Justin Brill News

16th Street Theater will present the limited run of Steven Strafford's METHTACULAR! directed by Adam Fitzgerald performing March 19 - April 4, 2020 at North Berwyn Park District's 16th Street Theater, 6420 16th Street in Berwyn. Press opening is Thursday, March 19 at 7:30 PM.

Irving Berlin's White Christmas opened Sunday night November 17 to a packed house at Theatre at the Center in Munster.  The cast gave a thrilling performance for an audience that was teeming with the holiday spirit.  Theatre at the Center Artistic Director Linda Fortunato directed and choreographed the show. 

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce that its final production in the 2018 - 2019 "lost" musicals in staged concert series Porchlight Revisits Minnie's Boys will now include a special event with Minnie's Boys composer Larry Grossman, "A Conversation with Larry Grossman," Thursday, May 23 at 4:45 p.m. and feature a new song added to this Chicago premiere.

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce that its final production in the 2018 - 2019 'lost' musicals in staged concert series Porchlight Revisits MINNIE'S BOYS will now include a special event with MINNIE'S BOYS composer Larry Grossman, 'A Conversation with Larry Grossman,' Thursday, May 23 at 4:45 p.m. and feature a new song added to this Chicago premiere. Porchlight Revisits Minnie's Boys, book by Groucho Marx's son Arthur Marx and Robert Fisher, music by Grossman and lyrics by Hal Hackady with direction and choreography by Christopher Pazdernik and musical direction by Christie Chiles Twille, is presented for three performances Wednesday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 23 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Each Porchlight Revisits production begins with the 'Behind the Show Backstory' multimedia presentation, created and hosted by Artistic Director Michael Weber, discussing that evening's production including the show's creative history, juicy backstage gossip and much more. Single tickets are $37 for the performance and 'A Conversation with Larry Grossman' is free to the public. Both are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office at 773.777.9884.

As Porchlight Music Theatre is set to launch its 25th Anniversary Season as Chicago's center for music theatre, it celebrated 24 years and announced its 25th Anniversary co-chairs at the 2019 ICONS Gala Sunday, March 31 at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago, 160 E. Pearson. The 2019 ICONS GALA set a new attendance record with 300 guests in attendance and raised more funds that directly benefit Porchlight's artistic and educational programs than previous events. The elegant Gala Brunch, chaired by Tamara Sims, included performances from Chicago's leading talents celebrating the legendary career of Jerome Robbins, the presentation of The Luminary Award to Jean Klingenstein, introduced the 25th Anniversary chairs: RIck and Deann Bayless and Bill Kurtis and Donna La Pietra and silent and live auctions.

Porchlight Music Theatre's final production in its 2018 - 2019 'lost' musicals in staged concert series is Porchlight Revisits Minnie's Boys,  with book by Groucho Marx's son Arthur Marx and Robert Fisher, music by Larry Grossman and lyrics by Hal Hackady with direction and choreography by Christopher Pazdernik and musical direction by Christie Chiles Twille.  Porchlight Revisits Minnie's Boys is presented for three performances Wednesday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 23 at 2 p.m. and  7:30 p.m. at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street.

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.

Drury Lane Theatre continues its 2017-2018 season with 42nd Street, with music by Harry Warren, lyrics by Al Dubin, book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, and original Broadway direction and dances by Gower Champion. 42nd Street is based on the novel by Bradford Ropes and was originally produced on Broadway by David Merrick. This production is directed by Michael Heitzman with choreography by Jared Grimes. 42nd Street runs now through January 7, 2018 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. The show officially opened on November 5, and BroadwayWorld has photos from the festivities below!

42ND STREET at Drury Lane Theatre runs through January 2018! Watch the cast in rehearsals in this video!

42ND STREET at the Drury Lane Theatre runs through January 2018, and the critics are weighing in!

Drury Lane Theatre continues its 2017-2018 season with 42nd Street, with music by Harry Warren, lyrics by Al Dubin, book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, and original Broadway direction and dances by Gower Champion. 42nd Street is based on the novel by Bradford Ropes and was originally produced on Broadway by David Merrick. The press opening is scheduled for this Sunday, November 5, and BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Drury Lane Theatre continues its 2017-2018 season with 42nd Street, with music by Harry Warren, lyrics by Al Dubin, book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, and original Broadway direction and dances by Gower Champion.

Drury Lane Theatre continues its 2017-2018 season with 42nd Street, with music by Harry Warren, lyrics by Al Dubin, book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, and original Broadway direction and dances by Gower Champion.

Chicago theatre talent comes together for Unidos: Puerto Rico Benefit Concert. This one-night-only charity event will be held at 8:00pm on Monday October 30, 2017 at Uptown Underground, 4707 N Broadway St in Chicago. All proceeds will help aid hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico through the Hispanic Federation.

Refuge Theatre Project, the three-year-old company that stunned some observers when their HIGH FIDELITY: THE MUSICAL won the 2017 Non-Equity Jeff Awards for Best Musical Production, Best Direction of a Musical and Best Scenic Design, has announced that their next production - the professional Chicago premiere of LYSISTRATA JONES.

Drury Lane Theatre's electrifying new production of Chicago features a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins.

Drury Lane Theatre opens its electrifying new production of Chicago, featuring a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins. This fiery new take on Chicago is directed by Drury Lane Theatre's Artistic Director William Osetek with choreography by Jane Lanier, the Tony-nominated student of Bob Fosse, and music direction by Roberta Duchak. Chicago runs now through June 18, 2017 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

BroadwayWorld has a first look at CHICAGO at the Dury Lane Theatre! Check out the video montage below! Drury Lane Theatre opens its electrifying new production of CHICAGO, featuring a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins. This fiery new take on CHICAGO is directed by Drury Lane Theatre's Artistic Director William Osetek with choreography by Jane Lanier, the Tony-nominated student of Bob Fosse, and music direction by Roberta Duchak. CHICAGO runs April 20 - June 18, 2017 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. The Press Opening is Friday, April 28, 2017 at 8:00 p.m.

Drury Lane Theatre announces casting for its electrifying new production of Chicago, featuring a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins.

The current remount of Refuge Theatre Project's enormously successful 2016 production of High Fidelity: The Musical, originally scheduled to close on March 6, 2017, has been extended three weeks to Saturday, March 25, 2017.