The 2016 - 2017 Season Expands to Include the Addition of Performances at the Skokie Theatre, New Guest Hosts, New NEW FACES One Production Celebrating New Musicals and M
By: A.A. Cristi Oct. 26, 2016
Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the 2016 - 2017 season of Chicago's hit musical revue series, New Faces Sing returning to Uptown Underground, 4707 N. Broadway and debuting at Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave in Skokie. In tribute to the original New Faces series that ran on Broadway and on film from 1934 - 1968, Porchlight Music Theatre last year created this Chicago musical revue series, New Faces Sing Broadway, as a showcase for the best emerging musical talent now performing on Chicago stages. Each edition is a journey from the start to the finish of a entire musical season on Broadway, peppered with photos and films of the era in an exciting multimedia presentation with a favorite Chicago theatre veteran hosting and introducing the next generation of music theatre artists and acting as your guide through a past season on the Great White Way. Seating is general admission; tickets are $22, with no drink minimum and are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org.
In addition to the performances on stage, the host engages the audience to sing along as the "Broadway chorus" of some of the best-known production numbers from that classic musical season and challenges them to "Name that Showtune," a fun and fast-moving music theatre trivia game where participants win Porchlight prizes.
The original New Faces series via Broadway and movies was instrumental in introducing the public to emerging talent such as June Carroll, Robert Clary, Imogene Coca, Jane Connell, "Professor" Irwin Corey, Henry Fonda, Alice Ghostley, Ronny Graham, Tiger Haynes, Van Johnson, Madeline Kahn, Eartha Kitt, RoBert Klein, Carol Lawrence, Paul Lynde, Virginia Martin, John Reardon, Maggie Smith, Inga Swenson and many, many others.
The 2016 - 2017 New Faces season includes:
New Faces Sing Broadway 1985
Hosted by Mark David Kaplan
Directed and written by Christopher Pazdernik and Michael Weber
Music directed by David Fiorello
Box office: 847-677-7761
Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. - Uptown Underground, 4707 N Broadway St, Chicago
Box office: 773-777-9884
Website box office: PorchlightMusicTheatre.org Performances include songs from the hits and misses that were part of the 1985 Broadway season, including Big River, Grind, Harrigan & Hart, Leader of the Pack, Jerry's Girls, Mayor, Singing' in the Rain, Song and Dance, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The News, Wind in the Willows and others.
The cast of New Faces Sing Broadway 1985 includes Kasey Alfonso (recently seen in The Fly Honey Show); Sydney Germaine (just seen in Julius Caesar at Writers' Theatre), Stephen Allen (currently appearing in Porchlight's In The Heights); Frankie Leo Bennett (currently appearing in Porchlight's In The Heights); Colleen Fee (recently seen in Porchlight's Side Show); Jared Grant (last seen in Porchlight Revisits The Rink); Michelle Lauto (currently appearing in Porchlight's In The Heights); Camille Robinson (recently seen in Little Shop of Horrors at American Blues Theatre); Kyle Ryan (last seen in Porchlight Revisits The Rink) and Katherine Thomas (recently seen in Porchlight's Dreamgirls).
ABOUT MARK David Kaplan, host of New Faces Sings Broadway 1985
Mark David Kaplan's Chicago credits include work with American Blues Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, About Face Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Theater at the Center, Royal George Theatre, Candlelight Playhouse, Chicago Children's Theater and Noble Fool Theatricals. Kaplan received Jeff Awards for Ragtime and LES MISERABLES (Drury Lane Theatre) and Forbidden Broadway Dances with the Stars (Royal George Theatre). Off-Broadway credits include Forbidden Broadway (also national tour). Regional credits include Fiddler on the Roof (Pioneer Theatre Company); Hairspray (Syracuse Stage); Man of La Mancha (Montana Shakespeare in the Park/Intermountain Opera); Animal Crackers, The Cocoanuts and Into the Woods (Skylight Opera); Amadeus and Enter the Guardsman (Indiana Repertory Theatre); Guys and Dolls (Gateway Playhouse) and Damn Yankees (Carousel Theatre). National tour credits include "Zazu" in The Lion King.
