In mid-August, Greg Inda and I photographed Northlight Theatre’s 50th anniversary gala, titled Building our Past, Celebrating our Future, at the theater’s brand new home and brand new building on Church Street in Evanston.
In years past, when the Northlight performance space was in Skokie, the gala occurred at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Thanks to a referral from Greg, a few years back, I photographed the 2023 and 2024 galas there. In summer 2025, I photographed an event for Northlight at Space in Evanston. Now that Northlight has their own gorgeous new space, I imagine that events for the foreseeable future will occur in this incredible venue.
Northlight Gala 2026
Here’s a summary of the event from the Northlight Gala page.
Thank you to everyone who participated in our gala, Building our Past, Celebrating our Future. Thanks to you, it was the most successful gala in our 50-year history. Over 300 individuals attended this inaugural event in the new theatre, enjoying appetizers, food stations, and drinks while exploring all the public spaces of the new building. Topping off the evening was entertainment by the Muellers, Abby, Andrew, Jessie, and Matt, led by music director Ian Weinberger. It was a true homecoming story as the Muellers and Ian are all from Evanston and graduated from ETHS!
Summary of the Northlight Gala 2026 from the Northlight Theatre website.
Cutting to the Chase: The Pictures
Northlight shared the greatest hits among the photos I took for the event on their Flickr page here:
Rather than upload a large number of photos to the Traveller, the link above will serve as the gallery I’d like to share. For a close look at the new space and the event turnout, please visit that gallery or click through the arrows on the embedded picture link above.
Photographing the Event
Greg Inda and I began our work in the early evening, beginning with company photos for Northlight. As guests began to turn up, Greg photographed guests arriving on the red carpet outside while I roamed the lobbies of both floors, documenting the event and its guests.
Once the guests had arrived and had taken time to enjoy the evening’s festivities, the entertainment began. For many of the guests, I understand it was their first time seeing and setting foot within the new theater.
The first time I photographed the Northlight Gala in 2023, the musical acts featured brothers Andrew and Matt Mueller. This time, their sisters Abby and Jessie joined them onstage, with music director Ian Weinberger. The performers took their bow to a full standing ovation in the sold-out house. A successful auction followed afterward. All in all, Northlight raised $820k for the annual fund for the theater. Throughout this portion of the evening, I photographed stills while Greg recorded video.
Bottom: Matt, Abby, Jessie, and Andrew Mueller.
Finally, as the evening wore down, we finished in the lobby again as the Northlight guests celebrated in the new space. Greg and I photographed and recorded five hours of the gala, once again a wonderful event that was a triumph for the theater as it begins a new era in downtown Evanston.
I am as honored as I am grateful to Northlight Theatre for having Greg and I out once more to cover their fantastic event. Time after time, Northlight has been an absolute delight to work with, with the kindest, most communicative staff and creative team.
