True blue fans of Stephen Sondheim (this reviewer included) will be drooling over Porchlight's latest offering MARRY ME A LITTLE. This two-hander revue showcases a number of Sondheim's finest trunk songs-early renditions of numbers that were cut from such musicals as FOLLIES, INTO THE WOODS and MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG. Conceived and developed by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene, MARRY ME A LITTLE (which has been revised for this production) introduces audiences to two lonely singles in New York City-known merely as "The Man" and "The Woman." Living just an apartment floor away, these two lament their loneliness, and it becomes up to audiences to decide if the relationship that transpires in the show is real or imagined. The details are a bit foggy as MARRY ME A LITTLE has no dialogue whatsoever, but the piece is ultimately designed to showcase Sondheim's work.
Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the final mainstage production it its 2016 - 2017 season Marry Me a Little starring Austin Cook and Bethany Thomas, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and originally conceived by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene, with direction by Jess McLeod and music direction by Porchlight Artistic Associate Cook. Previews are Friday, April 14 at 8 p.m., Saturday, April 15 at 8 p.m., Sunday, April 16 at 2 p.m. and Monday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night is Tuesday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. The performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. with an added matinee performance Thursday, May 11 at 1:30 p.m. NOTE There are no 7:30 p.m. performances Thursday, April 20 and May 11 and no 4 p.m. performance Saturday, April 22. Tickets to Marry Me a Little are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Stage 773 box office, 773.327.5252.
American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity Ensemble, under the continued leadership of Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, hosts 2017 Ripped: The Living Newspaper Festival on Tuesday, May 2, 2017.
Porchlight Music Theatre presents the final mainstage production in its 2016 - 2017 season, Marry Me a Little, starring Austin Cook and Bethany Thomas, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheimand originally conceived by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene, with direction by Jess McLeod and music direction by Porchlight Artistic Associate Cook. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the duo onstage in honor of tonight's opening!
American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity Ensemble, announces the appointment of the theater's new Managing Director, Claude Binder. He will begin his tenure at American Blues Theater today, March 6, 2017.
Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the final mainstage production it its 2016 - 2017 season Marry Me a Little starring Austin Cook and Bethany Thomas, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and originally conceived by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene, with direction by Jess McLeod and music direction by Porchlight Artistic Associate Cook.
Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber have announced the final mainstage production it its 2016 - 2017 season Marry Me a Little, starring Austin Cook and Bethany Thomas, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and originally conceived by Craig Lucas and Norman Rene, with direction by Jess McLeod and music direction by Porchlight Artistic Associate Cook.
American Blues Theater continues its 2016-2017 Season with the Chicago Premiere of The Columnist by David Auburn and directed by Keira Fromm. The Columnist runs February 17 - April 9, 2017 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. The official press opening is Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
American Blues Theater, under the continued leadership of Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announces the lineup for its 2017 - 2018 Season, 'The Beat Goes On.'
American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity Ensemble, under the continued leadership of Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, has named Idris Goodwin the winner of the 2017 National Blue Ink Playwriting Award. Goodwin's play, HYPE MAN, was selected from a pool 543 submissions. As part of the award, Goodwin receives a $1,000 cash prize and the opportunity to further develop his script with American Blues Theater.
Broadway has given us many things - both successes and flops, brilliant (and sometimes not-so-brilliant) music, and the opportunity to sit in an audience and be transported to a new reality. For some, myself included, the countless hours spent in an audience (or on a stage), at home listening (and re-listening) to cast albums, or scouring the web for the latest piece of theater gossip are counted as some of the most exciting and memorable moments of our lives. The few hours spent sitting in a darkened theater or following the liner notes as you devour a new musical are sacred - taking us to places we gleefully imagine - places with fantastical characters and beautiful settings. And though you often see a glimmer of familiarity in the plot, the characters you encounter aren't necessarily people you might bump into on the street, have over to watch TV, or call your friends. But in Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen's [TITLE OF SHOW], the current production at Playhouse on Park in West Hartford, audiences aren't asked to suspend reality and take a magical journey to a faraway land, instead, they have the rare opportunity to join four real people, people just like them, who love performing (and making art) as they create something together - an original musical.
Ever wonder what it's like to write a musical? Come see for yourself when [title of show], by Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell, opens at Playhouse on Park! Opening night is Friday, January 13, at 8:00pm, complimentary with a pre-performance wine and cheese reception from 7pm-8pm. Preview performances are January 11 and 12, with all tickets priced at $17.50!
American Blues Theater continues its 2016-2017 Season with the Chicago Premiere of The Columnist by David Auburn and directed by Keira Fromm. The Columnist runs February 17 - April 1, 2017 at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. in Chicago.
American Blues Theater continues its 2016-2017 Season with the Chicago Premiere of The Columnist by David Auburn and directed by Keira Fromm. The Columnist runs February 17 - April 9, 2017 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. The official press opening is Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
American Blues Theater continues its 2016-2017 Season with the 15th Anniversary Production of the holiday favorite It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! The production, based on the beloved Frank Capra's film, is directed by Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside with music direction by Michael Mahler. It's a Wonderful Life runs November 18 - December 31, 2016 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.
American Blues Theater continues its 2016-2017 Season with the 15th Anniversary Production of the holiday favorite It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! The production, based on the beloved Frank Capra's film, is directed by Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside with music direction by Michael Mahler. It's a Wonderful Life runs November 18 - December 31, 2016 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.
Six world premiere plays and four new adaptations seen first by Chicago audiences were among those receiving nominations by The Jeff Awards Committee. 178 nominations in 32 categories honor Chicago Equity theatrical productions that opened between August 1, 2015 and July 31, 2016.
American Blues Theater kicks off its 31st Season - 'Define Yourself' - with a pair of one acts, including Dutchman by Amiri Baraka, directed by Chuck Smith and the World Premiere of TRANSit by Darren Canady, directed by Lisa Portes. Dutchman and TRANSit run August 26 - September 25, 2016 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago. The official press opening is Thursday, September 1 at 7:30 pm.
American Blues Theater, Chicago's second oldest Equity Ensemble, under the continued leadership of Producing Artistic Director Gwendolyn Whiteside, announce the submission period for the 2017 National Blue Ink Playwriting Award. Playwrights are invited to submit one (1) manuscript for consideration. The winner will have the opportunity to further develop their script with American Blues Theatre. The submission period runs July 1 - August 31, 2016. Submissions are accepted via email at BlueInk@AmericanBluesTheater.com.