On Feb. 15, students, parents, and fans alike gathered at Einstein to watch Broadway stars Megan Hilty and Cheyenne Jackson perform and share stories from their time on the big stage.

The first ArtSpeak! was held in 1997 at Columbia Elementary School and featured scenic designer Ming Cho Lee, artistic director Eric Schaeffer, and playwright Norman Allen. The point is to excite students about the arts by bringing big stars to public schools. ArtSpeak! was created and continues to be produced by Shugoll Research, a Bethesda based market research company.The audience learns more about the performers and their backgrounds through an interview led by Mark Shugoll, the founder. Students can also receive autographs and enter a trivia game to win signed prizes. Participants also had the chance to acquire free tickets to Hilty and Jackson’s concert being held that night at The Kennedy Center. 30 tickets were offered and the first person in line received seats located in the Orchestra, seats that usually cost large amounts of money.

This ArtSpeak! marked the 99th ArtSpeak! in the event’s history. The turnout was well into the 300s with mainly older members who have followed these stars throughout their careers. Einstein has been awarded the honor of hosting the 100th ArtSpeak! due to this amazing turnout. The format for this one however will be a little different. Instead of interviews and a few songs, ArtSpeak! will put on a 30 minute recital starring composing duo Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich and featuring a number of special guests such as Christy Altomare, the star of Broadway’s Anastasia. It will take place here on March 31 at 7pm.

Overall, this ArtSpeak! was one to remember given the superb singing and fantastic lessons the audience was able to take away from it. “I learned to never stop reaching for my goals,” freshman Antonio Rivera said after hearing about Jackson’s beginnings in a small town, never imagining he’d end up performing in front of packed houses.