BoHo Theatre’s All-Trans and Gender Nonconforming Cast Presents TICK, TICK…BOOM! January 12 – February 5, 2023 at The Edge Theater

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

BoHo Theatre will close out its 2022/2023 season with 

TICK, TICK…BOOM!

‘Queer joy and success as revolution’

BoHo Theatre’s all-trans and gender nonconforming cast brings new depth to Jonathan Larson’s tick, tick . . . BOOM!

Tickets are $35 for general admission, $20 for seniors, military, and first responders, and 

$12 for transgender and gender non-conforming audience members, students, and educational professionals.

BoHo Theatre will close out its 2022/2023 season with TICK, TICK…BOOM!, with music, lyrics, and book by the late Jonathan Larson, and directed by Bo Frazier. This production marks the company’s first musical since BIG FISH in 2019, and the first under the leadership of BoHo’s new Artistic Director, Elizabeth Swanson. TICK, TICK…BOOM! was nominated for seven Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical, and received an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical. TICK, TICK…BOOM! was originally produced off-Broadway in June 2001 by Victoria Leacock, Robyn Goodman, Dede Harris, Lorie Cowen Levy, and Beth Smith. BoHo’s production will play January 12 – February 5, 2023 at The Edge Theater, 5451 N Broadway, Chicago. I'll be out for the press opening January 14th, so check back shortly for my full review.

 

THE PLAY 

Before RENT, there was TICK, TICK…BOOM!

Written by the late Jonathan Larson and directed by BoHo Artistic Associate Bo Frazier, TICK, TICK…BOOM! tells the autobiographical story of Jonathan, a struggling New York composer entering his 30s. The year is 1990, the AIDS crisis is escalating, and Jonathan is growing increasingly desperate to leave his dead-end job and write the next great American musical. Jonathan's girlfriend Susan and his best friend Michael announce major life changes, and Jonathan begins to wonder if the ticking clock is running out on his Broadway dreams. In BoHo Theatre’s groundbreaking production, Director Bo Frazier reimagines this gripping rock musical as a celebration of trans joy, love, and creativity.

“I am so incredibly excited to be creating this important production of Jonathan Larson's beloved musical with BoHo Theatre and this phenomenal cast of trans and gender non-conforming performers,” said director Bo Frazier. “Our production is inspired by grunge rock concerts as well as the queer and trans counterculture of downtown 1990's New York City. With the hundreds of anti-trans bills being introduced across the country, it is now more important than ever to normalize TGNC representation on stage and amplify trans joy.”

CAST

Alec Phan (he/they) as Jonathan

Crystal Claros (they/he/she) as Michael

Luke Halpern (they/he/she) as Susan

 

UNDERSTUDY CAST

Lizzie Mowry (they/them) (U/S Jonathan) 

Larry D. Trice II (they/them) (U/S Michael)

Nathe Rowbotham (they/them) (U/S Susan)

 

PRODUCTION TEAM 

Produced by Elizabeth Swanson (they/she) and Enrico Spada (he/him)

 

Direction by Bo Frazier (they/them), Music Direction by Harper Caruso (she/her), Choreography by Jamal Howard (he/him), Intimacy Choreography by Kirsten Baity (they/them), Scenic Design by Bek Lambrecht (they/them), Sound Design by Eric Backus (he/him), Lighting Design by Piper Kirchhofer (she/her), Costume Design by Liliana Otero (she/they), Properties Design by Noah Elman (he/him), Sound Engineering by Lynsy Folckomer (she/her), Production Management by Dalton Long (he/him), Technical Direction by Carl Herzog (he/him), Production Stage Management by Leah Geis (she/they), Assistant Stage Management by Rochelle Hovde (she/they), Casting by Catherine Miller (they/them), House Management by Patrick Starner (he/him), Covid Safety Management by Lauren Peters (she/her).

TICK, TICK…BOOM! is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI)

  

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Previews: Thursday, January 12 and Friday, January 13 at 7:30pm, Saturday, January 14 at 3pm

Press Opening / Opening Night: Saturday, January 14, at 7:30 pm **press invitation to follow

Performance run: January 14 – February 5, 2023

Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 pm, Saturdays at 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sundays at 3:00 pm. An additional Industry Night performance will be held Monday, January 30 at 7:30 pm.

BoHo Theatre will offer Open Caption performances on Saturday, January 21 and Saturday, January 28 at 3pm. The theater extends special thanks to CaptionPoint, Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium, and Kris Nesbitt for their generous assistance in the first year of our accessibility journey. 

TICKETS 

General Tickets on sale now at www.bohotheatre.com. Tickets are $35 for general admission, $20 for seniors, military, and first responders, and $12 for transgender and gender non-conforming audience members, students, and educational professionals.

BIOS

Jonathan Larson (he/him), (February 4, 1960 – January 25, 1996) was an American composer, lyricist and playwright who resided in New York. He is most known for writing the musicals RENT and TICK, TICK…BOOM!. Between 1983 and 1990, Larson wrote SUPERBIA, which was originally written as a re-telling of George Orwell's book 1984. But, the Orwell estate denied him the rights and ultimately SUPERBIA was not ever picked up to be fully produced. His next work, TICK, TICK…BOOM! in 1991 was first performed off-Broadway at the Village Gate and at the Second Stage Theater, then on the Upper West Side. Larson’s strongest musical influence Stephen Sondheim eventually came in contact with Larson, and later Sondheim would write letters of recommendation for Larson to various producers. Jonathan Larson won the Stephen Sondheim Award in 1989 from the American Music Theatre Festival. Larson passed away on January 25, 1996, the day of the first Off-Broadway preview performance of RENT. Later, Jonathan Larson received three posthumous Tony Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for RENT.

