Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce its next outdoor performance, Broadway in your Backyard, directed by Michael Weber+ and music directed by Justin Akira Kono+, Saturday, Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. This latest Porchlight performance joins New Faces Sing Broadway 1979, Saturday, June 12 at 8 p.m. as part of the Out Back Summer Sessions series presented by the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 N. Skokie Blvd., Skokie. The performance is held outdoors in the North Shore Center’s 31,000 sq-ft back parking lot.
Ticket reservations are general admission and are sold to groups of two - six persons in the same accepted health safety bubble. Broadway in your Backyard begins Saturday, Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. Groups are escorted to designated spots by the North Shore Center’s staff beginning at 7 p.m. CDT. Patrons are asked to bring their own chairs with seating location based on date of purchase and at the full discretion of management. Tickets are $35 and $45 per person, with group seating available for two - six people, and are now on sale at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. Groups who would like to be seated near each other may indicate this on the ticket order form or call the Porchlight box office when ordering tickets at 773.777.9884.
Broadway in your Backyard is 90 minutes of Broadway songs celebrating family, friends, community and inspiration. The four-person cast, to be announced, will perform with a live band and the performance includes projections highlighting the music selections.
Information for the Saturday, June 12 at 8 p.m. Porchlight performance of New Faces Sing Broadway 1979 at the North Shore Center is below.
ABOUT NEW FACES SING BROADWAY 1979
Saturday, June 12 at 8 p.m.
New Faces Sing Broadway 1979 is Porchlight’s North Shore Center debut with host Alexis J Roston* and the New Faces, a cast made up of the next generation of talent, take the audience on a musical journey from the start to the finish of the 1979 Broadway season in 90 minutes with songs, historic information, trivia and sing-alongs. The latest New Faces features songs from the 1979 Broadway shows Evita, Sweeney Todd, They're Playing Our Song and more.
The 1979 cast of New Faces includes Micah Beauvais+, Adia Bell*, Chloe Belongilot*, Wesly Anthony Clergé+, Haley Gustafson*^, Drew Mitchell+, Mia Nevarez*, Laura Quiñones*, Christopher Ratliff+ and Nathe Rowbotham^.
The production team of New Faces Sing Broadway 1979 includes: Brianna Borger*(director); Linda Madonia* (music director and arrangements); Alex Rhyan+ (director of production); Christopher Pazdernik= (producing associate and company manager); North Shore Center For The Performing Arts (venue) and Michael Weber+ (artistic director).
Pronoun key: +(he/him/his); *( she/her/hers); ^(they/them/theirs), =(any with respect)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUT BACK SESSIONS
HEALTH SAFETY GUIDELINES, AS PROVIDED BY THE NORTH SHORE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS IN SKOKIE
The health and safety of patrons, artists and employees are the priority. The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie follows all health guidance from the CDC, the Illinois Department of Health and the Skokie Health Department. The Center has taken enhanced health safety and cleaning measures to protect artists and patrons and reduce transmission risks of the coronavirus. Each person attending should understand their own personal health risks and take proper precautions in possible exposure decisions. An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. By attending, participants assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19.
FACE MASKS
Out Back Summer Sessions concerts are all scheduled outdoor events. Pursuant to new guidance from the CDC, the North Shore Center will not require a face mask for vaccinated people outdoors. Face masks will be required indoors when entering the facility to use the restroom, box office or other services.
AMENITIES
The Out Back Summer Sessions are NOT drive-in style concerts. Patrons should bring their own chairs and blankets. While a concessions area with pre-packaged food, soft drinks, beer and wine will be available, patrons may bring their own food and drink. Outside alcohol is prohibited. Restrooms located inside the North Shore Center in Skokie are available for series concertgoers.
ABOUT MICHAEL WEBER, director
Michael Weber is the artistic director at Porchlight Music Theatre and most recently directed Sunset Boulevard and Gypsy for Porchlight Music Theatre as well as the Porchlight Revisits production of 1776and Broadway by the Decade for Porchlight Online. His productions of Gypsy, End of the Rainbow, Side Show, ...Forum, Sweeney Todd, Pal Joey and Assassins at Porchlight,Grand Hotel at Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place and She Loves Me at Theatre at the Center were each nominated for the Equity Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production— Musical. Other directing credits include “Living the History-125 Years of the Auditorium Theatre” (starring Patti Lupone, John Mahoney, and stars of Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and others), Fifth of July and Talley’s Folly at the Oak Park Festival Theatre, The Petrified Forest at Theatre at the Center, Beauty and the Beast at Marriott Theatre, Over the River and Through the Woods at Mercury Theater and Cirque du Symphony at Sears Center Arena. The recipient of two Joseph Jefferson Awards, he has written and directed 15 Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremonies. Weber’s regional acting credits include The Merry Widow and The Sound of Music at Lyric Opera, 42nd Street at Paramount, Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy (both starring Patti LuPone) at Ravinia, Disney’s My Son Pinocchio at First Stage Milwaukee, Around the World in 80 Days at Cleveland Playhouse, The Winter’s Tale and Henry V at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Angel Street at First Folio Shakespeare, and The Gifts of the Magi at Indiana Repertory. He served previously as artistic director of Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place (now The Broadway Playhouse) and Theatre at the Center. Weber is proud to serve as a pledge host with WTTW, Channel 11.
