Evanston Local Actress Rebecca Finnegan Performs in Series Debut "Porchlight Revisits..." with "Anyone Can Whistle," Wednesday, Sept. 25

PORCHLIGHT DEBUTS ITS NEW SERIES “PORCHLIGHT REVISITS…” WITH ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, ONE NIGHT ONLY, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25 AT 8 P.M. AT STAGE 773

Chicago Favorite Rebecca Finnegan Stars in this Arthur Laurents – Stephen Sondheim Collaboration Direction by Christopher Pazdernik
and Music Direction by Aaron Benham 

CHICAGO – Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the first production in its new series presenting the “lost” gems of one particular year in Broadway history, “Porchlight Revisits…” The inaugural series focuses on the year 1964 and opens with Anyone Can Whistle, book by Arthur Laurents (Gypsy, West Side Story) and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (Follies, Sweeney Todd), starring Rebecca Finnegan, with direction by Christopher Pazdernik and music direction by Aaron Benham. Presented for one night only, Anyone Can Whistle plays Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. “Porchlight Revisits…” is performed on the stage of Porchlight’s Chicago premiere of Double Trouble, (August 31 – October 6) on a night when there is no performance of Double Trouble, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. Tickets for Anyone Can Whistle are $25 and are on sale now. A subscription to all three “Porchlight Revisits…1964” productions is $75. Tickets also include access to a “behind the scenes” presentation beginning at 7:15 p.m., hosted by Porchlight Music Theatre Managing Artistic Director Michael Weber, setting the stage on the creation of that evening’s production, reveling in all the juicy backstage stories and revealing the state of the art on Broadway that season. Three-show “Porchlight Revisits…1964” subscriptions are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling 773.777.9884. Single tickets to Anyone Can Whistle are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling the Stage 773 box office, 773-327-5252.

 Anyone Can Whistle is the story of a corrupt Mayor, Cora Hoover Hooper (Rebecca Finnegan), who fakes a miracle to revitalize her bankrupt town, and the ill-fated romance between the rational nurse, Fay Apple (Jenny Lamb), out to expose the fraud, and the easy-going J. Bowden Hapgood (Jason Richards Smith) who is determined to enjoy the chaos. This “cult” musical’s still-relevant barbs at government, religion and science features the songs “A Parade in Town,” “There Won't Be Trumpets,” “Everybody Says Don’t,” “With So Little to Be Sure Of” and more.

 Porchlight Music Theatre’s new series “Porchlight Revisits…” selects a single year in the life of America’s unique artistic creation, the Broadway Musical.  On three different evenings, audiences will get a rare opportunity to visit three musicals that opened that year but have since gone unsung. Chicago’s finest music theatre artists will dust off these neglected treasures and, with script in hand and minimal staging, escort you to a world of Broadway long past. The year in focus for its inaugural year is 1964 and, in addition to Anyone Can Whistle, the two other concerts in the series are the Sammy Davis Jr. vehicle Golden Boy, based on the play by Clifford Odets, Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. and the musical comedy Fade Out - Fade In, which originally starred Carol Burnett, Wednesday, May 21 at 8 p.m.  

The Anyone Can Whistle cast includes Brittany Bookbinder, “Baby Joan/Ensemble;” Jeff Bouthiette, “Doctor Detmold;” Eli Branson, “John/One of Cora’s Boys/Ensemble;” Caron Buinis, “Mrs. Shroeder/Ensemble;” Jason Grimm, “Comptroller Schub;” Sarah Hayes “June/Osgood/Ensemble;” Andrew Lund, “George/One of Cora’s Boys/Ensemble;” Jeff Meyer, “Treasurer Cooley;” Gerald Richardson, “Martin/One of Cora’s Boys/Ensemble” and Russell Alan Rowe, “Chief Magruder.” The stage manager for the production is Christopher Tisone.

ABOUT REBECCA FINNEGAN, actor

Rebecca Finnegan has been involved with Porchlight Music Theatre for many years. She is an acclaimed performer and a multiple Jeff Award-nominee and recipient. Her work with Porchlight includes A Catered Affair, Sweeney Todd, Closer Than Ever, Cabaret and Company. Finnegan also has been seen throughout the Chicago area at The Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Court Theatre, Drury Lane, The Marriott and Timeline Theatre and has appeared in Regional Theaters across the country.

ABOUT CHRISTOPHER PAZDERNIK, director

Christopher Pazdernik’s Chicago credits include: Candide, Miracle on 34th Street and A Catered Affair with Porchlight Music Theatre; Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson, Show Us Your Love and F***ing Men with Bailiwick Chicago; Spamalot, Zanna, Don't! and Bombs Away! With Bailiwick Repertory;  Time After Time: The Songs of Jule Styne at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre; The Full Monty at Village Players and a series of musical theater revues at Davenport's Piano Bar & Cabaret.  He also works frequently as a guest artist at Elmhurst College, his alma mater, and with new musicals in development.  Besides serving as a Porchlight Music Theatre artistic associate, he is the artistic producer for Bailiwick Chicago and the annual fund coordinator at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. 

ABOUT AARON BENHAM, music director

Aaron Benham is a local music director, conductor, arranger and composer.  This is his second time working with Porchlight Music Theatre after joining Putting It Together as conductor.  Other Chicago credits include A Cole Porter Songbook and Time After Time: The Songs of Jule Styne with Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre; Sweet Charity, Writer's Theatre; Parade at Harper College; Spamalot and Avenue Q with NightBlue; The Rise of the Numberless and RockShow at Tunes for Bailiwick Chicago, where he is also a collective member.  He has performed with Second City at Sea about the Norwegian Epic Cruise Ship and around Chicago with the Improvised Sondheim Project.  His original compositions have been featured with FunEmployed and Democracy Burlesque.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, currently celebrating its 19th season, is nationally recognized for developing innovative new works, reimagining classic productions and showcasing musical theatre’s rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre in Chicago within an intimate, close-up environment and provides a thoroughly modern and passionate experience, serving both audiences and artists alike. With the vision of Managing Artistic Director Michael Weber, a 2013-2014 season that includes the

Chicago Premiere of Double Trouble, August 31 – October 6; Ain’t Misbehavin’, February 1, 2014 – March 9, 2014 and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, April 26, 2014 – June 1, 2014. Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 50 productions with 12 Chicago premieres and five world premieres.  BEST MUSICAL! A Completely Improvised Musical Comedy! was developed through “Off the Porch,” Porchlight’s new works program. The company has received a total of 73 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations, resulting in 22 Jeff Awards.

Anyone Can Whistle, book by Arthur Laurents and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, starring Rebecca Finnegan, with direction by Christopher Pazdernik and  music direction by Aaron Benham, Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. at Stage 773, 1225 West Belmont Ave. Tickets are $25 and are on sale now. A subscription to all three “Porchlight Revisits…1964” productions is $75. Tickets also include access a “behind the scenes” multi-media presentation beginning at 7:15 p.m., hosted by Porchlight Music Theatre Managing Artistic Director Michael Weber, setting the stage on the creation of that evening’s production, reveling in all the juicy backstage stories and revealing the state of the art on Broadway that season. Three-show “Porchlight Revisits…1964” subscriptions are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling 773.777.9884. Single tickets to Anyone Can Whistle are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling the Stage 773 box office, 773-327-5252.

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Porchlight Music Theatre is the proud recipient of the Hopie Award from the Lester and Hope Abelson Fund for the Performing Arts and is partially supported by generous support from Actors' Equity Foundation, A.R.T League, the Arts Work Fund at the Chicago Community Trust, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Chapman & Spingola LLP, CityArts Grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council (a state agency), the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the National Association of Realtors, Peoples Energy and The Saints.