Porchlight Music Theatre Presents CHICAGO SINGS ROCK & ROLL BROADWAY Review — Diva Parade

Posted on by Amy Munice

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You too may agree that Porchlight Music Theatre’s Annual Gala—this year online and streamed—is one heckuva diva and divo parade.  All a regular of Chicago theater – or perhaps a regular of New York theater and touring productions too—has to do is zero in on that astounding talent they always thrill at seeing in a program.  Hold that diva or divo’s talents in your RAM and then take a good listen to all the others, even in the moments here or there when the mics don't seem even.  OMG, you too might think, they are ALL that good.  How on earth do casting managers ever make a choice?

Editor’s Note:  See cast and program listing below.

Porchlight Music Theatre CHICAGO SINGS ROCK & ROLL BROADWAY
Felicia P. Fields with the Guy Adkins Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Music Theatre in Chicago was presented to her by 2019 Guy Adkins recipient Gary Griffin

In true Porchlight Music Theatre fashion, the short narratives interlacing the performances raise our musical theater IQ—giving us a framework to understand the impact of Rock N’Roll on Broadway, and a bit of the vice versa.  In short time, the knowledgebase that informs the Porchlight Music Theatre artistic decisions conveys that there are multiple dimensions of musical theatre history to explore.

Porchlight Musical Theatre Gala Gives Back to the Community

You too though may feel that the biggest star in the Porchlight Music Theatre galaxy is the educational efforts they sponsor in the schools and various Chicago neighborhoods, where arts education is given painfully short shrift.

How cool to think of kids learning early about the lilt in your step that only musical theater can deliver!

This is a top pick for everyone hungry for musical theater in the pandemic-imposed drought, an especially fun for anyone who has enjoyed a Porchlight Music Theatre production before.

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When:

Thru April 18, 2021

Where:

Online via private youtube or vimeo link.

Tickets:

$25+

 

For tickets and more information visit the Porchlight Musical Theatre website.

 

 

Directed by MICHAEL WEBER

Music Directed by JERMAINE HILL & LINDA MADONIA

Choreographed by ISAIAH SILVIA-CHANDLEY

Starring:

TERRELL ARMSTRONG, ADIA BELL, CHUCKIE BENSON, BLU, LYDIA BURKE, ARIANA BURKS, DARILYN BURTLEY, MOLLY CALLINAN, ELISA CARLSON, SATYA CHÁVEZ, PIERCE CLEAVELAND, SHANTEL CRIBBS, ROBIN K. DASILVA, ANDRÉS ENRIQUEZ , JILLIAN-GISELLE, LUCY GODÍNEZ, ALLYSON GRAVES, MAYA HLAVA, DONTERRIO JOHNSON, CHRISTOPHER JOHN KELLEY, HEIDI KETTENRING, NIK KMIECIK, MICHELLE LAUTO, EBEN K LOGAN, MELANIE LOREN, ALEJANDRO MEDINA, ANDREW MUELLER, JARAIS MUSGROVE, JUWON TYREL PERRY, DAVID ROBBINS, BILLY RUDE, LAURA SAVAGE, OLIVER SCHILLING, AALON SMITH, SAWYER SMITH, KYRA SORCE, TJ TAPP, TIFFANY T. TAYLOR, CHERISE THOMAS, BETHANY THOMAS & ARIEL ETANA TRIUNFO

Creative Team:

CHRISTOPHER PAZDERNIK, ALEX RHYAN, DENISE KARCZEWSKI, RACHEL WEST, ERIC BACKUS, DJ MEADOWS, OREL CHOLLETTE, JULIENNE CHOLLETTE, AUSTIN CROWLEY & MAX MILLER TJ TAPP
AUSTIN KOPSA & J ALAN REMINGTON CLEVE

The Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway band includes: Jermaine Hill (conductor/keyboards), Linda Madonia (conductor/keyboard), Dave Saenger (guitar), Greg Strauss (trumpet), Kelsee Vandervall (cello) and Chuck Webb (bass) and Justin Kono (percussion).

Historical narration written by Christopher Pazdernik
Musical Program--

Honestly Sincere Molly Callinan (Bye Bye Birdie, 1960)

Dancers: Terrell Armstrong, Allyson Graves, Oliver Schilling & Ariel Etana Triunfo

THE ORIGINALS

Good Morning Starshine (Hair, 1967) Nik Kmiecik & Satya Chávez

I’ll Never Fall in Love Again Darilyn Burtley (Promises, Promises, 1972)

THE 70s

Love Power Robin K. DaSilva with Lydia Burke, (Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope, 1962) Adia Bell & Juwon Tyrel Perry

Be a Lion (The Wiz, 1975) Aalon Smith & Chuckie Benson

BIBLE MEDLEY

Prepare Ye Adia Bell, Lydia Burke & Juwon Tyrel Perry (Godspell, 1971)

Dancers: Terrell Armstrong, Allyson Graves, Oliver Schilling & Ariel Etana Triunfo

Go, Go, Go, Joseph (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 1982) Adia Bell, Lydia Burke & Juwon Tyrel Perry

Dancers: Terrell Armstrong, Allyson Graves, Oliver Schilling & Ariel Etana Triunfo