Stephen Oremus (he/him), is an American musician, musical director, and orchestrator. Oremus has composed music for many award-winning Broadway productions including, AVENUE Q, ALL SHOOK UP, WICKED, KINKY BOOTS, and THE BOOK OF MORMON. In 2011 he won a Tony Award for his orchestrations (with Larry Hochman) for THE BOOK OF MORMON. Oremus also won the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for KINKY BOOTS. Additionally, Oremus served as the conductor and contributing arranger for the Disney film FROZEN. Oremus graduated with a degree in Film Scoring from the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1992.

Bo Frazier (they/them) is a trans non-binary, queer, and neurodivergent theatre maker interested in traditionally excluded narratives told in extremely imaginative ways. Since moving to Chicago in 2021, they have worked with First Floor Theater, Sideshow Theatre, Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, BoHo Theatre, Filament Theatre, Mudlark Theatre, and was one of nine remaining full-time staff members fighting for Victory Gardens Theater to stay alive. Favorite directing and choreography projects include: BOTTICELLI IN THE FIRE by Jordan Tanahill, HIT THE WALL by Ike Holter, MEN ON BOATS by Jaclyn Backhaus, LOVE & INFORMATION by Caryl Churchill, THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME by Simon Stephens, BRIGHT STAR, as well as new play productions by Dakota Parobek, C. Meaker, Leigh M. Marshall, and KT Peterson.  Previously based in NYC and London, Bo has worked with companies such as The National Theatre (UK), Birmingham Rep (UK), Greenwich Theatre (UK), Signature Theatre (NYC), Dixon Place (NYC), Rutgers University (NJ), Theatre167 (NYC), Heartbeat Opera (NYC), Indiana Repertory Theatre (IN), and London Theatre Workshop (UK), which they co-founded. As a performer, Bo actually played Michael in a production of TICK, TICK…BOOM! while living in the UK, as well as appearing as John Hinckley in the 2012 London Revival of ASSASSINS. TRAINING: MFA - University of Iowa, MA - Royal Birmingham UK Conservatoire, BA - Millikin University. www.bofrazier.com

BoHo Theatre tells stories examining and celebrating human relationships — focusing on the Bohemian pillars of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Love — using bold, intimate theatrical stagings. Our vision is to create a shared community of artists and patrons in which all members are moved through art to make thoughtful, well-examined, caring relationships the highest priority in their lives.

REVIEW: Steppenwolf Theatre Company's World Premiere of Bald Sisters Now Extended Through January 21, 2023

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Steppenwolf Theatre Company extends its world premiere of

Bald Sisters

Francesca Fernandez McKenzie and Jennifer Lim

Photo Credit for all: Michael Brosilow

By Vichet Chum

Directed by Jesca Prudencio

  ADDED WEEK OF PERFORMANCES!

Now Playing Through January 21, 2023 in Steppenwolf’s new in-the-round Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell

Francesca Fernandez McKenzie and Wai Ching Ho 

REVIEW:

By Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Bald Sisters is poignant, powerful, must-see theatre. This wonderful world premiere is both universal enough to be easily relatable and deeply personal, steeped with Cambodian heritage. There's abundant humor and plenty of quirky human nature moments to make this production enjoyable, despite the serious tone of the subject matter which covers maternal death, past trauma, refugee life, infidelity, cancer treatments, stillbirth, and complicated multicultural family dynamics.  

Wai Ching Ho and Jennifer Lim 

Jennifer Lim and Francesca Fernandez McKenzie 

It's a joy to see Vichet Chum's multilayered writing come to life on stage in the capable hands of this stellar cast. Wai Ching Ho steals the show before and after her death, as the cute, feisty, Asian matriarch. The sisters' dynamic is also a joy to see as well, as they navigate funeral arrangements, different religions or lack thereof, and conflicting ideas of what their mother's unwritten wishes actually were. It's glorious to see so many strong, opinionated women take the lead in this storyline.

We enjoyed the creative set design and staging in Steppenwolf's new theatre in the round space, well suited for this style of intimate storytelling. It's heartening to see more refugee experiences and first generation immigrant stories on stage. Excellent ensemble work all around. Highly recommended. ★★★★ Four out of four stars. 

Wai Ching Ho and Francesca Fernandez McKenzie

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

Francesca Fernandez McKenzie and Jennifer Lim 

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the nation’s premier ensemble theater company, is pleased to announce an added week of performances for its world premiere of Vichet Chum’s Bald Sisters, now extended through January 21, 2023 in Steppenwolf’s stunning new in-the-round Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell, the centerpiece of its recently unveiled Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center, 1650 N. Halsted St. in Chicago.

Directed by Jesca Prudencio, this brazen, comic examination of the ties that bind multigenerational families of immigrants together features Francesca Fernandez McKenzie, Coburn Goss, Wai Ching Ho, Jennifer Lim and Nima Rakhshanifar.

Single tickets ($20 - $84) for all Bald Sisters performances are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at 312-335-1650.

Ma is dead; now what happens? Vichet Chum’s world premiere follows two sisters – at odds since birth – as they settle the affairs of their strong-willed, wise-cracking mother while reconciling their family’s Cambodian heritage with its ever-so-complicated American present. Where’s the will? A burial or cremation? And what happens with Ma’s teeth? Bald Sisters is an irreverent, comic and ultimately poignant examination of the ties that bind multigenerational families of immigrants together: history, spirituality and humor. 

 

Production Information

Ticket information: Single tickets ($20 - $84) for all performances are now on sale at steppenwolf.org and the Box Office at (312) 335-1650. Steppenwolf 2022-23 Flex Memberships are also currently available: Black Card Memberships with six tickets for use any time for any production and Red Card Memberships for theatergoers under 30.  

The production team includes Andrew Boyce (Scenic Design), Izumi Inaba (Costume Design), Stacey Derosier (Lighting Design), Pornchanok Kanchanabanca (Sound Design & Original Music), Mike Tutaj (Projection Design), Gigi Buffington (Company Voice & Text Coach), Tom Pearl (Producing Director), JC Clementz, CSA (Casting Director), Laura D. Glenn (Production Stage Manager) and Jaclynn Joslin (Assistant Stage Manager). 

