Porchlight Music Theatre's Anything Goes Extended Through March 10, 2024

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE PRESENTS COLE PORTER’S 

ANYTHING GOES

STARRING MEGHAN MURPHY 

NOW EXTENDED THROUGH MARCH 10th 

AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS 

This 90th Anniversary Production of the Porter Classic with a New 2022 Libretto, Directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber, Choreographed by Tammy Mader and Music Directed by Nick Sula Must Close March 10

(center) Meghan Murphy with the cast of  ANYTHING GOES from Porchlight Music Theatre,  now playing through March 10 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. All Production Photos by Liz Lauren

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we've been following Meghan Murphy's career for years and can't wait to catch her “Reno Sweeney” in Porchlight's Anything Goes! We enjoyed her talents on Chicago stages for ages and in recent years have traveled along vicariously on social media, as she's taken the world by storm. We may not have the weather of tropical resort destinations, or cruise ship chic, but Chicago will not be short on style this winter! We're beyond lucky to have "Big Red" back in town. Don't miss this! 

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce that due to popular demand, the 90th Anniversary production of Cole Porter’s crown jewel musical comedy, Anything Goes, music and lyrics by Cole Porter, original book by P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton and Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse and a new book by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman, is now extended through March 10 at the Ruth Page Center, 1016 N. Dearborn St. 

Members of the cast of ANYTHING GOES

 (L to R) Meghan Murphy and Jackson Evans

Starring internationally renowned powerhouse Meghan Murphy as “Reno Sweeney” and featuring the Chicago debut of a newly commissioned 2022 libretto, Anything Goes is Jeff Award Recommended and directed by Porchlight Music Theatre’s Artistic Director Michael Weber, choreographed by Tammy Mader and music directed by Nick Sula. The performance schedule is Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m, Thursdays at 7:30 p.m, Fridays at 7:30 p.m, Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Open caption performances are Saturday, Feb. 3 and Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. with post-show discussions immediately following the performances on Friday, Feb. 2 and Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Subscriptions and single tickets are currently available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/Anything-Goes or by calling 773.777.9884.

 (L to R) Luke Nowakowski and Meghan Murphy

Chicago will get a kick out of this 90th anniversary production of Cole Porter’s smash-hit musical comedy, Anything Goes starring the Chicago-based international sensation Meghan Murphy as “Reno Sweeney.” Launching Porchlight Music Theatre’s 29th season, this legendary toe-tapping voyage across the Atlantic is filled with laughs, romance and intrigue. Porter’s iconic score includes a shipload of tunes that built the Great American Songbook including "Anything Goes,” “Friendship,” "You're the Top" and "I Get a Kick Out of You.” 

Anything Goes is the centerpiece of Chicago’s Cole Porter Festival - A Celebration of the Man and his Music, the recently launched live and digital, multi-partnered festival commemorating the career of one of America's greatest composers and songwriters. 

 (L to R) Steve McDonagh and Meghan Murphy 

Pronoun Key: + (he/him/his); * (she/her/hers); ^ (they, them, theirs). = (any with respect)

The cast of Anything Goes, in alphabetical order, includes Logan Becker+ (Ensemble); Tommy Bullington+ (Ship's Purser); Rachael Dec* (Charity); Tafadzwa Diener* (Erma); Nick Dorado+ (Ship’s Captain); Jackson Evans+ (Lord Evelyn Oakleigh); Josiah Haugen+ (Henry T. Dobson, Ensemble); Ciara Hickey^ (Dippy); J. Christian Hill+ (Ensemble); Kelsey MacDonald* (Ensemble); Steve McDonagh+ (Moonface Martin); Emily Ling Mei* (Chastity); Meghan Murphy* (Reno Sweeney); Luke Nowakowski= (Billy Crocker); Emma Ogea* (Hope Harcourt); Hannah Remian* (Virtue); Nataki Rennie* (Purity); Jenna Schoppe* (Ensemble, dance captain); Gabriel Solis+ (Spit); Mack Spotts^/+ (Ensemble); Jerod Turner+ (Ensemble); Genevieve VenJohnson* (Evangeline Harcourt), Anthony Whitaker+/^ (Elisha J. Whitney) and Noah Wood+ (swing).

The Anything Goes band includes Linda Madonia* (conductor/piano); Greg Strauss+ (trumpet); Cara Strauss* (reeds 1); Sophie Cruetz* (reeds 2); Justin Akira Kono+ (percussion); Marcel Bonfim+ (bass) and Stephanie Lebens* (trombone).

The creative team of Anything Goes includes Michael Weber+ (director, artistic director); Tammy Mader* (choreographer); Nick Sula+ (music director); Jeffrey D. Kmiec+ (scenic designer); Milo Bue+ (associate scenic designer); Rachel Boylan* (costume designer); Kevin Barthel+ (wig designer); G. Max Maxin IV+ (lighting designer, projection designer); Matthew R. Chase+ (sound designer); Patrick McGuire+ (properties designer); Kristi Martens* (production stage manager, AEA); Drew Donnelly+ (assistant stage manager); Andrea Enger= (assistant stage manager); John McTaggart+ (technical director); Danny Carraher+ (assistant technical director); Wendy Ann Huber* (scenic charge); Josh Derby+ (master carpenter/spot 1); Tina Stasny* (costume director); Rachel West* (lighting director); Samantha Anderson*/^ (assistant lighting supervisor / spot 2); Matt Reich+ (audio/video director); Joe Court+ (A1); Christine Burquest* (A2); Jack Zanger+ (wardrobe supervisor); Amanda May* (hair and makeup supervisor); Gabrielle Lux*/^ (wardrobe assistant); Heather Lynn Gervasi* (production manager); Majel Cuza* (director of production) and Frankie Leo Bennett+ (producing artistic associate).

 (center) Luke Nowakowski and Emma Ogea  

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE’S 29th SEASON

Porchlight’s 29th season includes Anything Goes and Porchlight in Concert: Sunday in the Park with George, Saturday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 12 at 2 p.m. at the Studebaker Theater, 410 S. Michigan Ave., ass well as the Cole Porter Festival - A Celebration of the Man and his Music and the return of our special event, Chicago Sings Broadway Pop II, Monday, April 15, 2024 at 6 p.m. at the House of Blues Chicago, 329 N. Dearborn St. Subscriptions are on sale now for $150 which includes Anything Goes and Porchlight in Concert: Sunday in the Park with George. Chicago Sings Broadway Pop II may be added to the subscription at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or 773.777.9884. Sponsorship opportunities for Porchlight’s 29th Season are available by contacting Development Associate Kellie Buffington at kellie@porchlightmusictheatre.org.

