Chilina Kennedy | Entertainment News, Photos, and Videos

Michelle Obama gives Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo a big hug while appearing on stage at the Broadway Shines Light on Global Girls’ Education event on Monday (September 19) at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in New York City.

The First Lady of the United States hosted the event, which was held in the Broadway theater where Cynthia‘s musical The Color Purple is currently playing.

Other big names from Broadway that appeared at the event included Sara Bareilles, the composer of Waitress, and Jenna Ushkowitz, who currently is starring in that show.

The Late Show‘s Stephen Colbert and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical star Chilina Kennedy also made appearances.

“So inspired by the #letgirlslearn program today–provided by @michelleobama. I felt so fortunate to get to learn about the world through the eyes of a group of people who want to inspire girls to keep doing just that…to learn. I take for granted how easily we can access education here…so tonight I’m feeling grateful and returned to a song that arrived as I was embarking on an unknown journey in my own life. I never want to stop learning. #LETGIRLSLEARN,” Sara wrote on her Instagram after the event. She also added the below video of herself singing “Uncharted.”

FYI: Michelle is wearing a Self-Portrait dress and Jennifer Fisher jewelry.

25+ pictures inside of Sara Bareilles and Cynthia Erivo at the event… More Here! »

Chilina Kennedy takes a walk through New York City’s Riverside Park for a scene in her new “Prisoner” music video, premiering exclusively on JustJared.com.

The Broadway star is coming off a major performance at the Kennedy Center Honors last month, where she performed for Carole King as the singer herself. Chilina currently plays the legendary entertainer in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and she MC’d the tribute, even getting to introduce Aretha Franklin to the stage. (FYI…Beautiful is celebrating two years on Broadway today!)

“‘Prisoner’ means something different to everyone who listens to it,” Chilina told JustJared.com in a statement. “The song is about falling in love with the wrong person and being stuck in a continual pattern of always making the same choices – ultimately being a prisoner of our uncontrollable emotions. I was inspired by Bravo’s Lost In Motion and had a vision of marrying dance with the story of a woman’s struggle to choose between two men. Choreographer Marc Kimelman had a unique approach to telling the story and so we collaborated with Zachary Maxwell Stertz and together brought ‘Prisoner’ to life on camera.”

The song “Prisoner” is featured on Chilina‘s debut album What You Find in a Bottle, available now!

Sara Bareilles hits the stage to perform during a tribute to the legendary singer-songwriter Carole King during the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors, which aired on Tuesday (December 29).

The 36-year-old singer performed the classic song “You’ve Got a Friend” for a joyous Carole.

Janelle Monae performed “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and “One Fine Day,” James Taylor sang “Up on the Roof,” and Aretha Franklin stopped the show with “Natural Woman.”

The stars of Broadway’s Beautiful the Musical – Chilina Kennedy and Scott J. Campbell – narrated the tribute and also sang “So Far Away.”

Make sure to watch Aretha‘s amazing performance of “Natural Woman” when you finish this video!