Marriott Theatre Kicks Off 2024 Season With Lin-Manuel Miranda's IN THE HEIGHTS January 24 Through March 17, 2024

ChiIL Mama’s ChiIL Picks List: Family Friendly Shows On Our Radar 

IN THE HEIGHTS

From the creator of Hamilton!  

A story of home, family, and finding where you belong.  

 

Peter Blair, Executive Producer  

Peter Marston Sullivan, Artistic Director  

 Presents  

IN THE HEIGHTS

I've met Lin-Manuel Miranda in person twice, at press events about a year apart. He's a genuinely nice guy and one crazy gifted writer and performer. How amazing is it that we're on earth in the same lifetime as this genius?! I've seen Hamilton four times, and I've seen In The Heights twice and each has been a thrill. I'll be out for Marriott's opening night too, so check back soon for my full review. Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows we're huge fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda's work and can't wait to see Marriott Theatre's take on IN THE HEIGHTS.

Marriott Theatre kicks off its electrifying 2024 season with IN THE HEIGHTS, the 2008 Tony Award-winning Best Musical from the creator of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, directed by James Vásquez (Marriott Theatre: Damn Yankees; Old Globe: HAIR, The Rocky Horror Show; Goodspeed: Cabaret), and choreographed by William Carlos Angulo (Marriott Theatre: The Sound of Music; The MUNY: Legally Blonde; National Tour: May We All) with Music Direction by Jeff Award Winner Ryan T. Nelson. IN THE HEIGHTS explores three days in New York’s Washington Heights, a neighborhood on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which you leave behind. IN THE HEIGHTS previews January 24, opens Wednesday, January 31 at 7:30pm and runs through March 17, 2024. 

Washington Heights - a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. Through struggles and triumphs, it also shows us that despite the challenges we face, we must hold onto our dreams and traditions as we strive towards a better future. It’s a reminder that even amid change, the human spirit and resilience can shine through.  

“IN THE HEIGHTS is about family - both chosen and not,” said director James Vásquez. “It zooms in on a neighborhood, maybe totally unlike our own, and celebrates the lives of this little community.  But by the end, we've been welcomed into that neighborhood - that family - and as theater does so beautifully, it brings us all together and leaves us all feeling a part of something special.” 

IN THE HEIGHTS will star Joseph Morales, who played in the First Broadway National Tour of In the Heights as Usnavi. He also performed as Hamilton in Hamilton with the Original Chicago Company/Original Philip Company. Co-stars include Paola V. Hernández as “Vanessa” (Marriott Theatre debut; Broadway at Music Circus, 20th Anniversary Tour: Rent); Addie Morales as “Nina” (Marriott Theatre: The Sound of Music; Drury Lane Theatre: Evita); Yasir Muhammad as “Benny” (Marriott Theatre: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical; Chicago Shakespeare Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream); Crissy Guerrero as “Abuela” (Marriott Theatre debut; La Mirada Theatre and Dallas Center: In the Heights); Cruz Gonzalez-Cadel as “Camilla” (Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Measure for Measure; Court Theatre: Fen, The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice and Electra; TV: “Fargo”, “Chicago Med”) and Rudy Martinez as “Kevin” (Oceanside Theatre: Man of La Mancha; The REV Theatre Co.: Anyone Can Whistle), with Jordan Arrendondo, Lillian Castillo, Andres J. DeLeon, Michelle Lauto, Wesley J. Barnes, Bryanna Ciera Colón, Carisa Gonzales, Natalia Nieves-Melchor, Justin Payton Nelson, Isa Ramirez, Alix Rhode, Tommy Rivera-Vega, Arik Vega and Phillip Wood. 

The artistic team features Scenic Designer Arnel Sancianco, Costume Designer Harri Horsley, Lighting Designer Jesse Klug, Sound Designer Michel Daly, Props Designer Sally Zack, Conductor Noah Landis, Associate Choreographer Shani Talmor, Assistant Director Lorenzo Rush, Jr., Stage Manager Richard Strimer, Intimacy Director Katie Johannigman, Fight Choreographer Adrian Aguilar and Dialect Coach Cynthia Santos DeCure.  