ABOUT JUSTIN AKIRA KONO, music director
Justin Akira Kono is a drummer, percussionist, keyboardist and orchestrator of a musically wide range. He was last seen with Porchlight Music Theater playing drums in Sophisticated Ladies and Chicago Sings: Rock and Roll Broadway. Other recent playing credits include All Shook Up and Freaky Fridaywith Williams Street Rep, Legends of the 50s & 60s with Music Theater Works, Billy Elliot the Musicaland Do Re Mi, also with Porchlight, and Kiss Me Kate with The Marriott Lincolnshire (upcoming). He is currently a music director at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Downers Grove and also plays with several Chicago-area bands including Piano Man: a Tribute to Billy Joel and Elton John, Blue Sky: a Tribute to ELO, Prairie Station and his very own J-Pop project: Kitsune Kono.
ABOUT NORTH SHORE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS IN SKOKIE
The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie is a dynamic two-theater complex operating as part of the Village of Skokie’s plan to provide cultural, literary and educational programs to benefit Chicago’s North Shore. The facility features an 867-seat mainstage theater and a convertible 318-seat theater. The North Shore Center presents a Feature Series of entertainment spanning numerous genres and styles, and an educational performing arts program, YOUTHEATRE. The Center is home to producing theater company Northlight Theatre, Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra, Music of the Baroque and numerous other cultural organizations and special rental events each year.
ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
Porchlight Music Theatre is the award-winning center for music theatre in Chicago. Through live performance, youth education and community outreach we impact thousands of lives each season, bringing the magic of musicals to our theatre home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast and to neighborhoods across the city. Porchlight has built a national reputation for boldly reimagining classic musicals, supporting new works and young performers, and showcasing Chicago’s most notable music theatre artists, all through the intimate and powerful theatrical lens of the “Chicago Style.”
Now in its 26th season, Porchlight's quarter-century production history includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Porchlight’s commitment to the past, present and future of music theatre led the company to develop the Porchlight Revisits and New Faces Sing Broadway program series, both quickly becoming audience favorites.
Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations, most notably the ongoing collaboration with Chicago Youth Centers. Porchlight annually awards dozens of full scholarships and hundreds of free tickets to ensure accessibility and real engagement with this uniquely American art form.
The company’s many honors include 178 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 45 Jeff awards, as well as 33 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 12 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards, and was honored with eight nominations in both technical and artistic categories and won three awards in our inaugural year in this tier, most notably Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies.
Through the global pandemic, Porchlight has emerged as one of Chicago’s leaders in virtual programming, quickly launching a host of free offerings like Sondheim @ 90 Roundtables, Movie Musical Mondays, Porchlight by Request: Command Performances and WPMT: Classic Musicals from the Golden Age of Radio. For the 2020-2021 season, Porchlight’s fall schedule included all-new ticketed virtual programs including Broadway by the Decade, New Faces Sing Broadway 1987, Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway, New Faces Sing Broadway 1961 and the return of The Ruffians’ Burning Bluebeard as well as collaborations with Hershey Felder and L.A. Theatre Works. Porchlight continues to announce new premium and free offerings in 2021.
Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce its next outdoor performance, Broadway in your Backyard,directed by Michael Weber+ and music directed by Justin Akira Kono+, Saturday, Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. This latest Porchlight performance joins New Faces Sing Broadway 1979, Saturday, June 12 at 8 p.m. as part of the Out Back Summer Sessions series presented by the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 9501 N. Skokie Blvd., Skokie. The performance is held outdoors in the North Shore Center’s 31,000 sq-ft back parking lot.
Ticket reservations are general admission and are sold to groups of two - six persons in the same accepted health safety bubble. Broadway in your Backyard begins Saturday, Aug. 7 at 8 p.m. Groups are escorted to designated spots by the North Shore Center’s staff beginning at 7 p.m. CDT. Patrons are asked to bring their own chairs with seating location based on date of purchase and at the full discretion of management. Tickets are $35 and $45 per person, with group seating available for two - six people, and are now on sale at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. Groups who would like to be seated near each other may indicate this on the ticket order form or call the Porchlight box office when ordering tickets at 773.777.9884.
Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from Actors’ Equity Foundation; Allstate; Bayless Family Foundation; Michael Best & Friedrich LLP; Chapman | Spingola, LLP; Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; Gen Ops Plus; Elegant Event Lighting; Glimpse Vision; James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation; Hearty Boys; A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation; The MacArthur Fund for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at Prince; the Pritzker Traubert Foundation; Ryan and Spaeth, Inc.; Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation; The Saints and Dr. Scholl Foundation.
The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency, and by a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.
Porchlight Music Theatre wishes to thank members of the Matching Gift Corporate Program including abbvie; Allstate; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Peoples Gas; Pepsico; Polk Bros Foundation and The Saints.
Photo from 2020 Out Back Summer Sessions at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie