Review and Photo Feature: The Crane Wives at The Vic Theatre Chicago July 26, 2025

The Crane Wives

Beyond Beyond Beyond Album Release Tour

Closing Show at The Vic Theatre, Chicago 7/26/25 

Photo Credit for all: Dugan Kenaz-Mara for ChiIL Live Shows

GUEST REVIEW

By Dugan Kenaz-Mara

The Crane Wives, as always, put on a spectacular show for us at The Vic, closing out their Beyond Beyond Beyond Summer Tour 2025 with a sparkle. We’ve loved The Crane Wives and their music for years now, and seeing them in person again was such a treat. Last year, we reviewed their concert at Thalia Hall, and since then, they’ve brought us more of everything great they had to offer. They’ve upped the whimsy, showed us their care, and brought out many of the songs their fans have been waiting to hear live. 

Set List:

Scars

Arcturus Beaming

Never Love an Anchor

Allies or Enemies

Predator

Pretty Little Things

Take Me To War

Steady, Steady

The Moon Will Sing

The Hand That Feeds

Mad Dog

Queen of Nothing

Curses

Black Hole Fantasy

Tongues & Teeth

Encore:

Bitter Medicine

Sleeping Giants

One standout detail that set this performance apart from their previous show was the scenery. The stage was full of cutouts of trees, cattails, and forest creatures, setting a scene reminiscent of the cover of their 2015 album “Coyote Stories”. In a whimsically mysterious opening (that I didn’t catch photos of, working my way through the dense crowd before the performance) a masked individual went around placing lanterns across the stage. These lanterns illuminated the scenery and provided depth and ambiance to the stage environment. It felt like watching a scene in a play where everyone could be immersed in the story, rather than a band on a stage. The backdrop projection gave off enough light to silhouette the scenery nicely, and the shifting colors and images it displayed kept the stage from becoming dull whenever the musicians weren’t in motion. 

During a break between songs, one of the lead singers brought up the fact that they've been a band for 15 years and have been performing in Chicago for just as long. They were really appreciative towards their audience and you could feel the mutual love in the space. The crowd sang along to every word and was treated to a well-balanced mix of songs from the Crane Wives' newest album and old favorites from their previous albums. The band mentioned how happy they were to be able to break out their older songs for this tour, that they don't get the opportunity to play as much anymore. 

It’s also worth mentioning that although I don’t have any pictures, their opener Árný Margrét, an Icelandic soloist musician, is worth checking out. 

Truly, the most inspiring aspect of the concert was seeing the wonderful community the Crane Wives have cultivated. After the concert, I was able to talk to multiple friends who were there and all of them mentioned how lovely the community was and how everyone seemed to take care of each other. The musicians also took to social media after the show, reposting Instagram stories their fans had posted from the crowd. They definitely know how to make their supporters feel seen by fostering a sense of appreciation within their community. 

Gathered below are a few comments from friends who saw the show. They are lightly edited, but direct quotes:

"Immaculate vibes in the audience" -Kit M.

“I thought the crowd had a lovely community vibe. People taking care of each other, looking out for other people’s space, and being very in the moment together.” -Sam W. 

“I thought the concert was amazing, the vibe was awesome and the whole performance of the crane wives was high energy but still able to keep the calmness of some of the songs. The lights and projections were really cool and really well done. Also, it was really hard not to get a good view. It was just an amazing concert. 

The opener wasn’t really my vibe. She did awesome, and if she was my vibe, I would have loved her.” - Chase P.

“Funnily enough, I first listened to the crane wives through an online friend. They made a playlist for me that had “Metaphors” on it and I was like wait… this is so good?? I’ve always loved folksy acoustic music but I REALLY loved their sound. (Imagine my surprise the first show I saw them live that they had not one but TWO lead vocalists!) I just felt really seen by their lyrics. It made me want to keep pursuing music and songwriting late at night in my room with my guitar. :”-) 

They just have such an immersive discography and honestly I feel like I have a Crane Wives song for every single one of my own lil characters.” - Maja T

Dugan Kenaz-Mara is a designer, photographer, educator, and graduate of 

Northwestern University's theatre program.

Grand Rapids, MI-based indie rock band The Crane Wives (1.4m Spotify monthly listeners, 713.5k TikTok likes) are ready to charm live audiences once again, heading back out on the road this spring in support of their highly acclaimed new album Beyond Beyond Beyond, out everywhere now. 

Born of the 2010’s folk boom and now comfortably stationed in their rock and roll era, The Crane Wives epitomize the evolving landscape of indie folk. Their high-energy performances have been described as “charged with emotion and technical skill” (Blurred Culture), while their harmony-dense melodies support deeply resonant lyrics, exploring the vulnerable and the ugly sides of the human condition. The band has built a global community and has amassed over 1m Spotify monthly listeners and 100m total streams with their unparalleled, spirited live show, evocative lyricism and glimmering harmonies.

Featured by Michigan Radio and NPR’s “All Songs Considered," the band recently released their sixth full-length studio record, Beyond Beyond Beyond, to high praise, with Glasse Factory calling the album “a testament to the band’s ability to turn personal struggles into universally relatable anthems." 

Niner Times describes the new release as “angsty, haunting and gritty,” praising its departure from the more traditional folk sound of The Crane Wives’ previous records. Since its release in September 2024, Beyond Beyond Beyond has accrued over 7 million streams on Spotify.

The pulse of The Crane Wives is delivered by Ben Zito (bass) and Dan Rickabus (drums), creating a driving, dynamic backdrop while co-leads Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury establish expansive and gritty conversations between their electric guitars. A web of three-part harmony helps to soften the blow of their emotional candor, like a 21st century Cerberus, the hound of Hades reimagined as an emotional support animal.

The Crane Wives have 6 full-length albums under their belts and have performed over 600 shows across the US, sharing stages with acts such as The Avett Brothers, Lake Street Dive, Rusted Root, The Dead South, Joseph, and many more.

