Porchlight Theater Ensemble

As the leader in music theatre in Chicago, Porchlight Music Theatre has staged 59 productions including five world premieres and twelve Chicago premieres - earning growing die-hard audiences and national critical acclaim.  Porchlight is known for its bold, edgy and intimate music theatre, offering audiences the drama, the song and the dance “up close” from Chicago and Broadway’s brightest music theatre talent.

The theatre was founded in 1994 by former Artistic Director Jill Moore and a close group of artists and friends who aimed to create a company that would feel like home to artists and audiences alike.  Porchlight came to symbolize creativity, comfort and community and for 19 years the company has kept that light shining brightly.

Under L. Walter Stearns' leadership from 1998-2010, the company took on more ambitious works and added its first Equity contracts in 2004.  Porchlight’s wildly successful and powerful production of Ragtime in 2006/2007 was a turning point for the theatre, and Porchlight’s work and reputation dramatically grew.  

In 2010, Michael Weber took the helm at Porchlight as Artistic Director and the company continues to wow audiences with first class, sophisticated and engaging music theatre performed by the finest veteran and emerging actors, dancers and singers, with inventive direction and arresting and innovative design elements.

For its spectacular 2013/2014 season, Porchlight was nominated for twelve Joseph Jefferson Awards, and took home four Jeff Awards including Production of a Revue for Ain't Misbehavin', Artistic Associate Brenda Didier for her direction of Ain't Misbehavin', Artistic associate Austin Cook for his conducting Ain't Misbehavin' and Artistic Associate Bill Morey for his costume design for How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Over the years, Porchlight Music Theatre has received an impressive 31 Jeff Awards and 115 Jeff Award nominations, 28 After Dark Awards, 2 Black Theatre Alliance Awards and 11 BTA nominations. 

For our 21st year, Porchlight is bringing you a highly anticipated season with Side Show, the return of our 2013 Jeff Award-Winning smash hit Ain't Misbehavin', the Chicago premiere of Far From Heaven and the classic Dreamgirls. 

Our hugely popular Porchlight Revisits… series of "lost" musicals in staged concerts, giving our community a rare opportunity to explore three “forgotten” Broadway musicals returns with Babes in Arms, Applause, and Chess. The School at Porchlight, where both artists and non-professionals eager are engaged in classes in performance, writing and scholarship of the musical genre, has named Tammy Mader as the school cordinator, continues bringing music theatre students and hobbiests the area’s top instructors.

We’re glad you’re here and hope to welcome you further into the Porchlight Music Theatre community, where artists, donors, audiences and friends together shine the light on passionate, innovative and relevant works that celebrate the past, present, and future of music theatre.  We also look forward to hosting our annual special events, the signature ICONS Gala and our always-anticipated CHICAGO SINGS! concert, the year honoring the motor city with The Best of Motown! We hope you’ll become more involved and look forward to seeing you at Porchlight!