Theatre with a side of life
Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to present THE RUFFIANS’ BURNING BLUEBEARD. I’ve enjoyed this whimsical show on a couple occasions (2014 , 2011 ). It’s magical! The subject matter doesn’t easily lend itself to an uplifting theatrical experience. The 1903 Chicago Iroquois Theatre fire killed 600 people, mostly women and children. Yet, Playwright Jay Torrence tells ...
Porchlight Music Theatre presents SUNSET BOULEVARD. Based on Billy Wilder’s Academy Award-winning film, the tale focuses on Norma Desmond, a silent movie icon. Although Norma has been out of the Hollywood spotlight for twenty years, she is ready to return to the screen, her fans and stardom. When Norma coerces a struggling screenwriter to ...
Porchlight Music Theatre presents A CHORUS LINE. The creative team of James Kirkwood, Jr. (book), Nicholas Dante (book), Edward Kleban (lyrics) and Marvin Hamlisch (music) debuted this musical in 1975. The story focuses on 17 performers trying out for a show. During the audition process, they will not only sing and dance, the director will push ...
Porchlight Music Theatre presents A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER. Is it more a comedy or a musical? It's an extraordinary combination of both. Robert L. Freedman (book and lyrics) and Steven Lutvak (music and lyrics) create a witty and clever killer’s confession. Based on Roy Horniman’s novel, Freedman and Lutvak tell the story of ...
Porchlight Music Theatre presents GYPSY a musical fable. OH, MAMA! E. Faye Butler (Mama Rose) owns this stage from the moment she steps on it. Her pipes, whether screaming for her way or lifting the rafters in song, are undeniably extraordinary. Butler is a tour de force in her non-stop, dynamic performance! Her commanding presence is palpable. ...
Porchlight Music Theatre presents MEMPHIS. I LOVED my trip to MEMPHIS! This musical is a powerful tribute to race relations within our rock and roll roots. The story is based on a concept by George W. George and the real life of DJ Dewey Phillips. The creative team of Joe DiPietro (book and lyrics) and David Bryan ...
Porchlight Music Theatre presents BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL. Porchlight Music Theatre kicks off its 2017/2018 season in its new Gold Coast home at the Ruth Page Center for Arts. The venue has undergone a major transformation. Although the seating feels cozy, the stage is massive. The 30+ crew of ballerinas, police officers and coal miners easily ...
Porchlight Music Theatre presents MARRY ME A LITTLE. Austin Cook and Bethany Thomas star in this musical montage of a relationship. We meet Cook and Thomas on a lonely Saturday night. They are both focusing on their passion: his -the piano, hers- photography. Their resignation to single-dom is interrupted by a chance meeting. This infrequently performed Stephen Sondheim ...
Porchlight Music Theatre announces the Chicago premiere of the Broadway musical The Scottsboro Boys. Nine African American teenagers falsely accused of gang raping two white ladies is not your typical basis for a musical. The creative team behind other unconventional musicals like Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Cabaret tackle civil rights in this mockery of injustice. John ...