Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre announces the 2023 Scene Changers who will be honored at Porchlight ICONS: Celebrating Ben Vereen, Friday, Sept. 8 at 5:30 p.m. at the Athenaeum Center, 2936 N. Southport Ave. This new special event fundraiser is directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber+, music directed by Linda Madonia* and musical staging by Isaiah Silvia-Chandley+ with honorary co-chairs, Tony-nominee Felicia P. Fields* and Broadway’s Kenny Ingram+.
In addition to recognition of the Scene Changers, Porchlight ICONS: Celebrating Ben Vereen features the presentation of the 2023 ICONS Award to the legendary Ben Vereen+ and the 2023 Luminary Award to WGN’s Paul M. Lisnek+ with live performances highlighting Mr. Vereen’s incredible career including Sweet Charity, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin, Funny Lady, All that Jazz, Chicago, Wicked and more along with an intimate, on stage interview between the award recipients. Single tickets are $500 (which includes a cocktail reception with Mr. Vereen and priority reserved seating on the main floor), $250 for main floor seating and $100 for seating in the front balcony. Tickets are on sale now at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or 773.777.9884. Sponsorship opportunities are available now. Please contact Development Director Evin Rayford* at evin@porchlightmusictheatre.org for more information.
The 2023 Scene Changers are leaders recognized by Porchlight for their impact on the business, civic and cultural life of Chicago. These honorees have not only made a difference in their own organization, but in the wider community and industry in which they work. The arts have always been at the forefront of social advancement and Porchlight honors those within and outside of the arts community who are moving the needle to make our world a better place. This year's community leaders include Ranjana Bhargava*, Rev. L. Scott Donahue+, César Lostaunau+, Dr. Nitha Fiona Nagubadi*, Eva Penar*, Lisa Russ*, Roz Stuttley* and Chief Valdimir Talley Jr+.
Porchlight ICONS: Celebrating Ben Vereen includes an all-star cast celebrating Mr. Vereen’s career with performances starring Adrian Aguilar+ (Broadway in your Backyard, Double Trouble, tick, tick … Boom!, Porchlight Revisits Chess, Pal Joey); Kayla Boye* (Billy Elliott, Porchlight Revisits Can Can and Little Me, New Faces Sing Broadway 1969); Donterrio+ (Ain't Misbehavin', Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies, Porchlight Revisits Golden Boy); Kelly Felthous* (2022 ICONS Gala with Donna McKechnie); David Robbins+ (Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway) and Ciarra Stroud* (Broadway in your Backyard, Porchlight Revisits The Apple Tree, New Faces Sing Broadway 1947). Music director/keyboardist Linda Madonia* will conduct the on-stage band including Greg Strauss+ (trumpet), Chuck Webb+ (bass) and Robert Reddrick+ (drums).
In 2020, the ICON Award was established at Porchlight Music Theatre to celebrate a notable artist who has made an indelible contribution to American entertainment and has since been presented to living legends Hal Prince+, Joel Grey+, Chita Rivera* and in 2022, Donna McKechnie* as well as historic music theatre greats Fred Astaire+, Ethel Merman*, Bob Fosse+, Elaine Stritch*, Frank Loesser+, Michael Bennett+ and others. Porchlight will welcome the 2023 recipient of the ICON Award, Ben Vereen, to accept this award.
The Luminary Award is bestowed annually and this year it is presented to Paul M.Lisnek. This honor recognizes an outstanding individual, family or family foundation with a history of philanthropic and volunteer leadership on behalf of Porchlight and music theater 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.
ABOUT THE 2023 SCENE CHANGERS
Porchlight ICONS: Celebrating Ben Vereen 2023 Scene Changers: Top row: (L to R) Ranjana Bhargava, Rev. L. Scott Donahue, César Lostaunau, Dr. Nitha Fiona Nagubad Bottom row: (L to R) Eva Penar, Lisa Russ, Roz Stuttley and Chief Valdimir Talley Jr.
ABOUT RANJANA BHARGAVA
Ranjana Bhargava was the co-founder and executive director of Apna Ghar, among the first organizations established primarily for South Asian families impacted by domestic violence in the nation and the executive director of Asian Human Services, which provided comprehensive social services to Asian families in Chicago. She also served in other community-based organizations, where her work included the provision of support services to incarcerated women; advocacy for the health/mental health needs of low-income families and the establishment of school-based health centers.