Follow The Crane Wives:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Spotify | YouTube

REVIEW: Goodman's World Premiere of BUST Is a Boom; Now Playing Through May 18, 2025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar 

World Premiere of 

BUST 

BY PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST ZORA HOWARD 

co-produced with Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre 

Now Playing Through May 18, 2025

(L-R) Renika Williams-Blutcher, Raymond Anthony Thomas, Ivan Cecil Walks, Caroline Clay, Bernard Gilbert and Victoria Omoregie. Credit HugoHentoff

REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Here at ChiIL Live Shows, we were so excited to catch opening night of the world premiere production of BUST at Goodman Theatre. In our current real life dystopia, black and brown people are increasingly unjustly arrested, attacked, and literally disappeared. This visually stunning show flips the script and makes disappearing a superpower, not a victimization, but at what cost to friends and family? Now that racism in the US no longer hides beneath a hood, BUST is more than timely. 

(L-R) Cecil Blutcher, Victoria Omoregie, Bernard Gilbert and Ivan Cecil Walks. Credit: JustinBarbin

It's not what you think: 

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word bust? Boobs... a takedown by the cops... a downturn in the economy? This BUST is a boom... a sudden increase. An increase in frequency or popularity. Without giving too many spoilers, this BUST is about busting past rage to a safe alternate reality. It's about busting open the very fabric of reality. It's a movement that starts as an accident and accelerates to intention, involving escalating numbers of people.

In an era where our government is actively trying to disappear DEI, black history, thought provoking social commentary, and the work of smart women, this laugh-out-loud new drama is an endangered species. We're thrilled to see a show with a plethora of juicy parts for black men and women who aren't just criminals, victims, period piece slaves, or dealing exclusively with racist trauma. This production is both written and directed by black women. The mere existence of BUST is subversive as hell, and we're here for it. 

(L-R) Raymond Anthony Thomas, Caroline Clay and Cecil Blutcher. Credit: JustinBarbin 

The heavy subject matter, focusing on the experiences of African Americans in the United States, includes themes of rage, police brutality, and institutionalized racism, but there's plenty of humor and playful fun to provide levity. They don't call it comic relief for nothin', and Zora Howard gets the balance right. Her characters and scenes are both comedic and suspenseful, providing both a hilarious, highly entertaining show, and a piece that will get under your skin and make you think.

(L-R) Mark Bedard and Jorge Luna. Credit: HugoHentoff

Howard is not only an award winning writer, director, and actor. This Harlem born and raised powerhouse is birthing a whole new genre of work she calls "Afrocurrentist". This new form of theater is both African American and relevant to contemporary issues. 

(L-R) Cecil Blutcher and Keith Randolph Smith. Credit:JustinBarbin

Special shout out to the excellent set design, sound design, and lighting. They made the time/space travel and new world building a wonder, and a delight to experience. This world premiere production had a pre-Goodman run with the same cast at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre, which may seem like it would be a simple transition to a new space. However, the stage dimensions, sight lines, and mechanics between the locations were quite different, so all those elements had to be reworked and changed for the Goodman run. Actors had to relearn new lighting cues, and the technical elements of the complicated visuals and set changes had to be redesigned. I'm still in awe of all the people on and off stage who collaborate and bring their own areas of creative expertise into play, in the service of storytelling. 

Proud mom moment: My son’s on run crew, helping make the magic happen, as he was for Goodman's Christmas Carol this past season. Kudos to the entire cast and crew for bringing this thought provoking piece to life, and to Lileana Blain-Cruz for expert directing. BUST is excellent storytelling, perfect for turbulent times. Don't miss this! Recommended. ★★★ Three out of four stars.

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).

**LILEANA BLAIN-CRUZ'S CAST FEATURES MARK BEDARD, CECIL BLUTCHER, CAROLINE CLAY, BERNARD GILBERT, CAITLIN HARGRAVES, JORGE LUNA, VICTORIA OMOREGIE, KEITH RANDOLPH SMITH, RAYMOND ANTHONY THOMAS, IVAN CECIL WALKS AND RENIKA WILLIAMS-BLUTCHER**

***THE WORLD-PREMIERE CO-PRODUCTION WITH ALLIANCE THEATRE IS PRODUCED IN ASSOCIATION WITH SONIA FRIEDMAN PRODUCTIONS, KHALIAH NEAL AND THOMAS SWAYNE*** 

Hell isn’t the only thing that breaks loose in BUST. A finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and co-produced with Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre and produced in association with Sonia Friedman Productions, Khaliah Neal and Thomas Swayne, the cast for the world-premiere production features Mark Bedard, Cecil Blutcher, Caroline Clay, Bernard Gilbert, Caitlin Hargraves, Jorge Luna, Victoria Omoregie, Keith Randolph Smith, Raymond Anthony Thomas, Ivan Cecil Walks and Renika Williams-Blutcher. 

JustinBarbin: (L-R) Cecil Blutcher and Ivan Cecil Walks

BUST appears April 19 – May 18 (opening night is April 28 at 7pm). Tickets ($25 - $85; subject to change) are available at GoodmanTheatre.org/Bust or by phone at 312.443.3800. Goodman Theatre is grateful for the support of Allstate (Major Corporate Sponsor), the BOLD Theater’s Women’s Leadership Circle, an initiative of the Helen Gurley Brown Foundation (BOLD Ventures Grant), Laurents/Hatcher Foundation (Theater Development Grant), WBEZ Chicago (Media Sponsor) and The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust (Lead Funder of IDEAA Programming).

“BUST is absolutely unlike anything I’ve ever seen on a stage before. In one sit-down at the theater, this thrilling new play ranges from high comedy to transcendent drama—beginning in ways that feel familiar and moving to whole new worlds. Zora Howard’s masterful writing is in gifted hands with Lileana Blain-Cruz, one of the most sought-after directors working today,” said Artistic Director Susan V. Booth.

In BUST, Retta and Reggie are enjoying their usual evening on the porch when a longtime neighbor is pulled over by the police just before turning into his driveway. Everything goes as expected—until the unexpected happens. Humor, suspense and surrealism converge in this gripping exploration of what it costs to be Black and free.

"At its core, BUST is a meditation on rage," said playwright Zora Howard. "It asks, 'What if Black people could use the rage that we carry, with which we are in such constant and intimate relationship, for our own constructive and collective gain?' It is an offering—an invitation for all of us to consider how we might harness our rage, what we can move with it.”

(L-R) Raymond Anthony Thomas and Caroline Clay. Credit: JustinBarbin

Added Director Lileana Blain-Cruz, “There’s a real invitation at the center of this play to experience something new, to be part of a radical act of imagination. In BUST, the audience has the opportunity to recognize themselves in these characters. We get to simultaneously live inside their humanity and the absurdity of what it means to be alive in the world today.” 