Artistic Biographies

Francesca Fernandez McKenzie (Sophea) Steppenwolf Theatre Company debut. Off-Broadway: ...what the end will be (u/s Roundabout Theatre Company), Gloria: A Life (Daryl Roth Theatre); Kenny's Tavern (59E59); Sorry Not Sorry (Ars Nova ANTFEST); Love: Medea (Center at Park West). Regional: Twelfth Night (KC Rep); Good Person of Szechwan (CalShakes); Nanay (Magic Theatre); SYZRGY (Two Rivers Theatre); Lily's Revenge (Southern Rep); Sheddin' (Horizon Theatre); Hotel Plays (Provincetown Players); and more. Film: Mooshrooms, Arcadia, Facetime, The Hardest Part. Television: Blue Bloods, Locker Room Series, PBS’ Great Performances recording of Gloria: A Life. Education: Yale MFA Acting. @cheskamckenzie francescafm.com

Jennifer Lim and Coburn Goss 

Coburn Goss (Nate) Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Fake, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, The Royal Family, The Burials, Absolution. Off Broadway: When the Messenger Is Hot. Chicago: The Crowd You’re In With, Vigils (Goodman Theatre); The Diary of Anne Frank, Seagull (Writers Theatre); Freud’s Last Session (CRC/Mercury Theatre); Chimerica (Timeline Theatre). Regional: The Crucible (Asolo Repertory Theatre); The Last True Believer (Seattle Repertory Theatre). Film: Widows, Man of Steel, Batman v. Superman, The Lucky Ones, Once Upon a River, What Women Want. Television: The Red Line, neXt, Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, The Mob Doctor, Boss, Empire, Chicago Code, E/R, Prison Break. He co-wrote and produced the upcoming film All Happy Families.

Wai Ching Ho and Francesca Fernandez McKenzie

Wai Ching Ho (Ma) Steppenwolf Theatre Company debut. Chicago: Night Watch (Goodman Theatre), Off Broadway: Snow In Midsummer (Classic Stage Company); Endlings (New York Theatre Workshop); Henry VI, Ah, Wilderness (NAATCO); No Foreigners Beyond This Point, The Square (Ma-Yi Theater Company); Joy Luck Club, Carry The Tiger To The Mountain, Legacy Codes, A Song For A Nisei Fisherman (Pan Asian Rep). Regional: A.R.T., Long Wharf Theatre, Denver Center Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Palo Theatre Works. Film: Turning Red, Hustlers, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Robot Stories. Television: Daredevil, Iron Fist, The Defenders, Awkwafina is Nora From Queens, New Amsterdam, Fresh Off the Boat, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order SVU.

Coburn Goss and Jennifer Lim

Jennifer Lim (Him) Steppenwolf Theatre Company debut. Chicago: Chinglish (Jeff Award Nomination – Best Actress, Chicago Theater Critic’s Beat Nomination - Best Actress), The World of Extreme Happiness (Goodman Theatre). Broadway: Chinglish (Theater World Award – Outstanding Broadway Debut, IASNY Trophy for Excellence, Drama Desk Nom –  Outstanding Actress). Off Broadway: Fefu & Her Friends (TFANA); Usual Girls (Roundabout Theatre Company); Caught (PlayCo); Tumacho (Clubbed Thumb); The World of Extreme Happiness (Manhattan Theatre Club); The Urban Retreat (Public Theater); Golden Child (Signature Theatre Company). Television/Film: New Amsterdam, Prodigal Son, Jessica Jones, Instinct, High Maintenance, Hell on Wheels, POI, Elementary, The Good Wife, A Naked Singularity, The Savages, The Stand-In, 27 Dresses. Education: Yale School of Drama. Jenniferlimonline.com

Francesca Fernandez McKenzie and Nima Rakhshanifar

Nima Rakhshanifar (Seth) Steppenwolf Theatre Company debut. Chicago: ShortShakes! Comedy of Errors (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Waiting for Godot (Victory Gardens Theater); Cat in the Hat (Northbrook Theater). Regional: Andy Warhol in Iran (Barrington Stage Company); A Christmas Carol, Junk, Guards at the Taj (u/s), Christmas at Pemberley (u/s) (Milwaukee Repertory Theater); Hotter than Egypt (u/s) (ACT Seattle); The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Freaky Friday (PCPA). Upcoming: Sanctuary City (TheatreSquared). Education: PCPA - Pacific Conservatory Theatre. nimarakhshanifar.com

Vichet Chum (Playwright) is a Cambodian American playwright, actor and novelist living in NYC. Bald Sisters is his first time working at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, though he vividly remembers seeing The Pillowman directed by Amy Morton on a college theatre trip many moons ago. He cannot actually believe his lucky stars. He is the recipient of the Princess Grace Award, an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award and the Laurents/Hatcher Award. He currently serves as a board member for the New Harmony Project, a curator for Space on Ryder Farm and a steering committee member for the Asian American Performers Action Coalition. Play groups (current and past) include Ars Nova, Page 73 and Space on Ryder Farm. He is presently working on commissions for Audible, Steppenwolf Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Merrimack Repertory Theatre and Seattle Children’s Theatre. Chum is a proud graduate of the University of Evansville and Brown University/Trinity Repertory Company. vichetchum.com 

Jesca Prudencio (Director) is a director and choreographer dedicated to developing new theatrical works that humanize issues nationally and internationally. Upcoming: Dot Dot Dot (TheatreWorks USA), Exotic Deadly; or the MSG Play (The Old Globe). Recent: King Liz (Geffen Playhouse), Can We Now? (La Jolla Playhouse WoW Fest), It’s a Ship Show! (Virgin Voyages), Interstate (Mixed Blood, East West Players). Other credits: The Great Leap by Lauren Yee (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), Vietgone, Actually (San Diego Rep); Calling (La MaMa ETC); Man of God (East West Players); A&Q (Pineapple Lab, Philippines); FAN (B-Floor, Thailand). Jesca has developed new work at MCC Theater, Atlantic Theater Company, Cleveland Playhouse, Arena Stage, NAMT and La MaMa. She is a recipient of The Drama League Fellowship and the inaugural Julie Taymor World Theater Fellowship. Jesca is head of directing at SDSU where she is an Associate Professor. BFA: NYU Tisch, MFA: UC San Diego. Jescaprudencio.com

 

The Expanded Steppenwolf Campus

Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s trailblazing new 50,000 square foot theater building and education center, the Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center, was designed by world-renowned architect Gordon Gill FAIA of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, with construction by Norcon. The centerpiece of the new Arts and Education Center is the new 400-seat in-the-round Ensemble Theater in Honor of Helen Zell—one of its kind in Chicago—with theater design and acoustics by Charcoalblue.

