CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Four fabulous performers share some of their favorite songs from a diverse range of genres when Artists Lounge Live presents “Let’s Hang On: A Rock ‘n Soul Party” at the Marriott Theatre.

All of the singers star in Artists Lounge Live shows. Michael Ingersoll, Executive Producer of Artists Lounge Live, sings the music of Glen Campbell. John-Mark McGaha stars in shows dedicated to Stevie Wonder and Nat King Cole. Eric Gutman does a Neil Diamond show. John Michael Dias stars in a Neil Sedaka show.

“I’ve been wanting to do an all-stars show that’s exclusively from the Artists Lounge Live roster for years,” Ingersoll said. “When I pitched this to (Executive Producer) Peter Blair at Marriott, who I’m fortunate to collaborate with every year on the programming that I bring him, he loved the idea.”

Ingersoll knew the combination would be particularly interesting, he noted, because the four of them are very different kinds of performers. And they all have impressive resumes. “Everybody is either a Broadway alumnus or a PBS alumnus or a national touring artist,” Ingersoll reported. “I thought with these four people, I can’t think of a genre that we can’t cover.”

His goal, Ingersoll said, was to create a show that was “uncomplicated, feel good, sing-along music with authentic heart—and that’s exactly what we’ve done. This show is fun, it’s funny, it’s full of heart and it is the most eclectic one that we’ve ever put together in that we cover everyone from Stevie Wonder to Dolly Parton, from the Four Seasons to Bruce Springsteen, Huey Lewis to Ben E. King.” Each of the performers takes turns singing leads or backing vocals.

As usual, Artists Lounge Live Artistic Director Angela Ingersoll, Michael Ingersoll’s wife, played a crucial role in putting the show together. “Nothing gets made in our company without Angela Ingersoll,” Michael Ingersoll said. “She took my initial ideas and improved on most of them. She’s what we do and I’m how and where we do it.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean Ingersoll is totally compliant. “I let myself have a guilty pleasure song that Angela has not let me sing in any other circumstance,” he admitted. “I sing, ‘You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine’ by Chicago legend Lou Rawls.”

John-Mark McGaha wanted to be in this show because, he said, “Michael and Angela Ingersoll are two of the most amazing human beings I have ever met and some of the most amazing performers I have met. Anything that Michael’s doing I know is going to be not only a phenomenal performance but a phenomenal experience not only for the audience but me as a performer. Everything I’ve done with Artists Lounge Live has been phenomenal.”

McGaha offered praise for Angela Ingersoll’s role in shaping the show. “Her creative ability to weave in not only the music of these icons that we look up to and sing about but our own stories,” he said.

McGaha will be singing, “I Just Called to Say I love You,” “I Will Always Love You,” “I Heard it from the Grapevine,” “Stand by Me,” and a duet with Ingersoll of “Blowin’ in the Wind,” among others. Like the other songs in the show, McGaha said, “These songs permeate your soul. They make you want to jump in and sing along. They make you want to sit there and cry.”

“I have been friends with Michael Ingersoll for 20 years,” Eric Gutman said. “We started with the first national tour of ‘Jersey Boys.’ We became fast friends. I took over for him in ‘Under the Streetlamp’ back in 2017. I have been following his work as a producer and artist with Artists Lounge Live for the past ten years.”

When Ingersoll asked him to join the cast of “Let’s Hang On,’ Gutman said, “I jumped at the chance. We’re literally singing the best music of every era and I get to do it with three other guys that are far more talented than I am.” Gutman is particularly pleased to be doing the show at the Marriott Theatre. “I debuted my Neil (Diamond) show last March there. It’s a really cool space.”

Naturally, Gutman will be singing some Neil Diamond songs during the show. He will also be singing songs from Bruce Springsteen, Huey Lewis, and Joe Cocker. Some of the group numbers will be “On Broadway” and “Old Time Rock and Roll.”

The performers will also share some personal stories. “We all take some turns telling some stories—about our time in the business, how we tie ourselves to the song that we’re singing,” Gutman said. He praised the fact that the process of preparing the show was highly collaborative. “Michael wants us to feel comfortable in our own skin,” he declared.

John Michael Dias said, “Anything Michael Ingersoll is a part of I know it’s going to be good and it’s going to be fun. He told me the concept and I was like, ‘Okay, I love all these people and I love all this music and I love working in the Chicago area so much.’”

The actor has appeared on Broadway in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” and “Jersey Boys,” and on the first national tour of each of those shows.

He loves the song selection in this show. “They’re not writing music like this anymore,” he declared. “It’s nice to keep it alive.” Dias will be singing, “Here You Come Again” and “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” among others.

Like the other performers,” Dias praised the fact that the two Ingersolls create a collaborative environment. “When you sing something that you love, the audience will also love it,” Dias said. “They don’t want to shoehorn any performers into performing anything that doesn’t really feel authentic to them.” He also praised the fact that the Ingersolls “show up with 100 percent positivity.”