Howard Brown News

Terrific but little known musical theatre gems will be given the spotlight in Chris & David's Top 40 Showtunes You've (Probably) Never Heard, performed at Davenport's Piano Bar & Cabaret from July 9-30 on Mondays at 8 PM.  Reservations can be placed at davenportspianobar.com.

Navy Pier Pride Presented by American Airlines is coming through with flying colors this year! Kicking off Monday, June 18, the third annual free event will consist of a full week of family-friendly festivities in honor of the LGBTQ+ community, culminating in a daylong grand celebration on Saturday, June 23 from 11 a.m. to midnight. As part of its Pride Month tribute, the Pier will also be decked out with Pride flags all month and feature the symbolic rainbow colors in the center digital screen of the iconic Centennial Wheel in celebration of diversity and inclusion, two essential tenants of Navy Pier's mission and values.

Porchlight Music Theatre concludes its fifth season of Chicago's "lost" musicals in staged concert series with Porchlight Revisits Do Re Mi, starring Porchlight Music Theatre's Artistic Director Michael Weber and Nancy Voigts, music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and book by Garson Kanin, with direction and choreography by Christopher Pazdernik and musical direction by David Fiorello. Porchlight Revisits Do Re Mi is presented for three-nights-only Tuesday, May 22 through Thursday, May 24 at 7:15 p.m. and is performed on the set of Porchlight's Memphis (previews begin April 19) at Porchlight's new home, The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street.

Porchlight Music Theatre concludes its fifth season of Chicago's "lost" musicals in staged concert series with Porchlight Revisits Do Re Mi, starring Porchlight Music Theatre's Artistic Director Michael Weber and Nancy Voigts, music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and book by Garson Kanin, with direction and choreography by Christopher Pazdernik and musical direction by David Fiorello.

Jeff Award-nominee and HIV+ director/producer Christopher Pazdernik is pleased to announce the 4th annual Chris's Birthday Belt Fest, a benefit concert for Howard Brown Health, Monday, May 14 at 8 p.m. at Uptown Underground, 4707 N. Broadway. Tickets are $30, in advance; $40, at the door on the night of the performance, and are available at uptownunderground.net or by calling 773.867.1946. Uptown Underground is a 21 years old and older venue and advance reservations are strongly recommended.

Porchlight Music Theatre concludes its fifth season of Chicago's "lost" musicals in staged concert series with Porchlight Revisits Do Re Mi, starring Porchlight Music Theatre's Artistic Director Michael Weber and Nancy Voigts, music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and book by Garson Kanin, with direction and choreography by Christopher Pazdernik and musical direction by David Fiorello.

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the final production in its 2017 - 2018 season of Chicago's hit musical revue series, New Faces Sing Broadway. New Faces Sing Broadway 1975, hosted by Donica Lynn with direction by Christopher Pazdernik and music direction by David Fiorello, is Tuesday, June 5 at The Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave., Skokie at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, June 6 at The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario Street, at 6:30 p.m. (The Arts Club presentation also includes a pre-show reception at 6:30 p.m. with performance at 7:30 p.m.). In tribute to the original New Faces series that ran on Broadway and on film from 1934 - 1968, Porchlight Music Theatre created the Chicago musical revue series, New Faces Sing Broadway as a showcase for the best emerging music talent now performing on Chicago stages. Each edition is a "time-machine" journey from the start to the finish of an entire musical season from the classic days of Broadway, peppered with photos and films of the era in an exciting multimedia presentation with a favorite Chicago theatre veteran like Donica Lynn hosting and introducing the next generation of music theatre artists while acting as your guide through a vintage year on the Great White Way. General admission tickets at Skokie Theatre are $22 and at The Arts Club of Chicago are $35 and are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or at the Porchlight Music Theatre box office, 773.777.9884.

Porchlight Music Theatre announces Merrily We Roll Along, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, with direction by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Director Michael Weber, associate direction and musical staging by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Associate Christopher Pazdernik and music direction by Aaron Benham has been extended through March 17 at Porchlght's home, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Merrily We Roll Along is based on the play by the same name written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. 

Refuge Theatre Project, the three-year-old company that staged HIGH FIDELITY: THE MUSICAL twice in makeshift record stores, BARE: A POP OPERA in a church sanctuary and LYSISTRATA JONES in a gymnasium; will continue its practice of performing in found spaces with THE SPITFIRE GRILL, opening on March 25.

Refuge Theatre Project, the three-year-old company that staged HIGH FIDELITY: THE MUSICAL twice in makeshift record stores, BARE: A POP OPERA in a church sanctuary and LYSISTRATA JONES in a gymnasium; will continue its practice of performing in found spaces with THE SPITFIRE GRILL, opening on March 25.

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the next mainstage production it its 2017 - 2018 season Merrily We Roll Along, January 26 - March 11,  2018, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, with direction by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Director Michael Weber, associate direction and musical staging by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Associate Christopher Pazdernik and music direction by Aaron Benham at Porchlght's home, the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Merrily We Roll Along is based on the play by the same name written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. The performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. (March 4 and March 11) and 6 p.m. (February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25) with a weekday matinee Thursday, March 8 at 1:30 p.m. There is no 4 p.m. performance Saturday, Feb. 3 and no 7:30 p.m. performance on Thursday, March 8. Tickets are $33 - $60 and are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office, 773.777.9884.

Following four sell-out performances, CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LATE NIGHT WRITERS ROOM returns for one-night-only today, December 1, 2017 at 10 pm at The Greenhouse Theater Center (Downstairs Mainstage), 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.

Following four sell-out performances, CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY LATE NIGHT WRITERS ROOM returns for one-night-only on Friday, December 1, 2017 at 10 pm at The Greenhouse Theater Center (Downstairs Mainstage), 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago.

More than 70 major corporations, small businesses, government agencies and nonprofits are expected for the third annual Windy City Times WERQ! LGBTQ job fair Today, Sept. 29, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted, Chicago. In 2016, more than 500 people attended the Job Fair.

More than 70 major corporations, small businesses, government agencies and nonprofits are expected for the third annual Windy City Times WERQ! LGBTQ job fair Friday, Sept. 29, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted, Chicago. In 2016, more than 500 people attended the Job Fair.

Production photos have been released for Iris Theatre's annual family show, 'Hansel & Gretel and the Witch Baba Yaga', which completes their10-year anniversary summer season of open-air promenade shows in the heart of Covent Garden.

Iris Theatre's 10th-anniversary immersive production of Macbeth stars David Hywel Baynes, who has returned from the US following his Best Actor Offie Award-nominated tour-de-force as King Richard in Richard III, also for Iris Theatre.

The organizers of the Chicago Equality Rally have announced the program lineup for the Sunday, June 11 rally to be held at 11AM at Andersonville Midsommarfest in solidarity with the Equality March for Unity and Pride in Washington, D.C. Speakers and performers will promote visibility, unity, and pride. Actor, writer, and producer Fawzia Mirza will helm the program as emcee.  

Final casting is revealed today for Iris Theatre's 10th anniversary immersive production of Macbeth, joining the previously announced David Hywel Baynes, who has returned from the US to star as Macbeth following his Best Actor Offie Award-nominated tour-de-force as King Richard in Richard III, also for Iris Theatre.

Check out the top stories from Chicago you might have missed this week and more! Roundup: Check Out The Top Stories From Chicago You Might Have Missed 4/21 - PASCAL and RAPP in High School Rent!