Watch & Listen
PERFORMANCES
Cabaret — Now Closed (January 14 – March 19, 2023)
Bold and provocative, this landmark musical shines a spotlight on Berlin in the late 1920s and the colorful, gritty and hedonistic lives found there. Filled with iconic songs and electrifying dance the story of American writer “Clifford Bradshaw’s” relationship with English cabaret performer “Sally Bowles” as the Nazi party is rising to power is one you’ll never forget. Overseen by an ominous “Emcee” at the fabled Kit Kat Club, Cabaret is an astonishing and eye-popping tale that has renewed resonance in today’s political climate. “Your table’s waiting” for this winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on the 1951 play I am a Camera by John Van Druten adapted from the 1939 novella Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber
Music Directed by Linda Madonia
Associate Directed & Choreographed by Brenda Didier
Promotional photography by Joe Mazza
LEARN ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF CABARET!
CABARET ORIGINS |
CABARET INFLUENCES |
CABARET AT PORCHLIGHT
HEAR WHAT AUDIENCES HAVE TO SAY ABOUT CABARET!
INTERVIEW WITH THE COMPANY OF CABARET
(PAUL LISNEK’S “BEHIND THE CURTAIN”)
CATCH THE CAST OF CABARET ON WGN’S AROUND TOWN
GO BEHIND-THE-SCENES WITH THE COMPANY OF CABARET
PRODUCTION PHOTOS
Photos by Liz Lauren.
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RENT — Now Closed (Oct. 29 – Dec. 11, 2022)
Over the last 25 years, this Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical has become a cultural phenomenon with millions of fans around the world. Porchlight’s production celebrates this legacy and adds a new page to the story of a year in the life of a diverse group of artists struggling to survive and create in Lower Manhattan’s East Village under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. In the thriving days of bohemian Alphabet City at the end of the millennium, these friends are determined to follow their dreams without selling out..
Music, Lyrics & Book by Jonathan Larson
Based loosely on Giacomo Puccini’s 1896 opera La Bohème
Directed by Adrian Abel Azevedo
Music Directed by Dr. Michael McBride
Choreographed by Laura Savage
LEARN ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF RENT
RENT ORIGINS |
RENT INFLUENCES |
PORCHLIGHT’S RENT
HEAR WHAT AUDIENCES HAVE TO SAY ABOUT RENT
CATCH THE CAST OF RENT ON WGN’S AROUND TOWN
GO BEHIND-THE-SCENES WITH THE COMPANY OF RENT
PRODUCTION PHOTOS
Photos by Liz Lauren
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Porchlight Revisits I am a Camera — NOW CLOSED (Feb. 8 & Feb. 9, 2023)
Premiering in 1951 starring Julie Harris as “Sally Bowles,” this special event production is a rare opportunity to experience the remarkable play that became the inspiration for the musical Cabaret. Never revived on Broadway and not seen in Chicago in decades, the title is a quotation taken from Christopher Isherwood’s “Goodbye to Berlin’s” first page: “I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking.” Before Kander and Ebb. Before Bob Fosse. Before Liza Minnelli. Come see the play that started it all!
Now in its ninth season, Porchlight Revisits celebrates the rarely seen gems of Broadway, off-Broadway and beyond and is the ticket to go behind the scenes with an introduction to the luminaries who created these plays and musicals and an opportunity to discover a new ‘old’ favorite all in one big show. Chicago’s finest talents dust off these treasures and escort audiences into the world of the art of theatre’s past for a limited run. In addition to productions from days gone by, each Porchlight Revisits includes the 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 stories and much more.
Written by John Van Druten
Directed by Nate Cohen
PRODUCTION PHOTOS
Photos by Lobo Tate
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Porchlight Revisits The Apple Tree — NOW CLOSED (Dec. 7 & Dec. 8, 2022)
The songwriting team behind Fiddler on the Roof and She Loves Me created this witty, tuneful and charming piece that was Tony nominated for Best Musical. Made up of three musical miniatures, each directed by a different person, Porchlight Revisits The Apple Tree includes
The Diary of Adam and Eve, a quirky, touching spin on the tale of the world’s first couple, adapted from Mark Twain’s short stories; The Lady or the Tiger?, a 1960’s rock and roll fable set in a mythical kingdom, which explores the fickleness of love and Passionella based on Jules Feiffer’s offbeat Cinderella-story about a chimney sweep who dreams of being a “glamorous movie star.”
Music by Jerry Bock
Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Book by Bock & Harnick with contributions from Jerome Coopersmith
Music Directed by David Fiorello
The Diary of Adam and Eve
Directed by Frankie Leo Bennett
The Lady or the Tiger?
