ICONS Gala 2024

Kick off Porchlight Music Theatre’s 30th anniversary season at the ICONS Gala! Every dollar raised supports Porchlight’s mission of celebrating the past, present and future of music theatre. Join us for:

• Presentation of the ICON Award to Raúl Esparza and Luminary Award to longtime supporters Michelle & Steve Cucchiaro
• Live performances celebrating Esparza’s notable Broadway musical career featuring some of Chicago theatre’s biggest stars directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber and Music Directed by Linda Madonia with Associate Music Director Justin Kono.
• Intimate on-stage conversation between Mr. Esparza and WGN’s Paul Lisnek
• Wine and mimosa reception with a deluxe brunch buffet
• Exciting live auction and more!

REGISTRATION FOR THE ICONS GALA IS CLOSED.

VIEW THE PROGRAM

The ICONS Gala was launched in 2012 and many icons have been honored throughout its history including Hal Prince, Elaine Stritch, Bob Fosse, Ethel Merman and Fred Astaire among others. In 2020, the ICON Award was established to celebrate a notable artist who has made an indelible contribution to American entertainment and has since been presented to living legends Joel Grey, Chita Rivera and in 2022, Donna McKechnie and Ben Vereen.

The Luminary Award is bestowed annually at the ICONS Gala and this year it is presented to Michelle and Steve Cucchiaro. This honor recognizes an outstanding individual, family or family foundation with a history of philanthropic and volunteer leadership on behalf of Porchlight and music theatre in Chicago, and whose generosity inspires others to philanthropic action. Past honorees include Rick and Deann Bayless and the Bayless Family Foundation, Elaine Cohen and Arlen D. Rubin, Jim Jensen, Jean Klingenstein, Dr. Paul M. Lisnek and Dan Ratner and the Ratner Family Foundation.

ABOUT RAÚL ESPARZA, 2024 ICON AWARD RECIPIENT

Raúl Esparza is an American stage and screen actor, recently starring as “Galileo Galilei” in Galileo in the dazzling world-premiere musical at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, helmed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, American Idiot) and written by two-time Emmy winner Danny Strong (Dopesick, Empire, The Butler). Since making his Broadway debut as “Riff Raff” in The Rocky Horror Show in 1999, Esparza has become one of Broadway’s most acclaimed leading men of the 21st century and one of the most revered interpreters of Stephen Sondheim’s work. For his accomplishments, Esparza was the second performer in theatre history, and only one of five overall, to receive Tony nominations in all four acting categories a performer is eligible in: Taboo (Featured Actor in a Musical), Company (Actor in a Musical), The Homecoming (Featured Actor in a Play) and Speed-the-Plow (Actor in a Play). His additional Broadway credits include lead roles in Leap of Faith, Arcadia, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Cabaret.

Off-Broadway, Esparza originated the role of “Jonathan Larson” in 2001 in tick, tick… BOOM!. His other off-Broadway credits include Oliver! (as “Fagin” in the first New York City revival in almost 40 years), Seared, Road Show, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Cymbeline, The Cradle Will Rock, Twelfth Night, The Normal Heart (as “Ned Weeks” in the first major revival since the original production) and Comedians. His other notable theater credits include heralded turns as both “Charley” in Merrily We Roll Along and “Georges Seurat” in Sunday in the Park with George at the Kennedy Center’s 2002 Sondheim Celebration series, “Che” in the 20th anniversary national tour of Evita, The Waves and Chess. For his theatre work, he is the recipient of an Obie, a Theater World Award and three Drama Desk Awards, among others.

On screen, Esparza is best known for his acclaimed regular/recurring roles as “Dr. Frederick Chilton” on NBC’s “Hannibal” (2013-15) and “Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba” on NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (2012-18). His other notable TV credits include “Murder at the End of the World,” “Candy,” “Dopesick,” “The Path,” “BoJack Horseman” and “Pushing Daisies.” On film, his credits include “Ferdinand,” “Custody,” “Trouble in the Heights,” “Georgetown,” “My Soul to Take” and Sidney Lumet’s “Find Me Guilty.”

In 2020, in the immediate wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Esparza conceived of, executive produced and performed in the online concert event “Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration” on Broadway.com to raise funds for Arts Ignite (formerly ASTEP, Artists Striving to End Poverty). Honoring the legendary composer for his milestone birthday—and entirely produced at home during the nation’s lockdown—the event has accumulated over 4 millions views and and featured over 30 recorded performances, including Meryl Streep, Bernadette Peters, Patti Lupone, Mandy Patinkin, Audra McDonald, Christine Baranski, Sutton Foster, Kelli O’Hara, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Donna Murphy and many more. The concert received a special Drama League Award for Outstanding Digital Concert Production; citations as a “Best of 2020” program from the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, NPR’s Fresh Air and The New Yorker and is now preserved in the Library of Congress. 