ABOUT REV. L. SCOTT DONAHUE
Rev. L. Scott Donahue is president and CEO of Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, a therapeutic home for children who’ve experienced abuse, neglect, abandonment, violence and emotional trauma. He has been caring for the children at Mercy Home since joining its Board of Regents in 1990. Today, he leads Mercy Home’s strategic vision to expand and strengthen the life-changing services it provides, advance insights into the care of trauma-effected and disadvantaged youth and promote healing for families.
ABOUT CÉSAR LOSTAUNAU
César Lostaunau is the director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Anywhere Real Estate, Inc. Lostaunau is accountable for leading strategic initiatives that attract diverse real estate entrepreneurs to a portfolio of iconic real estate brands such as Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, CENTURY 21, Coldwell Banker, Corcoran, ERA Real Estate and Sotheby’s International Real Estate. He also drives business growth in strategic markets inclusive of Women, Hispanic/Latino, African American/Black, Asian American, LGBTQ+ and Veteran communities.
ABOUT DR. NITHA FIONA NAGUBADI
Dr. Nitha Fiona Nagubadi, PsyD, MBA, MS, has over 20 years of experience in the retail and education sector in consulting and program management, diversity and cross cultural training. She works with Fortune 500 corporations and startups on digital programs and cross functional teams. She is also active in community service and making an impact, serving on the board of Rotary Club of Chicago, DEI Committee Chair, PR/Marketing Committee co-chair, board of Chicago Cultural Alliance, co-founder of Vinod Nagubadi’s Each Life is Precious, member of the Consulate General of India Friends of Yoga Committee, Build the Peace Committee of Chicago DEI Task Force of Executive Club of Chicago and most relevant to this event, grateful to be serving on the EDI Committee of Porchlight Music Theatre.
ABOUT EVA PENAR
Eva Penar is the chief content and communications officer at the Executives' Club of Chicago and producer of the Executives’ Exchange podcast. During her tenure, she has launched the Purpose Driven programming to ensure that all members of Chicago’s Business Community are showcased. As the former director of marketing and communications at The Chicago Community Trust, she developed the branding, messaging and marketing for the “We Are Chicago” $1 billion campaign for the Trust’s endowment. In 2009, Time Out Chicago recognized Penar as a “Super Connector.”
ABOUT LISA RUSS
Lisa Russ has worked in professional communications, writing, marketing and sales for the majority of her career. After working for almost 20 years with CBIZ, a national business services firm, Russ decided to step into a full-time volunteer role with The Rotary Club of Chicago, serving in a number of capacities including President, 2012-2013. She started the Chicago Woman of the Year event, now entering its 11th year, which honors women for their service to the Chicago community.
ABOUT ROZ STUTTLEY
Roz Stuttley serves as director ofEquity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) with Choose Chicago and the Choose Chicago Foundation. She leads their EDI strategic action plan which includes Choose Compassion ERG, education, training, supporting business diversity and diverse talent pipelines within the tourism industry. She is a member of Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) - Greater Midwest Chapter, Destinations International’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, Tourism Diversity Matters and eEmerging lLeader with the U.S. Travel Association Destinations Council.
ABOUT CHIEF VALDIMIR TALLEY JR.
Valdimir Talley Jr. is a 36 year veteran police professional and is a retired chief of police for the Village of Maywood, Illinois. Chief Talley started his law enforcement career in 1983 as a correctional deputy with the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office and then held police tenure with the Illinois Department of Conservation (now Illinois Department of Natural Resources). Chief Talley is a strong advocate for law enforcement concerns and served as the chairman for the Anti-Violence Policy Group for the United States 7th Congressional District.
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.”
Porchlight's history, over the last 28 years, includes more than 70 mainstage works with 16 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 192 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 45 Jeff awards, as well as 44 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 its inaugural year in this tier, most notably Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies.
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. Porchlight launched its popular, annual summer series in 2021, Broadway in your Backyard, performing at parks and venues throughout the city.
Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from Allstate; Michael Best & Friedrich LLP; Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation; Comcast; 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.