Photo Flash: Porchlight Revisits... APPLAUSE Celebrates Opening Night

Porchlight Music Theatre presents the second production in the third smash season of Chicago's "lost" musicals in staged concert series, PORCHLIGHT REVISTS...APPLAUSE, featuring book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, music by Charles Strouseand lyrics by Lee Adams, with direction and choreography by Porchlight Artistic Associate Christopher Pazdernik, music direction by Nick Sula. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities below!

APPLAUSE, starring Heidi Kettenring as "Margo Channing," the role created by Bette Davis on film and Lauren Bacall on stage, is presented for three-nights-only, beginning last night, March 1, and running through Thursday, March 3 at 7:15 p.m. and is performed on the set of Porchlight's Chicago premiere of Far From Heaven (February 5 - March 13) on nights when there are no performances at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.

Based on the Academy Award winning film All About Eve starring Bette Davis, and the short story The Wisdom of Eve on which it is based, APPLAUSE tells the iconic story of Broadway legend "Margo Channing" (Kettenring) and her overzealous "fan" "Eve Harrington" (Lauren Roesner, a new Porchlight discovery making her Chicago debut). Harrington insinuates herself into the company of Channing and her circle of theater friends, playing the ingénue while plotting to steal Channing's career and her man, "Bill Sampson" (David Schlumpf, also making his Porchlight debut.) Applause, opened on Broadway in 1970 and won two Tony's including Best Musical and Best Actress for star, Lauren Bacall. It features the hits songs "Backstage Babble," "But Alive," "Fasten Your Seat Belts " and "Welcome to the Theatre."

The cast of APPLAUSE also includes: Michael Kingston (Howard Benedict), Jason Richards (Buzz Richards), Ryan Lanning (Duane Fox), Khaki Pixley (Karen Richards), Kyrie Courter (Bonnie), Elya Bottiger (Gypsy Girl), James Nedrud (Danny), Jacob Gilchrist (The Bartender) Janelle Villas (Carol) and Jake Ganzer (The Piano Player).

The production team includes: Keegan Bradac (sound design/board operator) and Aaron Shapiro (production manager).

Tickets for Applause are $30 and include access to the popular pre-performance event, Behind the Show Backstory, a multi-media presentation, hosted by Artistic Director Michael Weber, that discusses that evening's production including the show's creative history, juicy backstage gossip and more. Single tickets to Applause are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by calling the Stage 773 box office, 773.327.5252.