(center) Meghan Murphy

ABOUT MEGHAN MURPHY, “Reno Sweeney”

Meghan Murphy is an actor/singer/producer/cabaret and recording artist currently based in Chicago. Her multifaceted talents have been showcased on many different stages in the worlds of theater, music, travel and cabaret. As an actor, she is a six-time Joseph Jefferson Award nominee for Chicago credits such as: Mamma Mia! (“Tanya,” Marriott Theater), Spamalot (“Lady of the Lake,” Mercury Theater Chicago), The Who's Tommy (“Acid Queen,” Paramount Theater), Smokey Joe's Cafe (“Patty,” Drury Lane Theater), City of Angels (“Oolie”/”Donna,” Marriott Theater) and And The World Goes Round (“Woman 3,” Marriott Theater). Film and TV credits: Honey Nut Cheerios (national commercial), “Captive State” (Focus Features). As a singer, you may have seen her in countless concerts and festivals throughout the country, including many appearances in the Chicago Humanities Festival and Chicago Sings. As a cabaret artist, she’s had sold out shows in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, London and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and has been touring her critically-acclaimed one woman show, The Big Red Show, around nationally and now internationally with Vacaya, Brand g Vacations, Azamara, RWS Entertainment and Blackburn International. As a recording artist, Murphy has two self titled EP albums of her Chicago-based blues/soul band Everybody Says Yes available on all streaming platforms and her holiday album “Big Red & The Boys, Live” at Feinstein’s/54 Below, available at bigredandtheboys.bandcamp.com.

ABOUT MICHAEL WEBER, director

Michael Weber is Porchlight Music Theatre’s artistic director. Most recently, he directed Cabaret at Porchlight and this summer co-directed Broadway in your Backyard. Previously the artistic director of Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place (now The Broadway Playhouse) and Theatre at the Center, his Porchlight productions of Sweeney Todd, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Pal Joey, Assassins and Side Show as well as Grand Hotel at Drury Lane and She Loves Me at Theatre at the Center were each nominated for the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production-Musical. Directing credits include Living the History-125 Years of The Auditorium Theatre starring Patti LuPone and John Mahoney, Fifth of July and Talley’s Folly at the Oak Park Festival Theatre, The Petrified Forest at Theatre at the Center, Beauty and the Beast at Marriott Theatre, Over the River and Through the Woods at The Mercury Theater, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Pheasant Run Theatre and Cirque du Symphony at Sears Center Arena. The recipient of two Joseph Jefferson Awards, he wrote and directed twelve Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremonies (2006-2018). Weber’s regional acting credits include Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy (both starring Patti LuPone) at Ravinia, Disney’s My Son Pinocchio at First Stage Milwaukee, Around the World in 80 Days at Cleveland Playhouse, The Winter’s Tale and Henry V at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, It Had To Be You (starring Cindy Williams and Eddie Mekka) at Little Theatre on the Square, Angel Street at First Folio Shakespeare and The Gifts of the Magi at Indiana Repertory. Weber is proud to serve as a pledge host on WTTW, Channel 11 and is author of the play, War of the Well(e)s.

ABOUT TAMMY MADER, choreographer

Tammy Mader is a proud member of SDC, the union of professional Stage Directors and Choreographers. Credits include: Bye Bye Birdie, Hairspray (Jeff Award), Next To Normal, Sunset Blvd., Gypsy, Spamalot, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (Jeff Nomination), Buddy; The Buddy Holly Story, Thoroughly Modern Millie (Jeff Award), Meet Me In St. Louis, Kiss Me Kate (Jeff Nomination), Anything Goes (Jeff Nomination), and My One And Only (Jeff Award) at Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace; Buddy; The Buddy Holly Story, Meet Me In St. Louis, Grand Hotel and The Full Monty at Drury Lane Water Tower Place; Guys & Dolls and Invisible Man at Court Theatre; Singin' In The Rain, My One And Only (Jeff Nomination) , 42nd St. (Jeff Award), Beauty and the Beast for Marriott’s Lincolnshire Theatre; Animal Crackers for Baltimore’s Center Stage, Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? for Drury Lane Theater in Evergreen Park; She Loves Me, Singin’ In The Rain (Jeff Nomination), Grand Hotel, 42nd St., Meet Me In St. Louis, and Swingin’ On A Star: The Johnny Burke Musical at Theater at the Center, Elizabeth Rex at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and Porchlight Music Theatre’s Mack And Mabel and Assassins.

ABOUT NICK SULA, music director

Nick Sula is a pianist, arranger, and award-winning music director for theater and cabaret, and is thrilled to return to Porchlight. Music Direction credits include Sweeney Todd (Kokandy Productions, Jeff Award); Ghost Quartet (Jeff nomination), Nevermore, Amour, Coraline (Black Button Eyes); Myths & Hymns, The Glorious Ones (Jeff nomination), Pippin (BoHo Theatre), His & His, Broadway at the Broadway (Pride Films and Plays); Merrily We Roll Along, Head Over Heels, The Pajama Game, The Pirates of Penzance (CCPA). Sula can be seen performing with vocalists at theaters and cabaret venues around Chicagoland such as Davenport’s Piano Bar and the Skokie Theater. As a professor of musical theatre, he serves as a music director, instructor and vocal coach at the Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA) at Roosevelt University.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre is the award-winning center for music theatre in Chicago. Through live performance, youth education and community outreach, we impact thousands of lives each season, bringing the magic of musicals to our theatre home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast and to neighborhoods across the city. Porchlight has built a national reputation for boldly reimagining classic musicals supporting new works and young performers, and showcasing Chicago’s most notable music theatre artists, all through the intimate and powerful theatrical lens of the “Chicago Style.”

Porchlight's 29-year history includes more than 70 mainstage works with 16 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Porchlight’s commitment to the past, present and future of music theatre led the company to develop the Porchlight Revisits and New Faces Sing Broadway program series, both quickly becoming audience favorites.

Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations, most notably the ongoing collaboration with Chicago Youth Centers. Porchlight annually awards dozens of full scholarships and hundreds of free tickets to ensure accessibility and real engagement with this uniquely American art form.

The company’s many honors include 192 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 48 Jeff awards, as well as 44 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 12 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards, and was honored with eight nominations in both technical and artistic categories and won three awards in its inaugural year in this tier, most notably Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies.

The cast of ANYTHING GOES

Porchlight Music Theatre’s 90th Anniversary production of Cole Porter’s crown jewel musical comedy, Anything Goes, music and lyrics by Cole Porter, original book by P.G. Wodehouse and Guy Bolton and Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse and a new book by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman, is now playing through February 25, 2024, at the Ruth Page Center, 1016 N. Dearborn St. Starring internationally renowned powerhouse Meghan Murphy as “Reno Sweeney” and featuring the Chicago debut of a newly commissioned 2022 libretto, Anything Goes is directed by Porchlight Music Theatre’s Artistic Director Michael Weber, choreographed by Tammy Mader and music directed by Nick Sula. The performance schedule is Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m, Thursdays at 7:30 p.m, Fridays at 7:30 p.m, Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Open caption performances are Saturday, Feb. 3 and Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. with post-show discussions immediately following the performances on Friday, Feb. 2 and Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Subscriptions and single tickets are currently available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/Anything-Goes or by calling 773.777.9884.

