Porchlight Music Theatre

By uniting the arts of music, drama, dance, and design we transform stories into thrilling, passionate and relevant events, which affect the lives of artists and audiences alike. As professionals and leaders in this field, we nurture and develop new artists and works, expanding and redefining the music theatre genre while matching artistic vision with fiscal responsibility.

"One of the beauties of hearing the show on an intimate scale in a theatre of 150 seats...I was hearing pieces of the lyrics that I had never really been conscious of before, I was hearing the words, and an intimate production will help you do that." - Jonathan Abarbanel, Chicago Public Radio

The company has staged 48 productionss including five world premieres and four Chicago premieres. Porchlight Music Theatre has received 22 Jeff Awards (Equity and non-union), 65 Jeff Award Nominations (Equity and non-union), 28 After Dark Awards and 2 Black Theater Alliance Award Nominations.

Founded in 1994 as Porchlight Theatre Ensemble by former artistic director Jill Moore, our humble beginnings included ambitious productions of Chekhov's Three Sisters and original musicals by Robert Hartmann and Scott Keys. Over the last decade, Porchlight has gone from performing at a mix of venues to a three year tenure at the Athenaeum to our present home at Theatre Building Chicago. These intimate spaces have allowed us to give audiences an up-close experience with the grandeur, excitement and emotion of the musical genre.

In 1996 we refined our mission statement to focus exclusively on music theatre. As our identity evolved, so did our name, and in 2000 we became Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago.

As our productions have grown, so has our reputation. Audiences have come to expect sophisticated, well-sung music theatre, replete with inventive direction and design. We always feature the finest veteran and best new talent in Chicago. Porchlight is recognized for nurturing young talent in a challenging yet supportive environment.

Eventually we took our productions on the road. Porchlight Music Theatre has been a featured addition to the season at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center in Arlington Heights and for many seasons at Chicago's Theatre on the Lake. The storied production of Ragtime of the 2006-2007 season made Porchlight history with a three month transfer and extension at the 461 seat Apollo Theater in Lincoln Park.

Our artists and board of directors are committed to developing the audiences and artists of the future. Our community outreach program targets youth from underserved populations hosting them at performances which for the majority is their first experience of live, professional theater.

Along the way we have picked up enthusiastic reviews from local and national arts critics, numerous awards, as well as corporate and foundation supporters, loyal subscribers and most importantly, a discerning audience.