The expanded Steppenwolf campus is a cultural nexus for Chicago, offering bold and ambitious opportunities for creative expression, social exchange, unparalleled accessibility, and arts-driven learning for Chicago youth in The Loft, Steppenwolf’s first-ever dedicated education space. The campus expansion also features bright new lobbies and two new full-service bars for socializing designed by fc STUDIO, inc. The $54 million new building is part of Steppenwolf’s multi-phase $73 million Building on Excellence expansion campaign. Learn more about Steppenwolf’s campus expansion at steppenwolf.org/buildingonexcellence.

 

A Safe Return

As the Chicago theatre community continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, Steppenwolf Theatre remains committed to the safety of its patrons and staff. For the most up-to-date information on our venue’s COVID precautions, please visit steppenwolf.org/welcomeback.

 

Accessibility

Steppenwolf offers accessible services to ensure all audience members have access to our work, including American Sign Language interpretation, Spanish Language captions, wheelchair accessible seating and more. With questions, email access@steppenwolf.org.

Bald Sisters is generously supported in part by the Laurents/Hatcher Foundation and is the recipient of the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award. United Airlines is the Official and Exclusive Airline of Steppenwolf. Steppenwolf is also grateful for the significant season support from Northern Trust, Allstate Insurance Company, Amazon, ComEd, Conagra Brands Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, PNC and Vinci Restaurant. Steppenwolf also acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. This project is partially supported by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Chicago theater that is home to America’s ensemble. The company began performing in the mid-1970s in the basement of a Highland Park, IL church—today Steppenwolf is the nation’s premier ensemble theater with 49 members who are among the top actors, playwrights and directors in the field. Deeply rooted in its ensemble ethos, the company is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and making the Steppenwolf experience accessible to all. Groundbreaking productions from Balm in Gilead and August: Osage County to Downstate and Pass Over—and accolades that include the National Medal of Arts and 12 Tony® Awards—have made the theatre legendary. Artistic programming includes a main stage season; a Steppenwolf for Young Adults season; LookOut, a multi-genre performance series; and the Steppenwolf NOW virtual stage. The nationally recognized work of Steppenwolf Education engages more than 20,000 participants annually in Chicagoland communities promoting compassion, encouraging curiosity and inspiring action. While firmly grounded in the Chicago community, more than 40 original Steppenwolf productions have enjoyed success nationally and internationally, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, London, Sydney, Galway and Dublin. 2021 marked the opening of Steppenwolf’s landmark Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts & Education Center—deepening the company’s commitment to Chicagoland teens and serving as a cultural nexus for Chicago. Glenn Davis and Audrey Francis are the Artistic Directors and E. Brooke Flanagan is Executive Director. Keating Crown is Chair of Steppenwolf’s Board of Trustees.

Steppenwolf’s Mission: Steppenwolf strives to create thrilling, courageous and provocative art in a thoughtful and inclusive environment. We succeed when we disrupt your routine with experiences that spark curiosity, empathy and joy. 

We invite you to join our ensemble as we navigate, together, our complex world. steppenwolf.org, facebook.com/steppenwolftheatre, twitter.com/steppenwolfthtr and instagram.com/steppenwolfthtr.        

 

THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE KELLY GIRLS VIA THE FACTORY THEATER FEBRUARY 17 - APRIL 1, 2023

 THE FACTORY THEATER ANNOUNCES CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 

THE KELLY GIRLS 

FEBRUARY 17 - APRIL 1, 2023

WRITTEN BY SHANNON O’NEILL AND 

DIRECTED BY SPENSER DAVIS

The Factory Theater’s 28th Season Continues with the Story of Political Upheaval in 1960s Ireland. Debuting at its Rogers Park home and Includes a Launch Party, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023 from 6 - 9 p.m.

The Factory Theater, 1623 W. Howard St., is proud to announce the cast and creative team for the second production in its 28th season, the world premiere of The Kelly Girls, February 17 - April 1, 2023 written by Shannon O’Neill and directed by Spenser Davis. 

The new season continues with The Kelly Girls Launch Party, Thursday, Jan. 19 from 6 - 9 p.m. at Chief O’Neill’s, 3471 N Elston Ave., and includes entertainment, raffles, and the opportunity for special ticket purchases. 

Previews for The Kelly Girls are Friday, Feb. 17, Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. The press opening is Friday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. and the performance schedule is Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. plus two Thursday performances March 23 at 8 p.m. and March 30 at 8 p.m. Tickets for The Kelly Girls are $25 and may be purchased through the box office by calling 312-275-5757 or by visiting TheFactoryTheater.com.

In 1960s Belfast, conflicts between various political factions threaten to tear Northern Ireland apart from the inside, sisters Fianna and Regan Kelly feel compelled to engage in the fight for their homeland. But when they join the ranks of the Provisional IRA and find themselves committing acts of brutal terrorism and guerrilla warfare, both young women are forced to question how much they’re willing to destroy in the name of unity. Playwright Shannon O’Neill follows up her critically acclaimed “May the Road Rise Up” with this story of political upheaval and taking a stand.

