Photo Flash: Opening Night of Porchlight's Revisited ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the final production in the fourth season of Chicago's hit "lost" musicals in staged concert series, Porchlight Revisits On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, music by Burton Lane, book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and based on the book Berkeley Square by John L. Balderston with direction by Lili-Anne Brown, musical direction by Andra Velis Simon and starring Sharriese Hamilton and Karl Hamilton. Porchlight Revisits On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is presented for three-nights-only Tuesday, May 9 through Thursday, May 11 at 7:15 p.m. and is performed on the set of Porchlight's Marry Me a Little (previews begin Friday, April 14) at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. Tickets are $35. All tickets include access to the popular pre-performance event, Behind the Show Backstory, a multimedia presentation, created and hosted by Weber that discusses that evening's production including the show's creative history, backstage gossip and the state of the art on Broadway that season. Single tickets are available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Stage 773 box office, 773.327.5252.

Originally opening on Broadway in 1965, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever was nominated for three Tony Awards and tells the story of a scatter-brained young woman named Daisy Gamble (Sharriese Hamilton) desperate to quit smoking so she visits a noted hypnotist, Mark Bruckner (Karl Hamilton). But it happens that Daisy, for all her goofiness, is unexpectedly gifted, she can find lost items, knows when the phone will ring and, once under hypnosis, transforms via reincarnation into Melinda, a woman who lived, loved and died more than a century before, and with whom Dr. Bruckner falls immediately in love. A 2011 revival featured Jessie Mueller in the lead role and was nominated for two Tony Awards including a nomination for Mueller. The production includes the title song as well as "Melinda," What Did I Have That I Don't Have?" and "Come Back to Me."

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever's cast includes Sharriese Hamilton, "Daisy Gamble/Melinda;" Karl Hamilton, "Mark Bruckner;" Curtis Bannister, "James Preston/Edward Moncrief;" Patrick Byrnes, "Conrad Bruckner/Mr. Welles;" Vasily Derris, "Themistocles Kriakos;" Khaki Pixley, "Muriel/Flora;"? Robert Quintanilla, "Millard/Bolagard;" Nancy Kolton, "Mrs. Hatch / Mrs. Welles;" and Greg Zawada, "Warren/Hubert Insdal."

Lili-Anne Brown is a native Chicagoan, she works as a director, actor and educator, and has performed in, directed and produced many award-winning shows, both locally and regionally. She is currently directing Kokandy Productions of The Wiz and received the Joseph Jefferson Award in 2014 for her direction of Ahrens & Flaherty's Dessa Rose and a Black Theatre Alliance Award in 2011 for her direction of Passing Strange. She is the former artistic director of Bailiwick Chicago, an artistic associate of Timber Lake Playhouse and a graduate of Northwestern University and St. Ignatius College Prep. She is a member of Actors' Equity, SAG-AFTRA, and an Associate of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SDC).

ANDRA VELIS SIMON, music director

Andra Velis Simon makes her Porchlight Music Theatre debut with this production. Other theatre credits include: Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore at American Repertory Theater; Pirates of Penzance at Berkeley Repertory Theatre; The Yeomen of the Guard at Oregon Shakespeare Festival; The Iceman Cometh (remounted at Brooklyn Academy Of Music) and Camino Real at Goodman Theatre; Mr. Burns: a post-electric play at Theater Wit; A Year with Frog and Toad, Goodnight Moon and The Hundred Dresses at Chicago Children's Theatre; Violet at Bailiwick at Mercury Theatre; Boojum! at Opera Vanguard. Velis Simon is the musical director and an adjunct faculty member for the Theatre Department at Columbia College Chicago.

All Porchlight Revisits, performances include "Behind the Show Backstory," a multimedia presentation, hosted by Artistic Director Michael Weber, setting the stage on the creation of the featured Porchlight Revisits production, sharing all the juicy backstage stories and the state of the art on Broadway that season.

ABOUT Porchlight Music Theatre

Porchlight Music Theatre, now in its 22nd season, is nationally recognized for developing innovative new works, reimagining classic productions and showcasing musical theatre's noted veterans and rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre in Chicago by providing intimate and powerful theatrical experiences for its growing and diverse audiences. With the vision of Artistic Director Michael Weber, Porchlight builds on its role as Chicago's only Equity not-for-profit company exclusively specializing in music theatre. Porchlight's rich history includes the staging of more than 60 productions with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres. Through Porchlight's "Off the Porch" new works program, the musicals of the next generation are developed and given a first audience. The School at Porchlight is Chicago's new center for music theatre training in the areas of performance, writing and appreciation. The company's many accolades include 17 Black Theatre Alliance nominations and three awards, as well as a total of 126 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 39 Jeff Awards including four consecutive Best Production awards for Dreamgirls (2016), Sondheim on Sondheim (2015), Ain't Misbehavin' (2014) and A Class Act (2013).

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the final production in the fourth season of Chicago's hit "lost" musicals in staged concert series, Porchlight Revisits On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, music by Burton Lane, book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and based on the book Berkeley Square by John L. Balderston with direction by Lili-Anne Brown, musical direction by Aaron Benham and starring Sharriese Hamilton. Porchlight Revisits On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is presented for three-nights-only Tuesday, May 9 through Thursday, May 11 at 7:15 p.m. and is performed on the set of Porchlight's Marry Me a Little (previews begin Friday, April 14) at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave. Tickets are $35. All tickets include access to the popular pre-performance event, Behind the Show Backstory, a multimedia presentation, created and hosted by Weber that discusses that evening's production including the show's creative history, backstage gossip and the state of the art on Broadway

(L to R) Actors Vasily Deris, Greg Zawada, Curtis Bannister, Robert Quintanilla, Karl Hamilton and Patrick Byrnes at the opening night of On A Clear Day You Can See Forever from Porchlight Music Theatre’s Porchlight Revisits series
(L to R) Percussionist Tony Scandora, Actors Vasily Deris, Karl Hamilton, Greg Zawada, Khaki Pixley, Robert Quintanilla, Sharriese Hamilton, Patrick Byrnes, Curtis Bannister, and Nancy Kolton with Director Lili-Anne Brown and Music Director Andra Velis Simon at the opening night of On A Clear Day You Can See Forever from Porchlight Music Theatre’s Porchlight Revisits series
(L to R) Stars Karl Hamilton and Sharriese Hamilton at the opening night of On A Clear Day You Can See Forever from Porchlight Music Theatre’s Porchlight Revisits series
(L to R) Director Lili-Anne Brown and Music Director Andra Velis Simon at the opening night of On A Clear Day You Can See Forever from Porchlight Music Theatre’s Porchlight Revisits series
(L to R) Actresses Khaki Pixley and Sharriese Hamilton at the opening night of On A Clear Day You Can See Forever from Porchlight Music Theatre’s Porchlight Revisits series