IN THE HEIGHTS is scheduled to run Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., with select Thursday 1:00 p.m. shows. Ticket prices start at $60 (excluding tax and handling fees). Call for student, senior, and military discounts. To make a restaurant reservation, please call 847.634.0100. Reservations are strongly recommended. Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets, please call the Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200 or visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information. 

HAMILTON: THE EXHIBITION World Premiere Opening April 27th

HAMILTON: THE EXHIBITION

I'll be out for the press opening and ribbon cutting this Friday, so check back soon for my photo recap and review. Hamilton: The Exhibition will make its world premiere in Chicago on April 27, 2019.  Hamilton: The Exhibition takes visitors deeper into the life and times of Alexander Hamilton, while at the same time chronicling the American Revolution and the creation of the United States of America.  From the post in St. Croix where teenager Alexander became an indispensable trader, to the hilltop in Weehawken, NJ where Burr fatally shot Hamilton in their infamous duel, Hamilton: The Exhibition seeks to elucidate the powerful experience of building our country and shaping our Democracy.



The exhibition features an audio tour narrated by the musical’s author, Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with Phillipa Soo and Christopher Jackson, who played Eliza Schuyler Hamilton and George Washington in the original Broadway production of Hamilton. Joanne B. Freeman, historical advisor and Professor of History and American Studies at Yale University, also narrates. The Spanish language translations are narrated by Olga Merediz, who originated the role of Abuela Claudia in the Broadway production of In The Heights.

With a dynamic and interactive mix of lighting, sound, multimedia, music and historical artifacts, you will experience how it felt to write the way Hamilton wrote, fight the way Hamilton fought, and live the way Hamilton lived.  Discover how his work as a trader in St. Croix gave him the skills to create our country’s financial system. Gaze upon the streets of New York with detailed replicas of the city in 1776. Step into George Washington’s war tent as you learn how the Revolutionary Army planned their shocking victory in the Battle of Yorktown.

Hamilton: The Exhibition posits new questions about Hamilton’s life and the founding of America, ultimately leaving us to ask the question — how can we leave our own legacies for future Americans?

Saturday, April 27 at 10AM: The Exhibition Officially Opens to the Public. Lin-Manuel Miranda will be on-hand to greet the first visitors to walk through the Exhibition!

For exhibition hours and more information about Hamilton: The Exhibition, please visit HamiltonExhibition.com.

Chicago's Northerly Island to Host Premiere of HAMILTON: THE EXHIBITION November 2018

HAMILTON: THE EXHIBITION

    PREMIERES IN CHICAGO THIS FALL

       PRIOR TO TOUR OF U.S. CITIES

LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA NARRATES

HAMILTON: THE EXHIBITION – a 360-degree, immersive exhibit that will travel to select U.S. cities -- will premiere in Chicago in the fall of 2018 for a limited engagement, it has been announced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the musical HAMILTON, and Jeffrey Seller, the musical’s producer. HAMILTON: THE EXHIBITION – on display in a specially-constructed free-standing, all-weather structure the size of a football field -- opens November 17, 2018 for a limited engagement on Northerly Island in Chicago, where HAMILTON has played a sold-out run since 2016. 

 Images of the renderings (Credit: David Korins) 

HAMILTON:  THE EXHIBITION is a creative collaboration between creative director David Korins, who designed the set for HAMILTON, Yale University professor and historian Joanne Freeman, HAMILTON creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, director Thomas Kail and producer Jeffrey Seller. Harvard University history and law professor Annette Gordon-Reed is also contributing to the historical accuracy of the exhibit.   This exhibit is presented with Imagine Exhibitions, Inc., one of the leading operators of traveling museum exhibits throughout the world. 