ABOUT MICHELLE AND STEVE CUCCHIARO, 2024 LUMINARY AWARD RECIPIENTS

Michelle and Steve Cucchiaro have been passionate about musicals for most of their lives. In addition to music theatre, film plays a major role in their lives. Michelle Cucchiaro is a longtime Porchlight board member and serves on the Gene Siskel Film Center’s advisory board and the Sarah Siddons Society board and has been a member of the Chicago International Film Festival/Cinema Chicago for many years. She is also a member of the Arts Club of Chicago. Steve Cucchiaro serves on Porchlight’s finance committee. During the late 1970s, when Chicago/Off Loop theatre was in its infancy, they served on the audience development board at Victory Gardens Theatre and later on its board of directors. Lifelong Chicagoans, the Cucchiaros take great pride in the current theatre scene, subscribing to and supporting many of the local theatres.

Photo by Judy Freeman.

MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST

Porchlight launches the 30th season with its annual fundraiser and includes a full slate of entertainment featuring performers Adrian Aguilar, Juwon Tyrel Perry, Ava Stovall and Keely Vasquez celebrating Mr. Esparza’s stage career including numbers from tick, tick … BOOM!, Company, Sunday in the Park with George and others, directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber, music directed by Linda Madonia (keyboard) with associate music director Justin Kono (drums) and Eric von Holst (bass). In addition to the performances there will be an interview between Mr. Esparza and WGN’s Paul Lisnek.

Adrian Aguilar (he/him) Adrian has performed on stages and screens all over the country in his 20 year career, but he will always call Chicago his home. Born and raised in the burbs, he chose to come back to Chicago to start his career and family, rather than the typical path to NYC. He has been married to the woman of his dreams, Brianna Borger, for nearly 14 years, and they live a quiet life in Evanston with their perfect son, Ian, and their perfectly imperfect meatball of a pittie, Ahsoka Doggo. Adrian considers himself to be the luckiest person on the planet.”

 Juwon Tyrel Perry (he/him)

Previously seen at Porchlight: Spring Awakening, Chicago Sings Rock & Roll, Chicago Sings Sondheim, Chicago Sings Broadway Pop, New Faces 1941, Broadway in your Backyard

Chicago credits include: Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812 (Writers Theatre), James & The Giant Peach, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Madagascar (Marriott Theatre), Gospel at Colonus (Court Theatre- 2023 Jeff Award Winner for Best Ensemble), Dreamgirls (Paramount Theatre), Twelfth Night In The City, Shakespeare In The Park, 2B42 (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Ragtime, Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor…, Billy Elliott (Music Theatre Works) Ragtime (Griffin Theatre- 2018 Jeff Award Winner for Best Ensemble & Best Production).

Regional: Sister Act (Geva Theatre), Dreamgirls (North Carolina Theater) Gospel at Colonus (The Getty Villa).

Education: BFA in Musical Theatre Performance, Columbia College Chicago; Black Box Acting Academy.

Ava Stovall is fresh to the Chicago theatre scene and recently made her debut in Kokandy’s Alice by Heart. Favorite credits include: “Emma Carew” (Jekyll and Hyde), Ursula (The Little Mermaid), “Jo March” (Little Women), “Miss Andrew” (Mary Poppins) and “Beatrice” (Much Ado About Nothing). You can catch her next in Porchlight’s New Faces Sing Broadway Now. She thanks Chicago, and Porchlight, for welcoming her with open arms and passionate hearts.

Keely Vasquez (she/her) is a Chicago-based actor, singer, voice-over artist. Porchlight Music Theater credits include: Merrily We Roll Along, Can Can (Revisits), In The Heights, New Faces Sing Broadway 2001(host) and New Faces Sing Broadway 1964 (director).

Most recently she was on the First National tour of Dear Evan Hansen, Writers Theatre’s production of Next to Normal, The Mercury Theater Chicago’s Spamalot. Other Chicago theatrical credits include shows at Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre, Mercury Theatre and The Broadway Playhouse. For nearly a decade, she toured the US and Europe singing with Barry Manilow and was featured on more than twenty television shows as well as seven DVD specials. She is represented by Stewart Talent.

THANK YOU TO OUR 2024 ICONS GALA SPONSORS

Michelle & Steve Cucchiaro

Art Garwin

Broadway In Chicago

Emily & Bob Carroll

Rhona & Julian Frazin

Joe Higgins & Scott Hoesman

Chuck & Diane Laff

Mesirow Financial