The BUST cast features Mark Bedard (TV/HBO Max: The Gilded Age) as Tomlin/Jack, Cecil Blutcher (TV/Paramount+: The Game, Signature Theatre Co.: The Hot Wing King) as Trent, Renika Williams-Blutcher (Starz: P-Valley) as Krystal, Caroline Stefanie Clay (Broadway: The Little Foxes and Doubt) as Retta, Bernard Gilbert (TV/Showtime: The Chi, Goodman Theatre: How to Catch Creation) as Zeke, Caitlin Hargraves (Alliance Theatre: A Christmas Carol, TV/HBO Max: Mi Casa) as Ms. Pinto, Jorge Luna (TV/Netflix: Zero Day) as Ramirez, Victoria Omoregie (Alliance Theatre: Fat Ham, The Huntington Theatre: John Proctor is the Villain) as Paige, Keith Randolph Smith (Film: Malcolm X, Alliance Theatre: God of Carnage, National Theatre, London: Jitney) as Mr. Woods, Ray Anthony Thomas (Film: American Fiction, The Harbinger and Pariah) as Reggie, and Ivan Cecil Walks (The Huntington Theatre: K-I-S-S-I-N-G) as Boobie. Understudies include Jodi Gage, Cory Hardin, Gabrielle Lott-Rogers, Vernon Mina, Patrick Newson, Jr., Joseph Primes and Jazzy Rush.

Zora Howard (Playwright) is a Harlem-bred writer and director. Plays include STEW (2021 Pulitzer Prize Finalist; P73 Productions), THE MASTER’S TOOLS (Wiener Festwochen; WTF), HANG TIME (The Flea), THE MOTIONS, and GOOD FAITH. Her work has been developed at Ojai Playwrights Conference, Stillwright, Mercury Store, and Cape Cod Theatre Project, among others. In 2020, her feature film Premature, which she co-wrote with director Rashaad Ernesto Green, opened in theaters following its world premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Howard is a Lilly Award and Helen Merrill Award recipient, a former MTC Judith Champion Fellow and Lark Van Lier New Voices Fellow and alumna of the P73 I-73 Writers Group. She is currently under commission from Seattle Rep and Chautauqua Theatre Company. zoramakes.com.

Lileana Blain-Cruz is a director from New York City and Miami. She is the recipient of the Drama League’s 2022 Founders Award for Excellence in Directing and is currently the resident director of Lincoln Center Theater. Blain-Cruz was named a 2021 Doris Duke Artist, a 2020 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist, and a 2018 United States Artists Fellow. Recent projects include: El Niño (Metropolitan Opera); The Skin of Our Teeth (Lincoln Center, Tony nomination); Stranger Love (LA Philharmonic); Flex (Lincoln Center, Audelco Award Nomination); Create Dangerously (Miami New Drama); White Girl in Danger (Vineyard / Second Stage); The Listeners (Opera Norway); Dreaming Zenzile (NYTW/National Black Theatre); Marys Seacole (LCT3, Obie Award); Wayne Shorter and esperanza spalding’s …(Iphigenia) (MASS MoCA, Arts Emerson, The Kennedy Center); Hansel and Gretel (a film for Houston Grand Opera); Afrofemononomy (PSNY); Anatomy of a Suicide (Atlantic Theater Company); Fefu and Her Friends (TFANA); Girls (Yale Rep.); Faust (Opera Omaha); Fabulation, Or the Reeducation of Undine (Signature Theatre); Thunderbodies and Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. (Soho Rep.); The House That Will Not Stand and Red Speedo (New York Theatre Workshop); Water by the Spoonful (Mark Taper Forum/CTG); Pipeline (Lincoln Center); The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World AKA The Negro Book of the Dead (Signature Theatre, Obie Award); Henry IV, Part One and Much Ado About Nothing (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); The Bluest Eye (The Guthrie); War (LCT3/Lincoln Center Theater and Yale Rep.); Salome (JACK); Hollow Roots (Under the Radar Festival at The Public Theater). Upcoming: Purple Rain. 

Full Company of BUST (in alphabetical order)

By Zora Howard

Directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz

Mark Bedard…Tomlin/Jack

Cecil Butcher…Trent

Caroline Clay…Retta

Bernard Gilbert…Zeke

Caitlin Hargraves…Ms. Pinto/Newscaster

Jorge Luna…Ramirez

Victoria Omoregie…Paige

Keith Randolph Smith…Mr. Woods

Raymond Anthony Thomas…Reggie

Ivan Cecil Walks…Boobie

Renika Williams-Blutcher…Krystal

Understudies for this production include Jodi Gage, Cory Hardin, Gabrielle Lott-Rogers, Vernon Mina, Patrick Newson, Jr., Joseph Primes and Jazzy Rush.

Creative Team

Associate Director…Malkia Stampley|

Set Designer…Matthew Saunders

Costume Designer…Dominique Fawn Hill

Lighting Designer…Yi Zhao

Associate Lighting Designer…Jonah Bobilin

Sound Designer…Mikaal Sulaiman

Ethnomusicologist…DJ Reborn

Special Effects Designer...Jeremy Chernick

Fight Choreographer...Rocio Mendez

Casting is by Jody Feldman, CSA and Lauren Port, CSA. shiku thuo is the Production Stage Manager.

ENHANCED AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES AT GOODMAN THEATRE

ASL-Interpreted Performance: Friday, May 9 at 7:30pm – Professional ASL interpreter signs the action/text as played.

Touch Tour* and Audio-Described Performance: Saturday, May 10, 12:30pm Touch Tour; 2pm performance – The action/text is audibly enhanced for patrons via headset.

Spanish-Subtitled Performance: Saturday, May 10 at 7:30pm – An LED sign presents Spanish-translated dialogue in sync with the performance.

Open-Captioned Performance: Sunday, May 11 at 2pm – An LED sign presents dialogue in sync with the performance.

Visit Goodmantheatre.org/Access for more information about Goodman Theatre’s accessibility efforts.

