Photo Flash: The Ruffians' BURNING BLUEBEARD Opens At Porchlight Music Theatre

Porchlight Music Theatre presents The Ruffians' Burning Bluebeard, making its downtown debut at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn Street, December 13 - 27. Check out photos from opening night below!

Now in its eighth year, this annual tradition for many is a fantastical tale inspired by Chicago's 1903 Iroquois Theatre fire, written by Jay Torrence and directed by Halena Kays. Tickets are $45 and are on sale now at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight Music Theatre box office, 773.777.9884.

Burning Bluebeard, created and performed by the critically acclaimed theatre troupe The Ruffians, has been touted as "a show you won't quickly forget and that you could only see in Chicago" by the Chicago Tribune and New City says the production is "filled to the brim with irreverent humor, riveting dance sequences and enough charm to fill a bucket..." Told with music, clowning, tumbling, acrobatics and dance, Burning Bluebeard is a physical-performance phenomena inspired by the true story of Chicago's former Iroquois Theatre and the unforgettable events that resulted in tragedy for 600 theatergoers at Christmas time in 1903.

A Chicago holiday tradition for many since its debut in 2011, each performance is a vaudevillian musical delight with a story that excavates the poetic and poignant remains of a piece of our city's rich history and leaves the audience with an unforgettable experience.

The 2019 cast of Burning Bluebeard includes original performers Pamela Chermansky (Fancy Clown); Anthony Courser (Henry Gilfoil); Jay Torrence (Robert Murray); Leah Urzendowski (Nellie Reed); Ryan Walters (Eddie Foy) with Crosby Sandoval (Faerie Queen).

The Burning Bluebeard production team includes Maggie Fullilove-Nugent (lighting design); Robert Hornbostel (associate sound design); Jeffrey D. Kmiec (set design); Bill Morey (costume coordination); Mike Tutaj (original sound design); Sam Moryoussef (production manager); Justine Palmisano (stage manager) and Alex Rhyan (production and operations director).

Photo Credit: Porchlight Music Theatre

The cast and creative team

David Goodman-Edberg, Robert Hornbostel, Bek Lambrecht, Jeff Kmiec and Alex Rhyan

Cory Goodrich and Jenna Schoppe

Donterrio Johnson and Neala Barron

Kristin Chiruvolu, Patrick Fries, Maggie Fullilove-Nugent and Justine B. Palmisano