Lin-Manuel Miranda states, “HAMILTON is a musical.  It’s as much of Alexander Hamilton’s life as we could wrestle into two and a half hours of musical theater, and it’s been incredible and surreal to see the renewed interest this has sparked in Alexander Hamilton’s life and times.  I’m so thrilled with the work David Korins has done alongside eminent historians Joanne Freeman and Annette Gordon-Reed, who are experts in this arena.  With this exhibition, they’re creating an immersive companion piece for HAMILTON, and a deep dive into the details and experiences of Hamilton’s story.”



Featuring an audio tour narrated by Mr. Miranda the musical’s creator, HAMILTON: THE EXHIBITION is designed to take visitors deeper into the life and times of Alexander Hamilton, while at the same time chronicling the American Revolution and the creation of the United States of America.   With a dynamic, interactive mix of in-depth scenography, lighting, sound, multimedia and music, HAMILTON: THE EXHIBITION will give visitors an experiential journey from Hamilton’s childhood in St. Croix to his untimely death in Weehawken, New Jersey and the numerous, indelible ways Hamilton’s bold actions over 200 years ago affect our lives today.

Mr. Seller states, “I hope to use this exhibition to answer some questions that the musical doesn’t address, like ‘What did Alexander actually do when he was a trader in St. Croix?  What did Hamilton’s Manhattan look like?  How did we win the battle of Yorktown?’  In an environment that is visually stunning, aurally thrilling and ingeniously educational, we aim to give visitors yet another unique portal through the life of Alexander Hamilton into the American founding.”

“HAMILTON: THE EXHIBITION will be an enriching, educational and entertaining attraction for Chicago residents and visitors,” Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said. “HAMILTON has been bringing down the house to sold out audiences in Chicago, and I am confident this exhibit will be met with similar enthusiasm. I commend producer Jeffrey Seller, Lin-Manuel Miranda and the creative team behind HAMILTON: THE EXHIBITION for choosing Chicago for its inaugural run.”



HAMILTON: THE EXHIBITION is the most recent extension of HAMILTON, the musical, following the release of “Hamilton-The Revolution,” the best-selling book about the making of the musical; the Hamilton original Broadway cast recording, now double-platinum and streamed over two billion times; the HAMILTON MIXTAPE, which features leading pop music stars performing covers of songs from the musical; “Hamilton’s America,” the PBS documentary; the HAMILTON APP, which has already had more than 1 million downloads since its launch late last year; and HAMILDROP, Mr. Miranda’s series of newly-recorded covers of songs from the musical.

As well, HAMILTON has created a nationwide education program, EduHam, that provides hundreds of thousands of Title 1 high school students an opportunity to engage in an innovative curriculum about the founding era in American and attend all-student matinee performances of the musical.

For more information and to sign up to be the first to receive news and ticket sales alerts, please visit hamiltonexhibition.com

For groups of 10 or more contact Broadway In Chicago at 312-977-1710 or contact BICgroups.com.

Tickets to HAMILTON: THE EXHIBITION will be on sale at a later date, to be announced. 

HAMILTON CHICAGO TICKETS: New Block of Chicago Hamilton Tickets Released December 5th

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar:

You can be in the room where it happens! Be a gifting superstar this holiday, with tickets to HAMILTON. 

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we adore HAMILTON. Lin-Manuel Miranda revolutionized Broadway musicals with HAMILTON and this hit has become universally loved by all ages. Looking for a multigenerational treat? Don't throw away your shot at tickets to the hottest show in town. I've seen it twice by winning the $10 lottery over the past year, and my teens are still frequently playing the soundtrack. It just doesn't get old. 

It was my great pleasure to meet Lin-Manuel Miranda at a press conference earlier this month, as he stopped in Chicago promoting Puerto Rican hurricane relief efforts. He's not only a crazy talented composer, writer and actor, but an all around good guy who gives back to the community he came from. He's rallying others to fill the gap in federal relief efforts and I'm proud to say Chicago is stepping up in a big way too. Want an easy way to start helping? All proceeds from purchasing Lin-Manuel Miranda's Almost Like Praying go to Puerto Rican recovery efforts.

