Porchlight Music Theatre is a professional theatre company in Chicago, Illinois that has won numerous Joseph Jefferson Awards in its 25-year history. The company has come to embody the slogan "American musicals. Chicago style".
About Its initial production in 1995 was the premiere of Women Who Love Science Too Much by K.R. Cahill and directed by William Eric Bramlett. Starring the founding artistic director Jill Moore.
In 2010, Michael Weber took over artistic direction. Weber previously served as artistic director for the inaugural season of Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place (now the Broadway Playhouse) and at Theatre at the Center (1998–2004).
During the 2016–2017 season, the theatre attracted record attendance with its staging of In the Heights. This production changed the face of the company and helped the company move to the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, in Chicago's Gold Coast.
Productions +SeasonProductions1995–1996Women Who Love Science Too Much / Macabaret / Family Album / Three Sisters1996–1997The Still Time / Macabaret / Hereafter1997–1998Macabaret / The Vanishing Point 1998–1999Ruthless! / Falsettos1999–2000Colette Collage / Merrily We Roll Along2000–2001Into the Woods / Passion2001–2002A Little Night Music / Children of Eden / A New Brain2002–2003Promises, Promises / Company2003–2004 Cabaret / Amadeus2004–2005Sweeney Todd / Closer Than Ever2005–2006Gypsy / Macabaret / The Secret Garden2006–2007A Wonderful Life / Assassins / The Teapot Scandals / Ragtime2007–2008Phantom / A Wonderful Life / Nine2008–2009Candide / Pacific Overtures / Once on This Island2009–2010The Fantasticks / Macabaret / Miracle on 34th Street / Meet John Doe2010–2011Sunday in the Park with George / Miracle on 34th Street / Meet John Doe / The King & I2011–2012Putting It Together / A Catered Affair / tick, tick...BOOM!2012–2013A Class Act / Gifts of the Magi / Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill / Pal Joey2013–2014Double Trouble / Ain't Misbehavin' / How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying2014–2015Sweeney Todd / Sondheim on Sondheim / A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum2015–2016Side Show / Ain't Misbehavin' / Far From Heaven / Dreamgirls2016–2017In the Heights / End of the Rainbow / The Scottsboro Boys / Marry Me a Little2017–2018Billy Elliot / Merrily We Roll Along / Memphis2018–2019Gypsy / A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder / A Chorus Line2019–2020Sunset Boulevard / Sophisticated Ladies / Freaky Friday2021-2022Pump Boys & Dinettes / Blues in the Night / Spring Awakening2022-2023Rent / Cabaret / Ernest Shackleton Loves Me 2023-2024Anything Goes / Sunday in the Park with George2024-2025Fun Home / Titanique2025-2026Making Marilyn Miller – An Immersive Musical / The Irish... and How They Got That Way / Follies
New Faces Sing Broadway Series Porchlight created this revue series which runs for one to two nights. It is an audience-interactive event that encompasses the 'hits and misses' of a given season on Broadway. The night is emceed by a local theatre star and showcases ten rising music theatre talents.
Porchlight Revisits Series Since 2013, the company has staged series' of 'lost' musicals. There are three of these productions per season. Each production runs for three nights. Before each performance, there is a "Behind the Show Backstory" multimedia presentation by Artistic Director Michael Weber explaining the history of the production.
Education Since 2014, the company has offered children and professional artists the opportunity to pursue training in singing, dancing, acting, and writing. It is an environment where working artists can practice and create with other artists. It provides scholarship events and offers summer camps and school-year programming for local teachers. Porchlight also offers rehearsal space to rent out.
Awards Porchlight Music Theatre has received a total of 42 Jeff Awards and 139 Jeff Award nominations. They have additionally received 7 Black Theatre Alliance awards and 22 Black Theatre Alliance nominations.
Below are the productions that have won an Equity Joseph Jefferson Award and the season in which it was won. +SeasonProduction2012–2013A Class Act2013–2014Ain't Misbehavin'2014–2015Sondheim on Sondheim2015–2016Dreamgirls2016–2017The Scottsboro Boys
References
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