Photo Flash: GYPSY Opens at Porchlight Music Theatre

Porchlight Music Theatre's Mainstage 2018 - 2019 season launches with Gypsy, A Musical Fable, October 12 - November 25, at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street, with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Porchlight Music Theatre's Gypsy stars E. Faye Butler as "Rose," is directed by Michael Weber, music directed by David Fiorello and choreographed/associate directed by Chris Carter.

Previews are Friday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 13 at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. and Monday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Opening Night is Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. The regular run performance schedule is Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Oct. 14, Nov. 18 and Nov. 25; Sunday at 6 p.m.: Oct. 21, Oct. 28, Nov. 4, Nov. 11 and Nov. 18 with an added matinee performance Thursday, Nov. 8 at 1:30 p.m. and an added 4 p.m. performance Friday, Nov. 23 at 4 p.m.

Single tickets are $20 - $66 and are on sale now as are subscriptions to the entire Mainstage season including Gypsy, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder and A Chorus Line at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office, 773.777.9884.

Chicago's E. Faye Butler adopts the mantle of Broadway's legendary "stage mother" in this thrilling and heart-wrenching story of a woman who raises her daughters to assume the heights in the world of show business, whether they want to or not. Gypsy has been called by many (including The New York Times critic Ben Brantley) the greatest of all American musicals and is loosely based on the 1957 memoir of famous striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, entitled Gypsy: Memoirs of America's Most Celebrated Stripper. The musical features songs that have become standards of the musical theatre canon, including "Some People," "Let Me Entertain You," "Together, Wherever We Go" and the show stopping, "Everything's Coming Up Roses."

The cast of Porchlight Music Theatre's Gypsy includes: E. Faye Butler as "Rose;" Daryn Whitney Harrell (seen in the Broadway company of The Book of Mormon) as "Louise;" Aalon Smith (who recently participated in the development of the new Stephen Schwartz musical Boy on the Roof and who was seen in Porchlight's Memphis and New Faces Sing Broadway 1975) as "Dainty June;" José Antonio García (who has appeared in multiple productions at both The Goodman and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre as well as in numerous film and television productions) as "Herbie;" one of Chicago's favorite cabaret and nightclub entertainers, Honey West, as "Electra/Miss Cratchitt;" Dawn Bless (Jeff Award-nominated star of A New Attitude: In Tribute to Patti LaBelle at Black Ensemble Theatre) as "Mazeppa;" Melissa Young (last seen in the Chicago premiere of Seth Rudutsky's Disaster) as "Tessie Tura;" Marco Tzunux (seen at Porchlight in New Faces Sing Broadway 1975 as well as productions at Drury Lane, Theo Ubique and The Mercury Theatre) as "Tulsa" and an ensemble including Saniyah As-Salaam, "Newsboy;" Larry Baldacci, "Uncle Jocko / Mr. Weber / Mr. Goldstone / Pastey;" Tatiana Bustamante, "Marjorie May;" Joshua Bishop, "Angie / Bougeron-Cochon;" Elya Faye Bottiger, "Dolores;" William "Pierce" Cleaveland, "Clarence;" Jared David Michael Grant, "Georgie / Mr. Kringelein / Phil;" Michelle Huey, "Dolores;" Jillian-Giselle, "Baby Louise;" Hannah Love Jones, "Balloon Girl;" J. Michael Jones, "Pop / Cigar;" Marvin J. Malone II, "Yonkers;" Desmond Murphy, "Arnold;" Renellè Nicole, "Gail;" Jeff Pierpoint, "Agnes;" Ariel Triunfo, "Edna Mae" and Isabella Warren, "Baby June."

The Gypsy production team includes Michael Weber, director; David Fiorello, music director; Chris Carter, choreographer and associate director; Robin da Silva, assistant director; Jeffrey D. Kmiec, scenic designer; Robert Hornbostel, sound designer; Bill Morey, costume designer; Denise Karczewski, lighting designer; Andrew Ashley Hatcher, props designer; Kevin Barthel, wig designer; Sean McStravick, stage manager and Aaron Shapiro and Cody Westgaard, production managers.

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