Registration Now Open For Porchlight's Fall Classes, Running September 9 - December 16

Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre's Education Department has announced the return of its education classes this fall, September 9 - December 16. 

These classes are designed to teach young actors musical theatre skills from basics to advanced and the fall session also includes a new workshop for high school seniors preparing to submit their Music Theatre Common Pre-Screen videos: College Music Theatre Audition Pre-Screen Workshop.

Classes are held at the Holtschneider Performance Center at the DePaul University School of Music, 2330 N. Halsted St. Tuition is $300 - $550 based on the class level with payment plans and scholarships available for all youth programming.

For specific questions regarding classes and registration please email Porchlight Education Director Rebeccah Singer* at rebeccah@porchlightmusictheatre.org. For general class information and registration, visit PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/youth-classes.



Porchlight Music Theatre is Chicago's only organization dedicated to music theatre to offer these classes to young students. All full semester classes end in a final performance for family and friends.  

 

As Chicago's home for music theatre, Porchlight believes in the power of studying theatre to build self-confidence, creative thinking and open us all up to be more empathetic and caring humans. Youth classes, with professional actors as instructors, teach basics to advanced skills in all areas of music theatre performance: dance, music and acting. Courses are designed to build sequentially, with the youngest actors focusing on foundations and the most advanced young artists creating a more complete production. Young artists are welcome to join at any stage. Class levels are repeatable as each season features new songs, ensembles and final performances.

 

The fall 2023 class schedule includes: 

Mini Musicals

 

Ages 4 - 6 years old

September 9 – December 16 (no class Nov. 25)

Saturdays, 10 – 11 a.m.

Holtschneider Performance Center, DePaul University School of Music, 2330 N. Halsted St.

Tuition: $300

 

Budding actors join us each week for songs, games, making new friends, and having a blast on stage! Our youngest students stretch their theatre muscles as they create an original musical story – with dance moves, props, and songs to share with family and friends on the last day of class!

 

Broadway Basics

 

Ages 7 - 10 years old

September 9 - December 16 (no class Nov. 25)

Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. 

Holtschneider Performance Center, DePaul University School of Music, 2330 N. Halsted St.

Tuition: $450

 

Enter the world of music, drama, dance, writing and more while practicing teamwork, communication and problem-solving. Young performers will be introduced to their actor tools, with lots of time for playing games and making new friends. At the end of the session join Porchlight for a final performance to celebrate all your young actors' work.

 

Music Theatre Bootcamp

 

Ages 11 - 13 years old

September 9 - December 16 (no class Nov. 25)

Saturdays, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. 

Holtschneider Performance Center, DePaul University School of Music, 2330 N. Halsted St. 

Tuition: $550

 

Intermediate actors build on the basics to learn about building an ensemble, singing in harmony and creating more challenging characters. Actors will write their own story paired with musical theatre classics and new hits to share with family and friends at the end of the term.

 

College Music Theatre Audition Pre-Screen Workshop

 

Ages: High School Juniors and Seniors

September 10 - October 15

Sundays, 3:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Holtschneider Performance Center at the DePaul School of Music - 2330 N. Halsted St. 

Tuition: $500

 

It's college audition pre-screen season! Let Chicago's music theatre experts guide high school seniors through the college music theatre audition process and leave with all of the filmed videos for their common pre-screen application - monologue, song and dance. This six week workshop series begins with a college music theatre information session for students and parents and includes material selection and coaching, rehearsal and filming of monologue and song videos with a piano accompanist, and choreography for dance and ballet video submissions. 

 

NOTE: All class content, dates, times, etc. are subject to change. For the most up to date information, please visit PorchlightMusicTheatre.org.

 

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre is the award-winning center for music theatre in Chicago. Through live performance, youth education and community outreach, we impact thousands of lives each season, bringing the magic of musicals to our theatre home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast and to neighborhoods across the city. Porchlight has built a national reputation for boldly reimagining classic musicals supporting new works and young performers, and showcasing Chicago's most notable music theatre artists, all through the intimate and powerful theatrical lens of the “Chicago Style.” 



Porchlight's history, over the last 27 years, includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Porchlight's commitment to the past, present and future of music theatre led the company to develop the Porchlight Revisits and New Faces Sing Broadway program series, both quickly becoming audience favorites. 

 

Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations, most notably the ongoing collaboration with Chicago Youth Centers. Porchlight annually awards dozens of full scholarships and hundreds of free tickets to ensure accessibility and real engagement with this uniquely American art form. 

 

The company's many honors include 184 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 45 Jeff awards, as well as 44 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 12 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards, and was honored with eight nominations in both technical and artistic categories and won three awards in its inaugural year in this tier, most notably Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies. 

 

Through the global pandemic, Porchlight emerged as one of Chicago's leaders in virtual programming, quickly launching a host of free offerings like Sondheim @ 90 Roundtables, Movie Musical Mondays, Porchlight by Request: Command Performances and WPMT: Classic Musicals from the Golden Age of Radio. Porchlight launched its popular, annual summer series in 2021, Broadway in your Backyard, performing at parks and venues throughout the city. 

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