(L to R) Gabriel Solis and Ciara Hickey

Ruth Page Center for the Arts

1016 N. Dearborn Ave., Chicago

Single Tickets start at $20

Running time including intermission is currently 2 hours and 45 minutes

Website: PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/Anything-Goes

Box Office: 773.777.9884    

 

(L to R) Emily Ling Mei, Rachael Dec, Hannah Remian and Nataki Rennie

Performance Schedule:

Friday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 20 at 2:00 p.m.        

Sunday, Jan. 21 at 2:00 p.m.                       

 

(center) Meghan Murphy and the cast in ANYTHING GOES 

Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m.    

Thursday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m.                   

Friday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m.              

Saturday, Jan. 27 at 2:00 p.m.                    

Saturday, Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m.                     

Sunday, Jan. 28 at 2:00 p.m.          

 

Luke Nowakowski

Thursday, Feb. 1 at 2:00 p.m.          

Thursday, Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m.           

Friday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m.    (post-show discussion)

Saturday, Feb. 3 at 2:00 p.m. (open caption performance)        

Saturday, Feb. 3 at 7:30p.m.            

Sunday, Feb. 4 at 2:00 p.m.           

 

Emma Ogea

Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. (post-show discussion) 

Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m.          

Friday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m.   

Saturday, Feb. 10 at 2:00 p.m. (open caption performance)                  

Saturday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m.         

Sunday, Feb. 11 at 2:00 p.m.

 

 (L to R) Logan Becker, Jenna Schoppe, Geneiveve VenJohnson and Emma Ogea

Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 17 at 2:00 p.m.         

Saturday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 18 at 2:00 p.m.

 

Anthony Whitaker

Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 25 at 2:00 p.m. 

 

(L to R) Luke Nowakowski and Steve McDonagh

FINAL ADDED DATES

Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 2 at 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 3 at 2:00 p.m. 

 

(L to R)  Tafadzwa Diener, Mack Spotts, Logan Becker, Jerod Turner, J. Christian Hill and Josiah Haugen in ANYTHING GOES from Porchlight Music Theatre,  now playing through March 10 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts.

Wednesday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 9 at 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 10 at 2:00 p.m.

EXTENDED: Cabaret Via Porchlight Music Theatre Now Playing Through March 5, 2023

 PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE ANNOUNCES CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM FOR THE AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL

CABARET

Now Extended Through March 5th Due to Popular Demand 

AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Porchlight Transports Audiences to Berlin’s Kit Kat Club Where “Life is Beautiful.” This Landmark Musical is Envisioned Anew  by Porchlight Artistic Director Michael Weber with Associate Director and Choreographer Brenda Didier and Music Director Linda Madonia

 

Porchlight Music Theatre presents the Tony Award-winning landmark musical Cabaret, at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St., January 14 - February 12, 2023. Based on the 1951 play I Am a Camera by John Van Druten and the novel “Goodbye to Berlin'' by Christopher Isherwood, Porchlight’s production is directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber, associate directed and choreographed by Brenda Didier and music directed by Linda Madonia. Previews are Saturday, Jan. 14 at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 19 at 1:30 p.m. 

The regular performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3:30 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. with a weekday matinee Thursday, Feb. 2 at 1:30 p.m. Post-Show Discussions are scheduled Friday, Jan. 27 at 8 p.m and Thursday, Feb. 2 at 1:30 p.m. and open caption performances Saturday Jan. 28 at 3:30 p.m. and Saturday Feb. 4 at 3:30p.m.  Tickets for Cabaret are now on sale starting at $25 and may be purchased through the Box Office by calling 773.777.9884 or by visiting PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. 

Bold and provocative, this winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, shines a spotlight on Berlin in the late 1920s and the colorful, gritty and hedonistic lives found there. Filled with iconic songs and electrifying dance, Cabaret tells the story of the American writer Clifford Bradshaw and his relationship with English cabaret performer Sally Bowles on the eve of the Nazi party’s rise to power. Overseen by an ominous Emcee at the fabled Kit Kat Club, Cabaret is a cautionary tale that has renewed resonance in today’s political climate. 

The cast for Cabaret, in alphabetical order, includes Neala Barron* (Fraulein "Fritzie" Kost); Frankie Leo Bennett+ (standby The Emcee and Max); Jordan Beyeler* (swing); Anna Brockman* (Lulu/ensemble);  Morgan DiFonzo* (Texas/ensemble); Gilbert Domally+ (Clifford Bradshaw); Julia Fleckenstein* (Helga/ensemble); Tim Foszcz+ (Herman/ensemble);  Haley Gustafson*/^ (Frenchie/ensemble); Josiah Haugen+ (Ernst Ludwig); Natalie Henry* (Rosie/ensemble); Mark David Kaplan+ (Herr Schultz); Darren Patin+ (Victor/ensemble); Shane Roberie+ (Max/ensemble); Mary Robin Roth* (Fraulein Schneider); Erica Stephan* (Sally Bowles); Cam Turner+ (swing/Dance Captain); Josh Walker+ (The Emcee); Shaun White+ (Bobby/ensemble) and Evan Wilhelm+(Hans/ensemble).

The Cabaret production team includes Michael Weber+ (director); Brenda Didier* (associate director/choreographer); Linda Madonia* (music director);  Angela Weber Miller* (scenic design); Bill Morey+ (costume design); Patrick Chan+ (lighting design); Matthew R. Chase+ (sound design), Johnnie Schleyer+ (scenic supervisor); Tina Stasny* (costume supervisor); Rachel West* (lighting supervisor); Madeline M. Scott* (production stage manager); Kathy Logelin* (dialect coach),  Sheryl Williams* (intimacy Choreographer); Nate Cohen+ (dramaturg/cultural consultant) and Frankie Leo Bennett+ (producing artistic associate.)

ABOUT MICHAEL WEBER, director

Michael Weber is the artistic director at Porchlight Music Theatre and most recently directed Sunset Boulevard and Gypsy for Porchlight Music Theatre as well as the Porchlight Revisits production of 1776 and Broadway by the Decade for PorchlightOnline. His productions of Gypsy, End of the Rainbow, Side Show, ...Forum, Sweeney Todd, Pal Joey and Assassins at Porchlight, Grand Hotel at Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place and She Loves Me at Theatre at the Center were each nominated for the Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production— Musical. Other directing credits include “Living the History-125 Years of the Auditorium Theatre” (starring Patti Lupone, John Mahoney and stars of Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and others), Fifth of July and Talley’s Folly at the Oak Park Festival Theatre, The Petrified Forest at Theatre at the Center, Beauty and the Beast at Marriott Theatre, Over the River and Through the Woods at Mercury Theater and Cirque du Symphony at Sears Center Arena. The recipient of two Joseph Jefferson Awards, Weber’s regional acting credits include The Merry Widow and The Sound of Music at Lyric Opera, 42nd Street at Paramount, Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy (both starring Patti LuPone) at Ravinia, Disney’s My Son Pinocchio at First Stage Milwaukee, Around the World in 80 Days at Cleveland Playhouse, The Winter’s Tale and Henry V at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Angel Street at First Folio Shakespeare and The Gifts of the Magi at Indiana Repertory. He previously served as artistic director of Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place (now The Broadway Playhouse) and Theatre at the Center. Weber is proud to serve as a pledge host with WTTW, Channel 11.