Directed & Choreographed by Jamal Howard
Passionella
Directed & Choreographed by Laura Savage
PRODUCTION PHOTOS
Photos by Oni Wright
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Broadway in your Backyard 2022
Playing to packed crowds across Chicagoland parks in 2021 and 2022, Porchlight Music Theatre’s free concert series Broadway in your Backyard is part of Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks series, supported by the Mayor’s Office and Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Broadway in your Backyard is performed at a number of different parks in the Chicagoland area and features a rotating company performing favorite songs from RENT, Hello, Dolly!, The Music Man, Grease, Six, The Little Mermaid, Hair, West Side Story, Mamma Mia! and MORE. Photos below by Lobo Tate and Oni Wright.
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Learn more about Broadway in your Backyard
SPECIAL EVENTS
Chicago Sings Broadway Pop — March 27, 2023 at the House of Blues Chicago
Chicago Sings is Porchlight’s signature fundraising concert, featuring live performances by Chicago music theatre’s best-loved artists, the presentation of the 2023 Guy Adkins Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Music Theatre in Chicago and more. Chicago Sings returns in 2023 for Chicago Sings Broadway Pop.
Since its earliest days, songs that have appeared on Broadway have crossed over to the music charts and popular songs heard on the radio have found their way to Broadway stages. In 2023, Chicago Sings Broadway Pop celebrates these Broadway musicals with an eclectic night of songs from such shows as Chess, Dreamgirls, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia!, 9 to 5 and others.
All Chicago Sings proceeds benefit our youth education, artistic and community outreach programs — support that advances Porchlight’s resilience and commitment to illuminating the past, present and future of music theatre.
BUY TICKETS TO CHICAGO SINGS BROADWAY POP
CELEBRATE POP MUSIC ON BROADWAY WITH BROADWAY ON THE STREET
EDUCATION
PMT EDUCATION (2022 – 2023)
Our Youth Programs serve ages 4-17 years 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. Our Engagement Programs deepen audience connection to the art, artists and the community. Have a question? Reach out to Education Director Rebeccah Singer* at rebeccah@porchlightmusictheatre.org.
LEARN MORE ABOUT PMT EDUCATION
JOIN US FOR PORCHLIGHT’S 2023 SUMMER CAMP
LEARN MORE ABOUT PORCHLIGHT’S EDUCATION PROGRAMS
PERFORMANCES
Spring Awakening — NOW CLOSED (Apr. 23 – June 2, 2022)
The winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Porchlight’s production will thrill you with a story over 130 years in the making! Set against the backdrop of a repressive and provincial late 19th-century Germany, and based on Frank Wedekind’s 1891 play that was immediately banned due to its subject matter, Spring Awakening tells the timeless story of youthful self-discovery and budding sexuality as seen through the eyes of three teenagers. Haunting and provocative, this landmark American musical celebrates a journey from adolescence to adulthood with a power, a poignancy and a passion you will never forget.
Music by Duncan Sheik
Book and lyrics by Steven Sater
Based on the 1891 German play Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind
Directed and Choreographed by Brenda Didier
Music Directed by Justin Akira Kono
HEAR WHAT AUDIENCES HAVE TO SAY ABOUT SPRING AWAKENING
GO BEHIND-THE-SCENES WITH THE COMPANY OF SPRING AWAKENING
PRODUCTION PHOTOS
Photos by Liz Lauren
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Blues in the Night — NOW CLOSED (Feb. 9 – Mar. 20, 2022)
The Blues is one of America’s original art forms and Chicago was the home to some of the greatest Blues performers ever. Set in a history-filled hotel on Chicago’s south side one fateful night in the late 1930s, this Tony Award-nominated celebration interweaves the stories of three women who share their highs and lows of romance through the iconic songs of Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Alberta Hunter, Jimmy Cox, Ida Cox and others.
Conceived by Sheldon Epps
With the music of Bessie Smith, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Gordon Jenkins, and Alberta Hunter and others
Directed and Choreographed by Kenny Ingram
Music Directed by David Fiorello
Associate Music Directed and Conducted by Maulty Jewell IV
Assistant Choreographed by Ariel Dorsey
BLUES IN THE NIGHT — WINNER OF 4 JEFF AWARDS
HEAR WHAT CRITICS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT BLUES IN THE NIGHT
INTERVIEWS WITH THE CAST & COMPANY OF BLUES IN THE NIGHT
BLUES IN THE NIGHT FEATURETTES
PRODUCTION PHOTOS
Photos by Anthony Robert La Penna
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Pump Boys & Dinettes — NOW CLOSED (Oct. 30 – Dec. 12, 2021)
Porchlight’s 27th season kicks off with a stop at the Double Cupp Diner for Pump Boys & Dinettes, one of the longest running shows in Chicago Theatre history and a country fried phenomenon filled with toe-tapping music on guitar, piano, bass and a kitchen utensil or two! This North Carolina dinette is your home off the highway and located just across the street from the filling station. Run by Prudie and Rhetta Cupp, beloved sisters who are always ready with a cup of Joe, a slice of pie, a homespun song and a “Welcome back!” The New York Times said “It doesn’t merely celebrate the value of friendship and life’s simple pleasures, it embodies them.”
