Porchlight Music Theatre, Chicago’s home for music theatre, announced Klaus Peter Schuller has been hired as the new executive director and Michael Weber has been named The Elaine Cohen and Arlen Rubin Artistic Director on Monday, May 11, at its annual concert fundraiser, Chicago Sings Broadway’s British Invasion. Schuller will assume the position from Interim Executive Director Jenna Deja on August 1, 2026 after a search helmed by Porchlight’s Board of Directors’ Search & Transition Committee. Schuller will be the organization’s third executive director in its 32 year history after Jeannie Lukow led the organization from 2014 - 2024 and Deja as interim executive director from 2024. Thanks to a heartfelt gift from Chicago philanthropists Elaine Cohen and Arlen Rubin, Weber has been named The Elaine Cohen and Arlen Rubin Artistic Director. Their generous support helps bring Porchlight’s productions to life. Porchlight also recently announced its 2026 - 2027 season that includes on its mainstage, Little Shop of Horrors, the Chicago premiere of Dead Outlaw, a co-production with Theater Wit, the world premiere of Shake It Away: The Ann Miller Story and the return of one of its signature series with New Faces Sing Broadway 1976. More information is available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org.
(L to R) New Executive Director Klaus Peter Schuller and The Elaine Cohen and Arlen Rubin Artistic Director Michael Weber
“We are thrilled to welcome Klaus Peter Schuller to Porchlight as the new executive director,” said Interim Executive Director Jenna Deja. “He has extensive experience, strong ties to Chicago and a deep admiration for Chicago’s rich theater scene. We look forward to Klaus bringing his dedication and insight to Porchlight to guide the organization in its third decade and beyond.”
“I am beyond delighted to be returning to Chicago to help guide Porchlight Music Theatre in this exciting time of growth and opportunity,” added new Executive Director Klaus Peter Schuller. “It is also a wonderful return to my roots, as a love of musicals was the driving force for choosing theatre as my career.”
The naming of Michael Weber as The Elaine Cohen and Arlen Rubin Artistic Director is to commemorate the most recent gift of Cohen and Rubin in support of Porchlight’s future productions. Cohen and Rubin’s history with Porchlight goes back over a decade with their sponsoring Porchlight’s popular New Faces series, which has been showcasing new talent in Chicago who frequently go on to noteworthy careers in film, television and theatrically on local, national, including Broadway, and international stages.
“Arlen and I are proud to continue our support of Porchlight and honored to have this title named for us,” said Elaine Cohen. “We have partnered with Porchlight to highlight new talent and new voices and this gift builds on this strong relationship and continues our desire to see Porchlight thrive into the future.”
"This transformative gift from Elaine and Arlen is a testament to their deep belief in the power of music theatre,” shared Board Chair Brandon John Harrington. “Their philanthropic investment enables Porchlight to dream bigger and push creative boundaries, knowing we have the steadfast backing of true champions of Chicago theatre."
ABOUT KLAUS PETER SCHULLER, NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Klaus Peter Schuller is a lifelong artist, arts enthusiast and arts worker. His current incarnation as an arts manager began with 20 years in roles of increasing responsibility with The Second City, culminating in 13 years as executive director for The Second City Canada. In 2019 he built a new venue in the Loop Theater District for Randolph Entertainment, helping to create an indoor Spiegeltent cirque venue and leading the operation until 2023's renowned Cabaret Zazou. Most recently, Schuller led the rescue and renaissance of the Virginia Repertory Theatre in Richmond, Virginia.
ABOUT MICHAEL WEBER, THE ELAINE COHEN AND ARLEN RUBIN ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Michael Weber is a nationally recognized, award-winning director, producer, actor and educator. He currently serves as artistic director of Chicago’s Porchlight Music Theatre where he recently directed Follies and served as the resident director of the Chicago premiere of Titanique. Recently he directed the Off-Broadway and European festival premieres of Shake It Away: The Ann Miller Story and Call Me Elizabeth written by and starring Kayla Boye. Under his artistic leadership, Porchlight was awarded Chicago’s Jeff Award for “Best Production” six times for A Class Act, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Sondheim on Sondheim, The Scottsboro Boys, Dreamgirls and Blues in the Night. Porchlight productions that he directed, including Cabaret, Gypsy, End of the Rainbow, Sweeney Todd, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Pal Joey, Assassins and Side Show, as well as Grand Hotel at Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place and She Loves Me at Theatre at the Center were each nominated for the Jeff Award Award for Best Production. He previously served as artistic director of Chicago’s Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place (now Broadway in Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse) as well as at Theatre at the Center in Munster, Indiana. Directing credits include Living the History-125 Years of The Auditorium Theatre starring Patti LuPone and John Mahoney, 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, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Pheasant Run Theatre and Cirque du Symphony at Sears Center Arena featuring stars of Cirque du Soleil with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. The recipient of two Joseph Jefferson Awards, he has been nominated for nine awards and he wrote and directed 14 Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremonies. Weber’s regional acting credits include The Merry Widow (starring Renée Fleming) at Lyric Opera, Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy (both starring Patti LuPone) at Ravinia Festival, The Winter’s Tale and Henry V at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Around the World in 80 Days at Cleveland Playhouse, Disney’s My Son Pinocchio at First Stage Milwaukee, It Had To Be You (starring Cindy Williams and Eddie Mekka) at Little Theatre on the Square, Angel Street at First Folio Shakespeare and The Gifts of the Magi at Indiana Repertory. Michael is the author of the play, WAR of the WELLeS (about Orson Welles’ infamous radio broadcast) and he supports the community as a longtime pledge host for PBS station WTTW channel 11 and as a board member of the League of Chicago Theatres.
ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
Porchlight Music Theatre, entering its 32nd 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 the theatre 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.
Porchlight Music Theatre’s 32nd season is sponsored by Brenda & James Grusecki.
Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from Actors’ Equity Foundation; Arlen and Elaine Cohen Rubin Charitable Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City; Bayless Family Foundation; Chicago Free for All; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation; Hearty Boys; Mesirow Financial; Carol Oppenheim & Jerome Lamet Charitable Fund; the Pritzker Traubert Foundation; Ryan and Spaeth, Inc.; Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation; The Saints; Dr. Scholl Foundation; Service Club of Chicago, The Shubert Foundation and Uvae Kitchen & Wine Bar
The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency.
Porchlight Music Theatre wishes to thank members of the Matching Gift Corporate Program including Allstate; BDO; Comcast; Crowdstrike; Google and The Saints.
MORE FROM PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
Broadway in your Backyard
Summer 2026
Porchlight's free, outdoor summer concert series marks its sixth edition in 2026 at parks throughout Chicago. The 60-minute, family-friendly, outdoor performance includes some of the best loved show tunes from Broadway and Hollywood with sing-alongs, a raffle for valuable prizes and more.