ABOUT LINDA MADONIA, music director/conductor

Linda Madonia has been musical directing in the Chicago area for more than 25 years including Porchlight’s recent New Faces Sing Broadway 1979 as well as Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway and the 2019 critically-acclaimed production of A Chorus Line. Other credits include Pirates of Penzance and Joseph and the  Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for Music Theater Works and Forbidden Broadway: SVU at The Royal George Theater. Other credits include Grand  Hotel and Nunsensations at Drury Lane Water Tower Place and Gigi, She  Loves Me and Me and My Girl at Theater at the Center. Madonia has also been the music director for Chicago’s Equity and non-union Joseph Jefferson Awards numerous times. She owns American Eagle Productions, an educational theatre that has presented 300 shows and workshops a year in Chicago area schools for the past 28 years. 

ABOUT BRENDA DIDIER, associate director/choreographer

Brenda Didier returns to Porchlight where she recently directed the spring 2022 production of Spring Awakening. She also co-directed and co-choreographed Porchlight’s  award-winning Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies with Florence Walker Harris,  directed A Chorus Line and directed and choreographed Billy Elliot, The Musical, In The Heights and Dreamgirls among others. Didier is a multiple Jeff Award recipient in both direction and choreography, and the recipient of After Dark Awards, BroadwayWorld awards and the National Youth Theatre award. She is the proud owner and artistic director of the Lincolnshire Academy of Dance, celebrating its 24th season. Other credits include work at the Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Second City, Marriott Theatre, The Paramount, Theatre at the Center, BoHo, Mercury Theatre Chicago, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, the Studebaker Theatre, Stage Left, Six Flags Great America, Busch Gardens Virginia, Cirque Shanghai at Navy Pier, T-Mobile’s national commercial “Home for the Holidays,” The Kenny Rogers Christmas Tour and the University of Illinois, University of Wisconsin and Carthage College.

 

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE AS RUTH PAGE IN-RESIDENCE ORGANIZATION

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to be a member of the vibrant Ruth Page Center for the Arts community and an In-Residence Organization. Central to the Ruth Page Center for the Arts’ programming is this program, which is designed to serve organizations looking for a home base while they grow or expand their artistic and organizational capabilities. The Center is committed to nurturing and assisting dance and other performing artists, allowing for exchange and collaborative relationships to develop within the artistic community. The Ruth Page Center for the Arts is a destination for quality performing arts, accessible to a wide community regardless of race, gender, age, education or disability. An incubator of artistic energy and excellence, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts carries forward the vision of its founder, legendary dance icon Ruth Page, to be a platform for developing great artists and connecting them with audiences and community.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre is the award-winning center for music theatre in Chicago. Through live performance, youth education and community outreach, we impact thousands of lives each season, bringing the magic of musicals to our theatre home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast and to neighborhoods across the city. Porchlight has built a national reputation for boldly reimagining classic musicals, supporting new works and young performers, and showcasing Chicago’s most notable music theatre artists, all through the intimate and powerful theatrical lens of the “Chicago Style.” 

Porchlight's history, over the last 27 years, includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Porchlight’s commitment to the past, present and future of music theatre led the company to develop the Porchlight Revisits and New Faces Sing Broadway program series, both quickly becoming audience favorites. 

Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations, most notably the ongoing collaboration with Chicago Youth Centers. Porchlight annually awards dozens of full scholarships and hundreds of free tickets to ensure accessibility and real engagement with this uniquely American art form. 

The company’s many honors include 184 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 45 Jeff awards, as well as 44 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 12 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards, and was honored with eight nominations in both technical and artistic categories and won three awards in its inaugural year in this tier, most notably Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies. 

Through the global pandemic, Porchlight emerged as one of Chicago’s leaders in virtual programming, quickly launching a host of free offerings like Sondheim @ 90 Roundtables, Movie Musical Mondays, Porchlight by Request: Command Performances and WPMT: Classic Musicals from the Golden Age of Radio. Porchlight launched its annual summer series in 2021, Broadway in your Backyard, performing at parks and venues throughout the city. 

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from: Allstate; Michael Best & Friedrich LLP; Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; Elegant Event Lighting; Glimpse Vision; James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation; Hearty Boys; The League of Chicago Theatres PAV Grant Fund; The MacArthur Fund for Culture, Equity and the Arts at Prince; the Pritzker Traubert Foundation; Ryan and Spaeth, Inc.; Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation; The Saints and The Dr. Scholl Foundation.

The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency, and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. 

Porchlight Music Theatre wishes to thank members of the Matching Gift Corporate Program including: Allstate; Crowdstrike; Google; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Peoples Gas; Pepsico; Polk Bros Foundation; State Farm; The Saints and U.S. Cellular. 

Tickets start at $25. Website: PorchlightMusicTheatre.org

I AM A CAMERA, VIA THE PORCHLIGHT REVISITS SERIES FEBRUARY 8 AND 9th, 2023

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE CONTINUES ITS NINTH SEASON OF THE PORCHLIGHT REVISITS SERIES WITH JOHN VAN DRUTEN’S 

I AM A CAMERA

AT RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS,

FEBRUARY 8 AND 9

This Limited Engagement Complements Porchlight’s Mainstage Production of Cabaret, presented January 14 - February 12, that was Adapted from Van Druten’s I am a Camera

Porchlight Music Theatre continues its 2022 - 2023 season with Porchlight Revisits I am a Camera, book by John Van Druten, directed by Nate Cohen+. I'll be out to review at the 2nd performance, so check back for my full review. In the meantime, don't sleep on this short run of the show . Get your tickets today. Porchlight Revisits I am a Camera is presented for two performances only Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 9 at 1:30 p.m. at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Single tickets to Porchlight Revisits I am a Camera are $52 at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office at 773.777.9884. 

The ninth Porchlight Revisits season continues with I am a Camera, a 1951 Broadway play that was adapted from Christopher Isherwood’s 1939 novel “Goodbye to Berlin.” This special event production is a rare opportunity to experience the remarkable play that became the inspiration for the musical Cabaret, which Porchlight is presenting January 14 - February 12 also at the Ruth Page Center. 

Never revived on Broadway and not seen in Chicago for decades, the title is a quotation taken from “Goodbye to Berlin’s” first page: “I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking.” The original production was a critically acclaimed success with Julie Harris winning her first of five Tony Awards in the role of “Sally Bowles,” Marian Winters winning both the Theatre World Award and the Tony for her role as “Natalia Landauer” and Van Druten winning the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best American Play in 1952. 

