Theatre with a side of life
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 ...
Porchlight Music Theatre presents the Chicago Premiere of END OF THE RAINBOW. I saw Judy Garland last night in this play about her final days. I experienced her as both a tragic trainwreck and a superstar diva. The extraordinary Angela Ingersoll (Judy) embodies the iconic legend. It’s December 1968 in London. After several major set-backs ...
Porchlight Music Theatre presents the multi-Tony Award-winning IN THE HEIGHTS. Community! This community is bursting with the loving ties of people joined together by their similarities as well as their differences. From the moment I sat down, I saw the community in the detailed streetscape by Scenic Designer Greg Pinsoneault. The two-level multiple-building structure showcases the struggling ...
Porchlight Music Theatre presents the Chicago Premiere of FAR FROM HEAVEN. Summer Naomi Smart (Cathy) captivates from lights up. In a stylish mid-century wardrobe by Costume Designer Bill Morey, Smart is absolutely a picture-perfect-housewife. The stage serves as a pseudo 1950s runway as Smart continually sweeps in with a variety of swing coats, matching hats and full-skirted ...