Porchlight Music Theatre announces the roster of new faces for New Faces Sing Broadway NOW, hosted by Adrian Aguilar, directed by former New Face and Porchlight’s Producing Artistic Associate Frankie Leo Bennett with music direction and arrangements by Carolyn Jean Brady. New Faces Sing Broadway NOW takes place Monday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Evanston SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave. in Evanston and Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario St. There will be a pre-show lobby reception with complimentary wine and appetizers and a cash bar at The Arts Club beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $45 at Evanston Space and $75 at The Arts Club at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org.
Now in its ninth season as one of Porchlight’s most popular series, New Faces Sing Broadway takes audiences on a musical journey from the start to the finish of an entire Broadway season in 90 minutes. Host Adrian Aguilar introduces the audience to the next generation of Chicago music theatre artists while serving as the guide to the stars, songs and stories of Broadway. Past editions have focused on the seasons 1957 (South Pacific, Where’s Charley?, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,) 1970 (Company, 1776, Applause) 2002 (The Full Monty, The Producers, Urinetown) and others. New Faces Sing Broadway NOW includes hit songs from Hell’s Kitchen, The Notebook, The Outsiders and others as well as sing-alongs, a trivia contest with prizes and more.
The cast of New Faces Sing Broadway NOW includes, in alphabetical order, Diana Marilyn Alvarez (she/they, Chicago Children’s Theatre’s Milo Imagines the World), Maddie Brunner (she/her, Harper Ensemble’s Big Fish), Dakota Hughes (they/them, Jeff Award - Performer in a Supporting Role—Short Run Production, Hell in a Handbag Production’s Frankenstreisand), Andrew MacNaughton (he/him, Jeff-Nominee - Performer in a Supporting Role - Musical, Mercury Theater Chicago’s Young Frankenstein), Lorenzo Shawn Parnell (he/him, Drury Lane Theatre’s Elf: the Musical), Kevin Parra (he/him, Kokandy Productions’ Alice by Heart), Callan Roberts (he/him, Mercury Theater Chicago’s Big River), Maliha Sayed (she/her, Music Theater Works’ Carousel), Peyton Schoenhofer (he/him, Lemont Quarries’ The Forge Sings Disney) and Ava Stovall (she/her, Kokandy Productions’ Alice by Heart).
Many of the artists who have appeared in Porchlight’s New Faces Sing Broadway series have continued their careers on television, and local and national stages including Neala Barron (Jeff Award nominee-Assassins and 110 in the Shade), Frankie Leo Bennett (Jeff Award nominee-The SpongeBob Musical), Dawn Bless (Waitress-national tour), Blu Allen (MJ the Musical-Broadway, Titanique-Off-Broadway), Katherine Bourne (School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play-Goodman Theatre), Kayla Boye (Call Me Elizabeth-Off-Broadway, Europe, Mexico & national tour), Anna Brockman, Tim Foszcz, Josiah Haugen, Cam Turner, Jerod Turner and Evan Wilhelm (Porchlight's Cabaret), Haley Gustafson, (The Who’s Tommy-Broadway ), Lydia Burke and Molly Kral (Jeff Award winners [ensemble] - Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies), Darilyn Burtley and Max Cervantes (The Light in the Piazza-Lyric Opera of Chicago), Kyrie Courter (Sweeney Todd-Broadway), Maddison Denault and David Moreland (Jeff Award nominees, Cruel Intentions), Gilbert Domally (The Lion King-Broadway), Andres Enriquez (Jeff Award nominee-Porchlight’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), Nik Kmiecik, Ziare Paul-Emile and Alix Rhode (Porchlight's Rent), Theo Germaine (Showtime’s Work in Progress), Lucy Godinez (Jeff Award nominee-Oliver), Emily Goldberg (Jeff Award nominee-Porchlight’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), Nicole Michelle Haskins (Jeff Award winner-The Color Purple), Michelle Lauto (Jeff Award winner-Spamilton), Yando Lopez (Wicked-Broadway), Henry McGinniss (Book of Mormon-Broadway), Brandy Miller and Bryce Ancil (Jeff Award nominees-She Loves Me), Chloé Nadon-Enriquez (Bad Cinderella-Broadway), Anthony Norman (The Prom-Broadway, Dear Evan Hansen and Newsies-national tour), Luke Nowakowski and Tommy Thurston (Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale-Chicago Shakespeare), Patrick Rooney (Les Miserables-national tour), Aalon Smith (Porchlight’s Gypsy), Katherine Thomas (Jeff Award winner-Ragtime), Aeriel Williams (Oedipus Rex-Court Theatre) and Nicole Lambert, Courtney Mack, Mallory Maedke (SIX-Broadway) and Samantha Pauly (SIX and The Great Gatsby-Broadway).