ABOUT ALLIANCE THEATRE

Founded in 1968, Alliance Theatre is the leading producing theater in the Southeast, reaching more than 165,000 patrons annually. The Alliance is led by Jennings Hertz Artistic Directors Tinashe Kajese-Bolden and Christopher Moses and Managing Director Mike Schleifer. The Alliance is a recipient of the Regional Theatre Tony Award® for sustained excellence in programming, education, and community engagement. In January 2019, the Alliance opened its new, state-of-the-art performance space, The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre. Known for its high artistic standards and national role in creating significant theatrical works, the Alliance has premiered more than 140 productions including eleven that have transferred to Broadway. The Alliance education department reaches more than 90,000 students annually through performances, classes, camps, and in-school initiatives designed to support teachers and enhance student learning. The Alliance Theatre values community, curiosity, collaboration, and excellence, and is dedicated to representing Atlanta's diverse community with the stories we tell, the artists, staff, and leadership we employ, and audiences we serve. www.alliancetheatre.org

ABOUT GOODMAN THEATRE

Chicago’s theater since 1925, Goodman Theatre is a not-for-profit arts and community organization in the heart of the Loop, distinguished by the excellence and scope of its artistic programming and community engagement. Led by Walter Artistic Director Susan V. Booth and Executive Director John Collins, the theater’s artistic priorities include new play development (more than 150 world or American premieres), large scale musical theater works and reimagined classics. Artists and productions have earned two Pulitzer Prizes, 22 Tony Awards and more than 160 Jeff Awards, among other accolades.

The Goodman is the first theater in the world to produce all 10 plays in August Wilson’s “American Century Cycle.” Its longtime annual holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, now in its fifth decade, has created a new generation of theatergoers in Chicago. The Goodman also frequently serves as a production and program partner with national and international companies and Chicago’s Off-Loop theaters.

Using the tools of theatrical practice, the Goodman’s Education and Engagement programs aim to develop generations of citizens who understand and empathize with cultures and stories of diverse voices. The Goodman’s Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement is the home of these programs, which are offered for Chicago youth—85% of whom come from underserved communities—schools and life-long learners.

Goodman Theatre was built on the unceded homelands of the Council of the Three Fires: the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi Nations. We recognize that many other Nations consider the area we now call Chicago as their traditional homeland—including the Myaamia, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac and Fox, Peoria, Kaskaskia, Wea, Kickapoo and Mascouten and remains home to many Native peoples today. The Goodman is proud to have a relationship with Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum. Located in Evanston, the Museum honors the survival and perseverance of Indigenous communities and promotes a greater understanding of Indigenous peoples: gichigamiin-museum.org.

Goodman Theatre was founded by William O. Goodman and his family in honor of their son Kenneth, an important figure in Chicago’s cultural renaissance in the early 1900s. The Goodman family’s legacy lives on through the continued work and dedication of Kenneth’s family, including Albert Ivar Goodman, who with his late mother, Edith-Marie Appleton, contributed the necessary funds for the creation on the new Goodman center in 2000.

Julie Danis is Chair of Goodman Theatre’s Board of Trustees, Lorrayne Weiss is Women’s Board President and Kelli Garcia is President of the Scenemakers Board for young professionals.

REVIEW: The Winters Tale Via Invictus Theatre Now Playing Through April 20, 2025 at Windy City Playhouse

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Invictus Theatre Company Presents

THE WINTER’S TALE

Playing March 11 – April 20 at Windy City Playhouse

Modern dress production to feature original music and choreography

GUEST REVIEW

By D'Arcy Mies

As a lover of Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale has always intrigued me. One of Shakespeare’s

last plays, it has many of the tried-and-true features we expect from The Bard’s work - there are

star-crossed lovers, mad kings, and plenty of bawdy fun. But Invictus Theatre’s new production

reminds us that it is always worth another viewing!

(L-R): Jennifer Agather, Robert Hunter Bry

(L-R): Fred A. Wellisch, Diego Rivera-Rodriguez

Time is a major theme in The Winter’s tale. This is reflected in the set itself, which mirrors a

clock, and the play starts with a New Years Party. This opening scene is immersive and feels

truly like you are a fly on the wall, especially as Leontes and his queen Hermione exchange a

tender moment! The seating arrangement in the theatre also contributes to the feeling that the

audience has been transported “out of time”.

(L-R): (Sam Nachison background), Sydney René Cox, Kyle Quinlivan, Carolyn Waldee

Although The Winter’s Tale is truly quite dramatic and intense, there are many cheerful and

humorous parts. The latter half of the play brings us to Bohemia, full of brightly colored

costumes, singing and dancing and a goodly amount of humor. The ensemble worked well

together, and the many physical bits well timed.. To me, the acting that stood out, and most

particularly moving were the performances of Queen Herminone (Andrea Uppling) and wise

Paulina (Amber Dow).

(L-R): Raúl Alonso, Andrea Uppling

(L-R): Carolyn Waldee, Sydney René Cox, Andrea Uppling, Michael Stejskal

D'Arcy Mies is a Montessori educator, theatre lover, and lifelong Chicagoan.

(L-R): Diego Rivera-Rodriguez, George Dougherty, Robert Hunter Bry

Invictus Theatre Company – who, with twelve 2024 Non-Equity Jeff Award nominations, earned more than any other company primarily producing non-musicals – has announced the cast and production team for its 2025 season-opening production of Shakespeare’s THE WINTER’S TALE. Artistic Director Charles Askenaizer will direct this full-scale modern dress interpretation featuring a cast of 16 and an original musical score by Jeff Award winner (and current nominee) Petter Wahlbäck performed by live vocalists and a five-piece instrumental ensemble. THE WINTER’S TALE will be presented at the company’s home at the Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. It will open to the press on Monday, March 17 at 7 p.m., following previews from March 11, and will play through April 20.

One of the Bard’s later plays, THE WINTER’S TALE has been termed by some critics as a comedy, and by others, a romance. In Sicily, King Leontes suspects his pregnant wife Hermione of infidelity with his best friend Polixenes, and when the child is born, has her banished from the kingdom. The baby girl is adopted by a shepherd, who names her Perdita. With the help of some magic, King Leontes’ suspicions are eventually proven to be groundless and the family is put back together. The first three acts of this story of jealousy are filled with intense psychological drama, while the last two acts are comical and supply a happy ending. Askenaizer says, “while the story begins as a fable of some rather dark emotions, it is ultimately hopeful, showing the healing power of time and the possibility for forgiveness and rebirth. Shakespeare acknowledges, though, that the good things one might hope for do not come easily or quickly, but come after some struggles and the passage of time.”