The cast of Porchlight Revisits I am a Camera includes, in alphabetical order, Caron Buinis* (Fraulein Schneider); Ramón Camín+(Clive Mortimer); Justin Kuhn+(Fritz Wendel); Gabi Leibowitz* (Natalia Landauer); Mary Margaret McCormick* (Sally Bowles);  Zachary Owen+ (Christopher Isherwood) and Carrie Lee Patterson* (Mrs. Watson-Courtneidge).

The Porchlight Revisits I am a Camera creative team includes Nate Cohen+ (director); Matthew R. Chase+ (sound designer); Kristi Martens* (production stage manager); Mia Maccarella* (assistant stage manager), Jake Snell+ (assistant stage manager); Frankie Leo Bennett+ (producing artistic associate); Majel Cuza* (production manager) and Michael Weber+ (artistic director).

Pronoun Key: + (he/him/his); * (she/her/hers); ^ (they, them, theirs). = (any with respect)

Now in its ninth season, Porchlight Revisits celebrates the rarely seen gems of Broadway, off-Broadway and beyond and is the ticket to go behind the scenes with an introduction to the luminaries who created these plays and musicals and an opportunity to discover a new ‘old’ favorite all in one big show. Chicago’s finest talents dust off these treasures and escort audiences into the world of the art of theatre’s past for a limited run. In addition to productions from days gone by, each Porchlight Revisits includes the Behind the Show Backstory, an entertaining and informative multimedia presentation, created and hosted by Artistic Director Michael Weber+, introducing the evening’s production including the show’s creative history, juicy backstage stories and much more.

The final Porchlight Revisits of the 2023 - 2023 season is Porchlight Revisits Two by Two, Wednesday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, May 25 at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Martin Charnin and book by Peter Stone based The Flowering Peach by Clifford Odets. Porchlight Revisits Two by Two tells the story of Noah, the flood and its aftermath with touches of modern themes including the environment and the differences from generation to generation.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT REVISITS

Continuing to forge its role as “Chicago’s Music Theatre,” Porchlight launched the exciting new series Porchlight Revisits in 2013; especially created for the die-hard music theatre aficionado. Each season, Porchlight Music Theatre shares with audiences the rare opportunity to visit musicals and non-musicals that opened on the Great White Way but have since gone “unsung.” Previous Porchlight Revisits productions include:

(2022/23) The Apple Tree, I am a Camera, Two by Two;

(2021/22) Passing Strange, Nunsense;

(2019/20) Call Me Madam;

(2018/19) 1776, Can-Can, Minnie’s Boys;

(2017/18) Do Re Mi, They’re Playing Our Song, Woman of the Year;

(2016/17) The Rink, Little Me, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever; 

(2015/16) Chess, Applause, Babes in Arms; 

(2014/15) Bells Are Ringing, City of Angels, Mack & Mabel;

(2013/14) Anyone Can Whistle, Golden Boy, Fade Out-Fade In.

ABOUT CABARET

Porchlight Music Theatre presents 

Cabaret

January 14 - February 12, 2023

Music by John Kander

Lyrics by Fred Ebb

Book by Joe Masteroff

Based on the 1951 play I am a Camera by John Van Druten adapted from the 1939 novella “Goodbye to Berlin” by Christopher Isherwood

Directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber+

Music Directed by Linda Madonia*

Associate Directed & Choreographed by Brenda Didier*

Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St.

Press Opening: Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023 at 7 p.m.

 

Bold and provocative, this winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, shines a spotlight on Berlin in the late 1920s and the colorful, gritty and hedonistic lives found there. Filled with iconic songs and electrifying dance, Cabaret tells the story of the American writer Clifford Bradshaw and his relationship with English cabaret performer Sally Bowles on the eve of the Nazi party’s rise to power. Overseen by an ominous Emcee at the fabled Kit Kat Club, Cabaret is a cautionary tale that has renewed resonance in today’s political climate.

ABOUT NATE COHEN+, director

Nate Cohen makes his Porchlight debut with Porchlight Revisits I am a Camera. He is an associate member of the SDC and holds an MFA in directing from Northwestern University, where he also teaches. Notable directing credits include Peter and the Starcatcher, Winnie-the-Pooh, The Angry Brigade and Midsummer: A Play with Songs at the Wirtz Center for the Performing Arts, A Maze (Theatre Vertigo), Middle Names (DownBoat Arts), All's Faire (Action/Adventure Theatre) Manspread Madness (Collaboraction) and assisting on Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (Steppenwolf), Linda Vista (Steppenwolf), Mr. Dickens’ Hat (Northlight), The Beauty Queen Lenanne (Northlight), Book of Will (Northlight), Grand Concourse (Artists Repertory Theatre) and American Hero (Artists Repertory Theatre). 

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE AS RUTH PAGE IN-RESIDENCE ORGANIZATION

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to be a member of the vibrant Ruth Page Center for the Arts community and an In-Residence Organization. Central to the Ruth Page Center for the Arts’ programming is this program, which is designed to serve organizations looking for a home base while they grow or expand their artistic and organizational capabilities. The Center is committed to nurturing and assisting dance and other performing artists, allowing for exchange and collaborative relationships to develop within the artistic community. The Ruth Page Center for the Arts is a destination for quality performing arts, accessible to a wide community regardless of race, gender, age, education or disability. An incubator of artistic energy and excellence, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts carries forward the vision of its founder, legendary dance icon Ruth Page, to be a platform for developing great artists and connecting them with audiences and community.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, now in its 28th season, is the award-winning center for music theatre in Chicago. Through live performance, youth education and community outreach, we impact thousands of lives each season, bringing the magic of musicals to our theatre home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast and to neighborhoods across the city. Porchlight has built a national reputation for boldly reimagining classic musicals, supporting new works and young performers, and showcasing Chicago’s most notable music theatre artists, all through the intimate and powerful theatrical lens of the “Chicago Style.” 

Porchlight's history over the last 27 years includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Porchlight’s commitment to the past, present and future of music theatre led the company to develop the Porchlight Revisits and New Faces Sing Broadway program series, both quickly becoming audience favorites. 

Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations, most notably the ongoing collaboration with Chicago Youth Centers. Porchlight annually awards dozens of full scholarships and hundreds of free tickets to ensure accessibility and real engagement with this uniquely American art form. 

The company’s many honors include 178 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 49 Jeff awards, as well as 44 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 15 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards and has been honored with seven awards in this tier to date including Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies (2019) and Best Production-Revue for Blues in the Night (2022). 

Through the global pandemic, Porchlight emerged as one of Chicago’s leaders in virtual programming, quickly launching a host of free offerings like Sondheim @ 90 Roundtables, Movie Musical Mondays, Porchlight by Request: Command Performances and WPMT: Classic Musicals from the Golden Age of Radio. In 2021, Porchlight launched its annual summer series, Broadway in your Backyard, performing at parks and venues throughout the city. 

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from  Allstate; Michael Best & Friedrich LLP; Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; Elegant Event Lighting; Glimpse Vision; James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation; Hearty Boys; A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation; The MacArthur Fund for Culture, Equity and the Arts at Prince; the Pritzker Traubert Foundation; Ryan and Spaeth, Inc.; Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation; The Saints and Dr. Scholl Foundation.