ABOUT ADRIAN AGUILAR, host
Adrian Aguilar has performed on stages and screens all over the country in his 20 year career, but he will always call Chicago his home. Born and raised in the burbs, he chose to come back to Chicago to start his career and family, rather than the typical path to New York City. He has been married to the woman of his dreams, Brianna Borger, for nearly 14 years, and they live a quiet life in Evanston with their perfect son, Ian, and their perfectly imperfect meatball of a pittie, Ahsoka Doggo. Aguilar considers himself to be the luckiest person on the planet.
ABOUT FRANKIE LEO BENNETT, director
Frankie Leo Bennett is a Jeff award-nominated Chicago-based theatre multi-hyphenate. Directing: The Apple Tree (co-director), RENT (asst. director), multiple editions of New Faces Sing Broadway, Broadway in your Backyard and Chicago Sings (Porchlight Music Theatre); Out of Focus (CMTF/Kokandy/Steppenwolf): The Golden Girls: Meet the Skooby Gang and Save XMAS (Hell/Handbag); Acting: The SpongeBob Musical (Jeff nom - Best Principal Performer), Head Over Heels (Kokandy); Sweeney Todd, Altar Boyz (Theo); Cabaret, 1776, In The Heights (B'Way World Award - Best Actor) (Porchlight Music Theatre) among others. Writer: The Adventures of Ash (w/David Lipschutz) and Resident Services - A Crossed-Up Animal Musical. Member: Dramatists Guild; Staff: producing artistic associate - Porchlight Music Theatre.
ABOUT CAROLYN JEAN BRADY, music director
Carolyn Jean Brady operates a multi-genre Chicago and national voice studio. Clients have performed with Almost Famous (Broadway) Book of Mormon (Broadway and Broadway in Chicago), Mean Girls, The Prom and School of Rock (National Tours), NBC's "The Voice," Walt Disney World, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Goodman, Paramount, Chicago Shakes, Drury Lane, Marriott, Mercury, Porchlight Music Theater, Music Theater Works, BOHO, Theo Ubique, American Blues, House, Metropolis, Southwest Indiana Symphony and Chicago Opera Theatre. Music Direction credits: A Chorus Line (Jeff Nom. Music Direction), Cinderella, Shrek, Christmas Carol at Drury Lane, Sondheim Tribute Review at Theo, Elephant & Piggie at Marriott, Bullets Over Broadway (Jeff Nom.) at Night Blue, Wedding Singer, The Who’s Tommy (Jeff Nom.) and Meet Me in St. Louis at Circle Theatre. Upcoming: Carole King’s Beautiful at Drury Lane and Secret Garden at Theo. Brady is a proud member of the Chicago Federation of Musicians Union.
ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
Porchlight Music Theatre, entering its 30th 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 announces the roster of new faces for New Faces Sing Broadway NOW, hosted by Adrian Aguilar, directed by Frankie Leo Bennett with music direction and arrangements by Carolyn Jean Brady. New Faces Sing Broadway NOW takes place Monday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Evanston SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave. in Evanston and Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario St. There will be a pre-show lobby reception with complimentary wine and appetizers and a cash bar at The Arts Club beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $45 at Evanston Space and $75 at The Arts Club at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org.
The 30th Anniversary Season is Sponsored By Elaine Cohen & Arlen Rubin and Brenda & Jim Grusecki.
Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from Actors’ Equity Foundation; Allstate; Comcast/Xfinity; Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation; Free for All; Glimpse Vision; James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation; Hearty Boys; the Pritzker Traubert Foundation; Ryan and Spaeth, Inc.; Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation; The Saints; Dr. Scholl Foundation; Service Club of Chicago and The Shubert 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 Allstate; BDO; Google; Jackson National Life Insurance; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation and The Saints.
