Porchlight Music Theatre will debut a live stage production of Miracle on 34th Street based on the holiday film classic at Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 West Belmont. The show plays from November 20, 2009 through January 3, 2010. The Press Opening is Sunday, November 22 at 2:30 p.m. Following each performance, children are invited to meet and greet with Santa Clause right on the stage at the Theatre Building Chicago. Guests attending each performance will have the opportunity to sign up before the show begins for their slot. Parents and friends are welcome to bring their own cameras to take photos as a professional photographer will not be provided. This opportunity is complimentary; however donations to the non-profit theatre company for the experience are welcomed.
This is a new production, destined to become a holiday tradition. Families are encouraged to bring the kids for their first theatrical experience. Following each performance, the audience is invited to visit with Santa Claus and share a Christmas wish. Porchlight Music Theatre's production of Miracle on 34th Street combines the classic story from the film with traditional holiday music. When a white bearded gentleman claims to be the real Santa Claus, he brings about a genuine "Miracle on 34th Street," spreading a wave of love throughout New York City, convincing a divorced, cynical single mother, her somber daughter, and the entire state of New York that Santa Claus is no myth. The 1947 film version of Miracle on 34th Street is a perennial holiday favorite. Starring Natalie Wood and Maureen O'Hara, the film won three Academy Awards in 1948.This theatrical version of Miracle on 34th Street is based on the novel by Valentine Davies. The production was adapted by Patricia Di Benedetto Snyder, Will Severin and John Vreeke. The Porchlight Music Theatre production will add traditional holiday music arranged by Chicago composer, Jon Steinhagen. He was the writer, composer, and lyricist for Porchlight's acclaimed The Teapot Scandals. Mr. Steinhagen recently received first prize in the Julie Harris Playwriting Award competition, presented by the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild for his play The Analytical Engine.The artistic team is led by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Director L. Walter Stearns. Musical Direction is by Eugene Dizon, Choreography is by Annie Hackett, Costume Design is by Jana Anderson, Projection Design is by Liviu Pasare, and Scenic Design is by Ian Zywica (Porchlight's The Fantasticks and Once on This Island).
Porchlight Music Theatre's 15th Anniversary Season, "Songs of Innocence and Experience," will conclude with the Tony Award-winning Sondheim musical Into the Woods, from April 9 through May 30, 2010.Videos