NEW BLOCK OF SEATS ON SALE

DECEMBER 5, 2017

Producer Jeffrey Seller and Broadway In Chicago announced today that a new 18 week block of tickets for HAMILTON at CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe) will go on-sale Tuesday, December 5. Tickets will be available for performances through September 2, 2018.



Tickets for the new block will go on sale on Tuesday, December 5 at 10:00 a.m. and will be available at CIBC Theatre Box Office, the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line (800-775-2000) and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com.  The CIBC Theatre Box Office will be open for advance sales from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

There is a maximum purchase limit of 12 tickets per household for performances May 1 through September 2, 2018.  Tickets range from $75 - $195 for regular performances with select number of premium seats available for all performances. There will continue to be an online lottery for forty-four (44) $10 seats for all performances. Lottery seat locations vary per performance but will always include seats in the first row. 

Visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com/HamiltonLotteryFAQ or download the official Hamilton app for more lottery information.







There are many sites and people that are selling overpriced, and in some cases, fraudulent tickets. For the best seats, the best prices and to eliminate the risk of counterfeit tickets, all purchases should be made through authorized Broadway In Chicago outlets.

HAMILTON is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation’s first Treasury Secretary.  Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON is the story of America then, as told by America now.  

With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and music supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.

The HAMILTON creative team previously collaborated on the 2008 Tony Award ® Winning Best Musical IN THE HEIGHTS.

HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, and casting by Telsey + Company, Bethany Knox, CSA.

The musical is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman and The Public Theater.

The HAMILTON Original Broadway Cast Recording is available everywhere nationwide.  The HAMILTON recording received a 2016 Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album. 



For information on HAMILTON, visit www.HamiltonOnBroadway.com, www.Facebook.com/HamiltonMusical, www.Instagram.com/HamiltonMusical and www.Twitter.com/HamiltonMusical, and the official app for HAMILTON is now available for download at HamiltonBroadway.com/app, which offers an app-based show lottery, stickers, camera filters, a merchandise store, music, news, tickets and exclusive content with Lin-Manuel and the Hamilton companies.



ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 17 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country.  A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining well up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, Oriental Theatre, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place and presenting Broadway shows at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.


Facebook @BroadwayInChicago ● Twitter @broadwaychicago ● Instagram @broadwayinchicago ● #broadwayinchicago

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE’S SEASON OPENER IN THE HEIGHTS BY HAMILTON’S LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA Sept 9th

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

CASTING AND ARTISTIC STAFF ANNOUNCED FOR 

IN THE HEIGHTS 

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE’S SEASON OPENER 

BY HAMILTON’S LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA, 

SEPTEMBER 9 – OCTOBER 16 AT STAGE 773

Once Again, Porchlight Introduces Chicago’s New Music Theatre Talent Discoveries Alongside Established Artists in this Latest Creation by 

Multi Award-Winning Director/Choreographer Brenda Didier

Amid all the Hamilton mania, Porchlight Music Theatre is launching a stellar choice for a season opener, the multi-Tony Award-winning In The Heights, with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda! You won't even have to break out a sleeping bag and wait all night in line for tickets. We do suggest you book in advance though. Porchlight is a perennial favorite and shows do sell out.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the cast and artistic staff of Porchlight’s 22^nd season opener, the multi-Tony Award-winning In The Heights, September 9 – October 16, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. Directed and co-choreographed by Brenda Didier, co-choreographed by Chris Carter, music directed by Diana Lawrence and assistant directed by Adrian Abel Azevedo, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. Friday, Sept. 9 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 10 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept 11 at 2 p.m., Monday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. with opening night Tuesday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m. 

