Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the 2023 company for its free summer concert series Broadway in your Backyard starring Broadway veterans and recent Porchlight “New Faces,” now in its third year, June 27 - August 8, as part of Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks series, supported by the Mayor’s Office and Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and Comcast and Xfinity. The rotating company includes performers Adrian Aguilar+, Bryce Ancil+, Lydia Burke*, Desiree Gonzalez*, Lorenzo Rush Jr+ and Ciarra Stroud* with conductors/pianists Kevin Disch+ and Justin Akira Kono+. Broadway in your Backyard is co-directed by Frankie Leo Bennett+ and Michael Weber+ and music directed by Linda Madonia*. For more information go to PorchlightMusicTheatre.org.
This 60-minute concert, held in parks throughout Chicago, includes favorite Chicago music theatre performers singing some of the best loved hits from the Broadway songbook including songs from Funny Girl, Guys and Dolls, Mary Poppins, Grease, RENT, Hairspray, Aladdin and others. Broadway in your Backyard is suitable for all ages and audiences are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets to enjoy the outdoor concerts.
Broadway in your Backyard 2023, as part of Night Out in the Parks, is FREE and open to the public. The summer schedule includes:
Unity Park, 2636 N. Kimball Ave.
- Tuesday, June 27 at 6 p.m.
Wicker Park, 1425 N. Damen Ave.
- Thursday, June 29 at 6 p.m.
Portage Park, 4100 N. Long Ave.
- Thursday, July 6 at 6 p.m.
Seneca Playlot Park, 220 E. Chicago Ave.
- Tuesday, July 11 at 6 p.m.
Gill Park, 825 W. Sheridan Rd.
- Thursday, July 13 at 6 p.m.
South Shore Cultural Center/Fieldhouse, 7059 S. Shore Dr.
- Tuesday, July 18 at 6 p.m.
Riis Park, 6100 W. Fullerton Ave.
- Thursday, July 20 at 6 p.m.
Washington Park, 5531 S. King Dr.
- Tuesday, July 25 at 6 p.m.
Munroe Park, 2617 W. 105th St.
- Thursday, July 27 at 6 p.m.
Stout Park, 5446 S. Greenwood Ave.
- Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 6 p.m.
Schreiber Playground Park, 1552 W. Schreiber Ave.
- Thursday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m.
Washington Square Park, 901 N. Clark St.
- Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 6 p.m.
Note: Performances, performers and dates subject to change.
The production team of Broadway in your Backyard includes Frankie Leo Bennett+ (co-director); Michael Weber+ (co-director); Linda Madonia* (music director); Kevin Disch+ (conductor/pianist); Justin Akira Kono+ (conductor/pianist); Matthew R. Chase+ (production coordinator); John McTaggart+ (technical director); Josh Derby+ (technical supervisor); Matt Reich+ (audio supervisor); Heather Gervasi* (assistant production manager); Jack Zanger+ (stagehand) and Majel Cuza* (direction of production).
ABOUT ADRIAN AGUILAR+, performer
In his career, Adrian Aguilar has performed on screens and stages all over the midwest and on Broadway and is truly, incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Broadway in your Backyard. So much love and thanks to his always amazing wife Brie, his hilarious and perfect son, Ian, and their goofy meatball of a new pup, Ahsoka Doggo.
ABOUT BRYCE ANCIL+, performer
Bryce Ancil is thrilled to be spending the summer with Porchlight Music Theatre! Porchlight: New Faces Sing Broadway 1956, Chicago Sings Stephen Sondheim. Chicago: "Swing" in Groundhog Day (Paramount), "Arpad" in She Loves Me (Joseph Jefferson award nomination, Blank Theatre Co.), Godspell (Theo). National Tour: "Linus" in A Charlie Brown Christmas. Off stage, Ancil enjoys writing music, thrifting and streaming on Twitch. Find him on Spotify.