(L-R): Michael Stejskal

Askenaizer’s cast will be led by Michael Stejskal (David Lewis in GODS AND MONSTERS at Theatre Wit) as the jealous King Leontes. Andrea Uppling (Jeff-nominated for her Martha in Invictus’s WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?) will play Hermione. Completing the suspected love triangle as Polixenes will be Raúl Alonso (A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY with Blank Theatre Company). Florizel, the prince who becomes betrothed to Perdita, will be played by Robert Hunter Bry, who had the title role in City Lit Theatre’s THE VIRGINIAN, and has twice played Mr. Darcy in CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLY (for Buffalo Theatre Ensemble and St. Sebastian Players). Amber Dow (of Invictus’s THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH and Kokandy’s AMERICAN PSYCHO) will be Hermione’s devoted friend Paulina.

(L-R): Kyle Quinlivan, Sam Nachison

Also in the 16-person cast are Jennifer Agather (Perdita/Maximillus), Kim Pereira (Camillo), Fred A. Wellisch (Antigonus/Bohemian Ensemble/Musician), Carolyn Waldee (Emilia, Mopsa, Lord/Musician), Sam Nachison (Autolycus/Lord), Chuck Munro (Shepherd/Lord), Kyle Quinlivan (Clown/Lord/Musician/Archidamus), Sydney René Cox (Lady 3/Lord/Servant/Dorcas/Musician), George Dougherty (Ensemble/Officer/Lord/Time), Megan Erin Lai (Ensemble/Lady 2/Shepherdess (Musician), Diego Rivera-Rodriguez (Mariner/Lord/Bohemian Ensemble), and Jose Yantin Jr. (Ensemble/The Bear, U/S: Autolycus/Florizel).

(L-R): Kyle Quinlivan, Sam Nachison

Understudies are Adam Schulmerich (Leontes/Polixenes), Anne Trodden (Hermione/Paulina), Mary Margaret McCormack (Perdita/Emilia/Others), Whitney Minarik (Camillo, Hermione 2nd Cover), Arabella DeLucco (Clown/Paulina 2nd Cover), Rory Jobst (Shepherd/Antigonus), and Chase Wheaton-Werle (Leontes 2nd Cover).

Top row (l-r): Jennifer Agather, Raúl Alonso, Robert Hunter Bry, Sydney René Cox

Second row (l-r): George Dougherty, Amber Dow, Megan Erin Lai, Chuck Munro

Third row (l-r): Sam Nachison, Kim Pereira, Kyle Quinlivan, Diego Rivera-Rodriguez

Fourth row (l-r): Michael Stejskal, Andrea Uppling, Carolyn Waldee, Fred A. Wellisch

Fifth row (l-r): Arabella DeLucco, Rory Jobst, Mary Margaret McCormack, Whitney Minarik

Bottom row (l-r): Adam Schulmerich, Anne Trodden, Chase Wheaton-Werle, Jose Yantin Jr.

The production team includes Jeff Award winning scenic designer Kevin Rolfs, who scored two nominations in the recently announced 2024 Jeff Awards for his scenic design of Invictus’s TOPDOG/UNDERDOG and NETWORK. Rolfs previously won the award for his design of Invictus’s WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?. Another Jeff Award winner is sound designer and composer Petter Wahlbäck, a 2024 nominee for his sound design of Invictus’s THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH. Jessie Gowens, a Jeff nominee for her costume design of Invictus’s THE CRUCIBLE, is designing costumes for this production. The design team also includes Trey Brazeal (Lighting Designer), Randy Rozler (Properties Design), and Jay Donley (Fight/Intimacy Designer). Jen Cupani is Choreographer.

Completing the production team are Todd Henry Faulstich (Executive Producer), Stacy Scapino (Production Manager), Desiree Stypinski (Stage Manager), Beep Trefts (Assistant Stage Manager), Tom McNelis (Technical Director), Hannah Bolstad (Master Electrician), and Becca Holloway (Casting Director). MC Dougherty is Marketing Manager and Ana Schedler is Graphic Designer.

(L-R): Amber Dow

(L-R): Kyle Quinlivan, Chuck Munro

“In THE WINTER’S TALE, Leontes waits 16 years before finding his redemption and regeneration given at the hand of the one he most wronged.  Though the characters in this play must endure immense trials, the promise of regeneration and renewal—often through mystical, almost miraculous means—guides them toward brighter days ahead. THE WINTER’S TALE reminds us that, though the path may be long and fraught with difficulty; progress, redemption, and salvation await.” 

Invictus Theatre Company has been one of the most notable success stories among Chicago’s storefront theatres in spite of the challenges facing the theatre community in recent years. Founded in 2017, they were an itinerant company until the fall of 2021, when they established residency in the former Jackalope Frontier Theatre in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood, renaming it the Reginald Vaughn Theatre in honor of a deceased founding member. In that space, they continued to build a reputation for intimate and honest interpretations of classics with fidelity to the original texts and close attention to character development. The company’s extraordinarily successful 2021-22 season netted the company five Jeff Awards for its 13 nominations. When a fire gutted the Thorndale Avenue building housing the Reginald Vaughn Theatre in July 2023, the company was again homeless until early 2024, when they took up residence in the Windy City Playhouse on Irving Park Road. The company’s inaugural season in that space included highly regarded productions of TOPDOG/UNDERDOG, Chekhov’s THREE SISTERS, the Chicago premiere of NETWORK, and Shakespeare’s THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH. The company was recently honored with twelve 2024 Jeff Award nominations – the most of any company primarily producing non-musical plays.

TALKIN BROADWAY’s Christine Malcom said of TOPDOG/UNDERDOG, Invictus’s first production in the Windy City Playhouse, “In its new, much larger home at the Windy City Playhouse, Invictus Theatre Company loses none of the company's trademark intimacy or power…” The CHICAGO READER said of THREE SISTERS, “the performances are universally first-rate.“ Hugh Iglarsh of NEW CITY said Invictus’s NETWORK was a “smart, deeply felt, absorbing production.” Wesley David, writing for BUZZ CENTER STAGE, said THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH was “a potent, intense experience.” 

