Felicia P. Fields Receives 2021 Guy Adkins Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Music Theatre in Chicago

Porchlight Music Theatre has announced Felicia P. Fields as the recipient of the 2021 Guy Adkins Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Music Theatre in Chicago. The award will be presented during this year's annual Chicago Sings fundraising concert, Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway, premiering Saturday, March 20 at 7 p.m. CDT. Viewing of the fundraiser will be available through Sunday, April 18. Tax-deductible tickets are available at $25 - $500 and sponsorship opportunities at $1000, $2500 and $5000 beginning Monday, March 1 at 12 p.m. at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. For sponsorship opportunity information, please contact August Compton, August@PorchlightMusicTheatre.org.

Each year, Porchlight Music Theatre celebrates an individual who has made an exceptional and lasting contribution to the state of the art of Chicago music theatre with the prestigious Guy Adkins Award. This year, Felicia P. Fields is the recipient. The award will be presented to her by last year's recipient, multi award-winning director Gary Griffin.

Past Guy Adkins Award recipients include director/choreographers Brenda Didier and Rachel Rockwell, actors E. Faye Butler, Paula Scrofano and Hollis Resnik, music director/conductor Doug Peck and directors Gary Griffin, Dominic Missimi and L. Walter Stearns. The committee that chooses the annual award winner is composed of past recipients and some of Chicago's leading music theatre aficionados.

"All of us at Porchlight are thrilled to honor Felicia with this year's Guy Adkins Award," said Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Director Michael Weber. "I have been in awe of her and her career for a long time as a director and fellow performer and look forward to her joining us, virtually, for this year's Chicago Sings."

Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway features songs from musicals with rock & roll themes, inspired by rock & roll legends and written by legendary rock & rollers. Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway is directed by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Director Michael Weber with music direction by Jermaine Hill and Linda Madonia.

From Bye, Bye Birdie to Dreamgirls to Rent to Jagged Little Pill and a variety of productions in between, this year's Chicago Sings includes a great cast of musical talents gathered to celebrate Porchlight Music Theatre and two American creations - Broadway and Rock & Roll -- including Terrell Armstrong, Adia Bell, Chuckie Benson, Blu, Lydia Burke, Ariana Burks, Darilyn Burtley, Elisa Carlson, Molly Callinan, Satya Chávez, Pierce Cleaveland, Shantel Cribbs, Robin K. DaSilva, Andres Enriquez, Jillian-Giselle, Lucy Godínez, Allyson Graves, Maya Hlava, Donterrio Johnson, Christopher John Kelley, Heidi Kettenring, Nik Kmiecik, Michelle Lauto, Eben K Logan, Melanie Loren, Alejandro Medina, Andrew Mueller, Jarais Musgrove, Juwon Tyrel Perry, David Robbins, Billy Rude, Laura Savage, Oliver Schilling, Aalon Smith, Sawyer Smith, Kyra Sorce, TJ Tapp, Tiffany T. Taylor, Cherise Thomas, Bethany Thomas and Ariel Etana Triunfo.*

Proceeds from Porchlight's annual fundraising concert, Chicago Sings, support its educational and artistic programming. Sponsors, to date, include The Daniel & Genevieve Ratner Foundation, The Frazin & Laff Families, Michelle & Steve Cucchiaro, Jeremy Eden & Nancy Marder, Brenda & Jim Grusecki, Art Garwin, Anne & Greg Taubeneck, Rothman Law Group and Hearty Boys.

AFTER PARTY: CHICAGO SINGS ROCK & ROLL BROADWAY

Thursday, March 25 at 7 p.m.

Free and open to the public via Zoom

Join Porchlight Music Theatre and special guest stars for this hourlong "after party" to talk about Porchlight's Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway. The public is invited to join the Zoom conversation with questions and comments about the music, the performers and rock & roll's influence on Broadway.

*Performers subject to change.

ABOUT Felicia P. Fields, 2021 Guy Adkins AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF MUSIC THEATRE RECIPIENT

Felicia P. Fields is an acclaimed and renowned actress, director and playwright with credits around the country. In Chicago, Fields has participated in many productions with The Goodman Theatre including Crowns; The Rose Tattoo; The Amen Corner; Ma Rainey's Black Bottom as well as being the first African-American female to portray "The Ghost of Christmas Present" in A Christmas Carol. Fields' other Chicago credits include pro­ductions at Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire; Chicago Shakespeare Theater; The Court Theater; Northlight Theatre; Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace; Theatre at the Center and Apple Tree Theatre; among others. Fields' has also received a Black Theatre Alliance Award and nominations, multiple Jeff Award nominations and the award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Sophisticated Ladies. In addition, Governor Pat Quinn declared July 24, 2007 "Felicia P. Fields Day."

On Broadway, Fields earned a Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of "Sofia" in The Color Purple; she also was a member of the first national tour. Fields' performance as "Sofia" also garnered her a 2006 Theatre World Award, a Clarence Derwent Award, two Broadway.com awards, an NAACP nomination, a Denver Post Ovation Award and she was a 2006 Drama League honoree.

Field's other production credits include Hairspray; the first cycle of the tour of Love, Loss, and What I Wore; Nunsense; Sunset Boulevard; Swinging on a Star; Some Like It Hot; Richard II; It Ain't Nothing But the Blues; Low Down Dirty Blues; A Civil War Christmas; Hot Mikado; Show Boat; Ain't Misbehavin'; Dreamgirls; Little Shop of Horrors; 7 Guitars and Hello Dolly! And associate director for 5 Guys Named Moe, among others. Fields' television and film credits include "Early Edition," "Save the Last Dance," "The Knights of Prosperity," "Chicago Fire," "Chicago PD," "Who gets the Dog?," "Slice" and many commercials and voice-overs.