Directors Scott Weinstein and Hannah Dawe and Music Director Jermaine Hill to Lead LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE

Directors Scott Weinstein and Hannah Dawe and Music Director Jermaine Hill will lead a Valentine's Day themed event, LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE: A concert benefiting Planned Parenthood, the Trevor Project and the Southern Poverty Law Center. The concert is set to take place at 8PM on Monday, February 13, at Windy City Playhouse (3014 W Irving Park Rd) and will feature several of Chicago's most beloved theater artists including Donica Lynn, Alex Weisman and Jonathan Butler-Duplessis.

"We wanted to bring together the Chicago theater community to raise money for various causes we believe are threatened under the current political climate," said Weinstein. "This felt like the right way to utilize our community's unique skills to fight causes we all collectively care about, while also joining together in celebration of Chicago's inclusivity."

Additional artists involved include: Devin DeSantis (Paramount's The Little Mermaid); Stephen Schellhardt (Writers Theatre's Days Like Today); Bethany Thomas (Jeff Award winner, Marriott's South Pacific); Peter Kim (Second City's A Red Line Runs Through It); Landree Flemming (Paramount Theatre's Hairpsray); Yando Lopez (Steppenwolf's The Christians); Emma Rosenthal (Drury Lane's West Side Story); John Keating (Paramount's The Little Mermaid); and the ensemble of Weinstein's Jeff Award winning production of RENT (Theo Ubique).

The benefit will be held at 8PM on Monday, February 13th, at Windy City Playhouse; tickets are $30 and are available online at: http://loveisloveconcert.bpt.me or upon arrival at door.

The benefit is to be co-directed by Hannah Dawe (Jeff-Award nominee, Boho Theatre's Ordinary Days) and Scott Weinstein (Jeff Award Winner, Theo Ubique's Rent), with music direction by Jermaine Hill (Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony Hall) and co-produced by Evelyn Jacoby (Managing Director for Windy City Playhouse) and Jeff Meyer (actor and graphic designer for Windy City Playhouse, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Kokandy Productions and others).

Participating Artists:

Donica Lynn was named Chicago Tribune's 2016 "Chicagoan of the Year in

Theatre." Theatre work includes: VICTORY GARDENS: Confessions of a PIMP with Tony nominee Andre De Shields; DRURY LANE OAKBROOK: Smokey Joe's Cafe, Aida, Hairspray, Thoroughly Modern Millie; Porchlight Music Theatre: Dreamgirls (Winner - Jeff Award, Time Out Chicago Award, Black Theater Alliance Award); PORCHLIGHT: Chicago sings... Disney, Motown, Beatles, Gatecrashers (Off the Porch); MERCURY THEATER: The Color Purple, Barnum; COURT THEATRE: Caroline or Change; GOODMAN: Lady In Denmark; TIMELINE: Fiorello, Step Into Time; MARIOTT: Once On This Island, Seussical; ABOUT FACE: When Last We Flew; CONGO SQUARE: Company Black Nativity, Sanctified; ETA CREATIVE ARTS: Runaway Home, Good Black, This Far By Faith; CHICAGO OPERA THEATER: Queenie Pie; REGIONAL: Hair (Michigan), Hair, Broadway Holidays (Paramount Aurora). TV work includes: Chicago Fire. Radio work includes: "Craftsman Tools" (Sears). Donica is a 3x brain tumor survivor.

Alex Weisman recently starred in the Chicago premiere of Hand to God at Victory Gardens. Other Chicago credits include: My Name is Asher Lev, The Normal Heart, and The History Boys (Jeff Award - Best Actor in a Supporting Role, TimeLine Theatre); The Good Book (Court); A Christmas Carol (Goodman); Short Shakes! A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Madness of George III and Julius Caesar (Chicago Shakespeare); Peter Pan (Lookingglass); October Sky (Marriott); Putting it Together (Porchlight); The Houdini Box (Chicago Children's Theatre); You Never Can Tell (Remy Bumppo); Spoon River Anthology (Provision); The Rainmaker (Jeff Award nomination) and Rough Crossing (First Folio); Dorian (House Theatre); Bent (The Other Theatre Company); and Ah! Wilderness (Jeff nomination, Eclipse). Alex can sometimes be seen as paramedic "Alan Chout" on NBC's CHICAGO FIRE and CHICAGO PD. Film Credits include: BLACK BOX, THE MYSTERY OF LIFE, SCROOGE & MARLEY and THE ONION TALKS. He is a regular performer with The Back Room Shakespeare Project.

