Drury Lane Theatre Launches Cabaret Series with LEADING LADIES OF CHICAGO THEATRE

Drury Lane Theatre premieres The Cabaret Room at Drury Lane with Leading Ladies of Chicago Theatre, a two-night event that gives audiences exclusive access to some of Chicago's top talent in an intimate setting.

The Leading Ladies of Chicago Theatre cabaret series includes E. Faye Butler, Heidi Kettenring, Christine Mild, Meghan Murphy and Leryn Turlington, with Jeremy Kahn as a featured accompanist. Roberta Duchak is the musical director.

E. Faye Butler, Roberta Duchak, and Heidi Kettenring take the stage on August 12, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Christine Mild, Meghan Murphy, and Leryn Turlington perform on August 14, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. All cabaret performances take place in The English Room at Drury Lane; doors open one hour in advance.

A special menu will feature shareable plates, classic cocktails, and a wide selection of wines. Tickets range from $25-$45 with a $25 food and beverage minimum. Limited seating is available. Reservations may be placed by calling the box office at 630.530.0111. Drury Lane Theatre is located at 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace.

About the Artists:

Roberta Duchak (Musical Director) is a Broadway veteran, a Jeff award-winning musical director, and vocal coach for the Oscar-nominated film Les Miserables. Her recent Drury Lane credits include: Billy Elliot, Les Miserables, Hazel: A Musical Maid in America, West Side Story, White Christmas, Young Frankenstein, Hello, Dolly!, Oliver, The Sound of Music, Sweeney Todd, Ragtime, Spamalot, Gypsy, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Miss Saigon. Chicago Musical Direction credits include: Brigadoon (Goodman Theatre); The Story of My Life (Biograph Theater); The Original Grease (American Theater Company); The Little Mermaid (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); and Rocky Horror (Mercury Theater). Broadway acting credits include: Ragtime. National tour credits include: Scrooge, Showboat, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

E.FAYE BUTLER returns to Drury Lane where she appeared in Hello, Dolly!, Hot Mikado and Sophisticated Ladies. Chicago credits include: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Pullman Porter Blues, Crowns, Ain't Misbehavin', A Christmas Carol and Purlie (Goodman Theatre); Hairspray, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Little Shop of Horrors (Mar­riott Theatre); The Little Foxes, La Bête, Once in a Lifetime and Caroline, or Change (Court Theatre); Crumbs from the Table of Joy (Steppenwolf Theatre Company); Seussical! (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Could It Be Magic? The Barry Manilow Songbook (Mercury Theater); and Black Pearl Sings, Ella, and Dinah Was (Northlight Theatre). Regional credits include: Trouble in Mind, Polk County, Oklahoma! and Pullman Porter Blues (Arena Stage); Dancing With the Holy Ghosts (The New York Film and Play Festival); Saving Aimee and The Gospel According to Fishman (Signature Theatre); The Wiz (La Jolla Playhouse); Once on This Island (Baltimore's Centerstage); Purlie (Pasadena Playhouse); and Pullman Porter Blues (Seattle Repertory Theatre). National and regional tours include: Mamma Mia!, Dinah Was, Ain't Misbehavin', Nunsense, Don't Bother Me and I Can't Cope. Butler has received six Jeff Awards, four Black Theater Alliance Awards, an After Dark Award, a John Barrymore Award, a Rockford Area Music Industry Award, two Helen Hayes Awards, an Excellence in the Arts Award, a Kathryn Lampkey Award, an Ovation Award, and the 2011 Sarah Siddons Society Leading Lady Award. She was also named a 2012 Lunt Fontanne Fellow and was inducted into the National Women in the Arts Museum in Washington, DC, in 2012.

Heidi Kettenring returns to Drury Lane Theatre where she appeared in Oliver and Sweeney Todd. Select Chicago credits include: Wicked (Broadway in Chicago); The Diary of Anne Frank and She Loves Me (Writers' Theatre); The King And I and Funny Girl (Marriott Theatre); and Tug Of War: Civil Strife, The Merry Wives Of Windsor and The School For Lies (Chicago Shakespeare Theater). Kettenring also toured the U.S. in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Film and Television credits include: Cupid and Chicago Fire and Man of Steel. Kettenring received a Joseph Jefferson Award, the Jeff Award for Best Actress in The King and I (Marriot Theatre), the Sarah Siddons' Chicago Leading Lady Award, an After Dark Award, and the Richard M. Kneeland Award. She is a graduate of Northwestern University.

Christine Mild is returning to Drury Lane where she was seen in Beaches. Chicago credits include: Company (Writers Theatre); Sister Act, Evita, Godspell, 9to5, Cats, Pirates of Penzance, Les Miserables (Marriott Theatre); and Fiddler on the Roof (Paramount Theatre). Regional credits include: Always, Patsy Cline (Peninsula Players, Florida Studio Theatre, Beef and Boards); Nonsense (Peninsula Players, Cape Playhouse, Theatre by the Sea, Official Cast Album); Stand-in/us for Patti LuPone Annie Get Your Gun (Ravinia Festival); My Fair Lady (Asolo Repertory Theatre); and White Christmas (Beef & Boards). National tour credits include: Nunset Boulevard.

Meghan Murphy returns to Drury Lane where she appeared in Hazel The Musical: A Musical Maid in America. Chicago credits include: Tommy and Rent (Paramount Theater); From Doo Wop to Hip Hop (Black Ensemble Theater); City of Angels (Marriott Theater); The Big Red Show (Uptown Underground); Big Red & The Boys (About Face Theatre, Theatre Wit); and American Mixtape (The Second City). Regional credits include: Chicago, Twelfth Night, and 50 Shades! The Musical (The Boston Conservatory); Smokey Joe's Cafe (Norwegian Cruise Line); Hair (Arizona Theater Company); and Alien Queen (The Metro Theatre). Murphy also received a BFA in Musical from the Boston Conservatory.

Leryn Turlington is returning to the Drury Lane stage where she appeared in Bye Bye Birdie, White Christmas, and Charlotte's Web. Other Chicago credits include: The Velveteen Rabbit (Marriott Theatre). Regional credits include: Hot Mikado, Rent, and The Wiz (Glow Lyric Theatre). Turlington is a graduate of Florida State University.

About Drury Lane Theatre

Under the leadership of President Kyle DeSantis and Artistic Director William Osetek, Drury Lane Theatre is a major force in the Chicagoland theatre scene, presenting world-class productions in collaboration with some of the nation's leading actors, artists, writers and directors. Over the past 30 years, Drury Lane has staged more than 2,000 productions and has been nominated for more than 350 Joseph Jefferson Awards. Drury Lane is committed to breathing new life into beloved classics and introducing audiences to exciting new works.

Throughout its 30-year history, Drury Lane has employed more than 7,500 actors and 10,000 musicians, designers and crewmembers to entertain upwards of nine million Audience members. Originally founded by Anthony DeSantis, Drury Lane Theatre remains a family-run organization known for producing breathtaking Broadway classics, top-rated musicals, bold new works, hilarious comedies and unforgettable concert events.

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