The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency, and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. 

Porchlight Music Theatre wishes to thank members of the Matching Gift Corporate Program including Abbvie; Allstate; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Peoples Gas; Pepsico; Polk Bros Foundation and The Saints. 

PORCHLIGHT REVISITS PASSING STRANGE THREE PERFORMANCES ONLY AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, MAY 18 AND 19

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE ANNOUNCES CAST FOR PORCHLIGHT REVISITS PASSING STRANGE 

THREE PERFORMANCES ONLY AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, MAY 18 AND 19

Pronoun Key: + (he/him/his); * (she/her/hers); ^ (they, them, theirs). = (any with respect)

Tickets are Now on Sale for this Rarely Seen Broadway Rock Musical Exploring an Artist’s Journey of Self Discovery with Book and Lyrics by Stew+, Music by Heidi Rodewald* and Stew+, Directed by Donterrio+, Music Directed by Justin Akira Kono+ and Choreographed by Terri K Woodall*

Porchlight Music Theatre concludes the eighth season of its “lost” musicals series with Porchlight Revisits Passing Strange, book and lyrics by Stew+, music by Heidi Rodewald* and Stew+, direction by Donterrio+, music directed by Justin Akira Kono+ and choreography by Terri K Woodall*, May 18 and 19. Porchlight Revisits Passing Strange is presented for three performances only: Wednesday, May 18 at 7 p.m. and Thursday, May 19 at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Performed live in a limited run each performance includes a pre-show “Behind the Show Backstory” historical multimedia presentation by Artistic Director Michael Weber+ introducing the evening’s production including the show’s creative history, backstage stories and much more. Tickets are $49 and are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office at 773.777.9884. I'll be out on the 19th at 1:30 p.m. so check back shortly for my full review.

From L.A. to Amsterdam to Berlin, a young musician chases youthful dreams and spiritual clarity against a shifting backdrop of locales and acquaintances as he rebels against his conservative upbringing. This hit rock musical, loaded with soulful lyrics and passion, debuted to critical acclaim on Broadway in 2008, winning both the Tony and Drama Desk Awards and went on to be a critically acclaimed motion picture filmed by Spike Lee+ in 2009. The New York Times said about its Broadway debut,“Call it a rock concert with a story to tell ... Or call it a sprawling work of performance art ... I’ll just call it wonderful.”

Top Row: Donterrio, director; Justin Akira Kono, music director; Terri K. Woodall, choreographer, Michael Maurice Ashford, ensemble; Rueben Echoles, ensemble

Bottom Row: Reniesha J. Jenkins, ensemble; MJ Rawls, ensemble; Nolan Robinson, ensemble; Byron Willis, ensemble and Jasmine Lacy Young, ensemble; 

The ensemble cast of Porchlight Revisits Passing Strange, in alphabetical order, includes: Michael Maurice Ashford+, Rueben Echoles+, Reneisha J Jenkins*, MJ Rawls*, Nolan Robinson+, Byron Willis+ and Jasmine Lacy Young*.

The production team includes: Stew+, lyrics and book; Heidi Rodewald* and Stew+, music; Donterrio+, director; Justin Akira Kono+, music director; Terri K Woodall*, choreography; Jyreika Guest*, intimacy director; Rachel West*, lighting designer; Gregory Graham+, costume designer; Matthew R. Chase+, production manager; Frankie Leo Bennett+, producing artistic associate; Alex Rhyan+, production and operations director and Michael Weber+, artistic director.

Pronoun Key: + (he/him/his); * (she/her/hers); ^ (they, them, theirs). = (any with respect)

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT REVISITS

Continuing to forge its role as “Chicago’s Music Theatre,” Porchlight launched the Porchlight Revisits series, the only of its kind in the city, in 2013, especially created for the die-hard music theatre aficionado. Each season, Porchlight Music Theatre shares with audiences the rare opportunity to visit musicals that opened on the Great White Way and beyond but have since gone “unsung.” The finest music theatre artists in Chicago dust off these neglected treasures and escort audiences to the worlds of Broadway and off-Broadway’s past. Previous Porchlight Revisits productions include:

(2021) Nunsense;

(2019/20) Call Me Madam;

(2018/19) 1776, Can-Can, Minnie’s Boys;

(2017/18) Do Re Mi, They’re Playing Our Song, Woman of the Year; (2016/17) The Rink, Little Me, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever; (2015/16) Chess, Applause, Babes in Arms;

(2014/15) Bells Are Ringing, City of Angels, Mack & Mabel; (2013/14) Anyone Can Whistle, Golden Boy, Fade Out-Fade In.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE AS AN IN-RESIDENCE ORGANIZATION AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to be a member of the vibrant Ruth Page Center for the Arts community and an Artist In-Residence. Central to the Ruth Page Center for the Arts’ programming is the In-Residence Organization program, which is designed to serve organizations looking for a home base while they grow or expand their artistic and organizational capabilities. The Center is committed to nurturing and assisting dance and other performing artists, allowing for exchange and collaborative relationships to develop within the artistic community. The Ruth Page Center for the Arts is a destination for quality performing arts, accessible to a wide community regardless of race, gender, age, education or disability. An incubator of artistic energy and excellence, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts carries forward the vision of its founder, legendary dance icon Ruth Page, to be a platform for developing great artists and connecting them with audiences and community.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre is the award-winning center for music theatre in Chicago. Through live performance, youth education and community outreach we impact thousands of lives each season, bringing the magic of musicals to our theatre home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast and to neighborhoods across the city. Porchlight has built a national reputation for boldly reimagining classic musicals, supporting new works and young performers, and showcasing Chicago’s most notable music theatre artists, all through the intimate and powerful theatrical lens of the “Chicago Style.”

Now in its 27th season, Porchlight's quarter-century production history includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Porchlight’s commitment to the past, present and future of music theatre led the company to develop the Porchlight Revisits and New Faces Sing Broadway program series, both quickly becoming audience favorites.

Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations, most notably the ongoing collaboration with Chicago Youth Centers. Porchlight annually awards dozens of full scholarships and hundreds of free tickets to ensure accessibility and real engagement with this uniquely American art form.

The company’s many honors include 178 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 45 Jeff awards, as well as 33 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 12 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards, and was honored with eight nominations in both technical and artistic categories and won three awards in its inaugural year in this tier, most notably Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies.

Through the global pandemic, Porchlight emerged as one of Chicago’s leaders in virtual programming, quickly launching a host of free offerings like Sondheim @ 90 Roundtables, Movie Musical Mondays, Porchlight by Request: Command Performances and WPMT: Classic Musicals from the Golden Age of Radio. For the 2020-2021 season, Porchlight’s fall schedule included all-new ticketed virtual programs including Broadway by the Decade, New Faces Sing Broadway 1987, Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway, New Faces Sing Broadway 1961 and the return of The Ruffians’ Burning Bluebeard as well as collaborations with Hershey Felder and L.A. Theatre Works. Porchlight recently launched its first summer performance schedule in 2021 that included a sold-out performance of New Faces Sing Broadway 1979 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, the premiere of its outdoor music series Broadway in your Backyard, performed throughout Chicagoland this summer and special appearances at Sundays on State and Navy Pier’s Chicago Live Again.

