OUR 2025 – 2026 SEASON
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Just in time for the Holidays
Porchlight Sings the Season
Monday, Dec. 8 at 7:30PM and Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 7:30PM
Rhapsody Theater, 1328 W. Morse Ave.
Directed by Brenda Didier and Michael Weber
Music Directed by David Fiorello
Porchlight Sings the Season celebrates the holidays with music from Broadway and Hollywood with Porchlight luminaries performing songs from Mame, Meet Me in St. Louis, Holiday Inn and others. This premiere offers a musical respite from the holiday stress with an unforgettable evening of festive entertainment, sing-alongs, a salute to Chicago holidays past, warm cookies, an ugly holiday sweater contest and more to warm up the season with festive and nostalgic entertainment for the whole family.
Frank McCourt’s Musical Smash Hit
The Irish… and How They Got That Way
January 31 – March 15, 2026
Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St.
By Frank McCourt
Music & Lyrics by Various Artists
Directed by David Girolmo
Music Directed by David Fiorello
Original Musical Arrangements by Rusty McGee
The Irish… and How They Got That Way is an irreverent musical history of Ireland through the tumultuous 20th and 21st centuries seen through the eyes of Pulitzer Prize winning author, Frank McCourt (Angela’s Ashes, ‘Tis, Teacher Man) whose razor sharp wit, coupled with his trademark satirical irony and boundless love for the Irish People are all underscored by humor, heartache and a glorious score that spans 100+ years from “Danny Boy,” “Galway Bay” and “The Rare Old Times” to “Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ra” and U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I Am Looking For.”
A Sondheim Masterpiece
Porchlight In Concert: Follies
Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 7:30PM and Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 2PM
Studebaker Theater, 410 S. Michigan Ave.
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Goldman
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber
Music Directed by Linda Madonia
Porchlight In Concert debuted in 2024 with sold out performances of Sunday in the Park with George and this season returns to the Studebaker for a limited engagement of another Stephen Sondheim classic, Follies. Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Score, Follies shares the reunion of the legendary “Weismann Follies” company on the eve of a crumbling theater’s demolition, to reminisce about their past with a rich score that celebrates the music of the 20s – 40s. Considered to be one of the best American musicals, Follies includes the celebrated standards “Broadway Baby,” “I’m Still Here,” “Losing My Mind” and more.
Current Porchlight Music Theatre subscribers receive early access and an additional $5 off Porchlight in Concert: Follies tickets before single tickets go on sale to the public.
Not a subscriber? go for the Follies Pass to make sure you secure great seats before the general public! For $50 per ticket, you will get early access to a Follies ticket in any price level ($95, 125, $150).
Get the Follies Pass HERE. (Use the code FolliesPass).
Other Exciting Events to Look for this Season
Off The Porch: Making Marilyn Miller – An Immersive Musical
Fall 2025
Book and Lyrics by David H. Bell
Music by Ira Antelis
Porchlight’s new work developmental series, Off the Porch, hosts Making Marilyn Miller – An Immersive Experience. Making Marilyn Miller follows the audition process for a modern musical based on the life of the great music theatre icon of the 1920s. Three women are the finalists for this role of a lifetime and in the audition process, they explore the complex, contradictory, meteoric success of one of the theatre’s first superstars.
Marilyn Miller starred in her first Ziegfeld Follies in 1918 when she was only 22 years old. She became the highest paid performer on Broadway and Hollywood and was the embodiment of the “modern flapper” and a symbol of the Jazz Age.
Chicago Sings Broadway’s British Invasion
Spring 2026
Porchlight’s annual concert fundraiser highlights Great Britain’s contributions to the biggest hits of Broadway. Chicago music theatre’s leading performers add their signature style to the musical favorites that premiered “across the pond” in this one-night-only event. From early West End successes like Me and My Girl, Oliver! and Stop the World – I Want to Get Off, to the “rock operas,” Jesus Christ Superstar, Chess and Evita, blockbusters including Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon and Les Misérables and recent favorites Mamma Mia!, Six, Operation Mincemeat and more.
Broadway in your Backyard
Summer 2026
Porchlight’s free, outdoor summer concert series marks its sixth edition in 2026 at parks throughout Chicago. The 60-minute, family-friendly, outdoor performance includes some of the best loved show tunes from Broadway and Hollywood with sing-alongs, a raffle for valuable prizes and more.
Please note: performances, dates and participants are subject to change.