The Kelly Girls cast includes Amber Washington*✝ (Fianna Kelly), Brittney Brown*~ (Regan Kelly), Anne Smith*^ (Dierdre Kelly), Patrick Blashill+ (Hugh Feeney ), Ben Veatch+✝ (Shane Kelly), Mandy Walsh** (Aiofe Connolly), Rob Koon+ (Gerry Adams), Joshua Servantez+ (Denny), Vic Kuligoski+✝ (Oscar), Elliot Sagay+ (Brendan Hughes), Dani Pike* (Fiana U/S), Katy Campbell* (Regan U/S), Ann James* (Dierdre Kelly U/S), Travis Barnhart+ (Hugh/Shane Kelly U/S), Chase Wheaton-Werle+~ (Brandon U/S), Jill Iverson* (Aiofe Connolly U/S) and Jerome R. Marzullo+ (Gerry Adams U/S), Collan Simmons+ (Denny/Oscar U/S).

The Kelly Girls production team includes Shannon O’Neill~ (playwright), Spenser Davis~ (director), Janyce Caraballo (assistant director), Shelby Burgus✝ (stage manager), Becca Halloway~ (production manager), Manuel Ortiz✝ (set design), C.W. Van Baale~ (master electrician), Ben Carne (lighting designer), Rachel Lambert (costume design), Hannah Foerschler (sound designer), Lauren Grace Thompson (dialect coach), Jennifer Mickelson (intimacy designer) and Chris Smith (fight choreographer).

~ denotes Factory Ensemble

✝ denotes Factory Artistic Associate

**Denotes Factory Theater Ensemble Emeritus

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

ABOUT THE FACTORY THEATER

For more than 25 years, the Factory has created its shows from scratch, doing exactly the kind of theater they wanted to do. From writing workshops to the closing night bash, Factory shows are a unique experience that fits its exacting standards: original, bold, and full-tilt. Its shameless ensemble are ambassadors of a good time, making certain that Chicago remains heartily entertained.

The Factory Theater,1623 W. Howard St., is proud to announce the cast and creative team for the second production in its 28th season, the world premiere of The Kelly Girls, February 17 - April 1, 2023 written by Shannon O’Neill and directed by Spenser Davis. The new season continues with The Kelly Girls Launch Party, Thursday, Jan. 19 from 6 - 9 p.m. at Chief O’Neill’s, 3471 N Elston Ave., and includes entertainment, raffles, and the opportunity for special ticket purchases. Previews for The Kelly Girls are Friday, Feb. 17 and Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. and  Sunday, Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. The Press Opening is Friday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. and the performance schedule is Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. plus two Thursday performances March 23 at 8 p.m. and March 30 at 8 p.m. Tickets for The Kelly Girls are $25 and may be purchased through the Box Office by calling 312-275-5757 or by visiting TheFactoryTheater.com.

OPENING: ALMOST, MAINE Via Oil Lamp Theater January 19 - February 26, 2023

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

ALMOST, MAINE

Written by John Cariani

Directed by Susan Gorman

PLOT: Welcome to Almost, a quaint sort of place located in northern Maine. The town is called Almost because the residents never really got around to organizing.  One cold night, as the northern lights are set to appear, many of the residents, embodied by only four actors, fall in and out of love in the most charming, hilarious, and delightful of ways. Join us, as we journey to a place that may feel like the ends of the earth, but really can be found right in your own backyard.

CAST:

Eileen Dixon as Glory/Sandrine/Gayle/Deena/Rhonda

Whitney Minarik as Ginette/Waitress/Marvalyn/Shelly/Marci/Hope

Rio Ragazzone as Pete/Jimmy/Chad/Phil/Dave

Zach Kunde as East/Steve/Lendall/Randy/Man

Dana Pepowski as Glory/Sandrine/Gayle/Deena/Rhonda (U/S)

Daniel Vaughn Manasia as Pete/Jimmy/Chad/Phil/Dave (U/S)

Andrew Kleopfer as East/Steve/Lendall/Randy/Man (U/S)

CREATIVE TEAM:

Director: Susan Gorman

Stage Manager: Reina McGonigle

Costume Designer: Janelle L. Smith

Lighting Designer: Hannah Wein

Scenic & Props Designer: Brian Seckfort

Sound Designer: Jay Pastucha

DATES:

January 19 - February 26

SHOWTIMES:

Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 7:30pm

Saturday, Sunday: 3:00pm

PRICE:

$20 student | $30 - Previews January 19, 20, 21 (3pm)

$28 student | $45 adults - Run January 21 (7:30pm) - February 26

Click here for tickets and more information

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:

A resident of Glenview, Susan Gorman's musical, choreography and non-musical credits span regional and educational theatre venues from Los Angeles, to Chicago and New York. Favorite non-musical productions include All My Sons, Heaven Can Wait, The Taming of the Shrew, The Children’s Hour and Tartuffe. In 2019, Susan directed the Illinois All-State Production of In The Heights and received the Broadway in Chicago IHSMTA for Best Direction for Crazy For You.

Susan Gorman: "I love this piece because there is a timeless nature to the writing. Almost, Maine is a layered, nuanced look into relationships and second chances. It never ceases to surprise me that the author, John Cariani, has interwoven in depth characters who never appear together in the play, yet have a unique and strong sense of community. Within nine small vignettes, the author has created full circle stories allowing the characters to have that 'ah-ha! lightbulb' moment, punctuated by the magnificence of the northern lights. I would like the audience to realize that whether a relationship is beginning, ending or evolving that the outcomes can potentially be positive."

About Oil Lamp Theater

More than Theater, It’s an Experience!

Oil Lamp Theater was originally founded in February 2005 where 20 productions were performed for up to 35 friends and guests in a unique venue, the founder’s condo. In March 2012, Oil Lamp Theater became a non-profit and established residence at another unique and intimate venue in downtown Glenview. Our venue now seats 60, providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere for over 10,000 patrons per year to enjoy professional theater and entertainment. Between our famed complimentary cookies, delicious drinks at our bar, and top-tier productions, we know you’ll enjoy your experience at our “hidden gem” of the North Shore.

