Porchlight Music Theatre Sets 2015-16 MainStage Season: SIDE SHOW, FAR FROM HEAVEN & More!
By: Tyler Peterson Feb. 05, 2015
Michael Weber, artistic director of Porchlight Music Theatre, has announced Porchlight Music Theatre's 2015 - 2016 mainstage season which includes:
Side Show, the cult musical favorite September 11 - October 18Ain't Misbehavin', the return of the Best Production Jeff Award-winning smash November 14 - December 20
Far From Heaven, the Chicago premiere of the new musical February 5 - March 13, 2016
Dreamgirls, the Tony Award-winning hit April 8 - May 15, 2016. Detailed information for each production is available starting on page two of this release. Full production artistic leadership and actors will be released at a future date. All Porchlight mainstage productions take place at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. A variety of discounted subscriptions are available starting April 13, 2015 at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by phone at 773.777.9884. Single tickets for all performances go on sale June 1 and will be available online at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling the Stage 773 box office at 773.327.5252. "Building on the successes of our past including back-to-back Equity Jeff Awards for Best Production in 2013 and 2014, record breaking audience attendance and an ever growing list of in-demand special events including our annual Chicago Sings concert and sold-out Porchlight Revisits... "lost" musicals in staged concert series, our 2015 2016 mainstage season promises audiences what Porchlight does best - boldly reinventing music theatre with our signature intimate "Chicago style" approach featuring the finest local talent both on stage and behind the scenes," said Weber.
September 11 - October 18
Book and Lyrics by Bill Russell
Music by Henry Krieger Tony Award-nominated for both Best Score and Book of a Musical, Side Show is based on the true-life stories of the legendary Hilton twins, Daisy and Violet, and their search for love and acceptance amidst the spectacle of fame and scrutiny under the spotlight of public opinion. Set against the backdrop of 1920s and 30s show business, Side Show seamlessly blends the worlds of carnival, vaudeville and Hollywood glamour in a haunting and sympathetic story of extraordinary humanity. Previews: Friday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. and Monday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night: Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Regular Run: Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Weekday Matinee: Thursday, Oct. 8 at 1:30 p.m.
November 14 - December 20
Book by Murray Horwitz and Richard Matlby, Jr.
Music by Fats Waller
Direction and Choreography by Brenda Didier
Conducted by Austin Cook Winner of the 2014 Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for "Best Production - Revue," "Best Direction" for Brenda Didier, "Artistic Specialization" for Austin Cook and one of Porchlight's biggest hits returns just in time for your holiday pleasure! Set in the jazz age when nightspots like the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom were the playgrounds of high society, this tribute to the Harlem Renaissance, an era of exploding creativity and social changes, is an evening of rowdy, raunchy and humorous songs that encapsulate the moods of an era and reflects Fats Waller's view of life as a journey meant for pleasure and play. Previews: Saturday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. and Monday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night: Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Regular Run: Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Weekday Matinee: Friday, Nov 27 at 2:30 p.m. & Thursday, Dec. 10 at 1:30 p.m.
There is no Thursday 7:30 p.m. performance November 19, November 26 and December 10. Far From Heaven
February 5 - March 13, 2016
Book by Richard Greenberg
Music by Scott Frankel
Lyrics by Michael Korie Porchlight presents the critically acclaimed new musical based on the 2002 film hit starring Julianne Moore. Set in 1957 suburban Connecticut, Cathy Whitaker seems to be the picture-perfect wife and mother. But boiling beneath the surface, secret longings and forbidden desires cause her world to unravel, with incendiary consequences. Featuring a lush score from Tony Award-nominated songwriters Frankel and Korie (Grey Gardens and Broadway's up-coming Finding Neverland) and a book by Tony Award-winner Greenberg (Take Me Out) that is both jazz-inflected and hauntingly lyrical, Far From Heaven is a powerful story of romance, betrayal and intolerance, as a woman grapples with her identity in a society on the verge of upheaval. Previews: Friday, Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. and Monday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night: Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Regular Run: Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Weekday Matinee: Thursday, Mar 3 at 1:30 p.m.
There is no Thursday 7:30 p.m. performance February 11 and March 3. Dreamgirls
April 8 - May 15, 2016
Lyrics and Book by Tom Eyen
Music by Henry Krieger Full of onstage joy and backstage drama, Dreamgirls is the story of an up-and-coming 1960s all-female singing group from Chicago and the triumphs and tribulations that come on the road to fame and fortune. A story that lives through the journey of popular music in America, with Porchlight's signature intimate and up-close approach, this Tony and Academy Award-winning musical will receive an intense and illuminating interpretation of all the legendary scenes and unforgettable song hits including "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," "One Night Only" and "Listen." Previews: Friday, April 8 at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at 8 p.m., Sunday, April 10 at 2 p.m. and Monday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Opening Night: Tuesday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m.
Regular Run: Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Weekday Matinee: Thursday, May 5 at 1:30 p.m.
There is no Thursday 7:30 p.m. performance April 14 and May 5.
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