Kayla Boye's SHAKE IT AWAY: THE ANN MILLER STORY is Coming to Porchlight Music Theater
On a soundstage at the infamous 1970 MGM Studios auction, dancer/singer/actress Ann Miller revisits the Golden Age of Hollywood.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jan. 08, 2026
Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre will present Shake It Away: The Ann Miller Story, written by and starring Kayla Boye, directed by Porchlight Artistic Director Michael Weber, choreographed by Tammy Mader and music directed by Linda Madonia, Tuesday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St. The running time is 75 minutes with no intermission. Shake it Away: The Ann Miller Story is a special event presented during Porchlight’s The Irish … and How they Got That Way, January 31 - March 15.
On a soundstage at the infamous 1970 MGM Studios auction, dancer/singer/actress Ann Miller revisits the Golden Age of Hollywood and discovers her second act as a Broadway star while filmdom’s treasures — including the legendary “Ruby Slippers,” the “Cotton Blossom” show boat, Clark Gable’s “lucky trench coat” and more — are sold for pennies on the dollar. Featuring selections from the Great American Songbook, this love letter to entertainment is written by and stars Kayla Boye, who has appeared at Porchlight Music Theatre in Can-Can, Little Me, Billy Elliot and New Faces Sing Broadway 1969.
Shake It Away: The Ann Miller Story returns to Chicago after a critically acclaimed world premiere tour that included the Hollywood Fringe in Los Angeles (Hudson Theatres, June 10 - 15, 2025), Off-Broadway’s “East to Edinburgh” in New York (59E59 Theaters, July 15 - 19, 2025) and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (theSpace at Surgeons’ Hall, August 1 - 9, 2025). This March 3 performance will feature new material not seen in the production’s previous performances in Chicago, Hollywood, New York and Edinburgh.
Kayla Boye says, “I am so glad to be returning to Porchlight with Shake It Away and grateful to be collaborating with this terrific team. Ann Miller’s life exemplified resilience and optimism, which she shared through her incredible talents and authenticity. From films such as Kiss Me Kate, Easter Parade and On the Town, to productions such as Mame, Hello Dolly and Sugar Babies, she showed us what it meant to shake the blues away. I hope audiences find her story to be one of hope and joy, as I have.”
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