(L-R): Michael Stejskal, Kim Pereira

Ticket prices for THE WINTER’S TALE are $38.00 for regular performances Fridays through Sundays, $25.00 for previews and Monday evenings. Season Flex Passes are available in three options: eight admissions for $200.00, four admissions for $120.00, or four admissions on Monday nights for $80.00. Individual show tickets and Flex Passes are on sale now at www.invictustheatreco.com.

Performances Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays at 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m.Performances at Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. Closing: Sunday, April 20, 2025, at 1 p.m.

Ticket prices: Previews $25. Monday $25. Friday through Sunday $38. Season subscriptions available. www.invictustheatreco.com.

One of Shakespeare’s final plays, THE WINTER’S TALE is a romantic comedy with elements of tragedy. King Leontes of Sicilia falsely accuses his wife, Hermione, of infidelity with his best friend, the King of Bohemia. Inflamed by jealousy and convinced that he is right, Leontes’ torment causes a storm of loss that only the next generation can heal. Shakespeare’s THE WINTER’S TALE is a captivating parable of betrayals, renewed hope, and the transformative power of time.

DIRECTOR BIO

Charles Askenaizer (Artistic Director, Director) is the Founding Artistic Director of Invictus Theatre. He won the 2023 Jeff Award (Non-Equity Wing) for his direction of the company’s WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, which also won Jeff Awards for Production of a Play, Scenic Design (Kevin Rolfs), and Performer in a Supporting Role – Play (Rachel Livingston). Other recent Invictus directing credits include: NETWORK, THREE SISTERS, THE CRUCIBLE (Jeff Award Nominations-Director, Production), JULIUS CAESAR, HAMLET, 'NIGHT, MOTHER (Associate Director), THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, and OTHELLO: THE MOOR OF VENICE. Directing credits outside of Invictus include TITUS ANDRONICUS (Bare Knuckles Theater), JULIUS CAESAR (Associate Director- Brown Paper Box), THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA (Reutan Collective) and readings with Chicago Dramatists and Piccolo Theater. Since 2018, Charles has also directed several productions for Invictus's outreach programming in partnership with the Cook County Juvenile Justice System and Lawrence Hall.  In 2024, Charles was named one of New City Magazine’s “Players 50 2024: The Rising Stars and Storefront Stalwarts.”

ABOUT INVICTUS THEATRE COMPANY

At Invictus Theatre Company, our mission is to create theatre that promotes a better understanding of language: its poetry, its rhythm, its resonance; through diverse works by diverse artists. We respect the power of heightened language: spoken, written, sung; to express the breadth of the human condition. We work to harness the power of language: to promote diversity, to engender respect, to foster collaboration; and to empower our communities to share their voices.

Invictus Theatre Company incorporated in January 2017 and received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in February 2017. A diverse group of Chicago actors and directors founded Invictus with the vision to empower their communities through theatrical productions of heightened language. We are committed to the idea that our productions should reflect the communities we represent, and, to that end, we are committed to non-discriminatory hiring practices. In working with local artists, designers, and production teams, Invictus Theatre Company does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, nationality, citizenship, religion, or any other status protected by law.

Invictus Theatre Company is generously supported by Michael and Mona Heath of The Heath Fund, The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), Untouchable Times Tours, Inc., and the Illinois Arts Council. 

REVIEW: Porchlight Theatre's Tony-award winning Fun Home Now Playing Through March 2, 20252025

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Tony-Award Winning Pulitzer Prize-Nominated Musical

FUN HOME

NOW PLAYING THROUGH MARCH 2, 2025

AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

This Moving Story of Seeing One’s Parents Through Adult Eyes is Directed by Stephen Schellhardt and Music Directed by Heidi Joosten.

Members of the cast of FUN HOME from Porchlight Music Theatre, now playing through March 2 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. Credit for all Photos: Liz Lauren 

CONTENT ADVISORY: verbal abuse, depictions of homophobia and a death by suicide as well as allusions to sexual contact between an adult and teenagers.

The running time is 100 minutes with no intermission. 

REVIEW

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Family dynamics are complicated, especially when one or both parents are living a lie. Porchlight's Fun Home is 100 unforgettable minutes of love and loss, with a fabulously flawed family. 

Patrick Byrnes 

This production brings world class talent, a gorgeous set design, and a score that will send shivers up your spine. We adored the way the overarching home is constructed and compartmentalized into individual frames that light up and change by location. Brilliant design work. 

The children bring life and levity to the overarching serious themes of Fun Home, and it's a joy to experience their early years growing up in a family run funeral home. Small Alison and her brothers are all well cast.

(L to R) Tessa Mae Pundsack (SMALL ALISON), Eli Vander Griend and Austin Hartung

(L to R) Lincoln J. Skoien, Hayes McCracken, Meena Sood and Charlie Long 

*NOTE: Because there are two casts of the young actors. We have included both of the casts in the photos 

We love the construct of having three ages of Alisons as queer, female narrators. For opening night we saw Meena Sood in the role of small Alison and she was fantastic, as were Alanna Chavez (ALISON) and Z Mowry (MIDDLE ALISON).

(L to R) Meena Sood (SMALL ALISON), Alanna Chavez (ALISON) 

and Z Mowry (MIDDLE ALISON) 

We adore Porchlight Music Theatre's take on this Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-nominated musical. Fun Home has long been a favorite of ours here at ChiIL Live Shows, and I can attest, this dark yet tender, queer coming of age story is in capable hands with Porchlight. I've had the pleasure of reviewing the Broadway national tour in 2016, Victory Gardens' show in 2017, and Paramount's production in 2022. Porchlight Music Theatre left us impressed, with world class talent across the board.

There's plenty of humor and laughter in this family drama, and the serious, heartbreaking elements are handled with care. The entire cast is stellar, with particular kudos to Neala Barron (Helen Bechdel) whose "Days and Days" brought down the house. The rousing standing ovation at curtain call was well deserved by all. 

(L to R) Neala Barron and Z Mowry

Don't miss this! Highly recommended. ★★★★ Four out of four stars.

Bonnie is a Chicago based writer, theatre critic, photographer, artist, and Mama to 2 amazing adults. She owns two websites where she publishes frequently: ChiILLiveShows.com (adult) & ChiILMama.com (family friendly).

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to present the Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-nominated musical Fun Home, now playing through March 2, at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St. Fun Home, with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by Lisa Kron, is based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel and is directed for Porchlight Music Theatre by Stephen Schellhardt with music direction by Heidi Joosten. 