ABOUT LYDIA BURKE*, performer
Lydia Burke is elated to return to Porchlight Music Theatre! She was last seen on the Porchlight Music Theatre stage in Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies and New Faces Sing Broadway 1956. Other credits include “Jovie” in Elf the Musical and Roald Dahl’s Matilda (Drury Lane Theatre); Damn Yankees, Big Fish, Sound of Music (Marriott Theatre); Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Sister Act (Mercury Theater Chicago); Groundhog Day and Kinky Boots (Paramount Theatre) and Ragtime (Music Theater Works).
ABOUT DESIREE GONZALEZ*, performer
Desiree Gonzalez is so excited to be returning to Porchlight again. Her most recent credits include “Catherine” in Pippin (Music Theater Works); Spring Awakening (Porchlight Music Theatre); I Wanna F*ck Like Romeo and Juliet and Blind Crest (Parallel 45); Tru (Gosz and Fotos); Mary Shelly's Frankenstein (Lookingglass); The Abuelas (Teatro Vista); New Faces Sing Broadway 1975 (Porchlight); Porchlight Revisits Do Re Mi (Porchlight); Bonnie and Clyde of which Desiree was nominated for a Jeff Award (Kokandy Productions); Destiny of Desire and Another Word for Beauty (Goodman Theatre). TV credits include “Chicago Fire” and several regional commercials. Desiree is a graduate of Carthage College and is proudly represented by Big Mouth Talent and Management by Morgan.
ABOUT LORENZO RUSH JR+, performer
Lorenzo Rush Jr is proud to be back hanging out with you all in Chicago's backyard! Rush is an accomplished actor, singer and director born and raised in Chicago’s West Garfield Park neighborhood. He has been blessed to perform on some of Chicago’s top stages including: Court Theater, Marriott Theater and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. He attributes all his success to God and his daughter Phoebe for being his motivation. Please enjoy the show and please SING ALONG!!
ABOUT CIARRA STROUD*, performer
Ciarra Stroud is a graduate from the University of California, Irvine with a BFA in Music Theatre. Her past credits include “Eve” in Porchlight Revisits The Apple Tree, (Porchlight Music Theatre); “Frenchy” in Grease (Drury Lane Theatre); “Brie” in Catholic School Token (Northwestern University); “The Girl With the Date” in Blues in the Night (North Coast Repertory Theatre); “The Witch” in Into the Woods (Myers Dinner Theatre); “Catherine” in Pippin and “Armelia” in Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Timber Lake Playhouse).
ABOUT NIGHT OUT IN THE PARKS
Porchlight Music Theatre’s Broadway in your Backyard is presented as part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks series, supported by the Mayor’s Office and Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. For more than 10 years, the Night Out in the Parks program has presented cultural events year-round in neighborhood parks throughout the city. The Chicago Park District in partnership with over 100 local artists and organizations, present engaging events and performances that enhance quality of life across Chicago and amplify the artistic and cultural vibrancy in every neighborhood. Through multiple disciplines, which include theater, music, movies, dance, site-specific work, nature programs, and community festivals, the series aims to support Chicago-based artists, facilitate community-based partnerships and programs, cultivate civic engagement and ensure equity in access to the arts for all Chicagoans.
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 27 years, includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 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 184 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.
Broadway in your Backyard is part of Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks series, supported by the Mayor’s Office and Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events with lead sponsors Comcast and Xfinity and sponsored, in part, by ComEd, the League of Chicago Theatres, Byline Bank, Unity Park Advisory Council and Trader Joe's.
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.
The audience at BROADWAY IN YOUR BACKYARD at Wicker Park in 2022
(L to R) Caitlin Dobbins and Jennifer Ledesma perform at BROADWAY IN YOUR BACKYARD in 2022
(L to R) Nik Kmicek, Lydia Burke and Jennifer Ledesma perform at Portage Park for BROADWAY IN YOUR BACKYARD in 2022
(L to R) ) Nik Kmicek, Caitlin Dobbins, Jennifer Ledesma and Lorenzo Rush Jr perform at Portage Park for BROADWAY IN YOUR BACKYARD in 2022
