Frankie Leo Bennett News

Hell in a Handbag's parody of the classic 1972 disaster film, is in top ship-shape and worthy of you booking a passage. It's a laugh riot of epic proportions.

Hell in a Handbag Productions is pleased to launch its 2019 season with a revival of the musical that started it all: POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical, a musical parody and a loving homage to the classic 1972 film, The Poseidon Adventure, the grandmother of all disaster films. Handbag's very first show will return March 15 - April 28, 2019 at a venue befitting of an ocean liner: The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway in Chicago.

Hell in a Handbag Productions launches its 2019 season with a revival of the musical that started it all: POSEIDON! An Upside Down Musical, a musical parody and a loving homage to the classic 1972 film, The Poseidon Adventure, the grandmother of all disaster films. Handbag's very first show will return March 15 - April 28, 2019 at a venue befitting of an ocean liner: The Edge Theater, 5451 N. Broadway in Chicago.

ALL THAT HE WAS 25th Anniversary Benefit Concert and cast announced for March 11, 2019 at Pride Arts Center.

Porchlight Music Theatre begins its sixth season of Chicago's "lost" musicals in staged concert series with Porchlight Revisits 1776, music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and book by Peter Stone with direction by Artistic Director Michael Weber, musical direction by Jeremy Ramey and musical staging by Michelle Lauto. Porchlight Revisits 1776 is presented for only three performances Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 15 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Tickets for 1776 are available now for $37, subscriptions to the three performance series including 1776, Can-Can, March 6 and 7, 2019 and Minnie's Boys, May 22 and 23, 2019 are $90/per person and available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office at 773.777.9884.

Porchlight Music Theatre begins its sixth season of Chicago's "lost" musicals in staged concert series with Porchlight Revisits 1776, music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and book by Peter Stone with direction by Artistic Director Michael Weber, musical direction by Jeremy Ramey and musical staging by Michelle Lauto.

Theo Ubique's SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET, originally scheduled to close on April 29, has been extended and will now run through Sunday, May 20. The production earned rave reviews and has been playing to sold-out audiences since its opening on March 12. Philip Torre, Jacquelyne Jones and most of the original cast will remain with the production for the extension. Performance schedules remain unchanged, with the musical playing Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 7 pm.  Tickets for the additional weeks are now on sale at www.theo-u.com.

Review: Theo Ubique's Chillingly Exciting SWEENEY TODD

Philip Torre, a baritone who has appeared on the stages of Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York City Opera, Boston Lyric Opera and others, will perform the title role of Stephen Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. The production's Mrs. Lovett will be Jacquelyne Jones, who just completed a run in Firebrand Theatre's acclaimed production of LIZZIE and appeared in Theo Ubique's HONKY TONK ANGELS as well as Kokandy Productions' HEATHERS last season.

Philip Torre, a baritone who has appeared on the stages of Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York City Opera, Boston Lyric Opera and others, has been cast in the title role of Stephen Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. The production's Mrs. Lovett will be Jacquelyne Jones, who just completed a run in Firebrand Theatre's acclaimed production of LIZZIE, and appeared in Theo Ubique's HONKY TONK ANGELS as well as Kokandy Productions' HEATHERS last season. Theo Ubique Artistic Director Fred Anzevino, who will direct the production, announced the full cast today.

Full cast and creative team for Theo Ubique's holiday season production of ALTAR BOYZ was announced today by director Courtney Crouse, who previously directed A MARVIN HAMLISCH SONGBOOK and HONKY TONK ANGELS for the company. Playing the members of the fictitious Christian boy band of the title will be Max DeTogne, Frankie Leo Bennett, Colin Schreier, Brian Bandura and Steven Romero Schaeffer. Joining Crouse on the creative team will be Theo Ubique's Resident Music Director Jeremy Ramey and choreographer Sawyer Smith. Ramey and Smith are both recent Jeff Award winners: Ramey was named Best Music Director this year for Theo's THE MOST HAPPY FELLA and Smith won the 2016 award for his choreography of HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL by Kokandy Productions.

The writing team of Cindy O'Connor and Larry Todd Cousineau have announced a concert presentation of their latest musical, Flies! The Musical! on August 14th, 2017 at 8:00PM at Uptown Underground, 4707 N Broadway, Chicago. This concert production features Musical Direction by Jimmy Morehead and performances by Frankie Leo Bennett, Veronica Garza, Sharreise Hamilton, Ashlee Hardgrave, Luke Meierdiercks, Steven Perkins, Sawyer Smith and Tiffany Tatreau.

After their resoundingly successful inaugural production of the cult favorite Triassic Parq in 2015, CIRCLE THEATRE is ecstatic to announce the highly-anticipated remount of the show. The production will run previews starting Friday, July 14 and opens for press Wednesday, July 19, running through Sunday, August 13. The performances will be returning to the original venue, Heartland Studio, in Rogers Park, 7016 N. Glenwood Ave and will run Thursdays - Saturdays at 8:00pm, with matinees both Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30pm and industry performances every Monday at 8:00pm. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased via www.circletheatrechicago.org.

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. 

Votes are cast; polls are closed; and results have been tabulated! This was our biggest year yet! After a record number of voters in more than 75 regions worldwide, BroadwayWorld is very excited to announce the 2016 Chicago winners! Thanks to all who voted, and huge congratulations to all the winners!

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the 2016 - 2017 season of Chicago's hit musical revue series, New Faces Sing returning to Uptown Underground, 4707 N. Broadway and debuting at Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave in Skokie. In tribute to the original New Faces series that ran on Broadway and on film from 1934 - 1968, Porchlight Music Theatre last year created this Chicago musical revue series, New Faces Sing Broadway, as a showcase for the best emerging musical talent now performing on Chicago stages. Each edition is a journey from the start to the finish of a entire musical season on Broadway, peppered with photos and films of the era in an exciting multimedia presentation with a favorite Chicago theatre veteran hosting and introducing the next generation of music theatre artists and acting as your guide through a past season on the Great White Way. Seating is general admission; tickets are $22, with no drink minimum and are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org.

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the final extension of Porchlight's 22nd season opener, the multi-Tony Award-winning In The Heights, now playing through Saturday, Dec.3, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, book by Quiara Alegria Hudes. Directed and co-choreographed by Brenda Didier, co-choreographed by Chris Carter, music directed by Diana Lawrence and assistant directed by Adrian Abel Azevedo, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber have announced a second extension of Porchlight's 22nd season opener, the multi-Tony Award-winning In The Heights, now playing through Saturday, Nov. 19, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, book by Quiara Alegria Hudes.

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce a second extension of Porchlight's 22nd season opener, the multi-Tony Award-winning In The Heights, now playing through Saturday, Nov. 19, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, book by Quiara Alegria Hudes. Directed and co-choreographed by Brenda Didier, co-choreographed by Chris Carter, music directed by Diana Lawrence and assistant directed by Adrian Abel Azevedo, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. The  performance times are 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 Thursday matinee, October 6 at 1:30 p.m. There is no 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6. Tickets are $43 - $51. Single tickets may be purchased at 773.327.5252 or at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org.