 

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 Announces the Cast of NEW FACES SING BROADWAY 1951, Jan 23 and 24th, 2023

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE ANNOUNCES THE CAST OF NEW FACES FOR THE RETURN OF ITS POPULAR NEW FACES SING BROADWAY SERIES WITH 

NEW FACES SING BROADWAY 1951

FEATURING HOST MULTI-AWARD WINNER AND BROADWAY VETERAN DAVID GIROLMO, JANUARY 23 AT EVANSTON SPACE AND JANUARY 24 AT THE ARTS CLUB OF CHICAGO 

Porchlight Music Theatre announces the cast of New Faces for its latest offering in its 2022 - 2023 season, New Faces Sing Broadway 1951, hosted by multi-award winner and Broadway veteran David Girolmo+, directed by David Fiorello+ with music direction and arrangements by Dr. Michael McBride+. New Faces Sing Broadway 1951 takes place Monday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Evanston SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave. in Evanston and Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario St. Single tickets to the performance at Evanston SPACE are $37 and at The Arts Club are $70. The Arts Club performance includes a pre-performance cocktail hour including appetizers, wine and soft drinks starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office, 773.777.9884.

Now in its eighth season, Porchlight Music Theatre’s New Faces Sing Broadway series returns, taking audiences on a musical journey from the start to the finish of an entire Broadway season in 90 minutes. Host David Girolmo, will introduce the audience to the next generation of Chicago music theatre artists while serving as the guide to the stars, songs and stories of the past. New Faces Sing Broadway 1951 includes hit songs from the golden age of Broadway musicals including Guys and Dolls, The King & I, Paint Your Wagon and others.

Top row: (L to R)  New Faces Sing Broadway 1951Daryn Alexus*, Daniel De Cranie-Pierre+, Nick Johnson+, Abbey Loria*, Caroline Lyell*

Bottom row; (L to R) Luke Nowakowski+, Ziare Paul-Emile*, Alix Rhode*, Nolan Robinson+ and Jerod Turner=.

The cast for New Faces Sing Broadway 1951 includes Daryn Alexus*, Daniel De Cranie-Pierre+, Nick Johnson+, Abbey Loria*, Caroline Lyell*, Luke Nowakowski+, Ziare Paul-Emile*, Alix Rhode*, Nolan Robinson+ and Jerod Turner=. 

The production team of New Faces Sing Broadway 1951 includes: David Fiorello+ (director); Dr. Michael McBride+ (music director and arrangements); Majel Cuza* (production manager); Frankie Leo Bennett+ (producing artistic associate) and Michael Weber+ (artistic director).

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

Porchlight’s series is inspired by a set of musical revues produced from 1934-1968 entitled “New Faces” which was instrumental in introducing the public emerging talent with names like June Carrol, Robert Clary, Imogene Coca, Jane Connell, Professor Irwin Corey, Henry Fonda, Alice Ghostley, Ronny Graham, Billy Hayes, Tiger Haynes, Van Johnson, Madeline Kahn, Eartha Kitt, Robert Klein, Carol Lawrence, Paul Lynde, Virginia Martin, Bill McCutheon, John Reardon, Maggie Smith, Inga Swenson and many, many more.

Many of the artists who have appeared in Porchlight’s New Faces Sing Broadway series have continued their careers on television, and local and national stages including Dawn Bless (Waitress-national tour), Katherine Bourne (School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play at Goodman Theatre), Lydia Burke and Molly Kral (Jeff Award winners [ensemble] Sophisticated Ladies), Darilyn Burtley and Max Cervantes (The Light in the Piazza at Lyric Opera of Chicago), Kyrie Courter (Jeff Award nominee-Next to Normal), Gilbert Domally (Jeff Award nominee-The Total Bent), Andres Enriquez (Jeff Award nominee-Porchlight’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), Theo Germaine (Showtime’s “Work in Progress”), Lucy Godinez (Jeff Award nominee-Oliver), Emily Goldberg (Jeff Award nominee-Porchlight’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), Nicole Michelle Haskins (Jeff Award winner-The Color Purple), Michelle Lauto (Jeff Award winner-Spamilton), Yando Lopez (Wicked on Broadway), Henry McGinniss (Book of Mormon-national tour), Anthony Norman (The Prom on Broadway, Dear Evan Hansen-national tour), Patrick Rooney (Les Miserables-national tour), Aalon Smith (Porchlight’s Gypsy), Katherine Thomas (Jeff Award winner-Ragtime), Aeriel Williams (Oedipus Rex at Court Theatre) and Nicole Lambert, Courtney Mack, Mallory Maedke and Samantha Pauly (SIX on Broadway).

Future 2023 performances of New Faces Sing Broadway include New Faces Sing Broadway 1984 this spring and New Faces Sing Broadway NOW (2023) coming this summer.

(L to R)  New Faces Sing Broadway 1951 host David Girlomo+, director David Fiorello+ and music director Dr. Micahel McBride+. 

ABOUT DAVID GIROLMO, host

David Girolmo returns to Porchlight, where he previously was in Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, Candide and numerous editions of Chicago Sings. He has also performed on Broadway in Candide (directed by Hal Prince) and War Paint (directed by Michael Greif). Girolmo is a veteran of 100+ productions in the U.S. and Canada, is a multiple Jeff Award nominee, a Jeff winner, and a multiple Broadway World Award winner. Television and Film appearances include “Chicago P.D.” (as Jim Varney); “Chicago Fire” (as Chief Grimes); “Empire” (as Dr. Sirak); “Crisis” (as Congressman Langston Wirth); “E.R.” (as Officer Gates) and the feature film, “Death of a President” (as Dr. Peralta). He is married to Heidi Kettenring.

ABOUT DAVID FIORELLO, director

David Fiorello is a music director, performer, director, composer and arranger who’s no stranger to Porchlight. He has served as music director most recently for Porchlight Revisits The Apple Tree and previously for Porchlight’s Blues in the Night, Gypsy, Do Re Mi, Woman of the Year, several seasons of New Faces Sing Broadway as well as several Chicago Sings and ICONS Gala benefits. He also appeared onstage as “Joe” in Merrily We Roll Along. Fiorello 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. For more information on Fiorello’s background, visit www.thebeautifulcityproject.com and www.fiorellostudios.com.

