Chicago Sings Broadway’s British Invasion
Chicago Sings Broadway’s British Invasion
May 11, 2026
Reception begins at 5:30PM, Performance at 7PM
At The House of Blues (329 N. Dearborn St.)
Devised and Directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber
Music Directed by David Fiorello
Choreography by Nataki Rennie
THE BRITISH ARE COMING! Porchlight’s annual concert fundraiser returns with a spotlight on 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, Paddington: The Musical and more.
Featuring some of Chicago’s finest performers previously seen on the Porchlight stage, including: Adrian Aguilar (Pal Joey), Aja Alcazar (Merrily We Roll Along), Lydia Burke (Sophisticated Ladies), Morgan DiFonzo (Cabaret), Devin DeSantis (Side Show), Michelle Duffy (Follies), Adam Fane (Billy Elliot), David Moreland (Sunday in the Park with George), Nataki Rennie (Anything Goes), Lorenzo Sean Parnell (Titanique), Stephen Shellhardt (Fun Home), Kelan M. Smith (Spring Awakening), Ava Stovall (Broadway in your Backyard), and Bethany Thomas (Marry Me a Little) with more names to be announced soon (all performers subject to change).
Tickets on-sale now! Become a part of the celebration and get yours today. GET TICKETS NOW
Thank you to our generous sponsors:
SIGNATURE SPONSOR
Art Garwin
SUPERSTAR SPONSORS
Michelle and Steve Cucchiaro
Chuck and Diane Laff
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Kit Barbaro
Byline Bank
Our 2026 Guy Adkins Award Recipient is Mark David Kaplan!!
Mark David Kaplan is the recipient of three Joseph Jefferson Awards for Les Misérables, Ragtime and Forbidden Broadway the latter with which he has toured internationally and performed off-Broadway. Recent credits include: Cabaret (Porchlight Music Theatre), Fiddler on the Roof (Drury Lane/Lyric Opera), Titanic and Little Shop of Horrors (Marriott), First Lady of Television and Mr. Dicken’s Hat (Northlight), No Man’s Land and Noises Off (Steppenwolf), Clue (Mercury), The Band’s Visit (Theatre Squared), Kinky Boots (Paramount), Into the Woods (Writer’s Theatre) and premieres with Chicago Shakespeare, About Face, Goodman and Skylight Theatres. Concert appearances include She Loves Me (w/Bryce Pinkham) and Cabaret (Gulf Coast Symphony) and Ragtime, opposite Ashley Brown (Cincinnati Pops). Kaplan spent five years on the first and second national tours of The Lion King. Select screen credits include “Utopia” (Amazon), “Chicago Fire” (NBC), the film “Adult Children” (2025) the upcoming feature “Patient” and commercial spots for T-Mobile, the Chicago Cubs and others.As a union advocate (AEA, SAG/AFTRA, AGMA), Kaplan sits on the Central Board for Actors’ Equity Association and serves as a delegate to the Chicago Federation of Labor. He proudly serves as vice president of Season of Concern, Chicago’s primary fund raising organization, which focuses its efforts on the physical and mental wellness of those who share their gifts in the performing arts.
About The Guy Adkins Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Music Theatre in Chicago
For more than 10 years, Porchlight Music Theatre celebrates an individual who has made an exceptional and lasting contribution to the state of the art of Chicago music theatre, with the prestigious Guy Adkins Award. Guy Adkins was an award-winning Chicago actor who passed away in 2010. Among his significant stage credits were Oklahoma! Windy City and A Funny Thing Happened… at Marriott Theatre; The Taming of the Shrew at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre; Pericles, Twelfth Night, The Invention of Love and the title role in Hamlet at Court Theatre; The Time of Your Life at Steppenwolf and the world premieres of the musicals The Return of Martin Guerre and The Visit, both at The Goodman Theatre. The Chicago Sun-Times called Adkins, “…a smart and invariably graceful actor” and The New York Times called him “outrageously talented” for his turn at “Puck” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at the McCarter Theatre in New Jersey. Porchlight commemorates Adkins’ spirit and life with this annual award and celebrates the many gifts he shared with our theatre community and the world.
Past recipients include:
2025 – Heidi Kettenring
2024 – Roberta Duchak
2023 – Rick Boynton
2022 – Jim Corti
2021 – Felicia P. Fields
2019 – Gary Griffin
2018 – Brenda Didier
2017 – Rachel Rockwell
2016 – E. Faye Butler
2015 – Dominic Missimi
2014 – Paula Scrofano
2013 – Douglas Peck
2012 – Hollis Resnik>
2011 – L. Walter Stearns
> (deceased)
ADRIAN AGUILAR
Previously at Porchlight: Pal Joey
AJA ALCAZAR
Previously at Porchlight: Merrily We Roll Along
LYDIA BURKE
Previously at Porchlight: Sophisticated Ladies
MORGAN DiFONZO
Previously at Porchlight: Cabaret
DEVIN DeSANTIS
Previously at Porchlight: Side Show
MICHELLE DUFFY
Previously at Porchlight: Porchlight in Concert’s Follies
ADAM FANE
Previously at Porchlight: Billy Elliot
DAVID MORELAND
Previously at Porchlight: Sunday in the Park with George
NATAKI RENNIE
Previously at Porchlight: Anything Goes
LORENZO SEAN PARNELL
Previously at Porchlight: Titanique!
STEPHEN SHELLHARDT
Previously at Porchlight: Fun Home
KELAN M. SMITH
Previously at Porchlight: Spring Awakening
BETHANY THOMAS
Previously at Porchlight: Marry Me a Little
PLUS more to be announced soon. All performers subject to change.