(L to R) Lincoln J. Skoien, Patrick Byrnes and Alanna Chavez 

The performance schedule is Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. with additional performances Thursday, Jan. 23 at 2 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 30 at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Post-show discussions are scheduled for Friday, Jan. 31, Thursday, Feb. 13 and Sunday, Feb. 23 with Open Caption performances Saturday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. The running time is 100 minutes with no intermission. Tickets are $20 - $85 and are on sale now at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. Group discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Contact Audience Services Director August Compton at August@PorchlightMusicTheatre.org for more information on group sales.

Alanna Chavez (ALISON) 

Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and a Pulitzer finalist, Fun Home is a refreshingly honest, emotional and revolutionary musical. Based on Alison Bechdel’s critically acclaimed graphic novel, Fun Home shares how Bechdel unlocks memories, milestones and mysteries of her youth as she begins to write her first graphic novel. With a compassionate score and a brilliant script, Fun Home tells the story of seeing your parents through grown-up eyes.

Tickets are $20 - $85 and are on sale now at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. Group discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Contact Audience Services Director August Compton at August@PorchlightMusicTheatre.org for more information on group sales.

 

(L to R) Patrick Byrnes and Meena Sood 

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

Tickets: $20 - $85

Website: PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/fun-home/

Thursday, Jan. 23 at 2p.m. 

Thursday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. - Porchlight Young Professionals Night 

Saturday, Jan. 25 at 3 p.m. 

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

Sunday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. 

 (L to R) Dakota Hughes and Z Mowry

Thursday, Jan. 30 at 2 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 30 at 7:30p.m. 

Friday, Jan 31 at 7:30 p.m. - Post-Show Discussion 

Saturday, Feb. 1 at 3 p.m. 

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

Sunday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m. 

Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. 

Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m.  

Saturday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. - Open Caption Performance

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

Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. 

(L to R) Meena Sood (SMALL ALISON) and Alanna Chavez (ALISON) 

Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. 

Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m.  - Post-Show Discussion 

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

Saturday, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. 

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

Sunday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. 

Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

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

Saturday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m.  - Open Caption Performance

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

Sunday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. - Post-Show Discussion 

Meena Sood in FUN HOME

Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m.

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

Saturday, March 1 at 3 p.m. 

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

Sunday, March 2 at 2 p.m. 

Show dates,  post-show discussions, etc. subject to change. 

Meena Sood and Patrick Byrnes

Tessa Mae Pundsack and Patrick Byrnes

The cast of Fun Home including two children’s casts, in alphabetical order, is Neala Barron (she/her, Helen); Liz Bollar (she/they, Helen U/S, Alison U/S); Patrick Byrnes (he/him, Bruce); Alanna Chavez (she/her, Alison); Eli Vander Griend (he/him, Christian); King Hang (he/him, Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby/Jeremy U/S); Austin Hartung (he/him, John); Josiah Haugen (he/him, Bruce U/S); Dakota Hughes (they/them, Joan, dance/intimacy captain); Charlie Long (he/him, Christian); Adelina Marinello (she/her, middle Alison U/S, Joan U/S); Hayes McCracken (he/him, John); Z Mowry (they/them, middle Alison); Tessa Pundsack (she/her, small Alison); Elin Joy Seiler (she/her, small Alison) and Lincoln J. Skoien (any with respect, Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby/Jeremy).

The Fun Home production team includes Stephen Schellhardt (he/him, director); Heidi Joosten (she/her, music director/conductor); Sheryl Williams (she/they, intimacy coordinator); Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (he/him, scenic designer); Marquecia Jordan (she/her, costume designer); Denise Karczewski (she/her, lighting designer); Matthew R. Chase (he/him, lighting designer); Drew Donnelly (he/him, production stage manager, AEA); Carli Shapiro (they/them, assistant stage manager); Olivia Leslie (she/her, assistant stage manager); John McTaggart (he/him, technical director); Danny Carraher (he/him, assistant technical director); Lydia Moss (she/her, scenic charge); Kayne Bowling (he/they, lead carpenter/spot 2); Mark Brown (he/him, deck chief); Bette Schneider (she/her, costume director); Rachel West (she/her, lighting designer); Riley Woods (they/them, assistant lighting supervisor/spot 1 ); Sam Anderson (they/she, lead electrician); Morgan Dudaryk (she/they, audio and video director); Joe Court (he/him, A1); Ali Westendorf (she/they, asst. costume director/wardrobe supervisor ); Amanda May (she/her, hair & makeup director/wardrobe swing); Clare McCullough (she/her, wardrobe assistant); Patrick McGuire (any with respect, properties director); Heather Gervasi (she/her, production manager); Michael Weber (he/him, artistic director); Majel Cuza (she/her, director of production) and Frankie Leo Bennett (he/him, producing artistic associate).

ABOUT JEANINE TESORI, MUSIC

Jeanine Tesori (she/her) has written a diverse catalog for Broadway, opera, film and television. Her Broadway musicals include: Fun Home (2015 Tony Award Winner, Pulitzer finalist); Violet; Caroline, or Change; Shrek the Musical; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Twelfth Night (LCT); John Guare’s A Free Man of Color. Delacorte: Mother Courage (starring Meryl Streep). She has received five Tony nominations, three Obie Awards and three Drama Desk Awards. The hallmarks of her work have been described as "close-to-the-surface emotion, structural rigor and rhythmic drive."

Her operas include: The Lion, the Unicorn and Me and Blizzard on Marblehead Neck (MET/LCT Opera/Theater and Glimmerglass Opera commission); her upcoming collaboration with Tazewell Thompson, Blue, was commissioned for Glimmerglass Opera company and will premiere there next season. She wrote the musical featured in the 2016 revival of “Gilmore Girls” and has also written special material for artists such as The Girl in 14G for Kristin Chenoweth and has been featured in the documentaries “Show Business” and “Theater of War.”

Jeanine Tesori became the founding artistic director of a new concert series at New York City Center called Encores! Off-Center, for which she has helmed seasons joined by artists such as Stephen Sondheim, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Randy Newman, William Finn, Alan Menken, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Sutton Foster and Jonathan Groff. After producing four seasons of Off-Center concerts, she took one of those concerts, Sunday in the Park with George (starring Jake Gyllenhaal) to Broadway where she produced the 2017 revival, with ATG and Riva Marker. She was the recording producer for Sunday as well as the Original Cast Recordings of Violet; Caroline, or Change; Shrek; Twelfth Night; etc.