The regular performance times are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. with an added Thursday matinee, October 6 at 1:30 p.m. There are no 7:30 p.m. performances Thursday, Sept. 15 and Oct. 6 and no 4 p.m. performance Saturday, Sept. 17. Tickets for previews are $38 and for the regular run $43 - $51. Single tickets may be purchased at 773.327.5252 or at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. 

Subscriptions to the entire Mainstage season or Porchlight’s series, Porchlight Revisits, are currently on sale as well as single tickets for the entire season. Subscriptions are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling 773.777.9884. Groups of ten or more may receive discounts on tickets purchased via Group Theater Tix at 312.423.6612 or grouptheatertix.com. 

From the creator of the current Broadway juggernaut Hamilton, and winner of Tony Awards for “Best Musical” and “Best Original Score,” In the Heights tells the universal story of a tight-knit community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood—a place where the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes and dreams, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind.

“After an exhaustive audition process seeing hundreds of the Chicago-area’s diverse established and new music theatre talent, and even reaching out to our city’s vast hip-hop dance community, we are excited to introduce the cast of Chicago’s newest production of Lin Manuel Miranda’s revelatory musical,” said Artistic Director Michael Weber. “We have made every effort to present a company that reflects the true spirit of this story of community and family as we build an immersive, one-of-a-kind experience that will place our audiences right in the middle of all the excitement and music found in the barrio of Washington Heights. Featuring a cast of nineteen actors, the largest company in many years here at Porchlight, all but one of our actors is making their Porchlight Mainstage debut with this production.”

The Porchlight Music Theatre In the Heights acting company includes: 

Missy Aguilar as “Daniela;” Stephen Allen as “Benny;” Frankie Leo Bennett as “Sonny,” Leah Davis as “Carla;” Jordan DeBose as “Kevin Rosario;” Jack DeCesare as “Usnavi De La Vega;” Stan DeCwikel, Jr. as “El Piraguero;” Lucia Godinez as “Nina;” Kristopher Knighton as “Graffiti Pete;” Michelle Lauto as “Vanessa;” Isabel Quintero as “Abuela Claudia” and Keely Vasquez as “Camila Rosario” with Anthony Apodaca, Nicole Lambert, Cisco Lopez, Yando Lopez, Elena Romanowski, Travis Austin Wright and Demi Zaino in the ensemble.

The artistic and production staff of In the Heights includes: 

Brenda Didier, direction and co-choreography; Chris Carter, co-choreography; Diana Lawrence, music direction; Gregory Pinsoneault, scenic design; Kate Setzer Kamphausen, costume design; Denise Karczewski, lighting design, Robert Hornbostel, sound design; Mealah Heidenreich, properties design; Adrian Abel Azevedo, assistant direction; William Carlos Angulo, casting consultation; Jessica Forella, stage management and Aaron Shapiro, production management. 

ABOUT LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA, music and lyrics

Lin-Manuel Miranda is an American actor, composer, rapper and writer, best known for creating and starring in the Broadway musicals Hamilton and In the Heights. A MacArthur “Genius” award recipient, Miranda wrote the music and lyrics for the musical In the Heights, which earned him numerous accolades, including the 2008 Tony Award for “Best Original Score” and the 2009 Grammy for “Best Musical Theater Album.”  Miranda's performance in the show's lead role of “Usnavi” also earned him a nomination for the Tony Award for “Best Actor in a Musical” and the show won “Best Musical.” Miranda created the lead role of “Alexander Hamilton” in Hamilton, a musical for which he wrote the book, music and lyrics—and which earned the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2016 Grammy for “Best Musical Theater Album.” Miranda received the 2016 Drama League Distinguished Performance Award for his work in the role. Hamilton was nominated for a record-setting 16 Tony Awards of which it won 11, including “Best Musical.” Miranda also won the Tony Award for “Best Original Score” and “Best Book of a Musical” for Hamilton and earned a nomination for the Tony Award for “Best Actor in a Musical.” Miranda will next star in the Mary Poppins sequel Mary Poppins Returns, directed by Rob Marshall.

ABOUT BRENDA DIDER, director and co- choreographer

Brenda Didier, recently named one of the “major musical theater forces” working in the Chicago area, is a multi-award-winning director/choreographer having received Joseph Jefferson Awards for both direction and choreography, After Dark Awards for choreography, the National Youth Theatre Award for choreography and the 2010 Broadway World Chicago Fan Favorite Award for choreography. Didier has collaborated with Porchlight Music Theatre on eleven productions, including Dreamgirls, Ain't Misbehavin' (Jeff Award Best Production and Direction) and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum as well as How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Pal Joey, Putting It Together, Ragtime and Once on this Island, all of which earned her Jeff nominations. Her additional credits include work with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Second City mainstage and etc., Mercury Theater Chicago, Cirque Shanghai, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, Bailiwick Chicago, BoHo Theatre, City Lit, Silk Road Rising, House of Blues, Leo Burnett Worldwide and many industrials and special events. Didier is the owner and director of the Lincolnshire Academy of Dance where her students have completed programs with American Ballet Theatre, the Joffrey Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Boston Ballet, Ballet Austin, The Rock School, River North, Giordano and Hubbard Street summer intensives. She is most proud of her scholarship program, including the Matt Gunnels scholarship, to help struggling families keep their children in dance classes.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, now in its 22^nd season, is nationally recognized for reimagining classic musical works, introducing never before seen productions to Chicago, showcasing music theatre’s noted veterans and rising stars and developing innovating programming to celebrate and educate audiences about the music theatre genre. With the vision of Artistic Director Michael Weber, Porchlight builds on its role as Chicago’s only Equity not-for-profit company exclusively specializing in music theatre. Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 60 productions with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. In addition to acclaimed productions, Porchlight’s special events include Porchlight Revisits, its staged concert series celebrating “lost” musicals, New Faces Sings, hosted by a popular Chicago music theatre personality and featuring a company of Porchlight up-and-coming talent performing music from the Great White Way as well as from the hottest up-and-coming composers and lyricists and the “Off the Porch” new works program where the next generation of musicals are developed and given a first audience. Launched in 2014, The School at Porchlight is Chicago’s new center for music theatre training in the areas of performance, writing and appreciation for both adults and children. Porchlight Music theatre’s many accolades include 11 Black Theatre Alliance nominations and two awards, as well as 114 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 35 Jeff Awards including three consecutive Best Production awards for Sondheim on Sondheim (2015), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (2014) and A Class Act (2013) as well as Sondheim on Sondheim being named to the Chicago Tribune’s list of the “Best Theatre of 2015.”

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the launch of Porchlight’s 22^nd season with the Tony Award-winning In The Heights, September 9 – October 16, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. Directed and choreographed by Brenda Didier, music directed by Diana Lawrence, assistant directed by Adrian Abel Azevedo and assistant choreographed by Chris Carter, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. Friday, Sept. 9 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 10 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept 11 at 2 p.m., Monday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. with opening night Tuesday, September 13 at 7:30 p.m. The regular performance times are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. with an added Thursday matinee, October 6 at 1:30 p.m. There are no 7:30 p.m. performances Thursday, Sept. 15 and Oct. 6. and no 4 p.m. performance Saturday, Sept. 17.  Tickets for previews are $38 and for the regular run $43 - $51. Single tickets may be purchased at 773.327.5252 or at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. Subscriptions to the entire Mainstage season or Porchlight’s series, Porchlight Revisits, are currently on sale as well as single tickets for the entire season.  Subscriptions are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling 773.777.9884. Groups of ten or more may receive discounts on tickets purchased via Group Theater Tix at 312.423.6612 or grouptheatertix.com.

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from the Actors’ Equity Foundation, the Arts Work Fund at the Chicago Community Trust, the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Prince Foundation, the National Association of Realtors, the Bloomberg Philanthropies, James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Cooper’s: A Neighborhood Eatery and The Saints. The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency.