REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE’S 2025 SPRING CLASSES, FEBRUARY 15 - MAY 17, AT DEPAUL UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MUSIC

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List: Kids' Classes On Our Radar

Industry Professionals Teach Classes in Musical Theatre And Life Skills for Young Actors Aged 4 - 13 Years Old 

While Preparing Them to Create and Perform an Original Music Theatre Piece

All photos courtesy of Porchlight Music Theatre

Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre’s Education Department is proud to announce the return of its Spring Youth Classes, February 15 - May 17, with registration now available for all sessions. Also, Porchlight offers a sample option for the first day of class, Saturday, Feb. 15, for interested students and parents wanting to learn more about the 2025 Porchlight offerings. Families can sign up for a class sampler, Saturday, Feb. 15 for $25 and if they decide to register, the trial class will be credited towards the cost of registration.

Youth classes are designed to teach young actors musical theatre skills from basics to advanced while enabling students to also learn life skills such as effective communication and self-esteem. Classes are held at the Holtschneider Performance Center at the DePaul University School of Music, 2330 N. Halsted St. Tuition is $300 - $600 based on the class level with payment plans and scholarships available for all youth programming. For specific questions regarding camps and registration, please email Porchlight Education Director Rebeccah Singer at Rebeccah@PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. For general camp information and registration, visit PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/youth-classes/.

Chicago’s favorite music theatre classes return this spring with fun, jam-packed musical sessions for ages 4 - 13 years old. New and returning young actors will spend 13 weeks singing, dancing, meeting new friends and creating an original musical piece or revue to share with family and friends on the last day of class.

Porchlight classes and camps are process-over-product focused programs designed to boost confidence, empathy and a love of the arts. Young actors join session after session to build on previous skills – from music theatre basics up to college audition readiness in a nurturing and fun environment.

Sample Week One of Class

Saturday, Feb. 15

10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Porchlight invites new students to experience the first week of spring classes Saturday, Feb. 15 for just $25. If participants enjoy their first class and want to continue, the cost of the trial will be applied to the rest of the term fee.

The classes offered include:

Mini Musicals (ages 4-6) - 10 - 11 a.m.

Broadway Basics (ages 7-10) - 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Intermediate Ensemble (ages 11-13) - 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

All classes will meet at DePaul School of Music (2330 N. Halsted). For additional information or to register, please go to PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/youth-classes/.

The Porchlight Spring Youth Classes 2025 schedule includes:

Mini Musicals

Ages 4 – 6 years old

February 15 - May 17 (no class 4/19)

Saturdays, 10 - 11 a.m.

Holtschneider Performance Center, DePaul University School of Music, 2330 N. Halsted St.

Tuition: $300

Budding actors join us each week for songs, games, making new friends, and having a blast on stage! Our youngest students stretch their theatre muscles as they create an original musical story – with dance moves, props and songs to share with family and friends on the last day of class!

Broadway Basics

Ages 7 – 10 years old

February 15 - May 17 (no class 4/19)

Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Holtschneider Performance Center, DePaul University School of Music, 2330 N. Halsted St.

Tuition: $450

Enter the world of music, drama, dance, writing and more while practicing teamwork, communication and problem-solving. Students will be introduced to their actor tools — their bodies, voices and imaginations — while singing and dancing to classic and contemporary Broadway hits, writing their own story and with lots of time for playing games and making new friends. At the end of the session join us for a final performance to celebrate all your young actors’ work!

Intermediate Ensemble

Ages 11 – 13 years old

February 15 - May 17 (no class 4/19)

Saturdays, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Holtschneider Performance Center, DePaul University School of Music, 2330 N. Halsted St.

Tuition: $600

Returning and new middle school aged actors join us to grow as they focus on classic or contemporary musicals, learn musical theater songs, choreography and create a musical revue to share with family and friends.

NOTE: All class content, dates, times, etc. are subject to change. For the most up to date information, please visit PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/youth-classes/.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS

Porchlight Music Theatre’s Youth Programs serve those ages 4 – 17 years old and are grounded in the power of the American art form of music theatre to tell stories and inspire confidence and a love of the arts. The Engagement Programs deepen audience connection to the art, artists and the community.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, now in its 30th season, is the award-winning center for music theatre in Chicago. Through live performance, youth education and community outreach, we impact thousands of lives each season, bringing the magic of musicals to our theatre home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast and to neighborhoods across the city. Porchlight has built a national reputation for boldly reimagining classic musicals, supporting new works and young performers, and showcasing Chicago’s most notable music theatre artists, all through the intimate and powerful theatrical lens of the “Chicago Style.”

Porchlight's history over the last 30 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; Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; 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. 

Chicago Premiere of ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME Via Porchlight Music Theatre Now Playing Through June 1, 2023

 ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar: Adult Night Out

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE’S CHICAGO PREMIERE OF 

ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME 

STARRING ELISA CARLSON AND ANDREW MUELLER, IS NOW PLAYING THROUGH JUNE 1, 

AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Here at ChiIL Mama, we've adored Porchlight Music Theatre and their stellar musicals for years. We're so excited to catch their latest,  Ernest Shackleton Loves Me. In addition to featuring family friendly productions, we also cover adult shows that deal with family dynamics, in our Adult Night Out Series.   Ernest Shackleton Loves Me is a great fit with the theme of a sleep-deprived single mom (Elisa Carlson*) who makes her living as a video game music composer connecting across space and time, with the famous early 20th century polar explorer Ernest Shackleton (Andrew Mueller+) while he is stranded on an iceberg in the Antarctic in the early 1900s. It's so much fun to catch a new musical we've never seen before. 

Porchlight Music Theatre, in association with Skylight Music Theatre, presents the Chicago premiere of the critically acclaimed musical comedy Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, music by Brendan Milburn, lyrics by Val Vigoda, orchestrations and additional music by Ryan O’Connell and book by Joe DiPietro, at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St., now playing through June 1. Porchlight’s production is directed by Michael Unger and music directed by Eric Svejcar. 

The performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3:30 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Post-Show Discussions are scheduled Friday, May 19 at 8 p.m. and Wednesday, May 31 at 7:30 p.m. and open caption performances Saturday, May 20 and Saturday, May 27 at 3:30 p.m. Tickets for Ernest Shackleton Loves Me are now on sale starting at $25 and may be purchased through the Box Office by calling 773.777.9884 or by visiting PorchlightMusicTheatre.org.

Ernest Shackleton Loves Me is the critically acclaimed new musical comedy with a tongue-in-cheek script by Tony Award-winner Joe DiPietro+ (Diana, Memphis, All Shook Up) that received the Off-Broadway Alliance Award as BEST MUSICAL and was filmed and presented on Broadway HD. In this wildly inventive and romantic adventure, a sleep-deprived single mom (Elisa Carlson*) who makes her living as a video game music composer is contacted across space and time, via a crossed connection on her cell phone, by the famous early 20th century polar explorer Ernest Shackleton (Andrew Mueller+) while he is stranded on an iceberg in the Antarctic in the early 1900s. Inspired by her music, he shares his epic journey with her and, together, they overcome the odds in a timeless, and very funny, musical romance for the ages.

The company for Ernest Shackleton Loves Me, in alphabetical order, includes Elisa Carlson* (Kat); Andrew Mueller+ (Ernest Shackleton) with Rae Robeson* (Kat Standby) and Matt Miles+ (Ernest Shackleton Standby).

The Ernest Shackleton Loves Me creative team includes music by Brendan Milburn+ (music); Val Vigoda* (lyrics);  Ryan O’Connell+ (orchestrations and additional music);  Joe DiPietro+ (book), Michael Unger+ (director); Eric Svejcar+ (music director); Cameron Tragesser+ (conductor/keyboard); Scott Davis+ (scenic designer); Jonathan Berg-Einhorn+ (associates scenic designer); Gregory Graham+ (costume designer); G. Max Maxin IV+ (lighting designer); Matthew R. Chase+ (sound designer); Smooch Medina+ (projection designer); Rita Vreeland* (production stage manager); Andrea Enger= (assistant stage manager); John McTaggart+ (scenic supervisor); Wendy Ann* (scenic charge); Tina Stasny* (costume supervisor); Rachel West* (lighting supervisor); Samantha Anderson* (assistant lighting supervisor); Lynsy Folckomer* (audio engineer); Nick Dunk+ (audio supervisor); Matt Reich+ (audio supervisor); Jack Zanger+ (wardrobe supervisor);  Karlika Claybourne* (hair & make-up supervisor); Danny Carraher+ (master carpenter), Heather Gervasi* (assistant production manager/properties designer); 

Michael Weber+ (artistic director); Majel Cuza* (production manager); Heather Gervasi* (assistant production manager) and Frankie Leo Bennett+ (producing artistic associate).

ABOUT MICHAEL UNGER+, director

Michael Unger makes his Porchlight Music Theatre debut as director of Ernest Shackleton Loves Me. A Chicago native, Unger is a theatre and opera director who has directed on stages both nationally and internationally. He is the artistic director of Milwaukee’s Skylight Music Theatre and has been the associate artistic director and director of education at Off-Broadway’s The York Theatre Company in New York City. He is also the producing artistic director of NewArts which utilizes the performing arts as a vehicle to heal and promote creativity, collaboration, and confidence for the children in Newtown, Connecticut. Unger has taught acting classes in New York City and has guest directed at many colleges and universities, including Juilliard, AMDA, AADA, University of Utah, Ohio Northern University, The Asolo Conservatory and his alma mater, Ithaca College. He is married to actress Janet Metz and his favorite productions are their twins, Phoebe and Nathaniel.

ABOUT ERIC SVEJCAR+, music director

Eric Svejcar makes his Porchlight debut with Ernest Shackleton Loves Me. He is a composer and music director based in New York City. Works include Caligula, An Ancient Glam Epic (NYMF Audience Award winner), A Rockin' Midsummer Night's Dream (featured in the documentary “Midsummer In Newtown”), The Murder of Isaac, White Noise and the musical podcast “Loveville High” with David Zellnik. He adapted and arranged Disney's Peter Pan Jr. which has been performed by thousands of schools around the world. On Broadway, he conducted the Roundabout/Deaf West revival of Big River and played in the pits of The Little Mermaid and A Chorus Line (City Center). Off-Broadway he arranged and performed in the Zipper Theatre revival of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living In Paris, orchestrated Evil Dead, The Musical and music directed several productions at the York Theatre including Marry Harry and the Musicals In Mufti presentations of Big, Berlin To Broadway With Kurt Weill, and Jerry's Girls. He was a solo pianist with Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and played piano and sang backup for Debbie Gibson at Harrah's in Atlantic City. Originally from Chicago, he has done shows at Bailiwick, Northlight, The New Colony and many others and was the front room pianist/singer at Davenport’s Piano Bar and the late Gentry on Halsted. Svejcar is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Music. 

ABOUT ELISA CARLSON, “Kat”

Elisa Carlson is a 20-year veteran in the solo and dueling piano bar industry, singing and playing piano, violin, drums and bass all across the United States, internationally and on cruise ships. Carlson makes her Porchlight Mainstage debut with Ernest Shackleton Loves Me and previously appeared in Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway. A graduate of Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, she enjoys bringing her skills to Chicago theater stages as well. Chicago credits include: Once (Writers Theatre and Paramount Theatre), Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (American Blues Theater), Peter and the Starcatcher (Metropolis Performing Arts Center), One Man, Two Guvnors (Court Theatre), Pop Waits (Neo-Futurists) and American Idiot (The Hypocrites).  Carlson is also a choreographer for young performers and will be choreographing Matilda Jr. with GingerSnap Performing Arts this summer. 

ABOUT ANDREW MUELLER, “Ernest Shackleton”

Andrew Mueller is embarking upon his Porchlight Mainstage debut (after having done various concerts, benefits, readings, etc.) Notable Chicago productions include: “Peter” in Jesus Christ Superstar (Lyric Opera), “Mark” in RENT (Paramount), Man of La Mancha (Marriott Lincolnshire), Shakespeare In Love (Chicago Shakespeare), Almost Heaven: John Denver's America (Theatre At The Center), A Christmas Carol (Drury Lane Oakbrook), Wonderland: Alice's Rock & Roll Adventure (Chicago Children's Theater). Jeff Award for “Huck Finn” in Big River (BoHo Theatre Ensemble). Off-Broadway: “Prentiss” in Peter And The Starcatcher (New World Stages), Alice By Heart (MCC). Regional: My Paris (Long Wharf), Some Lovers (Old Globe & Adirondack Theatre Festival), Baskerville (Cardinal Stage). He also performs with his band, The Red Roses, in and around Chicago. 

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Ruth Page Center for the Arts

1016 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago

Performance Schedule:

Friday, May 12 at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 13 at 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 14 at 2:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 18, at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, May 19 at 8:00 p.m. (Post-Show Talk Back)

Saturday, May 20 at 3:30 p.m. (Open Caption Performance)

Saturday, May 20 at 8:00 p.m.

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

Friday, May 26 at 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 27 at 3:30 p.m. (Open Caption Performance)

Sunday, May 27 at 8:00 p.m.

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

Sunday, May 28, at 6:00 p.m.

CLOSING WEEK:

Tuesday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 31 at 1:30 p.m. (Post-Show Talk Back)

Wednesday, May 31 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, June 1 at 1:30 p.m.

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

Website: PorchlightMusicTheatre.org

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE ANNOUNCES REBECCAH SINGER AS ITS FIRST FULL-TIME EDUCATION DIRECTOR

Singer Joins the Porchlight Team Overseeing Porchlight Education and Intern Programs and Outreach Initiatives

Rebeccah Singer, photo by Chris Popio

Porchlight Music Theatre is pleased to announce the appointment of Rebeccah Singer as the company’s first full-time education director. Singer begins immediately overseeing Porchlight’s education, intern and outreach programs. These programs offer an educational and personal growth environment where youth, professionals and fans from across Chicago may create, practice, perform and appreciate the unique music theatre art form. 

This year, Porchlight, in addition to a variety of music, voice and dance classes, offers a youth Winter Music Theatre Intensive, the Spring Production Intensive (this year presenting Freaky Friday: One Act Edition on the same stage as Porchlight’s mainstage production Disney’s Freaky Friday) and three sessions of its “Make Your Own Musical” summer camps.  Financial assistance may be available for students interested in any of Porchlight’s classes. More information on these programs is available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/school/.

Executive Director Jeannie Lukow said, “Porchlight continues to expand its youth education and outreach programming reaching more and more Chicago youth and their friends and families. Rebeccah’s energy and expertise perfectly mirrors the skills needed to continue Porchlight’s trajectory in becoming a leader in music theatre education.”  

Singer added, “Porchlight is offering me an incredible opportunity to help set the strategic vision of our youth education programs as well as expand the reach, particularly in partnerships that serve under-resourced communities. I look forward to working with Porchlight, its teaching staff and, of course, the students.” 

ABOUT REBECCAH SINGER
Rebeccah Singer comes to Porchlight from Emerald City Theatre where she worked in youth arts education for nearly six years, two of them as the company’s education manager. She has also been a teaching artist for Lookingglass Theater, The Playground Theater and the iO Theater. Singer holds a BFA from Syracuse University where she graduated magna cum laude, and is a graduate of the Severn Darden Graduate program at Second City and a current performer at iO Chicago.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE AS RUTH PAGE ARTIST IN-RESIDENCE
Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to be a member of the vibrant Ruth Page Center for the Arts community and an Artist In-Residence. Central to the Ruth Page Center for the Arts’ programming is the Artists In-Residence 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
As the home for music theatre in Chicago now in its 25th season, Porchlight Music Theatre is nationally recognized for reimagining classic productions, developing new works and showcasing musical theatre’s noted Chicago veterans and rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre by providing intimate and powerful theatrical experiences of music theatre through the lens of the “Chicago Style.” The 2017–2018 year marked a milestone for Porchlight as the company became an Artist In-Residence at the historic Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago’s Gold Coast. Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 70 productions with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Through Porchlight’s “Off the Porch” new works program, the musicals of the next generation are developed and given a first audience. The School at Porchlight is Chicago’s center for music theatre training in the areas of performance, writing and appreciation including the launch of a youth summer “Make Your Own Musical” Camp in 2017. The company’s many accolades include 30 Black Theatre Alliance nominations and 12 awards, as well as a total of 167 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 42 Jeff Awards including five consecutive Best Production awards for The Scottsboro Boys (2017), Dreamgirls (2016), Sondheim on Sondheim (2015), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (2014) and A Class Act (2013).

The 2019 – 2020 25th Anniversary Season is dedicated to the memory of long-time Board Member George K. “Kim” Sargent. 

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from the Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, Actors’ Equity Foundation, Allstate, Bayless Family Foundation, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Chapman | Spingola, Attorneys at Law, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Elegant Event Lighting, Elevate Energy, James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Harris Family Foundation, Hearty Boys, Hopsmith, A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Prince Foundation, the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation, The Saints, the Stuart Family Foundation, and the Topfer Family 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. 

The Ruffians’ Burning Bluebeard Returns to Chicago This Holiday Season Dec. 13 - 27

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE PRESENTS CHICAGO’S HOLIDAY HIT IN A LIMITED RUN,

THE RUFFIANS’ BURNING BLUEBEARD, 

AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS,

DECEMBER 13 – 27

(pictured) The cast of The Ruffians’ 2014-15 production of BURNING BLUEBEARD.

 All photos by Evan Hanover

Featuring Original Cast Members and Directed by Halena Kays, Jay Torrence’s Seasonal Spectacular Comes to the Gold Coast for the First Time in its Eight Year History

Here at ChiIL Mama, we've caught The Ruffians’ Burning Bluebeard many times, since their inaugural show 8 years ago at the Neofuturarium. They're top favorites of ours, and this holiday season they're moving to the Ruth Page Center for the Arts. We'll be out for the press opening, Dec. 15, so check back soon for my full review. We're eager to catch long time friends, Pamela Chermansky (Fancy Clown) and Anthony Courser (Henry Gilfoil), who taught my teens circus arts with Circesteem, when they were children.

(left to right) Pam Chermansky and Anthony Courser in The Ruffians’ 2014-15 production of BURNING BLUEBEARD. 

(left to right) Leah Urzendowski, Anthony Courser, Jay Torrence and Pam Chermansky in The Ruffians’ 2014-15 production of BURNING BLUEBEARD.

Although this ghost story is macabre, and sadly all too true, The Ruffians' production is a poignant and powerful celebration of life. I can't see a show in what is now the Nederlander Theatre (formerly The Oriental and before that, the doomed Iroquois) without echos of Burning Bluebeard in my mind. I see the tragic series of events that led to a fireball and the deaths of 600 theatergoers, mostly women and children. Leave the ghost lights on. The stories and memories of a scrappy band of actors and their actions that day have been given new life, in this darkly compelling tribute to love, loss, and heroism. Burning Bluebeard has become a beloved annual tradition for our family, and we can't wait to embrace this heart wrenching moment in time once again, and remember the stories that seep into spaces and stay. 

(left to right) Ryan Walters and Crosby Sandoval in The Neo-Futurists and The Ruffians’ 2018 production of BURNING BLUEBEARD.

Burning Bluebeard, created and performed by the critically acclaimed theatre troupe The Ruffians, has been touted as “a show you won’t quickly forget and that you could only see in Chicago” by the Chicago Tribune and New City says the production is “filled to the brim with irreverent humor, riveting dance sequences and enough charm to fill a bucket…” Told with music, clowning, tumbling, acrobatics and dance, Burning Bluebeard is a physical-performance phenomena inspired by the true story of Chicago’s former Iroquois Theatre and the unforgettable events that resulted in tragedy for 600 theatergoers at Christmas time in 1903.

A Chicago holiday tradition for many since its debut in 2011, each performance is a vaudevillian musical delight with a story that excavates the poetic and poignant remains of a piece of our city’s rich history and leaves the audience with an unforgettable experience.

(left to right) Ryan Walters, Jay Torrence and Pam Chermansky in The Ruffians’ 2014-15 production of BURNING BLUEBEARD. presented by The Hypocrites.

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to present The Ruffians’ Burning Bluebeard, making its downtown debut at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street, December 13 – 27. Now in its eighth year,  this annual tradition for many is a fantastical tale inspired by Chicago’s 1903 Iroquois Theatre fire, written by Jay Torrence and directed by Halena Kays. Previews are Friday, Dec. 13 and Saturday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. Opening Night is Sunday, Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. with the performance schedule Thursday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 21 at 3:30 and 8 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 22 at 2 and 6 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 26 at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Friday, Dec 27 at 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $45 and are on sale now at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office, 773.777.9884.

The 2019 cast of Burning Bluebeard includes original performers Pamela Chermansky (Fancy Clown); Anthony Courser (Henry Gilfoil); Jay Torrence (Robert Murray); Leah Urzendowski (Nellie Reed); Ryan Walters (Eddie Foy) with Crosby Sandoval (Faerie Queen).

The Burning Bluebeard production team includes Maggie Fullilove-Nugent (lighting design); Robert Hornbostel (associate sound design); Jeffrey D. Kmiec (set design); Bill Morey (costume coordination); Mike Tutaj (original sound design);  Sam Moryoussef (production manager); Justine Palmisano (stage manager) and Alex Rhyan (production and operations director).

 (pictured) Ryan Walters in The Neo-Futurists’ 2011 production of BURNING BLUEBEARD.

 (left to right) Leah Urzendowski, Jay Torrence, Anthony Courser and Pam Chermansky in The Ruffians’ 2014-15 production of BURNING BLUEBEARD.

ABOUT JAY TORRENCE, Playwright and “Robert Murray”
Jay Torrence is a Ruffian and the playwright who created Burning Bluebeard, Roustabout! The Great Circus Trainwreck and Ivywild. As a former Neo-Futurist artistic director and ensemble member, Torrence worked over a decade writing, directing and performing hundreds of short plays that debuted in Chicago and toured throughout the nation. Other theater credits include: 500 Clown, Theater Oobleck, Akvavit Theatre, The Actor’s Gymnasium, Theater on the Lake, The Hypocrites, Redmoon Theater, Woolly Mammoth, Geva, Shakespeare Theatre Company (DC), The New Victory Theater (NY), The Actors Theatre of Louisville and Edmonton Actors Theatre. Internationally, this is the 13th production of Burning Bluebeard.

ABOUT HALENA KAYS, Director
Halena Kays is a theater director, deviser and performer. She most recently served as the artistic director of The Hypocrites, where she both performed and directed. She is the co-founder and former artistic director of Barrel of Monkeys, where she created and directed the majority of their public performances. She is a founding member of the artistic collaborative, The Ruffians, and directs their recurring hit production of Burning Bluebeard, as well as their other experiments in live performance events. She is a UT-Austin and Northwestern graduate, former member of the Big Apple Circus Clown Care unit, past co-artistic curator for Theater on the Lake and assistant professor at Northwestern University.

Kays is an artistic associate with the Neo-Futurists where she directed Pop/Waits, 44 Plays for 44 Presidents, Burning Bluebeard, co-created and directed Daredevils and Daredevils Hamlet and the sight specific extravaganza, Fake Lake. Some interesting Chicago directing credits include: Endgame, Ivywild, Six Characters in Search of an Author at The Hypocrites; The Magic Play at The Goodman, Lord of the Flies at Steppenwolf; On Clover Road at American Blues Theater; Feast (part of a collaborative directing effort) with The Albany Park Theatre Project at The Goodman. Regionally, Halena has directed The Magic Play at The Olney Theater Center, The Actor’s Theater of Louisville, Portland Center Stage and Syracuse Stage, Love Song with The Nashville Story Garden and Secretary for Nashville Rep’s Ingram New Works Festival.

Kays has been nominated for a Jefferson Citation for Best Supporting Actress and Best Direction, named one of the top 50 “players” in Chicago theater by NewCity, is a recipient of the prestigious 3Arts award and received a signed letter from Mr. Rogers saying she was “special” in 1978. She is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreography Society.

(left to right) Anthony Courser, Ryan Walters, Jay Torrence, Pam Chermansky and Leah Urzendowski in The Ruffians’ 2014-15 production of BURNING BLUEBEARD.

ABOUT 2019 YEAR OF CHICAGO THEATRE
Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to be part of the 2019 Year of Chicago Theatre, presented by the City of Chicago and the League of Chicago Theatres. To truly fall in love with Chicago, you must go to our theatres. This is where the city bares its fearless soul. Home to a community of creators, risk-takers and big hearts, Chicago theatre is a hotbed for exciting new work and hundreds of world premieres every year. From Broadway musicals to storefront plays and improv, there’s always a seat waiting for you at one of our 200+ theatres.

ABOUT THE RUFFIANS
The Ruffians are an artistic collective of theater makers (clowns, daredevils, acrobats, dancers, writers, performers, designers, directors). The Ruffians have all honed their craft working over a decade in Chicago’s various and thriving experimental, clown and storefront theater communities. A Ruffians objective is to make beautiful things with rough edges. A Ruffians motto: Breathe. Dare. Live.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE AS RUTH PAGE ARTIST IN-RESIDENCE
Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to be a member of the vibrant Ruth Page Center for the Arts community and an Artist In-Residence. Central to the Ruth Page Center for the Arts’ programming is the Artists In-Residence 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
As the home for music theatre in Chicago now in its 25th season, Porchlight Music Theatre is nationally recognized for reimagining classic productions, developing new works and showcasing musical theatre’s noted Chicago veterans and rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre by providing intimate and powerful theatrical experiences of music theatre through the lens of the “Chicago Style.” The 2017–2018 year marked a milestone for Porchlight as the company became an Artist In-Residence at the historic Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago’s Gold Coast. Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 70 productions with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Through Porchlight’s “Off the Porch” new works program, the musicals of the next generation are developed and given a first audience. The School at Porchlight is Chicago’s center for music theatre training in the areas of performance, writing and appreciation including the launch of a youth summer “Make Your Own Musical” Camp in 2017. The company’s many accolades include 28 Black Theatre Alliance nominations and 12 awards, as well as a total of 150 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 42 Jeff Awards including five consecutive Best Production awards for The Scottsboro Boys (2017), Dreamgirls (2016), Sondheim on Sondheim (2015), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (2014) and A Class Act (2013).

The 2019 – 2020 25th Anniversary Season is dedicated to the memory of long-time Board Member George K. “Kim” Sargent.

Porchlight Music Theatre’s 25th anniversary subscriptions and single tickets are now on sale at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. Discounted subscriptions are available for the mainstage productions (Sunset Boulevard, Sophisticated Ladies and Disney’s Freaky Friday) and single tickets for special events including Porchlight Revisits Call Me Madam and The Ruffians’ Burning Bluebeard.

Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from the Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, Actors’ Equity Foundation, Allstate, Bayless Family Foundation, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Chapman | Spingola, Attorneys at Law, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Elegant Event Lighting, Elevate Energy, James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, Harris Family Foundation, Hearty Boys, Hopsmith,  A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Prince Foundation, the Pritzker Traubert Foundation, Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation, The Saints, the Stuart Family Foundation, and the Topfer Family 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.

 (center) Pamela Chermansky with the cast of The Neo-Futurists and The Ruffians’ 2018 production of BURNING BLUEBEARD.

OPENING: 50th ANNIVERSARY OF 1776 VIA PORCHLIGHT REVISITS AT RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, NOVEMBER 14 – 15 FOR 3 SHOWS ONLY

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ARE YOU READY FOR A REVOLUTION?!

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE’S PORCHLIGHT REVISITS,“LOST” MUSICALS IN STAGED CONCERT SERIES, BEGINS ITS SIXTH SEASON WITH 

1776, 

AT RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, NOVEMBER 14 – 15

Porchlight Revisits Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Tony Award-winner About the Founding of the United States of America with the Largest Cast in Porchlight Revisits History

I'll be out to review for ChiIL Mama. The Porchlight Revisits Series is one of our favorites. It's a short, sweet, and incredibly fun romp through lost musical gems rarely seen on stage. It's here audiences get to discover the 'lost musicals' of Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, Kander and Ebb and more when Chicago's finest music theatre talent, with script in hand and fully staged, dust off these treasures and escort you to the world of Broadway’s past.

Porchlight Music Theatre begins its sixth season of Chicago’s “lost” musicals in staged concert series with Porchlight Revisits 1776, music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and book by Peter Stone with direction by Artistic Director Michael Weber, musical direction by Jeremy Ramey and musical staging by Michelle Lauto. Porchlight Revisits 1776 is presented for only three performances Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 15 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Tickets for 1776 are available now for $37, subscriptions to the three performance series including 1776, Can-Can, March 6 and 7, 2019 and Minnie’s Boys, May 22 and 23, 2019 are $90/per person and available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office at 773.777.9884. 

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Tony Award-winner, Porchlight Music Theatre brings to Chicago the impassioned arguments and world-changing visions that were fought over in those sweltering summer days in Philadelphia nearly 250 years ago. The historic players will be present in the characterizations of Benjamin Franklin, Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson and others, showcasing the compelling debate of what are we willing to compromise to build a new country will ring out louder than the toll of the Liberty Bell.

With special permission from the rights holders, the approach to this production, which has been frequently presented with a primarily Caucasian and male identified cast playing the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the congressional staff, will be an inclusive company of actors, expanding the casting potential both in ethnic and gender identities, in modern dress. 

Every Porchlight Revisits begins with 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 gossip and much more.

Top row: Joseph Foronda, “Benjamin Franklin,” Lucy Godinez, “Martha Jefferson;” Michelle Lauto, “Abigail Adams”

Bottom row: Robert Quintanilla, “Thomas Jefferson;” Kelvin Roston Jr, “John Adams” and Heather Townsend, “John Dickinson”

Featuring a cast of 26, the largest ever for a Porchlight Revisits production, the 1776 company includes: 
Micha Astala, “Dr. Josiah Bartlett;” Frankie Leo Bennett, “George Reed;” Jeff Bouthiette, “Samuel Chase;” Erica Chinn, “Col. Thomas McKean;” Cynthia Clarey, “Rev. John Witherspoon;” Jazmín Corona, “Andrew McNair;” Richard Costes, “Leather Apron;” Ryan Dooley, “James Wilson;” William Dwyer,“Edward Rutledge;” Joseph Foronda, “Dr. Benjamin Franklin;” Kim Fukawa, “Charles Thomson;” Lucy Godinez, “Martha Jefferson;” Randolph Johnson, “Stephen Hopkins;” Christopher W. Jones, “Lewis Morris;” Teressa LaGamba,“, “Richard Henry Lee;” Michelle Lauto, “Abigail Adams,” Anne Marie Lewis, “Joseph Hewes;” Cari Meixner, “Dr. Lyman Hall;” Robert Quintanilla,“Thomas Jefferson;” Nolan Robinson, “Courier;” Kelvin Roston Jr., “John Adams;” Jenny Rudnick, “Caesar Rodney;” Peter Ruger, “Robert Livingston;” Heather Townsend, “John Dickinson;” Jessica Vann,  “Roger Sherman” and Nancy Wagner,  “John Hancock.” 

ABOUT MICHAEL WEBER, director
Michael Weber is the artistic director of Porchlight Music Theatre where, under his leadership, the company has received the Best Production Equity Jeff Award for the past five consecutive years. He previously served as artistic director for the inaugural season of Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place (now The Broadway Playhouse) and at Theatre at the Center (1998 – 2004).  Weber recently made his Porchlight stage debut in Porchlight Revisits Do Re Mi this past spring. His productions of End of the Rainbow, Sweeney Todd, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Pal Joey, Assassins and Side Show at Porchlight Music Theatre, Grand Hotel at Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place and She Loves Me at Theatre at the Center were each nominated for the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production. Directing credits include Living the History-125 Years of The Auditorium Theatre starring Patti LuPone and John Mahoney, Fifth of July and Talley’s Folly at the Oak Park Festival Theatre, The Petrified Forest at Theatre at the Center, Beauty and the Beast at Marriott Theatre, Over the River and Through the Woods at The Mercury Theater, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Pheasant Run Theatre and Cirque du Symphony at Sears Center Arena. The recipient of two Joseph Jefferson Awards, he has written and directed the past twelve Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremonies. Weber’s regional acting credits include Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy (both starring Patti LuPone) at Ravinia, Disney’s My Son Pinocchio at First Stage Milwaukee, Around the World in 80 Days at Cleveland Playhouse, The Winter’s Tale and Henry V at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, It Had To Be You (starring Cindy Williams and Eddie Mekka) at Little Theatre on the Square, Angel Street at First Folio Shakespeare and The Gifts of the Magi at Indiana Repertory. Weber is proud to serve as a pledge host on WTTW, Channel 11. 

ABOUT JEREMY RAMEY, music director
Jeremy Ramey is a concert pianist, conductor and music director based in Chicago.  He was awarded the non-equity Jeff Award for music direction for his work on Theo Ubique’s Light in the Piazza in 2012 and again in 2013 for the company’s Smokey Joe’s Cafe. Some of his favorite music directing projects include Altar Boyz at Downtown Drury Lane, Hats! with Grammy award winner Melissa Manchester and Tony-nominated director Lynn Taylor-Corbett, Forever Plaid at Drury Lane Oakbrook and C’est la Vie at Light Opera Works. Ramey was also the music director for both the world premiere and Wisconsin premiere of Adding Machine. He received his training in piano performance at Rhodes College, Northwestern University and The Juilliard School of Music. He has taught at Northwestern University, Columbia College, Loyola University and the University of Memphis. He is also the music director at Unity Church on the Northshore in Evanston, Illinois.

ABOUT MICHELLE LAUTO, musical staging and “Abigail Adams”
Michelle Lauto is Porchlight Music Theatre’s education associate and starred in Porchlight’s hit In The Heights. Lauto is an award winning Chicago based actor, singer, writer and educator having grown up in the Jersey suburbs of New York and begun acting in and around the city at the age of 16. At 21, she moved to Chicago to study her other love: comedy. She is a 2014 graduate of The Second City Training Center's Conservatory program. Since graduating, Lauto has worked at several prominent Chicago area theaters, including appearing in the Original Chicago Cast of Spamilton: An American Parody for which she won a 2017 Jeff Award for Best Actress in a Revue. She also enjoys working as a teaching artist and sharing her love of musical theatre with the next generation. 

ABOUT KELVIN ROSTON JR., “John Adams”
A four-time Jeff Award nominee, three-time BTA Award winner and two-time Black Excellence Award winner, Kelvin Roston Jr. is the winner of the Light in the Darkness Public Education Award from NAMI for his play, Twisted Melodies, written and performed by himself. He is an artistic associate of Congo Square and has appeared at Court Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Black Ensemble Theatre, Timeline Theatre, Northlight Theatre and Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

ABOUT JOSEPH FORONDA, “Benjamin Franklin”
Joseph Foronda’s Broadway credits include Pacific Overtures, Miss Saigon and James Clavell's Shogun: The Musical. His West End credits include Pacific Overtures (Donmar Warehouse). And Chicago credits include productions at Goodman Theatre, Ravinia Festival, Silk Road Rising, American Theater Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Victory Gardens Theater. Foronda’s regional credits include productions at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Weston Playhouse and more. 

ABOUT LUCY GODINEZ, “Martha Jefferson”
Currently appearing as “Serena” in Legally Blonde at The Paramount Theatre, Lucy Godinez burst onto the Porchlight stage receiving rave reviews as “Nina” in In The Heights and in New Faces Sing Broadway 1969. She has appeared in Chicago in Hair at The Mercury Theatre, A Christmas Carol at The Goodman Theatre and others.

ABOUT HEATHER TOWNSEND, “John Dickensen”
A Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Associate, Heather Townsend’s Chicago theatre credits includes productions with Mercury Theatre, Shattered Globe, Northlight, Remy Bumppo, Dog & Pony, Theatre Wit, Apple Tree, Next and readings with the Goodman and Steppenwolf.  

ABOUT CYNTHIA CLAREY, “The Reverend John Witherspoon”
In addition to her Porchlight debut in The Scottsboro Boys, Cynthia Clarey has sung leading roles in Thea Musgrave’s Voice of Ariadne, which was her New York City Opera debut, Anthony Davis’ Under the Double Moon, Minoru Miki’s Actor’s Revenge, Myron Fink’s Chinchilla and many more.  She has sung the role of “Carmen” throughout the world and toured in seven countries with Peter Brook’s innovative La Tragedie de Carmen.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT REVISITS
One of Porchlight’s most popular offerings, Porchlight Revisits celebrates the lost musical gems of The Great White Way. Everyone knows Rodgers and Hammerstein's hits Oklahoma!, South Pacific, and The Sound of Music. But have they ever had the chance to experience, live on stage, their rarely seen Broadway shows Allegro, Me and Juliet or Flower Drum Song? It's here audiences get to discover the 'lost musicals' of Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, Kander and Ebb and more when Chicago's finest music theatre talent, with script in hand and fully staged, dust off these treasures and escort you to the world of Broadway’s past.

The experience begins with 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 gossip and much more.

Porchlight Revisits is the ticket to go behind the scenes with an introduction to the luminaries who created the greatest musicals of all time and an opportunity to discover a new 'old' favorite all in one big show—plus Porchlight Revisits subscribers are invited to influence the choosing of future titles in the series.

Previous Porchlight Revisits productions include: 
(2017/18) Do Re Mi, They’re Playing Our Song, Woman of the Year;
(2016/17) The Rink, Little Me, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever;
(2015/16) Chess, Applause, Babes in Arms; 
(2014/15) Bells Are Ringing, City of Angels, Mack & Mabel 
(2013/14) Anyone Can Whistle, Golden Boy, Fade Out-Fade In

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE AS RUTH PAGE ARTIST IN-RESIDENCE
Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to be a member of the vibrant Ruth Page Center for the Arts community and an Artist In-Residence. Central to the Ruth Page Center for the Arts’ programming is the Artists In-Residence 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
As Chicago’s home for music theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre enters its 24th season and its second as an Artist In-Residence at the historic Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago’s Gold Coast. Porchlight Music Theatre is nationally recognized for reimagining classic productions, developing new works and showcasing musical theatre’s noted Chicago veterans and rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre by providing intimate and powerful theatrical experiences of music theatre through the lens of the “Chicago Style.” Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 60 productions with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Through Porchlight’s “Off the Porch” new works program, the musicals of the next generation are developed and given a first audience. The School at Porchlight is Chicago’s center for music theatre training in the areas of performance, writing and appreciation including a youth summer “Make Your Own Musical” camp and a Saturday morning youth program. The company’s many accolades include 28 Black Theatre Alliance nominations and seven awards, as well as a total of 151 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 42 Jeff Awards including five consecutive Best Production awards for The Scottsboro Boys (2017), Dreamgirls (2016), Sondheim on Sondheim (2015), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (2014) and A Class Act (2013).

The Honorable Julian Frazin and Rhona Frazin and Charles and Diane Laff sponsor Porchlight Revisits 1776.

Porchlight Music Theatre is supported by generous contributions from the Actors’ Equity Foundation, Bayless Family Foundation, Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, Chapman | Spingola, Attorneys at Law, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Elegant Events Lighting, James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Prince Foundation, the Morgan Stanley Foundation, Q Chicago, The Saints and the Topfer Family 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. 

OPENING: GYPSY STARRING E. FAYE BUTLER VIA PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, OCTOBER 12 – NOVEMBER 25

ChiIL Live Shows On Our Radar

“CLEAR THE DECKS! CLEAR THE TRACKS!”

PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE ANNOUNCES THE FULL CAST OF 

GYPSY STARRING E. FAYE BUTLER, 

AT THE RUTH PAGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 

OCTOBER 12 – NOVEMBER 25

Featuring Music by Jule Styne, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and Book by Arthur Laurents, the Musical Classic is Directed by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Director Michael Weber, with Music Direction by David Fiorello and 

Choreography / Associate Direction by Chris Carter 

We're beyond excited here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows to see Chicago’s incomparable E. Faye Butler as Rose in Gypsy! This is sure to be a fall "must see". We can't wait for Porchlight Music Theatre’s Mainstage kick off at Ruth Page Center for the Arts, where they remain as an an Artist In-Residence company. Porchlight Music Theatre has long been a favorite of ours for world class productions and showcasing Chicago's immense talent. They truly live up to their mission statement of reimagining classic productions, developing new works and showcasing musical theatre’s noted Chicago veterans and rising stars.  

Porchlight Music Theatre’s Mainstage 2018 – 2019 season launches with Gypsy, A Musical Fable, October 12 – November 25, at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street, with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.  Porchlight Music Theatre’s Gypsy stars E. Faye Butler as “Rose,” is directed by Michael Weber, music directed by David Fiorello and choreographed/associate directed by Chris Carter. 

Previews are Friday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 13 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. and Monday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Opening Night is Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. The regular run performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Oct. 14, Nov. 18 and Nov. 25; Sunday at 6 p.m.: Oct. 21, Oct. 28, Nov. 4, Nov. 11 and Nov. 18 with an added matinee performance Thursday, Nov. 8 at 1:30 p.m. and an added 4 p.m. performance Friday, Nov. 23 at 4 p.m.

Single tickets are $20 – $66 and are on sale now as are subscriptions to the entire Mainstage season including Gypsy, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder and A Chorus Line at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office, 773.777.9884. 

Chicago’s E. Faye Butler adopts the mantle of Broadway’s legendary “stage mother” in this thrilling and heart-wrenching story of a woman who raises her daughters to assume the heights in the world of show business, whether they want to or not. Gypsy has been called by many (including The New York Times critic Ben Brantley) the greatest of all American musicals and is loosely based on the 1957 memoir of famous striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, entitled Gypsy: Memoirs of America’s Most Celebrated Stripper. The musical features songs that have become standards of the musical theatre canon, including “Some People,” “Let Me Entertain You,” “Together, Wherever We Go” and the show stopping, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.”

The cast of Porchlight Music Theatre’s Gypsy includes: 
E. Faye Butler as “Rose;” Daryn Whitney Harrell (seen in the Broadway company of The Book of Mormon) as “Louise;” Aalon Smith (who recently participated in the development of the new Stephen Schwartz musical Boy on the Roof and who was seen in Porchlight’s Memphis and New Faces Sing Broadway 1975) as “Dainty June;” José Antonio García (who has appeared in multiple productions at both The Goodman and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre as well as in numerous film and television productions) as “Herbie;” one of Chicago’s favorite cabaret and nightclub entertainers, Honey West, as “Electra/Miss Cratchitt;” Dawn Bless (Jeff Award-nominated star of A New Attitude: In Tribute to Patti Labelle at Black Ensemble Theatre) as “Mazeppa;” Melissa Young (last seen in the Chicago premiere of Seth Rudutsky’s Disaster) as “Tessie Tura;” Marco Tzunux (seen at Porchlight in New Faces Sing Broadway 1975 as well as productions at Drury Lane, Theo Ubique and The Mercury Theatre) as “Tulsa” and an ensemble including Saniyah As-Salaam, “Newsboy;” Larry Baldacci, “Uncle Jocko / Mr. Weber / Mr. Goldstone / Pastey;” Tatiana Bustamante, “Marjorie May;” Joshua Bishop, “Angie / Bougeron-Cochon;” Elya Faye Bottiger, “Dolores;” William “Pierce” Cleaveland, “Clarence;” Jared David Michael Grant, “Georgie / Mr. Kringelein / Phil;” Michelle Huey, “Dolores;” Jillian-Giselle, “Baby Louise;” Hannah Love Jones, “Balloon Girl;” J. Michael Jones, “Pop / Cigar;” Marvin J. Malone II, “Yonkers;” Desmond Murphy, “Arnold;” Renellè Nicole, “Gail;” Jeff Pierpoint, “Agnes;” Ariel Triunfo, “Edna Mae” and Isabella Warren, “Baby June.” 

The Gypsy production team includes 
Michael Weber, director; David Fiorello, music director; Chris Carter, choreographer and associate director; Robin da Silva, assistant director; Jeffrey D. Kmiec, scenic designer; Robert Hornbostel, sound designer; Bill Morey, costume designer; Denise Karczewski, lighting designer; Andrew Ashley Hatcher, props designer; Kevin Barthel, wig designer; Sean McStravick, stage manager and Aaron Shapiro and Cody Westgaard, production managers.

