Porchlight Music Theatre will conclude its 10th Anniversary season with the nation’s first-ever Finn Festival, devoted to the works of 20th century American composer-lyricist William Finn. The Finn Festival features four musicals, including "In Trousers," "Falsettos," "A New Brain," and the Chicago premiere of "Elegies: A Song Cycle" in rotating repertory over a 10-week period, March 19-May 22, at Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont Avenue.
The festival will be presented in chronological order, with "In Trousers" (1978) and "Falsettos" (1981 & 1989) opening on Saturday, March 26, at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. respectively, followed by "A New Brain" (1998) and "Elegies: A Song Cycle" (2003) in late April.
Porchlight’s Finn Festival is an ambitious undertaking which includes 26 actors and 24 behind-the-scenes artists, and 60 performances over 10 weeks. The directors and designers for each show have been collaborating for several months to meet the repertory demands. Christopher Ash, the festival scenic designer, has coordinated the needs of the four productions into one scenic environment, affectionately dubbed "Finnland."
"Porchlight has had great success producing the works of William Finn," said L. Walter Stearns, Artistic Director for Porchlight Music Theatre, and director of the company’s previous presentations of "A New Brain" and "Falsettos." "As curator of this Festival, I am enjoying the Finn musicals from a new perspective. These four shows, from four decades, are an overview of Jewish, gay and urban American history. As we experience the changes in our society over the years, we also listen to composer William Finn as he reflects the sounds of the eras and matures as an artist."
"The Finn Fest is the crowning achievement in Porchlight’s ambitious 10th Anniversary season," continued Stearns. "This season alone, we have increased our number of productions from two to six, collaborated with guest directors from the Goodman and Timeline Theatres, and established a relationship with Actors Equity Association, bringing a new level of professionalism to Porchlight’s intimate brand of musical theatre."
Single tickets for The Finn Festival are priced at $27-$30 and can be purchased at the Theatre Building Chicago Box Office or at any Ticketmaster Ticket Center; by calling (773) 327-5252 or (312) 902-1500; or by visiting ticketmaster.com. A Festival Pass, which includes tickets to all four productions, is priced at $95. Discounts are available for groups, students and senior citizens by calling (773) 327-5252. Additional information is available online at
porchlighttheatre.com. |