PORCHLIGHT FUTURE EVENTS ...
Saturday, Sept. 21 at 2:30 p.m.
Lake Stage, Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave.
This is a FREE event
Porchlight Music Theatre presents Broadway hits and selections from its 30th season as it joins more than 100 artists and organizations for Navy Pier’s free two-day celebration of Chicago’s vibrant arts and cultural community. This performance features Desiree Gonzalez, Nik Kmiecik and Alexis J Roston with live band including Linda Madonia (keys,) Craig Buckner (drums) and Eric von Holst (bass). Learn more at NavyPier.org.
Sunday, Sept. 22 at 11 a.m.
Ritz-Carlton Chicago at Water Tower Place, 160 E. Pearson St.
Tickets: $350 – $500 with sponsorship opportunities available.
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber
Music Directed by Linda Madonia with Associate Music Director Justin Kono
Porchlight honors 2024 ICON Award recipient Broadway, television and film star Raúl Esparza at its annual fundraiser, the ICONS Gala, with live performances Esparza’s notable musical career featuring some of Chicago theatre’s biggest stars, , the presentation of the 2024 Luminary Award to longtime supporters Michelle and Steve Cucchiaro, an exciting live auction and a deluxe brunch buffet with mimosas and wine sponsored by Uvae Kitchen and Wine Bar.
Monday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Evanston SPACE, 1245 Chicago Ave.
Tickets: $45
Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
The Arts Club of Chicago, 201 E. Ontario St.
Tickets: $75 (includes a pre-show wine and cheese reception at 6:30PM)
Directed by Producing Artistic Associate Frankie Leo Bennett
Music Directed by Carolyn Jean Brady
Hosted by Adrian Aguilar
The popular New Faces Sing Broadway series returns in Porchlight’s 30th Anniversary Season. Chicago’s up-and-coming talent join Broadway’s Adrian Aguilar for a 90-minute revue of the hottest shows on Broadway today including Hell’s Kitchen, The Notebook, Death Becomes Her, The Outsiders and others as well as trivia contests with prizes.
January 16 – March 2, 2025
Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St.
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Book and lyrics by Lisa Kron
Based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel
Directed by Stephen Schellhardt
Music Directed by Heidi Joosten
Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and a Pulitzer finalist, Fun Home is a refreshingly honest, emotional and revolutionary musical. Based on Alison Bechdel’s critically acclaimed graphic novel, Fun Home shares how Bechdel unlocks memories, milestones and mysteries of her youth as she begins to write her first graphic novel. With a compassionate score and a brilliant script, Fun Home tells the story of seeing your parents through grown-up eyes.
Chicago Premiere
Presented in association with Broadway In Chicago
March 25 – May 18, 2025
Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St.
Co-Written by Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue.
All aboard NYC’s must-sea musical comedy! When the music of Céline Dion makes sweet Canadian love with the eleven-time Oscar®-winning blockbuster film “Titanic,” you get Titanique, off-Broadway’s most award-winning splash hit, which turns one of the greatest love stories of all time into a hysterical musical fantasia. Want to find out what really happened to Jack and Rose on that fateful night? Just leave it to Céline Dion to enchant the audience with her totally wild take, recharting the course of Titanic’s beloved moments and characters with her iconic song catalog. Sailing on fierce powerhouse voices in show-stopping performances of such hits as “My Heart Will Go On,” “All By Myself” and “To Love You More” – backed by the unparalleled energy of a full live band – Titanique is a one-of-a-kind theatrical voyage bursting with nostalgia, heart and campy chaos.
CHICAGO SINGS 30 YEARS OF PORCHLIGHT
Monday, May 12, 2025
House of Blues Chicago, 329 N. Dearborn St.
Tickets: $75 – $175
The spring fundraising concert fittingly concludes the season with an unforgettable night of live performances commemorating 30 years of Porchlight with performances by Chicago theatre luminaries, the presentation of the 2025 Guy Adkins Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Music Theatre in Chicago and more.
Please note: Performances, actors and dates are subject to change.