Created by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Tony winner Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann
Directed by Daryl D. Brooks
Music Directed by Robert Reddrick
Choreographed by Rueben D. Echoles
Costumes & Wigs designed by Rueben D. Echoles
HEAR WHAT AUDIENCES HAVE TO SAY ABOUT PUMP BOYS & DINETTES
MEET THE CAST & COMPANY OF PUMP BOYS & DINETTES
PRODUCTION PHOTOS
Photos by Chollette
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Porchlight Revisits Passing Strange — NOW CLOSED (May 18 & May 19, 2021)
From L.A. to Amsterdam to Berlin, a young musician chases youthful dreams and spiritual clarity against a shifting backdrop of locales and acquaintances as he rebels against his conservative upbringing. This hit rock musical, loaded with soulful lyrics and passion, debuted to critical acclaim on Broadway in 2008, winning both the Tony and Drama Desk Awards and went on to be a critically acclaimed motion picture filmed by Spike Lee+ in 2009. The New York Times said about its Broadway debut, “Call it a rock concert with a story to tell … Or call it a sprawling work of performance art … I’ll just call it wonderful.”
Lyrics and Book by Stew
Music by Heidi Rodewald and Stew
Directed by Donterrio
Music Directed by Bryan McCaffrey
Choreographed by Terri K Woodall
PRODUCTION PHOTOS
Photos by Lobo Tate
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Porchlight Revisits Nunsense — NOW CLOSED (Nov. 17 & Nov. 18, 2021)
Porchlight Revisits launches its 2021-2022 season with this heaven-sent musical. Join the Little Sisters of Hoboken for a wholesome variety show to raise emergency funds for the convent. After 52 of the nuns met an untimely end from Sister Julia, Child of God’s vichyssoise, the surviving sisters need to throw the fundraiser to pay for their burials. This funny foray has blessed theatregoers worldwide for more than 30 years and has had six sequels, three spin-offs and a TV special starring “Golden Girl” Rue McClanahan as “Mother Superior!”
Book, music and lyrics by Dan Goggin
Directed by Michelle Lauto
Music Directed by Kailey Rockwell
Choreographed by Jenna Schoepe
PRODUCTION PHOTOS
Photos by Justin Kocher
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Broadway in your Backyard 2021
Playing to packed crowds across Chicagoland parks in 2021 and 2022, Porchlight Music Theatre’s free concert series Broadway in your Backyard is part of Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks series, supported by the Mayor’s Office and Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Broadway in your Backyard is performed at a number of different parks in the Chicagoland area and features a rotating company performing favorite songs from RENT, Hello, Dolly!, The Music Man, Grease, Six, The Little Mermaid, Hair, West Side Story, Mamma Mia! and MORE. Photos below by Lobo Tate and Oni Wright.
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Learn more about Broadway in your Backyard
SPECIAL EVENTS
ICONS Gala 2022 —Sept. 23, 2022 at the Ritz-Carlton
Chaired by Joe Higgins and Scott Hoesman and honoring ICON Donna McKechnie*, who received a Tony Award for her performance as “Cassie” in the original company of A Chorus Line, “the most entertaining gala in town” welcomed performing arts lovers and advocates from across the region to gather in the Ritz-Carlton’s beautiful 12th-floor ballroom overlooking the city.
Honoring ICONS Award Recipient Donna McKechnie
with Luminary Award recipient Dan Ratner
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber
Co-directed and choreographed by Jenna Schoppe
Additional choreography by Christopher Chase Carter, Kelly Felthous and Reneisha Jenkins
Music Directed by Linda Madonia
PHOTOS OF ICONS GALA 2022
Photos by Chollette
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Chicago Sings Stephen Sondheim — May 23, 2022 at the Museum of Contemporary Art
Chicago Sings is Porchlight’s signature fundraising concert, featuring a lineup of Chicago’s best and brightest music theatre and cabaret favorites. In 2022, our annual celebration revolved around the incomparable Stephen Sondheim and his legacy as a titan of American music theatre with a concert experience that shines a spotlight on all of his most beloved songs and some hidden gems. The evening also included the presentation of the Guy Adkins Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Music Theatre in Chicago.
All Chicago Sings proceeds benefit our youth education, artistic and community outreach programs — support that advances Porchlight’s resilience and commitment to illuminating the past, present and future of music theatre.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CHICAGO SINGS STEPHEN SONDHEIM
PHOTOS OF CHICAGO SINGS STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Photos by Chollette
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EDUCATION
PMT EDUCATION (2021 – 2022)
Our Youth Programs serve ages 4-17 years 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. Our Engagement Programs deepen audience connection to the art, artists and the community. Have a question? Reach out to Education Director Rebeccah Singer* at rebeccah@porchlightmusictheatre.org.
LEARN MORE ABOUT PMT EDUCATION
LEARN MORE ABOUT SPRING & SUMMER CLASSES
JOIN PORCHLIGHT’S SUMMER CAMP
‘TOP OF THEIR CLASS’: A CLASS FOR THEATRE ENTHUSIASTS