Porchlight Music Theatre announces that after a national search by its Search & Transition Committee, Jenna Deja has accepted the position of interim executive director. Deja started Sept. 3. Deja’s current agreement with Porchlight is through December 2025 as the Committee searches for a permanent executive director. Porchlight’s first Executive Director Jeannie Lukow departs at the end of September. Lukow assumed the position of executive director in 2014. Before she accepted the role she had been a member of Porchlight Music Theatre’s Board of Directors since the company’s inception and served as its president for six years.
“The committee knew immediately from its first meeting with Jenna that she would be a perfect fit. She has seen Porchlight productions, knew our organization and her experiences as vice president of Arts Consulting Group where she led the firm’s Interim Management Practice placing professionals in executive roles across the country gives her an unrivaled expertise in knowing organizational needs,” said Board Chair Gretchen Upholt. “Then after the staff’s positive response to talking with her, we knew we found our interim executive director to lead us as we head into our 30th anniversary season.”
“I immediately and enthusiastically accepted the position with Porchlight when Gretchen offered it to me,” stated Interim Executive Director Jenna Deja. “With the Board and the staff, I am looking forward to advancing the incredible work already done and building the organization for future successes while keeping the mission and vision centered as our driving force. Interim work can be transformational for all of us and I am honored to take on this role.”
“Having met Jenna and discussing with her Porchlight’s impressive past and bright future, I can’t wait to see the new ideas and positive change she can bring to the organization that I helped establish 30 years ago,” said Executive Director Jeannie Lukow. “Jenna has an incredible grasp of what Porchlight can become and remarkable skills to achieve them. I wish her all the best in this position and continued success to Porchlight in its 30th anniversary year and beyond.”
“As we enter our 30th year, Porchlight will definitely miss having Jeannie here,” added Artistic Director Michael Weber. “Jenna is stepping into some big shoes and, after meeting with her, I know she is welcoming this next chapter for her and for Porchlight. This season offers many new opportunities and Jenna is the perfect person to work with us at this time to continue Porchlight’s successes into the future.”
ABOUT JENNA DEJA
Jenna Deja is thrilled to join Porchlight Music Theatre adding to her 25+ year career focused on creating pathways for talented teams to bring beautiful and impactful stories to life on stage and beyond. She most recently served as vice president of Arts Consulting Group (ACG), a full-service consulting firm working solely in the arts and culture sector. At ACG, Deja specialized in interim management, organizational leadership and strategic planning. Her clients at ACG included Americans for the Arts, Guthrie Theatre, Banff Centre for Arts, Long Wharf Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Mosaic Theatre, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley and many others.
She has a lifelong love of theatre and a successful track record of artistic innovation, leadership and excellence. Prior to her time at Arts Consulting Group, she served as managing producer for The Second City for 12 years. She led the Touring and Theatricals division, producing with partners including La Jolla Playhouse, Goodman Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Hubbard Street Dance. Her achievements center around developing diverse programs, increasing earned and contributed revenue and fostering collaborative relationships with artists, board members, staff, volunteers and community members.
Deja lives in Oak Park with her adored husband Tom and spoiled dogs Hazel and Ramona.
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 which continues this summer.
Elaine Cohen & Arlen Rubin and Brenda & James Grusecki are Porchlight Music Theatre’s 30th anniversary season sponsors.
Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from Actors’ Equity Foundation; Allstate; Comcast/Xfinity; Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation; Free for All; 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; Baxter; 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.