Superstar Juwon Tyrel Perry with Adia Bell & Lydia Burke (Jesus Christ Superstar, 1971) Dancers: Terrell Armstrong, Allyson Graves, Oliver Schilling & Ariel Etana Triunfo

THE 80s

TRIO MEDLEY

Little Shop of Horrors Melanie Loren with Ariana Burks (Little Shop of Horrors, 1982) & Shantel Cribbs

Dreamgirls (Dreamgirls, 1981) Shantel Cribbs with Ariana Burks & Melanie Loren

You Can’t Stop the Beat (Hairspray, 2002) Ariana Burks with Shantel Cribbs & Melanie Loren

MEGAMUSICAL MEDLEY

The Heat is On in Saigon (Miss Saigon, 1991) Chuckie Benson & Billy Rude

The Rum Tum Tugger (Cats, 1982) Juwon Tyrel Perry with Adia Bell & Lydia Burke

Acid Queen (Tommy, 1993) Darilyn Burtley

And the Money Kept Rolling In (and Out) Nik Kmieck with Adia Bell, Lydia Burke (Evita, 1979) & Juwon Tyrel Perry

Nobody’s Aalon Smith with Adia Bell, Lydia Burke Side (Chess, 1988) & Juwon Tyrel Perry

River High, Mountain Deep Cherise Thomas with Lydia Burke, (Leader of the Pack, 1984) Adia Bell & Juwon Tyrel Perry

Stick it to the Man Alejandro Medina, Pierce Cleaveland, (School of Rock, 2015) Maya Hlava & Jillian-Giselle

TURN OF THE CENTURY

Take Me or Leave Me (Rent, 1996) Lucy Godínez & Michelle Lauto

Mama Who Bore Me Tiffany T. Taylor (Spring Awakening, 2006) Dancer: TJ Tapp

Wig in a Box Sawyer Smith with Blu, Eben K Logan (Hedwig & the Angry Inch, 1998) & Laura Savage

COMPOSERS ON BROADWAY

Everybody Say Yeah Donterrio Johnson & Andrés Enriquez (Kinky Boots, 2013) with Blu, Eben K Logan & Laura Savage

I Didn’t Plan It (Waitress, 2016) Bethany Thomas

BIOMUSICAL MEDLEY

Hound Dog (Million Dollar Quartet, 2010) Blu, Eben K Logan & Laura Savage

That’ll Be the Day (Buddy, 1990) Blu

The Shoop Shoop Song Eben K Logan (The Cher Show, 2018)

I Feel the Earth Move (Beautiful, 2014) Laura Savage

You Can’t Hurry Love (Ain’t Too Proud, 2019) Eben K Logan

December, 1963 (Oh, What a Blu Night) (Jersey Boys, 2005)

Proud Mary (Tina, 2019) Eben K Logan

Get On Your Feet (On Your Feet, 2015) Blu, Eben K Logan & Laura Savage

2000s

Keys (It’s Alright) (Passing Strange, 2007) David Robbins with Blu, Eben K Logan & Laura Savage

I’m Not that Guy/I’m So That Guy Andrew Mueller with Blu, (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, 2010) Eben K Logan & Laura Savage

Light (Next to Normal, 2008) Heidi Kettenring & Donterrio Johnson with Blu, Eben K Logan & Laura Savage

FINALE

C’Mon Everybody David Robbins (All Shook Up, 2005)*

Dancers: Christopher John Kelley, Jarais Musgrove, Kyra Sorce & TJ Tapp

Dancing Queen (Mamma Mia!, 2001)* Lucy Godínez & Michelle Lauto

We Got the Beat Tiffany Taylor (Head Over Heels, 2018)*

Dancers: Christopher John Kelley, Jarais Musgrove, Kyra Sorce & TJ Tapp

Anyway You Want It (Rock of Ages, 2008)* Bethany Thomas

Lady Marmalade Sawyer Smith (Moulin Rouge, 2019)*

Dancers: Jarais Musgrove, Kyra Sorce & TJ Tapp

Big Shot Andrew Mueller (Movin’ Out, 2002)*

Dancer: Christopher John Kelley

Holiday Andrés Enriquez (American Idiot, 2010)*

Dancers: Christopher John Kelley, Kyra Sorce & TJ Tapp

You Learn Heidi Kettenring, Sawyer Smith (Jagged Little Pill, 2019)* & Bethany Thomas

Dancers: Christopher John Kelley, Jarais Musgrove, Kyra Sorce & TJ Tapp

*Backing Vocals: Blu, Eben K Logan & Laura Savage

Photos courtesy of Porchlight Music Theatre

Amy Munice

About the Author: Amy Munice

Amy Munice is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Picture This Post. She covers books, dance, film, theater, music, museums and travel. Prior to founding Picture This Post, Amy was a freelance writer and global PR specialist for decades—writing and ghostwriting thousands of articles and promotional communications on a wide range of technical and not-so-technical topics.

Amy hopes the magazine’s click-a-picture-to-read-a-vivid-account format will nourish those ever hunting for under-discovered cultural treasures. She especially loves writing articles about travel finds, showcasing works by cultural warriors of a progressive bent, and shining a light on bold, creative strokes by fledgling artists in all genres.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES BY AMY MUNICE.

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