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It wasn’t until later on in theatre history that revivals began including shows that weren’t initially well received or financially successful in their initial engagements. As musical theatre continued to evolve, and more shows entered the canon, a consensus began to grow about shows being worthy of additional exploration even if they hadn’t been hits the first time around. What about musicals that had been ahead of their time, musicals that had fallen prey to circumstances, early works by writers who became successful later on, and of course, shows that found an audience after closing via their cast recordings?

A new version of the classic, The Pirates of Penzance, is currently commanding the stage at Roundabout’s Todd Haimes Theatre on 42nd Street—formerly the American Airlines and before that, the Selwyn. This revisal of the beloved show is titled: Pirates! The Penzance Musical.

Porchlight Music Theatre continues its fifth season of Chicago's lost musicals in staged concert series with Porchlight Revisits They're Playing Our Song, starring Sharriese Hamilton and James Earl Jones II, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager and book by Neil Simon, with direction and choreography by Christopher Carter and musical direction by Andra Velis Simon. Porchlight Revisits They're Playing our Song is presented for three-nights-only Tuesday, March 6 through Thursday, March 8 at 7:15 p.m. and is performed on the set of Porchlight's Merrily We Roll Along (previews begin January 26) at Porchlight's new home, The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street. Tickets for They're Playing Our Song are $35. All tickets include access to the popular pre-performance event, Behind the Show Backstory, a multimedia presentation, created and hosted by Porchlight Music Theatre Artistic Director Michael Weber that discusses the evening's production including the show's creative history, juicy backstage gossip and the state of the art on Broadway that season. Single tickets to They're Playing Our Song and subscriptions for the entire series are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office at 773.777.9884.

? Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the final 2015 - 16 installment of Chicago's hit new musical revue series, New Faces Sing Broadway. This edition, conceived and directed by Michael Weber and Chris Carter with music direction by Nick Sula, hosted by James Earl Jones II and featuring a cast of Chicago's hottest emerging artists, takes a journey through the best of Broadway's 1949 musical season via rare multi-media visuals, songs, trivia games and sing alongs in New Faces Sing Broadway 1949, Tuesday, June 7 at 8 p.m. at Uptown Underground, 4707 N Broadway. Tickets are $22, with no drink minimum and are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling 773.777.9884.

The Tony Award winning 1949 musical South Pacific comes to the Off Center Theatre in Kansas City, Mo. from August 7 through August 24. This enduring love story is set on a tropical island during World War II. Richard Rodgers wrote the music with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and the book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan. Sarah Crawford directs the Musical Theatre Heritage production and provides musical direction with Jeremy Watson.

After a memorable and record-breaking inaugural year, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater celebrates its 61st anniversary season with Trouble in Mind, written by playwright Alice Childress. Childress was the first African-American woman to have her plays professionally produced in New York, and she became the first woman of color to win an Obie Award, in 1956 for Trouble in Mind (Best Original Production).