Michael Feinstein. Forty of the nation’s most talented young singers are selected from hundreds of applicants to spend a week working with award-winning music industry stars, professional vocal coaches, and music educators to develop their artistry with a focus on song interpretation and performance of timeless American popular music.
Our Partners
We are grateful to the partners whose support makes the Songbook Academy possible. Their investment helps nurture the next generation of musical storytellers and preserve America's timeless musical legacy.
2026 Guest Mentor Impact Supporters
Libby and Randy Brown
Michael and Margie Draper
Peggy Ford
The Fuller Family
David Gerstein, M.D.
Tim and Karyl McGeath
Bob and Rose Popovich
The Tobin Family
