When the nonprofit Indiana Musical Theatre Foundation needed a fundraising event, CEO and Executive Director Andrew Sherman knew who to turn to — Alicia Pyle.

“Well, I mean, Alicia brings in people,” Sherman said of one of Fort Wayne’s top musicians.

“She pulls in crowds. She has a following at Club Soda and various different places. She runs her own business, PyleStyle Events. You hear her name, chances are someone in the group you’re talking to is going to say, ‘Oh, I saw her here,’ or ‘I saw her there.’ ”

On Saturday, Nov. 23, IMTF will host An Evening With Alicia Pyle & Friends at RKF Studios for what could be a perfect date night.

“It will be a little bit more formal,” Sherman said. “There will be seated tables. Tickets start at $35. That includes two adult beverages and hors d’oeuvres. 

“We’re going to turn the studio into a jazz-style club. That’s what we’re going for. I’ve been billing it to my friends as dress up a little fancy, put your little jazz skirt on, and come hear some music, have some drinks, and sit back and relax.”

Long-Awaited Collaboration

When speaking with Pyle and Sherman, both said a collaboration had always been talked about, but things just never lined up.

“Andrew’s been asking me to work with him the last several years on different projects,” said Pyle, a 2022 recipient of Whatzup’s Liddell Award, given to those making significant contributions to the region’s art and culture scene. “The theater schedule is a tough one to combine with my work schedule, because I teach after school, nights, and weekends, and I perform. It’s been hard to find an event I can work on with IMTF. We’ve structured this so I can work with everyone (for rehearsals) on Sundays for the last several weeks.”

With Pyle on board, Sherman said he was able to book an act he’s been admiring.

“Alicia, I’ve always been a ‘fangirl’ of hers by just seeing her play at various clubs around town,” he said. “I would say she is one of the most known jazz musicians in Fort Wayne.”

With her background in jazz instead of musical theater, “An Evening With” setting was an ideal choice.

“She does not have a musical theater background, so I just said, ‘Let’s just do a fundraiser concert. We’ll do an evening of jazz standards mixed with a lot of our vocal talent.’ She said, ‘Let’s do it.’ ” 

“It wasn’t too hard to convince her, because she already wanted to be a part of it.”

Working well with others

The night will feature Pyle’s band with Brad Kuhns on bass, Jesse Gutierrez on drums, and Matt Schuler on horn. 

Along with Pyle, vocalists for the cabaret-style event will be Kayley Alissa, Chrissy Borne, Jana DeBusk, Dave Ealy, Todd Frymier, Kristin Giant, Martel Harris, Aaron Hawley, Darby LeClear, Prentis Moore, Curtis Shaw, and Sherman.

“Strong, diverse voices that can do all sorts of different styles,” Sherman said when asked what he was looking for when selecting performers.

Each vocalist will sing two to three songs, although not at one time. Instead, they will perform a song, then vanish for a wardrobe change as others sing such jazz standards as those of Ella Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, Billie Holiday, and Dean Martin.

“We told them to pick some jazz standards they were comfortable with, and it took off from there,” Sherman said.

They’ve been rehearsing those numbers with Pyle since early October, which she said has been a thrill.

“Andrew pulled from his theater resources, and I’ve made a lot of new friends,” she said of the performers.

And playing for others is nothing new for her band, Alicia Pyle & The Locals.

“I always let people sit in with my band,” she said. “My weekly series at (The Club Room) at The Clyde, when we were the first weekly series on jazz nights, I featured a different musician each week. So, it’s not new for me to feature people with my band. I love collaborating with people.”

So, make a night of it Saturday, Nov. 23, and check out some great local talent, with drinks to boot.

“There are going to be ones that are going to make you want to dance,” Sherman said. “There are going to be ones that are going to be slower — that mid-tempo jazz. It’s going to cover a wide variety.”