Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the cast and creative team for the next production in its 31st season, The Irish … and How They Got That Way, by Frank McCourt, original musical arrangements by Rusty McGee with music and lyrics by various artists, directed by David Girolmo and music directed by David Fiorello, January 31 - March 15, 2026 at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St. The performance schedule includes previews Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 1 at 2 and 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. with the press opening Friday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. The Irish … performance schedule is Thursday and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. The Irish … is included in Porchlight’s 2025 - 2026 subscription series, available at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. Single tickets are reserved seating and are on sale for $24 - $110 at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or by calling the Porchlight box office at 773.777.6884.
The Irish … and How They Got That Way is an irreverent musical history of Ireland through the tumultuous 20th and 21st centuries seen through the eyes of Pulitzer Prize winning author, Frank McCourt (Angela’s Ashes, ‘Tis, Teacher Man) whose razor sharp wit, coupled with his trademark satirical irony and boundless love for the Irish people are all underscored by humor, heartache and a glorious score that spans 100+ years from “Danny Boy,” “Galway Bay” and “The Rare Old Times” to “Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ra” and U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I Am Looking For.”
The cast for The Irish … and How They Got That Way includes Emily Goldberg (Woman #2), Michael Mahler+ (Man #1), Leah Morrow+ (Woman #1), Luke Nowakowski (Man #2) and understudies Caroline Lyell (U/S Woman #1 and #2) and Kevin Webb (U/S Man #1 and #2).
The creative team for The Irish … and How They Got That Way includes David Girolmo (director), David Fiorello (music director), Tianxuan Chen (scenic designer), Alexis J. Roston (costume designer), Max Maxin IV (lighting and projection designer), Ellen Markus (props designer), Matthew R. Chase (sound designer), Nick Peebles (scenic supervisor), Ali Westendorf (costume/wardrobe supervisor), Riley Woods (lighting supervisor), Royce Pataras (AV supervisor), Jay Black (audio engineer (A1)), Drew Donnelly+ (production stage manager), Carli Shapiro (assistant stage manager), Rachel West (production supervisor), Linda Madonia (company manager) and Michael Weber (artistic director).
+ Member of Actor’s Equity
ABOUT DAVID GIROLMO, DIRECTOR
David Girolmo is a veteran of hundreds of productions here in Chicago and around the United States and Canada. He made his Broadway debut in Candide directed by Hal Prince and was recently seen on Broadway in War Paint starring Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole, directed by Michael Greif. He is a multiple Jeff nominee and Jeff Award winner and a multiple Broadway World Award winner. Among his TV and Film credits are: “Crisis” (Congressman Langston Wirth), “Chicago P.D.” (Jim Varney), “Empire” (Dr. Sirak), “Chicago Fire” (Chief Grimes), “E.R.” (Officer Gaines) and “Death of a President” (Hospital Spokesperson Dr. Peralto). He is married to Heidi Kettenring, who hung the moon and stars.
ABOUT DAVID FIORELLO, MUSIC DIRECTOR
David Fiorello is an Equity Jeff award-winning music director, director, performer, orchestrator and playwright that's had his work featured across the globe. His most recent Porchlight credits include serving as music director for Porchlight in Concert: Sunday in the Park With George, Blues in the Night (starring Tony-Nominee Felicia P. Fields), Gypsy (starring E. Faye Butler), Woman of the Year, Do Re Mi, The Apple Tree, the New Faces Sing Broadway series, as well as several editions of Chicago Sings, and the upcoming mainstage production of The Irish … and How They Got That Way. He served as music director for the John Doyle Sweeney Todd national tour, as well as Off-Broadway's Danny & Sylvia: The Danny Kaye Musical. Internationally, he’s the head of the Musical Theatre Program as part of the International Lyric Academy in Vicenza, Italy. Fiorello is also the founder of The Beautiful City Project and CEO of Fiorello Studios. He is continually inspired by the love of his life.
ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
Porchlight Music Theatre, now in its 31st season, is the award-winning center for music theatre in Chicago. Through live performance, youth education and community outreach, we impact thousands of lives each season, bringing the magic of musicals to our theatre home at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts in the Gold Coast and to neighborhoods across the city. Porchlight has built a national reputation for boldly reimagining classic musicals, supporting new works and young performers, and showcasing Chicago’s most notable music theatre artists, all through the intimate and powerful theatrical lens of the “Chicago Style.”
Porchlight's history over nearly three decades includes more than 70 mainstage works with 15 Chicago premieres and five world premieres.
Porchlight's education and outreach programs serve schools, youth of all ages and skill levels and community organizations. Porchlight annually awards dozens of full scholarships and hundreds of free tickets to ensure accessibility and real engagement with this uniquely American art form.
The company’s many honors include 178 Joseph Jefferson Award (Jeff) nominations and 49 Jeff awards, as well as 44 Black Theatre Alliance (BTA) nominations and 15 BTA awards. In 2019, Porchlight graduated to the Large Theatre tier of the Equity Jeff Awards and has been honored with seven awards in this tier to date including Best Ensemble for Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies (2019) and Best Production-Revue for Blues in the Night (2022).