ABOUT DR. MICHAEL MCBRIDE, music director and arrangements

Dr. Michael McBride is a Jeff Award-winning music director, internationally performed composer, performer and educator who recently music directed/conducted Porchlight’s RENT. Other credits include Big Fish (Boho Theatre, Jeff Award); Billy Elliot (Music Theatre Works); Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Robber Bridegroom, Jesus Christ Superstar, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Pippin, What a Wonderful World (workshop), Man of La Mancha, Mamma Mia!, Into The Woods, The Little Mermaid (Timber Lake Playhouse); The Boys and the Nuns (composer & MD), Fun Home, Violet, Cabaret, Tintypes, She Loves Me, Spring Awakening, Hot Mikado, Urinetown, Into the Woods (Loyola University Chicago); PorchlightPalooza, Broadway by the Decade (Porchlight Music Theatre); The Christmas Foundling (composer & MD; Pride Arts Center); Footloose (Wallace Bowl); The Drake Hotel holiday programming and The Cabaret Project in Chicago, St. Louis and Lake Geneva. He is proud to be music director at A Church 4 Me MCC in Chicago. He has been a guest artist at Northwestern University and is also the Area Supervisor of Music Theory, Aural Skills and Music History at North Park University.

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. 

The New Faces Sing Broadway series is sponsored by Elaine Cohen & Arlen D. Rubin

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. 

Lookingglass Theatre Company Announces Tickets on Sale Now for the World Premiere of VILLETTE February 8 – April 23, 2023

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

Lookingglass Theatre Company Announces Tickets on Sale Now  

for the World Premiere of 

VILLETTE  

Written by Artistic Associate Sara Gmitter 

From the Book by Charlotte Brontë, 

Directed by Ensemble Member Tracy Walsh 

 

Lookingglass Theatre Company announces tickets are on sale now for the World Premiere of Villette by Sara Gmitter. Adapted from the Charlotte Brontë novel, Villette is a deeply surprising story featuring Brontë’s most modern of heroines: a love story, a ghost story, and an adventurous odyssey, revealing and unraveling life’s mysteries. Directed by Ensemble Member Tracy Walsh, Villette runs February 8 – April 23, 2023, at Lookingglass Theatre located in the Water Tower Water Works building, 821 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611. 

“This is a story about the triumph of spirit,” says writer and Lookingglass Artistic Associate Sara Gmitter. “Villette is a gift to everyone who has ever felt misunderstood.” Artistic Director and Ensemble Member Heidi Stillman conveys that Lookingglass has been eager to produce this World Premiere since 2020. “We know how much this funny, exciting, moving and complex journey will resonate with audiences,” she says. “The show is an indelible and thoroughly unusual heroine, and one we don’t often see in stories: a shy and ‘plain’ woman, overlooked by most, living in the shadows. Yet, her inner life is vibrant and full of fire. It will be impossible for the audience not to fall in love with the clear-eyed, wry and soulful Lucy Snow.” 

You’ve never met a heroine like Lucy Snow. Suddenly bereft of family, friends, and funds, young Lucy journeys unaccompanied to an unfamiliar land armed only with determination, a fiercely dry sense of humor, and her prodigious brain. She soon finds herself entangled in romance and intrigue, as a vain debutante, quarrelsome teacher, and mysterious ghost draw her into a complicated maze. Will tenacious Lucy, and her wry wit, emerge intact? 

Ensemble Member Tracy Walsh directs Artistic Associate Sara Gmitter’s riveting adaptation of this novel by the author of Jane Eyre.  

Get tickets 

Online: https://lookingglasstheatre.org/event/villette-2022/ 

Phone: (312) 337-0665 

In Person: 165 E Pearson, Chicago, IL 60611  

The box office is open (phone and in-person) Tuesday-Friday, 12PM-6PM. 

In Charlotte Brontë’s Villette, the determined Lucy Snow travels alone to an unfamiliar land, encountering one ambitious debutante, one very cranky teacher, and at least one mysterious ghost along the way – can her wry humor and generous soul remain intact? Ensemble Member Tracy Walsh directs Artistic Associate Sara Gmitter’s riveting adaptation of this novel by the author of Jane Eyre. 

Villette Performance Schedule 

Previews  

February 8 – 17, 2023 

Wednesdays – Saturdays 7:30PM 

Sunday 2PM 

 

Regular Run 

February 18 – April 23, 2023 

Tuesdays 7PM 

Wednesdays 7PM 

Thursdays 2PM & 7PM 

Fridays 7PM 

Saturdays 2PM & 7PM 

Sundays 2PM 

 

Please see the performance calendar on the website for full calendar and details. 

Get tickets: https://lookingglasstheatre.org/event/villette-2022/ 

About the Artists 

Sara Gmitter (she/her/hers) (Writer; Lookingglass Artistic Associate) is a longtime Artistic Associate with Lookingglass Theatre. She began her career at Lookingglass as an Assistant Stage Manager for The Idiot. She subsequently stage managed 42 productions and workshops for the company including multiple iterations of Lookingglass Alice. She counts 20 world premieres among the shows she helped to shepherd from first rehearsal to closing night. She has also served the company as a teaching artist, writer, and director for the Lookingglass Young Ensemble (Waging Peace, Mending the Peace). In 2014 she made her main stage debut as a playwright with In the Garden: A Darwinian Love Story (Jeff Award Nomination for Best New Work). Previous playwriting credits include: Sizzle: A Global Warming Comedy (New Suit Theatre Company), co-written with Jason Burkett, adapted from the film by Dr. Randy Olson; and A Long Fatal Love Chase (Powerhouse Theatre Company) adapted from the novel by Louisa May Alcott. Her short story, Harold has been heard on WBEZ’s Stories On. 