New Faces Sing Broadway 2001
Monday, Jan. 23, 2017 - Skokie Theatre
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 - Uptown Underground Performances include songs from shows and revivals that were part of the 2001, including A Class Act, Jane Eyre, Seussical, Mamma Mia!, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Full Monty, The Producers, Urinetown and others.*New Faces Sing Broadway 1969
Monday, March 13, 2017 - Skokie Theatre
Tuesday, March 14, 2017 - Uptown Underground Performances include songs from shows and revivals that were part of the1969, including 1776, Canterbury Tales, Celebration, Come Summer, Dear World, Her First Roman, Maggie Flynn, Promises, Promises, Zorba, Coco and others.*New Faces Sing New Musicals
Monday, May 22, 2017 - Skokie Theatre
Tuesday, May 23, 2017 - Uptown Underground
Mark David Kaplan's Chicago credits include work with American Blues Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, About Face Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Paramount Theatre, Theater at the Center, Royal George Theatre, Candlelight Playhouse, Chicago Children's Theater and Noble Fool Theatricals. Kaplan received Jeff Awards for Ragtime and LES MISERABLES (Drury Lane Theatre) and Forbidden Broadway Dances with the Stars (Royal George Theatre). Off-Broadway credits include Forbidden Broadway (also national tour). Regional credits include Fiddler on the Roof (Pioneer Theatre Company); Hairspray (Syracuse Stage); Man of La Mancha (Montana Shakespeare in the Park/Intermountain Opera); Animal Crackers, The Cocoanuts and Into the Woods (Skylight Opera); Amadeus and Enter the Guardsman (Indiana Repertory Theatre); Guys and Dolls (Gateway Playhouse) and Damn Yankees (Carousel Theatre). National tour credits include "Zazu" in The Lion King.
Monday, Jan. 23, 2017 - Skokie Theatre
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017 - Uptown Underground Performances include songs from shows and revivals that were part of the 2001, including A Class Act, Jane Eyre, Seussical, Mamma Mia!, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Full Monty, The Producers, Urinetown and others.*New Faces Sing Broadway 1969
Monday, March 13, 2017 - Skokie Theatre
Tuesday, March 14, 2017 - Uptown Underground Performances include songs from shows and revivals that were part of the1969, including 1776, Canterbury Tales, Celebration, Come Summer, Dear World, Her First Roman, Maggie Flynn, Promises, Promises, Zorba, Coco and others.*New Faces Sing New Musicals
Monday, May 22, 2017 - Skokie Theatre
Tuesday, May 23, 2017 - Uptown Underground
A new addition to the New Faces season, New Faces Sing New Musicals, is an evening dedicated to performers singing compositions from new composers from around the Midwest.*ABOUT Porchlight Music Theatre
Porchlight Music Theatre-now in its 22nd season-is nationally recognized for developing innovative new works, reimagining classic productions and showcasing musical theatre's noted veterans and rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre in Chicago by providing intimate and powerful theatrical experiences for its growing and diverse audiences. With the vision of Artistic Director Michael Weber, Porchlight builds on its role as Chicago's only Equity not-for-profit company exclusively specializing in music theatre. Porchlight's rich history includes the staging of more than 60 productions with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Through Porchlight's "Off the Porch" new works program, the musicals of the next generation are developed and given a first audience. The School at Porchlight is Chicago's new center for music theatre training in the areas of performance, writing and appreciation. The company's many accolades include 15 Black Theatre Alliance nominations and two awards, as well as a total of 126 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 35 Jeff Awards including four consecutive Best Production awards for Dreamgirls (2016), Sondheim on Sondheim (2015), Ain't Misbehavin' (2014) and A Class Act (2013)."
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