Through the global pandemic, Porchlight emerged as one of Chicago’s leaders in virtual programming, quickly launching a host of free offerings like Sondheim @ 90 Roundtables, Movie Musical Mondays, Porchlight by Request: Command Performances and WPMT: Classic Musicals from the Golden Age of Radio. In 2021, Porchlight launched its annual summer series, Broadway in your Backyard, performing at parks and venues throughout the city which continues this summer.
Porchlight Music Theatre’s 31st season is sponsored by Brenda & James Grusecki.
Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from Actors’ Equity Foundation; Arlen and Elaine Cohen Rubin Charitable Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City; Bayless Family Foundation; Bukiety Floral; Chicago Free for All Fund; Lloyd A. Fry Foundation; James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation; Hearty Boys; Mesirow Financial; Carol Oppenheim & Jerome Lamet Charitable Fund; the Pritzker Traubert Foundation; Ryan and Spaeth, Inc.; Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation; The Saints; Dr. Scholl Foundation; Service Club of Chicago, The Shubert Foundation and Uvae Kitchen & Wine Bar
The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency.
Porchlight Music Theatre presents
The Irish … and How They Got That Way
January 31 - March 15, 2026
By Frank McCourt
Original Musical Arrangements by Rusty McGee
Music & Lyrics by Various Artists
Directed by David Girolmo
Music Directed by David Fiorello
Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St.
Tickets: $24 - $110
Website: PorchlightMusicTheatre.org/the-irish/
- Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 1 at 6:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m. - PRESS OPENING
- Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m.
- Thursday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 15 at 2 p.m.
- Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m. - Porchlight Young Professionals’ Happy Hour and A Hit
- Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m.
- Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 28 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, March 1 at 2 p.m.
- Thursday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, March 7 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, March 8 at 2 p.m.
- Thursday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, March 14 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m.
Show dates, post-show discussions, etc. subject to change.
Coming at Porchlight:
Monday, Dec. 8 and Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Directed by Brenda Didier and Michael Weber
Music Directed by David Fiorello
Starring Adrian Aguilar, Neala Barron, Sharriese Hamilton and George Keating
Rhapsody Theater, 1328 W. Morse Ave.
Porchlight Sings the Season celebrates the holidays with music from Broadway and Hollywood with Porchlight luminaries performing songs from Mame, Meet Me in St. Louis, Holiday Inn and others. This premiere offers a musical respite from the holiday stress with an unforgettable evening of festive entertainment, a salute to Chicago holidays past, warm cookies, sing-alongs, an ugly Christmas sweater contest and more.
The Irish … and How They Got That Way
January 31 - March 15, 2026
By Frank McCourt
Original Musical Arrangements by Rusty McGee
Directed by David Girolmo
Music Directed by David Fiorello
Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St.
The uplifting story of an American immigrant journey, The Irish … and How They Got That Way is an irreverent history of Ireland through the tumultuous 20th and 21st centuries seen through the eyes of Pulitzer Prize winning author, Frank McCourt (Angela’s Ashes, ‘Tis, Teacher Man) whose razor sharp wit, coupled with his trademark satirical irony and boundless love for the Irish People are all underscored by humor, heartache and a glorious score that spans 100+ years from “Danny Boy,” “Galway Bay” and “The Rare Old Times” to “Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ra” and U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I Am Looking For.”
Porchlight In Concert: Follies
Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 2 p.m.
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Goldman
Directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber
Music Directed by Linda Madonia
Studebaker Theater, 410 S. Michigan Ave.
Porchlight In Concert debuted in 2024 with sold out performances of Sunday in the Park with George and this season returns to the Studebaker for a limited engagement of another Stephen Sondheim classic, Follies. Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Score, Follies shares the reunion of the legendary "Weismann Follies" company on the eve of their crumbling theater's demolition, to reminisce about their past and confront their futures with a rich score that celebrates show music of the 20s - 40s. Considered to be one of the landmark American musicals, Follies includes the celebrated Sondheim standards "Broadway Baby," "I'm Still Here," "Losing My Mind" and more.
MORE FROM PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE:
Chicago Sings Broadway’s British Invasion
Spring 2026
Porchlight’s annual concert fundraiser highlights Great Britain’s contributions to the biggest hits of Broadway. Chicago music theatre’s leading performers add their signature style to the musical favorites that premiered “across the pond” in this one-night-only event. From early West End successes like Me and My Girl, Oliver! and Stop the World - I Want to Get Off, to the “rock operas,” Jesus Christ Superstar, Chess and Evita, blockbusters including Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon and Les Misérables and recent favorites Mamma Mia!, Six, Operation Mincemeat and more.
Broadway in your Backyard
Summer 2026
Porchlight's free, outdoor summer concert series marks its sixth edition in 2026 at parks throughout Chicago. The 60-minute, family-friendly, outdoor performance includes some of the best loved show tunes from Broadway and Hollywood with sing-alongs, a raffle for valuable prizes and more.