Porchlight Announces Cast And Crew For GYPSY

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 $34 - 61 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 (recently 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 "Herbie;" one of Chicago's favorite cabaret and nightclub entertainers, Honey West, as "Electra / Miss Cratchitt;" Dawn Bless (recent 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 Larry Baldacci, "Uncle Jocko / Mr. Weber / Mr. Goldstone / Pastey;" Tatiana Bustamante, "Marjorie May;" Joshua Bishop, "Angie / Bougeron-Cochon;" Elya Faye Bottiger, "Dolores;" Jared David Michael Grant, "Georgie / Mr. Kringelein / Phil;" J. Michael Jones, "Pop / Cigar;" Marvin J. Malone II, "Yonkers;" Renellè Nicole, "Gail;" Jeff Pierpoint, "Agnes" and Ariel Triunfo, "Edna Mae." Additional cast to be announced at a later date.

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; Aaron Shapiro and Cody Westgaard, production managers.

Michael Weber is the artistic director of Porchlight Music Theatre where, under his leadership, the company has received the Best Production Equity Jeff Award for the past five consecutive years. He previously served as artistic director for the inaugural season of Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place (now The Broadway Playhouse) and at Theatre at the Center (1998 - 2004). He recently appeared on stage in Porchlight Music Theatre's Porchlight Revisits Do Re Mi and directed Merrily We Roll Along. His productions of End of the Rainbow, Sweeney Todd, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Pal Joey, Assassins and Side Show at Porchlight Music Theatre, Grand Hotel at Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place and She Loves Me at Theatre at the Center were each nominated for the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Production.

Directing credits include Living the History-125 Years of The Auditorium Theatre starring Patti LuPone and John Mahoney, Fifth of July and Talley's Folly at the Oak Park Festival Theatre, The Petrified Forest at Theatre at the Center, Beauty and the Beast at Marriott Theatre, Over the River and Through the Woods at The Mercury Theater and Cirque du Symphony at Sears Center Arena. The recipient of two Joseph Jefferson Awards, he has written and directed the past twelve Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremonies. Weber's regional acting credits include Annie Get Your Gun and Gypsy (both starring Patti LuPone) at Ravinia, Disney's My Son Pinocchio at First Stage Milwaukee, Around the World in 80 Days at Cleveland Playhouse, The Winter's Tale and Henry V at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, It Had To Be You (starring Cindy Williams and Eddie Mekka) at Little Theatre on the Square and The Gifts of the Magi at Indiana Repertory. Weber is proud to serve as a pledge host on WTTW, Channel 11.

David Fiorello returns to Porchlight, where he has music directed many productions and special events including the Porchlight Revisits productions Do Re Mi and Woman of the Year, Chicago Sings: Sinatra & The Rat Pack and the 2017 - 2018 and 2016 - 2018 New Faces Sing Broadway seasons and recently appeared in Porchlight's Merrily We Roll Along as "Joe Josephson." Fiorello has been in Chicago since 2010, when he moved from the East Coast to music direct and vocal coach at Northwestern University's Music Theatre Certificate Program. He served as music director for the Off-Broadway hit Danny & Sylvia: The Danny Kaye Musical, and has toured nationally and internationally with several productions, including John Doyle's re-imagining of Sweeney Todd, as music director. Fiorello has worked in Chicago with Chicago Shakespeare, The Marriott Theatre and many others. A director, music director, performer, writer, arranger and show doctor, he has helped guide new works to development and world premieres in Chicago, at New York Musical Festival and several premieres in the United Kingdom. He has written and collaborated on several original pieces, including the musical The Language or the Kiss, a musical featuring the music of The Indigo Girls, that he conceived, wrote the book and starred in for many Off-Broadway industry readings.

Associate director and choreographerChristopher Carter is a graduate of Grand Valley State University with a liberal arts degree in dance. Carter has traveled extensively performing, directing and choreographing. Some of his Porchlight Music Theatre credits include Memphis, Dreamgirls, In The Heights and the Porchlight Revisits productions They're Playing Our Song and Chess as well as Five Guys Named Moe (Court Theater); Hair (Mercury Theater); The Legend Of Georgia McBride (Northlight Theater); and Sweeney Todd, Godspell, Secret Garden and Pirates Of Penzance (Grand Valley State University); Show Boat and Oklahoma (Lyric Opera Chicago); Show Boat (San Francisco and Houston Grand Opera); Hairspray (Drury Lane Oakbrook), Joseph... (Paramount Theater); Duke Ellington's Queenie Pie (Chicago Opera Theater); Oliver, Carousel and Brigadoon (Light Opera Works); The Wiz, 42nd Street and

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