A lecturer in music at Yale and on faculty at Columbia University, Tesori has spoken and taught at universities and programs all over the country. She is the founding creative director of the non-profit A BroaderWay, an arts empowerment program for young women. She was given the Einhorn Mentorship Award by Primary Stages for her exceptional work with young artists. Her daughter, Siena Rafter, is a sophomore at Brown University.

ABOUT LISA KRON, BOOK AND LYRICS

Lisa Kron (she/her) is a writer and performer whose work has been widely produced in New York, regionally and internationally. Her plays include Well, 2.5 Minute Ride and The Ver**zon Play. She wrote the book and lyrics for the musical Fun Home (with music by composer Jeanine Tesori), winner of five 2015 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Kron and Tesori were the first all-woman team to ever receive a Tony for best score.

As an actor, Kron was most recently seen as “Mrs. Mi-Tzu” and “Mrs. Yang” in the Foundry Theater’s acclaimed production of Good Person of Szechuan (Lortel Award, Outstanding Featured Actress). Honors include a Guggenheim fellowship, a Doris Duke Performing Artists Award and the Cal Arts/Alpert Award. She is a proud founding member of the OBIE- and Bessie-Award-winning collaborative theater company The Five Lesbian Brothers.

Kron currently serves as secretary of the Dramatists Guild Council and on the boards of the McDowell Colony and the Lilly Awards.

ABOUT STEPHEN SCHELLHARDT, DIRECTOR

Stephen Schellhardt is thrilled to be back at Porchlight and working with this beautiful company of artists. Stephen is a Jeff Award-winning director whose credits include The Play That Goes Wrong, The Wizard of Oz and Footloose (Barter Theatre), A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder (Porchlight - Jeff Nomination), Queer Eye: The Musical Parody (Second City), Big Fish (Jeff Award), Urinetown (Jeff Nomination), Dogfight (Jeff Nomination) at BoHo Theatre, Greater Tuna (Timberlake Playhouse), Songs for a New World (Rockford University) and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Northwestern University) Stephen is a proud graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama.

ABOUT HEIDI JOOSTEN, MUSIC DIRECTOR

Heidi Joosten is a Jeff-Award winning music director (Assassins, Theo, 2024), composer and performer who has music directed and conducted more than 150 productions across the country. National conducting/adaptation credits include Avatar: The Last Airbender, Barbie: Live in Concert at The Hollywood Bowl, Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse and Labyrinth in Concert. Other recent Chicago credits include Kokandy Productions (Alice by Heart, American Psycho), Drury Lane Theater (Grease), Chicago Shakespeare Theater (Beauty and the Beast) and The Second City (Don’t Quit Your Daydream). An avid performer, she has released two solo piano albums and continues to innovate in theatre and concert music internationally.

 Z Mowry

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, entering its 30th 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 nearly three decades includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres.

Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations. 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 50 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.

The 30th Anniversary Season is Sponsored By Elaine Cohen & Arlen Rubin and Brenda & Jim Grusecki.

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from Actors’ Equity Foundation; Allstate; Comcast/Xfinity; Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation; Free for All; Glimpse Vision; James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation; Hearty Boys; the Pritzker Traubert Foundation; Ryan and Spaeth, Inc.; Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation; The Saints; Dr. Scholl Foundation; Service Club of Chicago and The Shubert 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; BDO; Google; Jackson National Life Insurance; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation and The Saints. 

PORCHLIGHT UPCOMING EVENTS ...

NEW FACES SING BROADWAY NOW

Monday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

Evanston SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave.

Tickets: $45

Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario St.

Tickets: $75 (includes a pre-show wine and cheese reception at 6:30PM)

Directed by Producing Artistic Associate Frankie Leo Bennett

Music Directed by Carolyn Jean Brady

Hosted by Adrian Aguilar

The popular New Faces Sing Broadway series returns in Porchlight’s 30th Anniversary Season. Chicago’s up-and-coming talent join Broadway’s Adrian Aguilar for a 90-minute revue of the hottest shows on Broadway today including Hell’s Kitchen, The Notebook, Death Becomes Her, The Outsiders and others as well as trivia contests with prizes.

FUN HOME

January 16 – March 2, 2025

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

Music by Jeanine Tesori

Book and lyrics by Lisa Kron

Based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel

Directed by Stephen Schellhardt

Music Directed by Heidi Joosten

Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and a Pulitzer finalist, Fun Home is a refreshingly honest, emotional and revolutionary musical. Based on Alison Bechdel’s critically acclaimed graphic novel, Fun Home shares how Bechdel unlocks memories, milestones and mysteries of her youth as she begins to write her first graphic novel. With a compassionate score and a brilliant script, Fun Home tells the story of seeing your parents through grown-up eyes.

TITANIQUE

Chicago Premiere

Presented in association with Broadway In Chicago

March 25 – May 18, 2025

Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St.

Co-Written by Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue.

All aboard NYC’s must-sea musical comedy! When the music of Céline Dion makes sweet Canadian love with the eleven-time Oscar®-winning blockbuster film “Titanic,” you get Titanique, off-Broadway’s most award-winning splash hit, which turns one of the greatest love stories of all time into a hysterical musical fantasia. Want to find out what really happened to Jack and Rose on that fateful night? Just leave it to Céline Dion to enchant the audience with her totally wild take, recharting the course of Titanic’s beloved moments and characters with her iconic song catalog. Sailing on fierce powerhouse voices in show-stopping performances of such hits as “My Heart Will Go On,” “All By Myself” and “To Love You More” – backed by the unparalleled energy of a full live band – Titanique is a one-of-a-kind theatrical voyage bursting with nostalgia, heart and campy chaos.

CHICAGO SINGS 30 YEARS OF PORCHLIGHT

Monday, May 12, 2025

House of Blues Chicago, 329 N. Dearborn St.

Tickets: $75 – $175 

The spring fundraising concert fittingly concludes the season with an unforgettable night of live performances commemorating 30 years of Porchlight with performances by Chicago theatre luminaries, the presentation of the 2025 Guy Adkins Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Music Theatre in Chicago and more.

Please note: Performances, actors and dates are subject to change.