Porchlight Announces 20/21 Season

Porchlight Announces 20/21 Season

Pictured: Artistic Director Michael Weber.

Porchlight Music Theatre has announced the lineup for its 26th season which includes three mainstage productions, plus the return of Porchlight Revisits and the New Faces Sing Broadway series.


Porchlight Music Theatre’s 2020/2021 Season (from the press release):

Mainstage:
“Legally Blonde,” based on the hit film starring Reese Witherspoon, tells the story of California Girl “Elle Woods” as she splinters the hallowed ivy-clad walls of Harvard in her own style kicks off the Porchlight 26th season, October 10 – November 29;

Commemorating the 110th anniversary of the great ship’s launch, “Titanic,” the Tony award-winning musical, takes audiences aboard the ill-fated inaugural voyage of the “eighth wonder of the world,” the R.M.S. Titanic, January 30 – March 12, 2021; and,

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee “concludes Porchlight’s 26th season as six awkward tweens vie for the coveted spelling championship in this fast-paced, Tony-winning musical comedy, April 17 – May 28, 2021.

Porchlight Revisits:

Due to popular demand, Porchlight Revisits returns with a three-production season. This popular “lost musicals” series offers classic productions that have been rarely seen in Chicago and includes a fun, fact-filled multimedia “Behind the Scenes Backstory” presentation before each performance created and hosted by Artistic Director Michael Weber.

“Assassins”
Wednesday, Oct. 28 and Thursday, Oct. 29
A Stephen Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration Production!
This Sondheim musical fantasia explores the American peculiarity of the various men and women who have throughout the years attempted to, or succeeded in, assassinating United States presidents.

“Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”
Wednesday, Feb. 24 and Monday, March 1, 2021
It is the Roaring 20s AGAIN with the madcap adventures of the original “gold digger,” “Lorelei Lee,” as she sets sail for Europe with her best friend “Dorothy Shaw” in search of millionaires.

“Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Reflect Up?”
Wednesday, May 12 and Monday, May 17, 2021
One of the longest running musicals in Chicago theatre history, this coming-of-age story involves the 1950s Catholic education of eight Chicago kids, following them from the start of elementary school through senior prom and beyond as they navigate first confessions, puppy love, patron saints, sex education and the importance of not wearing black patent leather shoes with your plaid, school uniform skirt.

New Faces Sing Broadway:

New Faces Sing Broadway has been a sold-out sensation, taking audiences in 90 minutes through one Broadway season. A local-celebrity host introduces audiences to the next generation of music theatre artists while serving as guide to the stars, songs and stories of that particular season. Peppered with photos and films of the era in an exciting multimedia presentation, trivia games with prizes, sing-alongs and more, the 2020 – 2021 season will be performed at locations to be announced and features:

New Faces Sing Broadway 1960
Fall 2020
Featuring hit songs from the 1960 Broadway shows including Bye, Bye Birdie, Camelot, Carnival, Irma La Douce and more.

New Faces Sing Broadway NOW
Winter 2021
Featuring hit songs from Broadway shows debuting this season including Diana, Mrs. Doubtfire, MJ, Flying Over Sunset and more.

New Faces Sing Broadway 1979
Spring 2021
Featuring hit songs from the 1979 Broadway shows including Evita, Sweeney Todd, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, They’re Playing Our Song and more.

Special Event
Chicago Sings Andrew Lloyd Webber
Monday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m.
Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave.
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber

Porchlight Music Theatre launches the 26th season with its 15th annual benefit concert, Chicago Sings, supporting Porchlight’s educational and artistic programming. This year, Chicago Sings salutes the achievements of a man whose name is synonymous with music theatre, the composer of 20 musicals and the recipient of more than 45 awards: Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. Chicago’s leading music theatre actors perform his hit songs and some lesser-known treasures from throughout his six-decade-long career including “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Evita,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “School of Rock” and more.


For more information on Porchlight’s 2020/2021 season visit http://PorchlightMusicTheatre.org.

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