Porchlight's New Faces Sing Broadway Returns with SONGS OF 2001 and UPTOWN UNDERGROUND

Porchlight Music Theatre and Artistic Director Michael Weber are proud to announce the second performance in its 2016 - 2017 season of Chicago's hit musical revue series, New Faces Sing Broadway 2001, hosted by Keely Vasquez, is Monday, Jan. 23 at Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave in Skokie and Tuesday, Jan. 24 at the Uptown Underground, 4707 N. Broadway at 7:30 p.m. In tribute to the original New Faces series that ran on Broadway and on film from 1934 - 1968, Porchlight Music Theatre last year created this Chicago musical revue series, New Faces Sing Broadway, as a showcase for the best emerging musical talent now performing on Chicago stages.

Each edition is a journey from the start to the finish of a entire musical season on Broadway, peppered with photos and films of the era in an exciting multimedia presentation with a favorite Chicago theatre veteran hosting and introducing the next generation of music theatre artists and acting as your guide through a past season on the Great White Way. Seating is general admission; tickets are $22, with no drink minimum and are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org.

In addition to the performances on stage, the host engages the audience to sing along as the "Broadway chorus" of some of the best-known production numbers from that classic musical season and challenges them to "Name that Showtune," a fun and fast-moving music theatre trivia game where participants win Porchlight prizes.

Performances include songs from shows and revivals that were part of the 2001 season on Broadway including A Class Act, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, By Jeeves, The Full Monty, Jane Eyre, Mamma Mia!, The Producers, Seussical, Thou Shalt Not, Urinetown and others.*

The original New Faces series via Broadway and movies was instrumental in introducing the public to emerging talent such as June Carroll, Robert Clary, Imogene Coca, Jane Connell, "Professor" Irwin Corey, Henry Fonda, Alice Ghostley, Ronny Graham, Tiger Haynes, Van Johnson, Madeline Kahn, Eartha Kitt, RoBert Klein, Carol Lawrence, Paul Lynde, Virginia Martin, John Reardon, Maggie Smith, Inga Swenson and many, many others.

The cast of New Faces Sing Broadway 2001 includes: Kyrie Anderson (last seen in Fly By Night at Theo Ubique and Next to Normal at BoHo Theatre), Ariana Burks (an Emmy nominated actress last seen in The House Theatre's The Nutcracker as "Clara," Alice's Rock & Roll Adventure at Chicago Children's Theatre and The Black and White Ball with FWD Theatre Project), Nicole Lambert (last seen in Porchlight's In The Heights as well as Rent with Brightside Theatre), Tamara White (recently seen in A Christmas Carol at The Palace Theatre and Rose and the Rime at The House Theatre), Lauren Paris (who appeared in Story of a Story with Underscore Theatre and Into the Woods with The Hypocrites), Caleb Baze (seen in Tonya and Nancy with Underscore Theatre and Dreamgirls at Porchlight), Will Wilhelm (who appeared in Lost in Yonkers at Northlight Theatre and We Three Lizas with About Face Theatre), Jack DeCesare (a recent graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul most recently seen in Porchlight's In The Heights), Matthew Hunter (last seen at Porchlight in Dreamgirls) and FranCisco Lopez (who appeared in In The Heights at Porchlight and Dead Man Walking at Piven Theatre).

ABOUT Keely Vasquez, host of New Faces Sings Broadway 2001

Vasquez recently made her Porchlight Music Theatre debut in In The Heights. Her theatrical credits include: Dee Snider's Rock and Roll Christmas Tale at the Broadway Playhouse, In The Heights at the Paramount Theatre, Hairspray and Seussical at Drury Lane Oakbrook, as well as roles at Theatre at the Center, The Mercury Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Beef and Boards Theatre (IN) and The New Theatre (KS). She spent eight years performing in Las Vegas with Barry Manilow and touring with him to over 50 US cities, several countries and more than 25 television shows such as "Ellen," "The Today Show," "Good Morning America," "The Emmy Awards," "The American Music Awards," "Dancing With The Stars," PBS' "A Capitol Fourth" as well as six DVD concert specials.

The final performance in the New Faces Sing Broadway series is:

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 second performance in its 2016 - 2017 season of Chicago's hit musical revue series, New Faces Sing Broadway 2001, hosted by Keely Vasquez, is Monday, Jan. 23 at Skokie Theatre, 7924 Lincoln Ave in Skokie and Tuesday, Jan. 24 at the Uptown Underground, 4707 N. Broadway at 7:30 p.m. In tribute to the original New Faces series that ran on Broadway and on film from 1934 - 1968, Porchlight Music Theatre last year created this Chicago musical revue series, New Faces Sing Broadway, as a showcase for the best emerging musical talent now performing on Chicago stages. Each edition is a journey from the start to the finish of a entire musical season on Broadway, peppered with photos and films of the era in an exciting multimedia presentation with a favorite Chicago theatre veteran hosting and introducing the next generation of music theatre artists and acting as your guide through a past season on the Great White Way. Seating is general admission; tickets are $22, with no drink minimum and are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org.

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