Photo Flash: Porchlight Celebrates Opening Night of A CHORUS LINE; Extension Announced

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to extend the Tony and Pulitzer Prize- winning A Chorus Line through Friday, May 31 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Featuring music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante and is directed by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Associate Brenda Didier, Choreographed by Christopher Chase Carter and Music Directed by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Associate Linda Madonia.

The regular run performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. with added performance Wednesday, May 1 at 7:30 p.m.; added weekday matinees Thursday, May 9 and May 16 at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 26 at 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 28 and Wednesday, May 29 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $39 - $66 and are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office, 773.777.9884.

Winner of nine Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize, this landmark work has electrified audiences around the world. In an empty theatre, on a bare stage, casting for a new Broadway musical is almost complete. For seventeen dancers, this audition is the chance of a lifetime. It's what they've worked for with every drop of sweat and every hour of training, putting their lives on the line for the opportunity to do what they've always dreamed of doing: to dance. This singular sensation features an incomparable score including "What I Did for Love," "One" and "Dance Ten, Looks Three."

The musical was created from workshop sessions with actual Broadway dancers (eight of whom appeared in the original 1975 cast) who shared their hopes, their pain and their personal stories in pursuit of their dream of appearing in a Broadway show. A Chorus Line during its original Broadway run went on to play 6,137 performance when it closed April 28, 1990 and became the fifth musical ever (after Of Thee I Sing, South Pacific, Fiorello! and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

The cast of Porchlight Music Theatre's A Chorus Line includes: Terrell Armstrong, "Richie Walters;" La Mar Brown; "Roy,"/understudy "Richie," "Bobby" and "Larry;" Grant Carriker, "Al DeLuca; Liz Conway, "Bebe Benzenheimer;" Clayton Cross, "Greg Gardner;" Danielle Davila, "Tricia"/understudy "Diana" and "Maggie;" Erica Evans, "Shelia Bryant;" Drew Tanabe, "Bobby Mills;" Alejandro Fonseca, "Paul San Marco;" Joe Giovannetti, "Frank"/understudy "Mike," "Mark" and "Greg;" Luke Halpern, "Tom"/understudy "Paul," "Al" and "Don;" Taylor Lane, "Judy Turner;" John Marshall, Jr., "Don Kerr;" Maggie Malaney, "Lois"/understudy "Judy," Shelia" and "Bebe;" Chloe Nadon-Enriquez, "Kristine Urich DeLuca;" Jenna Napolitano, "Vicki"/understudy "Connie," "Val" and "Kristine;" Kaimana Neil, "Mark Anthony;" Laura Savage, "Cassie Ferguson;" Aalon Smith, "Maggie Winslow;" Richard Strimer, "Zach;" Adrienne Storrs, "Diana Morales"/understudy "Cassie;" Ayana Strutz, "Connie Wong;" Wade Tischhauser, "Larry"/understudy "Zach" and Matthew Weidenbener, "Mike Costa;" Natalie Welch, "Val Clark;"

A Chorus Line's production team includes: Brenda Didier, director; Christopher Chase Carter, choreographer; Linda Madonia, music director; Katie Beeks, production manager; Bob Kuhn, costume designer; Kristen Martino, scenic designer; Robert Hornbostel, sound designer; Danielle Davila, female dance captain; Wade Tischhauser, male dance captain; Samantha Treible, wardrobe supervisor; Casey Wood, wardrobe assistant and Mary Zanger, stage manager.