Jenna Schoppe News

The first live standings have been announced for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Chicago Awards! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers get to vote for their favorites.

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre has announced the cast and creative team for their 'Hard Candy Christmas' holiday hoedown production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The award-winning musical comedy later adapted into the cult film starring Dolly Parton will play at Theo's Howard Street Theatre December 2, 2022 through January 29, 2023.

Porchlight Music Theatre was joined by nearly 200 people to launch its 28th season, honor the 2022 ICON Award recipient, one of Broadway’s foremost singing and dancing leading ladies, Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie,  present The Luminary Award to Dan Ratner and The Genevieve and Daniel Ratner Foundation and raise funds for its artistic and educational programs. Check out photos!

Cortney Hall and Matthew Rodrigues of “Chicago Today” on NBC5 will be hosting Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre fundraising event, the ICONS Gala. The ICONS Gala, chaired by Joe Higgins and Scott Hoesman, will be Friday, Sept. 23 at 5:30 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago.

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre closes its 2021-2022 season with GODSPELL, the Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak beloved and timeless tale of friendship, loyalty, and love, based on the Gospel of St. Matthew.

Theo Ubique brings to life the classic The Princess and the Pea with a modern (and saucy!) twist.

Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre’s third show of the 2021-’22 season will be the hilarious musical comedy ONCE UPON A MATTRESS – a rowdy and mildly adult twist on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Princess and the Pea.”

Porchlight Music Theatre begins its eighth season of Chicago's “lost” musicals series with Porchlight Revisits Nunsense, book, music and lyrics by Dan Goggin+ with direction by Michelle Lauto*, musical direction by Kailey Rockwell* and choreography by Jenna Schoppe*.

Porchlight Music Theatre begins its eighth season of Chicago's “lost” musicals series with Porchlight Revisits Nunsense, book, music and lyrics by Dan Goggin+ with direction by Michelle Lauto*, musical direction by Kailey Rockwell* and choreography by Jenna Schoppe*.

The season will conclude in the summer of 2022 with a 50th Anniversary production of Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak’s musical GODSPELL, directed by the company’s newly appointed Managing and Casting Director Christopher Pazdernik and choreographed by Jeff award-winner Jenna Schoppe (She/Her).

Porchlight Music Theatre has announced its return to live performance with its 27th season that includes the 2021 – 2022 Mainstage, Porchlight Revisits and New Faces Sing Broadway seasons. 

Tickets for each of the online events are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. Links are available for viewing 72 hours after purchase.  Porchlight also announces the return of the popular series celebrating the 90th birthday of Stephen Sondheim, Sondheim@90 Roundtable with Michael Weber. The series returns Saturday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. CST with a discussion on Road Show with guests Deanna Dunagan, Chris Jones and Michael Mahler.

With the conclusion of the 2019-2020 Chicago non-Equity theater season, the Jeff Awards announced the nominees for the 47th annual awards for theater excellence that include 120 theater artists across 21 categories.

Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre has announced that artists from the worlds of music theatre and dance will be performing at the ICONS Gala celebrating 25 years of Porchlight as the center for music theatre in Chicago, Monday, March 23, at the Ritz-Carlton, 160 E. Pearson St. Performances, directed by Porchlight Music Theatre's Artistic Director Michael Weber, will commemorate the impressive body of work from its 2020 ICON award recipient and Broadway legend Joel Grey who will be in attendance to receive the award.

Porchlight Music Theatre's 25th Anniversary Mainstage season continues with Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, January 24 a?" March 6, 2020 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St. Featuring music by Duke Ellington, concept by Donald McKayle, direction and choreography by Brenda Didier and Florence Walker Harris, and music direction by Jermaine Hill.

Porchlight Music Theatre's 25th Anniversary Mainstage season continues with Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, January 24 – March 6, 2020 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St. Featuring music by Duke Ellington, concept by Donald McKayle, direction and choreography by Brenda Didier and Florence Walker Harris, and music direction by Jermaine Hill. 

Porchlight Music Theatre's 25th Anniversary Mainstage season continues with Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, January 24 - March 6, 2020 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St. Featuring music by Duke Ellington, concept by Donald McKayle, direction and choreography by Brenda Didier and Florence Walker Harris, and music direction by Jermaine Hill.

Porchlight Music Theatre presents The Ruffians' Burning Bluebeard, making its downtown debut at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street, December 13 - 27.

Porchlight Music Theatre announces the cast and creative team for the Chicago premiere of Disney's Freaky Friday, A New Musical, April 10 - May 24, 2020 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. The musical comedy about a mother and her daughter who switch identities stars Cory Goodrich as 'Katherine,' the mother, and Maya Lou Hlava as Katherine's daughter 'Ellie.'

Porchlight Music Theatre continue its 25th Anniversary Season with its 'lost' musicals in staged concert series Porchlight Revisits. Porchlight Revisits Call Me Madam, with book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse and music and lyrics by Irving Berlin stars Donica Lynn as the titular socialite presented for three performances Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 21 at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street.