Porchlight Music Theatre concludes the eighth season of its “lost” musicals series with Porchlight Revisits Passing Strange, book and lyrics by Stew+, music by Heidi Rodewald* and Stew+, direction by Donterrio+, music directed by Justin Akira Kono+ and choreography by Terri K Woodall*, May 18 and 19. Porchlight Revisits Passing Strange is presented for three performances only: Wednesday, May 18 at 7 p.m. and Thursday, May 19 at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Tickets are $49 and are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office at 773.777.9884.

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from Actors’ Equity Foundation; Allstate; Michael Best & Friedrich LLP; Chapman | Spingola, LLP; Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; Gen Ops Plus; Elegant Event Lighting; Glimpse Vision; James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation; Hearty Boys; A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation; The MacArthur Fund for Culture, Equity and the Arts at Prince; the Pritzker Traubert Foundation; Ryan and Spaeth, Inc.; Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation; The Saints and Dr. Scholl Foundation.

The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency, and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Porchlight Music Theatre wishes to thank members of the Matching Gift Corporate Program including Abbvie; Allstate; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Peoples Gas; Pepsico; Polk Bros Foundation and The Saints.

EXTENDED: Porchlight Music Theatre's Acclaimed Blues in the Night Now Playing March 20, 2022

 PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE PRESENTS 

BLUES IN THE NIGHT

DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY KENNY INGRAM+ 

AND MUSIC DIRECTED BY DAVID FIORELLO+

AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS 

Now Extended Through March 20, 2022

 Felicia P. Fields* All Photos by Anthony Robert La Penna

REVIEW:

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Every time I see a Porchlight Music Theatre I am stunned by the incredible performers we have here in Chicago. I'm convinced the second city is second to none when it comes to powerhouse vocals, snazzy choreography, and sheer talent. Blues in the night brings an award winning cast together for a sultry, stunning production that's truly a treat. The top notch musicians play on stage and are a joy to see in action, as are the actors. The stage chemistry is palpable and this show is sure to warm your winter weary heart. Highly recommended. Don't miss this!

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theater critic, photographer, videographer, actress, artist and Mama. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly). 

Donica Lynn* 

Terrell Armstrong+ in BLUES IN THE NIGHT from Porchlight Music Theatre, Feb. 9 - March 20 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts. Photo by Anthony Robert La Penna

(L to R) Evan Tyrone Martin+ and Clare Kennedy* in BLUES IN THE NIGHT from Porchlight Music Theatre, Feb. 9 - March 20 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts. Photo by Anthony Robert La Penna

Blues in the Night featuring Tony-Nominated Actor Felicia P. Fields*, Jeff Award-Winner Donica Lynn*, Jeff Award-Nominated Evan Tyrone Martin+, Clare Kennedy* and Terrell Armstrong+

 Pronoun Key: + (he/him/his); * (she/her/hers); ^ (they, them, theirs). = (any with respect)

New dates for Porchlight Music Theatre productions:

Blues in the Night

Conceived by Sheldon Epps

Directed and Choreographed by Kenny Ingram+

Music Directed by David Fiorello+

Associate Music Director and Conductor Maulty Jewell IV+

Assistant Choreographer Ariel Dorsey*

NEW DATES: February 9 - March 20

The Blues is one of America’s original art forms and Chicago was the home to some of the greatest Blues performers ever. Set in a history-filled hotel on Chicago’s south side one fateful night in the late 1930s, this Tony Award-nominated celebration interweaves the stories of three women who share their highs and lows of romance through the iconic songs of Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Alberta Hunter, Jimmy Cox, Ida Cox and others.

Ticket Price: $25 – $74

Website: PorchlightMusicTheatre.org

Terrell Armstrong+

MORE ABOUT BLUES IN THE NIGHT

The Blues in the Night cast includes Felicia P. Fields* ("The Lady from the Road”) in her Porchlight Mainstage debut;  Donica Lynn* ("The Woman of the World") last seen by Porchlight audiences in her Jeff-Award nominated role in Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies,  Clare Kennedy* ("The Girl with a Date”) a follow up to her performance in Porchlight’s New Faces Sing Broadway 1961;  Evan Tyrone Martin+ ("The Man in the Saloon) last seen in Porchlight’s Jeff Award-winning  Dreamgirls and Terrell Armstrong+ ("The Dancing Man”) last seen in Porchlight’s  A Chorus Line.

Blues in the Night’s production team includes: Kenny Ingram+, (director & choreographer); David Fiorello+, (music director);  Ariel M Dorsey*, (assistant choreographer) and Maulty Jewell IV+ (associate music director/conductor), Alden Vasquez+ (production stage manager); Ruben Echoles+ (costume and wig designer), Brandon Wardell+ (lighting designer), Eric Backus+ (sound designer), Angela Weber Miller* (scenic designer), Caitlin McCarthy* (properties designer), Matthew Chase+ (audio engineer), Rachel West* (lighting supervisor), Jennifer Aparicio* (production manager), Henry Wilkinson+ (technical director), Rashaad A. Bond+, (producing artistic associate); Alex Rhyan+, (production and operations director) and Michael Weber+, (artistic director).

Information about Porchlight Music Theatre’s COVID-19 Guidelines a its events may be found at: https://porchlightmusictheatre.org/visit/#covid-19-health-safety-guidelines.

ABOUT KENNY INGRAM +, director and choreographer

Kenny Ingram last directed and choreographed Triple Threat, a play that moves and sings starring James T. Lane ahh The Zeiders American Dream Theatre in Virginia Beach. He received the White Nights Film Festival Diploma for his direction and choreography for Chicago Performing Theatrical production of The Moment in Russia. Ingram directed and choreographed for Chicago Shakespeare’s first summer musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Navy Pier. He choreographed The New York Times Critics Pick re -mount of Emojiland, Off Broadway at The Duke on 42nd, and Till, The Musical based on the story of Emmett Till Off Broadway at Signature Theatre for the New York Musical Festival. Ingram won outstanding Choreography for his moves in Emojiland in 2018 at NYMF. Although he lives in Harlem, he is excited to return home to Chicago where he began his career at Lou Conte Dance Studio on Scholarship, taught jazz dance here at The Ruth Page Center and choreographed at many Chicago Legendary Theatre’s including Goodman, Steppenwolf, Court Theatre, Organic Theatre, Hasted Street Theatre and now to cap it off Porchlight. 

