Porchlight Music Theatre Presents CALL ME ELIZABETH

Porchlight Music Theatre has announced the Chicago streaming premiere with KB Productions of Call Me Elizabeth, a one-woman show about the early life of Elizabeth Taylor, written by and starring Kayla Boye and directed by Erin Kraft.

Fresh off her triumph as Best Actress for "Butterfield 8" and recovery from a recent brush with death, Elizabeth Taylor is struggling with her hardest role yet: herself. Through an intimate conversation with a biographer, Call Me Elizabeth examines the movie star's early life, career and loves as she grapples with the culture of celebrity and her place as Hollywood's brightest star.

The creative team includes Kayla Boye ("Elizabeth Taylor"), Erin Kraft (director), Christopher Pazdernik (associate producer), Ryan Cassell (cinematographer), Ethan Deppe (composer), Bethany Thomas (vocalist) and Kàchí Mozie (production photographer).

"Like so many, I have long been fascinated with Elizabeth Taylor, a pop culture icon who continues to captivate more than a decade after her death," said Boye. "In her youth, Taylor epitomized movie stardom, later becoming associated with her fabulous jewels, her popular perfumes and her activism in the fight against HIV/AIDS. But what is the story behind the image? How does a star develop into a legend, and how does that legacy sustain itself? With Call Me Elizabeth, I hope to pay tribute to the life of this extraordinary woman by exploring how the strength of her character enabled her to break barriers with unshakable bravery and with signature style."

Set in May 1961, the play is inspired by Taylor's conversations with writer Max Lerner as they discuss plans for a biography. Through a morning session with Lerner at The Beverly Hills Hotel, Taylor rediscovers her sense of self following her 1961 Academy Awards triumph and recovery from a nearly fatal battle with pneumonia. The play examines Taylor's career, life and loves, chronicling her survival in the face of adversity and tragedy, and illuminating the core compassion of her character that inspired her later activism in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Call Me Elizabeth had its first staged reading on October 1, 2019, at The Den Theatre in Chicago, directed by 12-time Joseph Jefferson Award-winner Hollis Resnik. The play's 2019 premiere was named one of the Top 3 Solo Events of 2019 by the Michael and Mona Heath Fund.

The 70-minute production may be viewed on-demand April 23 - 30 with a press premiere on Friday, April 23 at 7 p.m. CDT. Tickets are on sale now for $25 per household from PorchlightMusicTheatre.org, with streaming available up to 72 hours after initial viewing. A portion of proceeds benefits Howard Brown Health and Brave Space Alliance in honor of Taylor's advocacy and activism in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

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