ABOUT MICHAEL WEBER, director
Michael Weber is the artistic director of Porchlight Music Theatre where, under his leadership, the company has received the Best Production Equity Jeff Award for five consecutive years. He previously served as artistic director for the inaugural season of Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place (now The Broadway Playhouse) and at Theatre at the Center (1998 – 2004). He recently appeared on stage in Porchlight Music Theatre’s Porchlight Revisits Do Re Mi and directed Merrily We Roll Along. His productions of  End of the Rainbow, Sweeney Todd, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Pal Joey, Assassins and Side Show at Porchlight Music Theatre, Grand Hotel at Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place and She Loves Me at Theatre at the Center were each nominated for the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production. Directing credits include Living the History-125 Years of The Auditorium Theatre starring Patti LuPone and John Mahoney, Fifth of July and Talley’s Folly at the Oak Park Festival Theatre, The Petrified Forest at Theatre at the Center, Beauty and the Beast at Marriott Theatre, Over the River and Through the Woods at The Mercury Theater and Cirque du Symphony at Sears Center Arena. The recipient of two Joseph Jefferson Awards, he has written and directed the past twelve Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremonies. Weber’s regional acting credits include Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy (both starring Patti LuPone) at Ravinia, Disney’s My Son Pinocchio at First Stage Milwaukee, Around the World in 80 Days at Cleveland Playhouse, The Winter’s Tale and Henry V at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, It Had To Be You (starring Cindy Williams and Eddie Mekka) at Little Theatre on the Square and The Gifts of the Magi at Indiana Repertory. Weber is proud to serve as a pledge host on WTTW, Channel 11. 

ABOUT DAVID FIORELLO, music director
David Fiorello returns to Porchlight, where he has music directed many productions and special events including the Porchlight Revisits productions Do Re Mi and Woman of the Year, Chicago Sings: Sinatra & The Rat Pack and the 2017 – 2018 and 2016 – 2018 New Faces Sing Broadway seasons. He recently appeared in Porchlight’s Merrily We Roll Along as “Joe Josephson.” Fiorello has been in Chicago since 2010, when he moved from the East Coast to music direct and vocal coach at Northwestern University’s Music Theatre Certificate Program. He served as music director for the Off-Broadway hit Danny & Sylvia: The Danny Kaye Musical, and has toured nationally and internationally with several productions, including John Doyle’s re-imagining of Sweeney Todd, as music director. Fiorello has worked in Chicago with Chicago Shakespeare, The Marriott Theatre and many others. A director, music director, performer, writer, arranger and show doctor, he has helped guide new works to development and world premieres in Chicago, at New York Musical Festival and several premieres in the United Kingdom. He has written and collaborated on several original pieces, including the musical The Language or the Kiss, a musical featuring the music of The Indigo Girls, that he conceived, wrote the book and starred in for many Off-Broadway industry readings. 

ABOUT CHRIS CARTER, associate director and choreographer
Christopher Carter is a graduate of Grand Valley State University with a liberal arts degree in dance. Carter has traveled extensively performing, directing and choreographing. Some of his Porchlight Music Theatre credits include Memphis, Dreamgirls, In The Heights and the Porchlight Revisits productions They’re Playing Our Song and Chess. Other credits include Five Guys Named Moe (Court Theater); Hair (Mercury Theater); The Legend Of Georgia McBride (Northlight Theater); and Sweeney Todd, Godspell, Secret Garden and Pirates Of Penzance (Grand Valley State University); Show Boat and Oklahoma (Lyric Opera Chicago); Show Boat (San Francisco and Houston Grand Opera); Hairspray (Drury Lane Oakbrook), Joseph… (Paramount Theater); Duke Ellington’s Queenie Pie (Chicago Opera Theater); Oliver, Carousel and Brigadoon (Light Opera Works); The Wiz,  42nd Street and Guys and Dolls (Theatre at the Center); Smokey Joe’s Café (Circle Theatre); The Wild Party (Actor’s Theater). Carter has been the choreographer for the Grand Rapids Civic’s SRT for the past five years. He was a Debbie Allen Dance Academy Scholarship student and has additional credits including national tours, commercial, industrial and concert work.

ABOUT E.FAYE BUTLER, “Rose”
E. Faye Butler’s career spans more than 35 years in the entertainment industry. Butler is an actress – singer. Most importantly, she is an entertainer with an extraordinary gift to capture an audience and put them in the palm of her hands. Butler performs in concert halls, club venues, corporate events, cabarets and theatres across the country and internationally. She continues to create and develop new and captivating shows. Many audiences recognize Butler from her theatre career. Goodman Theatre, Arena Stage, Victory Gardens, Northlight Theatre, Court Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Yale Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Steppenwolf Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Signature Theatre, Centerstage, Chicago Shakespeare, Congo Square, Marriott’s Lincolnshire Theatre, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Fulton Theatre, Maine State, Sacramento Music Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre and PaperMill Playhouse are among the theatres where Butler has performed. As well as in Off Broadway national and regional tours of Mamma Mia, Ain’t Misbehavin, Dinah Was, Nunsense and Nunsense II. She is the recipient of six Joseph Jefferson Awards, as well as two Helen Hayes Awards, R.A.M.I. Award, John Barrymore Award, Ovation Award, Sarah Siddons Leading Lady Award, After Dark Award, Excellence in the Arts, four Black Theatre Alliance Awards, Black Alliance Award, Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship, Kathryn V. Lampkey Award, and has been inducted into the Women in the Arts Museum in Washington D.C.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE AS RUTH PAGE ARTIST IN-RESIDENCE
Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to be a member of the vibrant Ruth Page Center for the Arts community and an Artist In-Residence. Central to the Ruth Page Center for the Arts’ programming is the Artists In-Residence 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
As Chicago’s home for music theatre, Porchlight Music Theatre enters its 24th season and its second as an Artist In-Residence at the historic Ruth Page Center for the Arts in Chicago’s Gold Coast. Porchlight Music Theatre is nationally recognized for reimagining classic productions, developing new works and showcasing musical theatre’s noted Chicago veterans and rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre by providing intimate and powerful theatrical experiences of music theatre through the lens of the “Chicago Style.” Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 60 productions with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Through Porchlight’s “Off the Porch” new works program, the musicals of the next generation are developed and given a first audience. The School at Porchlight is Chicago’s center for music theatre training in the areas of performance, writing and appreciation including a youth summer “Make Your Own Musical” camp and a Saturday morning youth program. The company’s many accolades include 28 Black Theatre Alliance nominations and seven awards, as well as a total of 151 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 42 Jeff Awards including five consecutive Best Production awards for The Scottsboro Boys (2017), Dreamgirls (2016), Sondheim on Sondheim (2015), Ain’t Misbehavin’ (2014) and A Class Act (2013).

Ms. Butler’s performance is sponsored by Michael and Mona Heath.

Porchlight Music Theatre is supported by generous contributions from the Actors’ Equity Foundation, Bayless Family Foundation, Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, Chapman | Spingola, Attorneys at Law, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Elegant Events Lighting, James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Prince Foundation, the Morgan Stanley Foundation, Q Chicago, The Saints and the Topfer Family 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.