ABOUT DAVID FIORELLO+, music director

David Fiorello is a music director, performer, director, composer and arranger who’s no stranger to Porchlight. He has served as music director for Porchlight’s Gypsy, Porchlight Revisits Do Re Mi, Porchlight Revisits Woman of the Year, several seasons of the New Faces Sing Broadway series, as well as several Chicago Sings and ICONS GALA benefits. He also appeared onstage as Joe in Porchlight's mainstage production of Merrily We Roll Along. David currently serves as founder and artistic director of The Beautiful City Project, a theatre company committed to raising funds for local Chicago charities and nonprofits, using some of the city’s finest musical theatre talents. He’s music directed national and international tours, including John Doyle’s re-imagining of Sweeney Todd. He also served as music director for the Off-Broadway hit Danny & Sylvia: The Danny Kaye Musical. His orchestrations and arrangements have been heard across the nation, and on several albums. He’s taught and directed/music directed as part of the International Lyric Academy in Italy and is adjunct faculty at Columbia College Chicago. An in-demand vocal coach, Fiorello Studios has also provided unique cabaret programming featuring the music of The Indigo Girls, Jason Mraz, Kelly Clarkson, Eva Cassidy, Sara Bareilles and Colbie Caillat. 

Evan Tyrone Martin+ 

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE AS RUTH PAGE ARTIST IN-RESIDENCE

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to be a member of the vibrant Ruth Page Center for the Arts community and an In-Resident Organization. Central to the Ruth Page Center for the Arts’ programming is this program, which is designed to serve organizations looking for a home base while they grow or expand their artistic and organizational capabilities. The Center is committed to nurturing and assisting dance and other performing artists, allowing for exchange and collaborative relationships to develop within the artistic community. The Ruth Page Center for the Arts is a destination for quality performing arts, accessible to a wide community regardless of race, gender, age, education or disability. An incubator of artistic energy and excellence, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts carries forward the vision of its founder, legendary dance icon Ruth Page, to be a platform for developing great artists and connecting them with audiences and community.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre is the award-winning center for music theatre in Chicago. Through live performance, youth education and community outreach we impact thousands of lives each season, bringing the magic of musicals to our theatre home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast and to neighborhoods across the city. Porchlight has built a national reputation for boldly reimagining classic musicals, supporting new works and young performers, and showcasing Chicago’s most notable music theatre artists, all through the intimate and powerful theatrical lens of the “Chicago Style.” 

Now in its 27th season, Porchlight's quarter-century production history includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Porchlight’s commitment to the past, present and future of music theatre led the company to develop the Porchlight Revisits and New Faces Sing Broadway program series, both quickly becoming audience favorites. 

Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations, most notably the ongoing collaboration with Chicago Youth Centers. Porchlight annually awards dozens of full scholarships and hundreds of free tickets to ensure accessibility and real engagement with this uniquely American art form. 

The company’s many honors include 178 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 45 Jeff awards, as well as 33 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 12 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards, and was honored with eight nominations in both technical and artistic categories and won three awards in its inaugural year in this tier, most notably Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies. 

Through the global pandemic, Porchlight emerged as one of Chicago’s leaders in virtual programming, quickly launching a host of free offerings like Sondheim @ 90 Roundtables, Movie Musical Mondays, Porchlight by Request: Command Performances and WPMT: Classic Musicals from the Golden Age of Radio. For the 2020-2021 season, Porchlight’s fall schedule included all-new ticketed virtual programs including Broadway by the Decade, New Faces Sing Broadway 1987, Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway, New Faces Sing Broadway 1961 and the return of The Ruffians’ Burning Bluebeard as well as collaborations with Hershey Felder and L.A. Theatre Works. Porchlight recently launched its first summer performance schedule in 2021 that included a sold-out performance of New Faces Sing Broadway 1979 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, the premiere of its outdoor music series Broadway in your Backyard, performed throughout Chicagoland this summer and special appearances at Sundays on State and Navy Pier’s Chicago Live Again. 

Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre announces the cast for Blues in the Night, conceived by Sheldon Epps+, with the music of Bessie Smith, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Gordon Jenkins, Alberta Hunter and others., January 15, 2022 - February 27, 2022 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St. The first mainstage production of 2022 is directed and choreographed by Kenny Ingram+, music directed by David Fiorello+, assistant choreographed by Ariel M. Dorsey and associate music director and conductor Maulty Jewell IV+.  Blues in The Night’s previews are Saturday, Jan, 15 at 3 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 16  at 2 and 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 19  at 7 p.m. and Thursday, Jan. 20 at 1:30 p.m. with the press opening Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022 at 7 p.m. The regular run performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:00 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3:00 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. with  weekday matinees Thursday,  Jan. 27 and Feb. 3 at 1:30 p.m. Single tickets are $25 - $74 and subscriptions to the entire 2021 - 2022 season are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office, 773.777.9884. (Please note: complete performance schedule is available at the end of this release.) 

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from  Actors’ Equity Foundation; Allstate; Michael Best & Friedrich LLP; Chapman | Spingola, LLP; Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; Gen Ops Plus; Elegant Event Lighting; Glimpse Vision; James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation; Hearty Boys; A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation; The MacArthur Fund for Culture, Equity and the Arts at Prince; the Pritzker Traubert Foundation; Ryan and Spaeth, Inc.; Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation; The Saints and Dr. Scholl Foundation.

The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency, and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events. 

Porchlight Music Theatre wishes to thank members of the Matching Gift Corporate Program including Abbvie; Allstate; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Peoples Gas; Pepsico; Polk Bros Foundation and The Saints. 

From L.A. to Amsterdam to Berlin, a young musician chases youthful dreams and spiritual clarity against a shifting backdrop of locales and acquaintances as he rebels against his conservative upbringing. This hit rock musical, loaded with soulful lyrics and passion, debuted to critical acclaim on Broadway in 2008, winning both the Tony and Drama Desk Awards and went on to be a critically acclaimed motion picture filmed by Spike Lee+ in 2009. The New York Times said about its Broadway debut, “Call it a rock concert with a story to tell … Or call it a sprawling work of performance art … I’ll just call it wonderful.”

All performances take place at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts at 1016 N. Dearborn Street. 

Updated performance schedule:

CHICAGO THEATRE WEEK  FEBRUARY 17 - 27

Thursday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. 

Saturday, Feb. 26 at 3 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 27 at  2 p.m.

 

Thursday, March 3 at  7 p.m.

Friday, March 4 at  8 p.m.

Saturday, March 5 at 3 p.m. (Open Caption Performance)

Sunday, March 6 at  2 p.m.

 

Thursday, March 10 at 7p.m.

Friday, March 11 at 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 12 at 3 p.m. (Open Caption Performance)

Sunday, March 13 at 2 p.m.

 

Thursday, March 17 at 7p.m.

Friday, March 18 at 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 19 at 3 p.m. 

Sunday, March 20 at 2 p.m.

Ticket Price: $25 – 74

Website  PorchlightMusicTheatre.org

(L to R) Clare Kennedy* and Terrell Armstrong+ in BLUES IN THE NIGHT from Porchlight Music Theatre, Feb. 9 - March 20 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts. Photo by Anthony Robert La Penna