Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the return of its free summer concert series Broadway in your Backyard, July 6 - September 19, sponsored by Chicago Free For All Fund. Broadway in your Backyard is directed by Artistic Director Michael Weber, music directed by Linda Madonia and starring Tafadzwa Diener, Nik Kmiecik, Juwon Tyrel Perry and Bethany Thomas. For more information go to PorchlightMusicTheatre.org.
Now in its sixth year, this free to the public summer series has become one of Porchlight’s most popular offerings with thousands of people enjoying Porchlight favorite artists performing hits and beloved songs from the Broadway and Hollywood musical song books including Hello, Dolly!, Mary Poppins, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Toy Story, The Wiz and others.
The 2026 Broadway in your Backyard season is
Monday, July 6 at 6:30 p.m.
Northcenter Town Square, 4100 N. Damen Ave.
This appearance also includes a performance from students of The Chicago Academy for the Arts.
Tuesday, July 7 at 6:30 p.m.
Welles Park, 2333 W. Sunnyside Ave.
This appearance also includes a performance from students of The Chicago Academy for the Arts. Additionally, audiences may join Porchlight’s Education as they host a “Kids’ Day” at Welles Park with activities and treats for children, while supplies last.
Monday, July 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Berger Park, Waterfront Cafe, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd.
This appearance also includes a performance from PMTeens, Porchlight’s teen performers enrolled in its summer education programming.
Tuesday, July 14 at 6:30 p.m.
Washington Square Park, 901 N. Clark St.
This appearance also includes a performance from PMTeens, Porchlight’s teen performers enrolled in its summer education programming and Porchlight Young Professionals Associate Board hosting a “Picnic With PYP” at the performance. “Picnic With PYP,” additional details to be announced.
Navy Pier, STAGE TBD, 600 E. Grand Ave.
Saturday, Sept. 19 at 12:30 p.m.
Porchlight Music Theatre presents its popular Broadway in your Backyard program of family-friendly showtunes as it joins more than 110 artists and organizations for Navy Pier’s the annual celebration of Chicago’s vibrant arts and cultural community.
Performance dates and venues are subject to change.
ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
Porchlight Music Theatre, 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 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 50 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.
The 31st Anniversary Season is sponsored by Brenda & Jim Grusecki.
Broadway in your Backyard is sponsored by Chicago Free For All Fund.
Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from Actors’ Equity Foundation; Allstate; Arlen and Elaine Cohen Rubin Charitable Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City; Bayless Family Foundation; Comcast/Xfinity; Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation; Free for All; Glimpse Vision; James P. and Brenda S. Grusecki Family Foundation; Hearty Boys; Uvae; the Pritzker Traubert Foundation; Ryan and Spaeth, Inc.; Daniel and Genevieve Ratner Foundation; The Saints; Dr. Scholl Foundation; Service Club of Chicago and The Shubert Foundation.
The season program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency.
Porchlight Music Theatre wishes to thank members of the Matching Gift Corporate Program including Allstate; BDO; Comcast; Google; Jackson National Life Insurance and The Saints.
Tafadzwa Diener in BROADWAY IN YOUR BACKYARD, 2025. Courtesy of Porchlight Music Theatre
Nik Kmiecik in BROADWAY IN YOUR BACKYARD, 2025. Courtesy of Porchlight Music Theatre
Juwon Tyrel Perry in BROADWAY IN YOUR BACKYARD, 2024. Courtesy of Porchlight Music Theatre
Bethany Thomas in BROADWAY IN YOUR BACKYARD, 2024. Courtesy of Porchlight Music Theatre
BROADWAY IN YOUR BACKYARD at Welles Park, 2025. Courtesy of Porchlight Music Theatre