Los Angeles' International City Theatre honors Long Beach's Mayor Beverly O'Neill with the Crystal Arts and Humaitarian Award for her commitment to the arts April 30. The Encore 2000 benefit concert and awards ceremony will feature Jodi Benson of "The Little Mermaid."

A Tony and Helen Hayes nominee for her role as Polly Baker in Crazy for You, Benson is known to Los Angeles audiences for her work as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Florence in Chess, for which she was awarded a Drama-Logue Award for Best Actress, Ado Annie in Oklahoma! and Flora in Flora, the Red Menace. Her voice is best recognized as the singing pipes of Ariel, Disney's "Little Mermaid." Other voice work includes Weeho in Disney's "Flubber" and "Thumbelina."

This is the second annual awarding of the Crystal Arts and Humanitarian Award by ICT. Expected celebrity guests include Joseph Campanella, Nell Carter, Erik Estrada and George Kennedy.

The evening will include cocktails, a silent and live auction and a sit down dinner.

Tickets are $125. All proceeds benefit the Inernational City Theatre. The Long Beach Performing Arts Center is located at 300 East Ocean Boulevard. For information, call (562) 495-4595 or (562) 436-4610. -- By Christine Ehren