She earned a B.A. in Theatre from the College of William and Mary and an M.A. in Peace Education from the UN mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica. She currently serves as Program Assistant for Girls Inc. of Santa Fe and is also the co-clerk of the American Friends Service Committee’s Nobel Peace Prize Nominating Task Group. Sara is the recipient of the Adrienne Shelly Foundation Inaugural Playwrights Award.  

Tracy Walsh (she/her/hers) (Director; Lookingglass Ensemble Member) is an Ensemble Member of Lookingglass Theatre Company where she has choreographed, appeared in and directed many productions including: The Old Curiosity Shop (Director), Acts of God, Blood Wedding, Around the World in 80 Days (Choreography), and The North China Lover (Actor/choreographer). Most recently, she choreographed dances for all productions of The Steadfast Tin Soldier and appeared in Her Honor Jane Byrne (Lookingglass). She was Movement Consultant for The Notebooks of Leonardo DaVinci (Goodman Theatre/Shakespeare Theatre Company) and was also an original cast member (Goodman Theatre/Seattle Repertory Theatre/Lincoln Center). She choreographed and appeared in Electra and Iphigenia in Aulis (Court Theatre/The Getty Villa) and choreographed Agamemnon (Court Theatre). She choreographed Don Giovanni and The Jewel Box (Chicago Opera Theatre) and directed, adapted & choreographed the recorded, live, original show All Wigged Out featuring musicians Marcy Marxer and Cathy Fink. 

Become A gglasspass Member 

See yourself here, Chicago. In the Lookingglass.  

A partnership with one of this city’s leading Black theatre companies. A homegrown holiday hearth warmer. Two original CHI-made works each featuring unconventional central characters. A twirl around five extraordinary homespun districts (from Englewood to Edgewater to Avalon Park and more). And a transcendent summer sunset ritual that draws us all back waterside.   

Distinct. Unique. Reflecting is our function.   

Become a member and come see yourself at Lookingglass. 

The 3-play package includes the beloved holiday tradition, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and two World Premiere productions, Villette and Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon. The 2-play package includes both World Premiere productions. Members also get the best seats at the best prices, and enjoy a bounty of benefits including priority seating, no ticket fees, unlimited ticket exchanges, savings when purchasing additional tickets for friends or family, a discount at our online store, and more!  

Visit lookingglasstheatre.org/flex-passes to learn how to book your 2022-23 membership! 

Thank You to Our Season Sponsors  

Allstate Insurance Company 

BMO  

Hearn  

HMS Media  

Shirley Ryan Ability Lab  

Waldorf Astoria Chicago  

 

Thank you to our Villette Sponsor 

The National Endowment for the Arts 

 

Become A Scene Maker 

Inside our 190-seat storycastle we work tirelessly to produce unique theatre that leaves YOU changed, charged, and empowered. Theatre making takes meticulous attention to detail and years of work, often unseen. We could not take that initial spark of an idea to the wonder we finally see on stage without you. While you might not be IN the room, you too are an artist and vital to the process. Through your support you play YOUR role in shaping a flourishing, arts-driven tomorrow. Become a Scene Maker, today. 

Become a Scene Maker and support Lookingglass at lookingglasstheatre.org/scene-maker 

 

About Health and Safety  

The health and safety of our audiences, artists, and staff are a top priority and we have invested our resources accordingly. As guidelines are constantly evolving, all policies are subject to change.  

As of September 1, 2022, Lookingglass Theatre Company will no longer require audiences to provide proof of vaccination.  

Facial coverings are currently recommended, but not required. 

We encourage you to confirm our current protocols prior to your visit to the theatre. Please refer to the health and safety page for more information about our current policies and safety measures regarding COVID-19. 

 

About Accessibility 

Lookingglass Theatre offers ground floor seats for all patrons who use a wheelchair or a scooter, or patrons who cannot walk stairs. Assisted listening devices are available at the patron's request. Dates for shows for hearing and visually impaired audiences to be announced. 

 

Groups of Ten or More 

Bring a group to Lookingglass and save up to 25% off regular ticket prices. 

A trip to Lookingglass is the perfect outing for your school group, office, in-town visit, retirement community, social group, book club, scout troop, religious group, or alumni organization! To book a group, email groups@lookingglasstheatre.org. 

For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org/groups. 

About Lookingglass Theatre Company   

Inventive. Collaborative. Transformative. Lookingglass Theatre Company, recipient of the 2011 Regional Theatre Tony Award, was founded in 1988 by eight Northwestern University students. Now in its 35th Season, Lookingglass is home to a multi-disciplined ensemble of artists who create story-centered theatrical work that is physical, aurally rich and visually metaphoric. The Company, located in Chicago’s landmark Water Tower Water Works, has staged 70 world premieres, received 161 Joseph Jefferson Award Nominations, and produced work all across the United States. In 2016, Lookingglass received the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions and in 2017, was the recipient of the League of Chicago Theatres’ Artistic Achievement Award.    

Lookingglass continues to expand its artistic, financial, and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Heidi Stillman, Executive Director Rachel L. Fink, a 29-member artistic ensemble, 22 artistic associates, an administrative staff, and a dedicated board of directors led by Chair Diane Whatton.   

For more information, visit lookingglasstheatre.org.     

Engage with us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. #LookingglassTheatre 

In Charlotte Brontë’s Villette, the determined Lucy Snow travels away from home to an unfamiliar land, her solitary journey full of romance and intrigue. Will her wry wit and generous spirit emerge intact? 

Previews  

February 8 – 17, 2023 

 

Regular Run 

February 19 – April 23, 2023 

Tuesdays 7PM 

Wednesdays 7PM 

Thursdays 1:30PM & 7PM 

Fridays 7PM 

Saturdays 2PM & 7PM 

Sundays 2PM 

Tickets start at $45. Please see the performance calendar on the website for full calendar and details. Get tickets: https://lookingglasstheatre.org/event/villette-2022/