Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre announces the return of its annual fundraising gala, the ICONS Gala, Sunday, Sept. 22 at 11 a.m. at The Ritz-Carlton Chicago at Water Tower Place, 160 E. Pearson St. The ICONS Gala supports Porchlight’s mission of celebrating the past, present and future of music theatre through its artistic, educational and community programming. Single tickets are $350 and $500 and table reservations are now on sale at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. Sponsorship opportunities are available now. Please contact Development Director Pam Klier at Pam@PorchlightMusicTheatre.org for sponsorship information.
The ICONS Gala was launched in 2012 and many icons have been honored throughout its history including Hal Prince, Elaine Stritch, Bob Fosse, Ethel Merman and Fred Astaire among others. In 2024, Porchlight launches its 30th season and features performances celebrating the three decades of productions, directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber, highlights from its educational and community initiatives, the presentation of the 2024 Luminary Award to longtime supporters Michelle and Steve Cucchiaro, an exciting auction and a deluxe brunch buffet with mimosas and wine sponsored by Uvae Kitchen and Wine Bar.
The Luminary Award is bestowed annually at the ICONS Gala and this year it is presented to Michelle and Steve Cucchiaro. This honor recognizes an outstanding individual, family or family foundation with a history of philanthropic and volunteer leadership on behalf of Porchlight and music theatre in Chicago, and whose generosity inspires others to philanthropic action. Past honorees include Rick and Deann Bayless and the Bayless Family Foundation, Elaine Cohen and Arlen D. Rubin, Jim Jensen, Jean Klingenstein, Dan Ratner and the Ratner Family Foundation and Paul M. Lisnek.
ABOUT MICHELLE AND STEVE CUCCHIARO
Michelle and Steve Cucchiaro have been passionate about musicals for most of their lives. In addition to music theatre, film plays a major role in their lives. Michelle Cucchiaro is a longtime Porchlight board member and serves on the Gene Siskel Film Center’s advisory board and the Sarah Siddons Society board and has been a member of the Chicago International Film Festival/Cinema Chicago for many years. She is also a member of the Arts Club of Chicago. Steve Cucchiaro serves on Porchlight’s finance committee. During the late 1970s, when Chicago/Off Loop theatre was in its infancy, they served on the audience development board at Victory Gardens Theatre and later on its board of directors. Lifelong Chicagoans, the Cucchiaros take great pride in the current theatre scene, subscribing to and supporting many of the local theatres.
The 2024 Luminary Award Recipients Michelle and Steve Cucchiaro. Photo by Judy Freeman.
ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
Porchlight Music Theatre, now in its 29th season, 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.”
Porchlight's history over nearly three decades includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres.
Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations. 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 49 Jeff awards, as well as 44 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 15 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards and has been honored with seven awards in this tier to date including Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies (2019) and Best Production-Revue for Blues in the Night (2022).
Through the global pandemic, Porchlight 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. In 2021, Porchlight launched its annual summer series, Broadway in your Backyard, performing at parks and venues throughout the city.
Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from Allstate; Comcast/Xfinity; Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; Free for All, Glimpse Vision; James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation; Hearty Boys; A.L. and Jennie L. Luria Foundation; 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; Baxter; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; Peoples Gas; Pepsico; Polk Bros Foundation and The Saints.