Jonathan Butler-Duplessis recently appeared in The Little Mermaid at Paramount Theatre in Aurora. Other Chicago credits include: Man of La Mancha, Sister Act, Dreamgirls (Marriott Theatre); In the Heights (Paramount); Mr. Chickee's Funny Money (Chicago Children's Theatre) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Drury Lane). Regional credits include: Christmas Carol (Theatre at the Center); Merchant of Venice and As you Like It (Riverside Theater) and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Milwaukee Rep, Actor's Theatre of Louisville). New York: From My Hometown (Molloy Theatre). Jonathan graduated with his BFA in acting from The University of Illinois in 2010 and hails from Champaign, IL.

Devin DeSantis Recent credits include: The Little Mermaid, The Who's Tommy (Jeff Award Nomination - Best Actor), Les Miserables (Jeff Award Nomination - Best Supporting Actor) and Hairspray (Paramount Theatre); Young Frankenstein, White Christmas, Camelot, Hot Mikado and Pirates of Penzance (Drury Lane Theatre); the first regional post-broadway production of Side Show (Porchlight Music Theatre); Godspell, City of Angels and Cinderella...After the Ball (Marriott Theatre); Altar Boyz Chicago (Broadway Playhouse) at Water Tower; the world premiere of The Three Musketeers (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Anyone Can Whistle starring Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald and The Most Happy Fella starring George Hearn at (Ravinia Festival). He was a singer for 4 years in The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring The Rockettes. He is a proud graduate of Northwestern University's School of Music and a founding member/Associate Artistic Director of the Chicago Artists Chorale, along with his friend and colleague Tom Vendafreddo.

Stephen Schellhardt is honored to be a part of this benefit concert supporting so many important organizations. He has been acting, directing, choreographing, producing, casting and teaching for over a decade. Stephen has acted in Equity productions in Chicagoland theatres and regional theatres elsewhere, receiving three Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and a Barrymore Award for acting, as well as a non-equity Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for his choreographic work on Dogfight the musical (Bohemian Theatre Ensemble). Chicago highlights include: Days Like Today (Writers Theatre), A Grand Night for Singing (Mercury Theater); [title of show] (Northlight Theatre); Hot Mikado, Hello Dolly, Meet Me in St. Louis (Drury Lane Theatre); The Most Happy Fella (Ravinia Festival); Cabaret, Little Women, South Pacific, My One and Only, LES MISERABLES, Grease, Shenandoah and other productions (Marriott Theatre). Regional credits include: Little Women (Bristol Riverside Theatre - Best Actor in a Musical), Cinderella and The Full Monty (North Carolina Theatre), Fiddler on the Roof (West Virginia Public Theatre). National Tour: Altar Boyz. Stephen has directed/choreographed at Writers Theatre, Timber Lake Playhouse, The Summer Theatre of New Canaan, Ars Nova in New York City, Northwestern University and the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble in Chicago, where he is an Artistic Associate. He has been on faculty at Northwestern University's National High School Drama Institute (Cherub Program) for over eight summers. He is a founding member of the Chicago Artists Chorale and has served as the Casting Director and Associate Producer at Writers Theatre in Glencoe for the past few years. Stephen is a proud graduate of Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama.

Bethany Thomas is a Chicago performer known for her expressive, genre-defying singing style and audacious re-interpretations of classic tunes. A Jeff Award-winning actress, Bethany's credits include work with Chicago Shakespeare, Second City, Milwaukee Rep, Court Theater, Writers Theater, Paramount Theater, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Chicago Children's Theater, Theo Ubique; and an appearance in the second season of Empire (FOX). Catch her this spring in Porchlight Music Theater's upcoming production of Marry Me A Little. As a singer/songwriter, Bethany is featured regularly at Salonathon and The Paper Machete. You can see her band(s) play every Monday eve this March at The Hideout and get info on her upcoming EP release at www.bethanythomasmusic.com.

Peter Kim is a Chicago-based writer, performer and comedian. Recent credits include: The Second City National Touring Company and The Second City e.t.c., where he was nominated for a Jeff Award in the critically acclaimed revue A Red Line Runs Through It. He can currently be seen improvising with Baby Wine at The Annoyance, hosting The Moth at Lincoln Hall and The Kiki at The Laugh Factory. @peterkz

Landree Flemming is currently appearing in Saturday Night Fever (Drury Lane). Recent credits include: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Charlotte's Web (Drury Lane); Xanadu (American Theater Company) and productions with Paramount Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Marriott Theatre, Griffin Theatre, Theatre at the Center, Circle Theatre and Adventure Stage Chicago. TV credits: Chicago PD. She's a member of comedy group Off Off Broadway and co-hosts the podcasts Deep Dish and You Simply Must.

Yando Lopez was last seen at Steppenwolf in The Christians and will be performing with Spamilton at the Royal George this spring. He has been fortunate enough to work with companies like Porchlight Music Theatre, Paramount Theatre, American Blues Theatre, The Court, Brown Paper Box, Black Ensemble and Emerald City. Yando is a proud Northwestern graduate.

Emma Rosenthal Chicago: Peter and the Starcatcher (BroadwayWorld Award: Best Actress in a Play), West Side Story, Charlotte's Web and Les Miserables (Drury Lane); Brigadoon, Candide (Goodman Theatre); The Tempest (Steppenwolf); The Fantasticks (Porchlight). Off-Broadway: Liberty (42West, Theatre 80); The Threepenny Opera (Marvell Rep). Regional: Candide (Huntington, Shakespeare Theatre of D.C.); Our Town (Williamstown); Fiddler on the Roof (Weston Playhouse).

John Keating is a Minnesota native who earned his BFA in musical theater from the University of Wisconsin in Stevens Point. He has performed regionally with PCPA Theater Fest, Cumberland County Playhouse, Chanhassen Dinner Theater, the Oregon Cabaret, Prather Entertainment Group and the Great American Melodrama. Since moving to Chicago in 2013, John has worked with the Black Ensemble Theater, the Goodman Theatre, Griffin Theater, Porchlight Music Theater (Jeff nomination, Best Supporting Actor in a Musical), Drury Lane Theater and the Paramount Theater. John is thrilled to call Chicago home.

Scott Weinstein (Director) is a Jeff Award-winning Director currently based in Chicago. Favorite directing credits include: Rent (Theo Ubique, Jeff Award - Best Director, Best Musical); Bat Boy, Titanic (Jeff Nominated - Best Director, Best Musical) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Griffin Theatre); She Kills Monsters (Steppenwolf Theatre); Seussical (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Princess & The Pea (Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre); The Little Mermaid (Drury Lane Theatre); the world premieres of Baristas (New York International Fringe Festival) and Ampersand (Bloomington Playwrights Project); as well as the first full productions of Murder For Two (Adirondack Theatre Festival, Hangar Theatre, 42nd Street Moon). Scott is the recipient of a Berkshire Theatre Festival Directing Fellowship and a Stage Directors and Choreographers Observership. He is currently the Associate Director for the National Tour, Las Vegas, Chicago and Norwegian Cruise Line productions of Million Dollar Quartet and directed the first regional production currently running at the Lawrence Welk Theatre. He has assistant or associate directed at the Goodman Theatre, the Pasadena Playhouse, the Cleveland Playhouse and many more. Proud graduate of Northwestern University. www.ScottGWeinstein.com

Hannah Dawe (Director) is a Chicago-based director, actor, writer and teaching artist. A Jeff nominated actor, Hannah has been seen on stage with Drury Lane Theatre, The Hypocrites, Mercury Theater, Griffin Theater and BoHo Theater, among many others. She is also a graduate of the improv program at iO theater in Chicago. As a director, she has worked with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Drury Lane Theatre, Windy City Playhouse, The Music Theatre Company and Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre to name a few. She was a member of the Lincoln Center Theatre Director's Lab in 2015 as well as the 2014 Stage Directors and Choreographers Observership Class. Hannah is passionate about arts education and has been a teacher with Chicago Children's Theatre, Skyline Studios, Stage and Screen Day Camp, with a special place in her heart for performing and directing TYA. Proud Northwestern University graduate.

Jermaine Hill (Music Director) is the Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at North Central College in Naperville. Since moving back to Chicago in 2015, he has music directed at the Actors Training Center in Wilmette and was music director for The Gefilte Fish Chronicles at the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival. He recently made his Davenport's debut and will be co-music directing Ragtime with Griffin Theatre this spring. As a musical director, arranger and vocal coach, he worked extensively with Royal Caribbean Productions, musically directing, co-creating and vocally arranging productions shows, concept shows and musical events throughout their fleet. He continues to work privately as a voice teacher and vocal coach for professional actors, including Tony and Grammy Award winner Heather Headley. He worked with Music Theatre International on the re-orchestration of West Side Story, the Paper Mill Playhouse premiere of Stephen Schwartz' Children of Eden, and the early development of Broadway Junior. As a singer, he has performed with such diverse groups as the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme (UK), The Orchestra of Saint Luke's (NY), Roanoke Island Historical Association (NC), Cayuga Vocal Ensemble (NY), Ithaca Opera (NY) and has performed at New York's Carnegie Hall, Boston's Jordan Hall, Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice and the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. He is a proud graduate of Ithaca College and the New England Conservatory of Music.

Beneficiaries:

Planned Parenthood was founded 1916 to "manage his or her fertility, regardless of the individual's income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence. We believe that respect and value for diversity in all aspects of our organization are essential to our well-being. We believe that reproductive self-determination must be voluntary and preserve the individual's right to privacy. We further believe that such self-determination will contribute to an enhancement of the quality of life and strong family relationships."

Founded in 1998 by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13-24.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. Using litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy, the SPLC works toward the day when the ideals of equal justice and equal opportunity will be a reality.

To post a comment, you must register and login.