Porchlight Music Theatre Announces Return of BEST MUSICAL! A Completely Improvised Musical Comedy in a new Holiday Edition!

Porchlight Music Theatre Announces Return of BEST MUSICAL! A Completely Improvised Musical Comedy in a new Holiday Edition! 1 Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the return of BEST MUSICAL! A Completely Improvised Musical Comedy in a new Holiday Edition!, conceived by Second City veteran Matthew Loren Cohen, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.  Performances are Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., November 28 through December 26. Single tickets are $15, student discounts are $12 with group discounts available. All tickets are available at stage773.com, porchlightmusictheatre.org or by phone at 773.327.5252.Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce the return of BEST MUSICAL! A Completely Improvised Musical Comedy in a new Holiday Edition!, conceived by Second City veteran Matthew Loren Cohen, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.  Performances are Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., November 28 through December 26. Single tickets are $15, student discounts are $12 with group discounts available. All tickets are available at stage773.com, porchlightmusictheatre.org or by phone at 773.327.5252.

In spring 2012, Porchlight combined forces with some of Chicago’s hottest improv and musical stars, threw in some audience participation, added a bouncy piano beat and debuted BEST MUSICAL! A Completely Improvised Musical Comedy to sold out houses and critical and audience acclaim. Time Out Chicago raved “BEST MUSICAL! is outrageous, uproarious and kinda brilliant.” and Chicago Theatre Addict said “BEST MUSICAL! turns weary Wednesday nights into lyrical lunacy.”

BEST MUSICAL! – Holiday Edition! takes audiences to the “Bestie Awards” ceremony where the cast performs the “Best Song from a Musical” nominees from a grab bag of audience-suggested titles. The audience votes for their favorite song as performed in Act 1 and comes back after intermission for an entirely improvised musical comedy with lights, costumes and fully improvised music and choreography featuring the “Bestie” winning song. Each performance guarantees a completely different musical comedy with completely new songs every week.

The company includes Matthew Loren Cohen, on piano, veterans of the original run of BEST MUSICAL! plus new cast members from The Second City, iO and The Annoyance stages.

ABOUT CREATOR MATTHEW LOREN COHEN

 Matthew Loren Cohen is a classically trained pianist. He is a music director for the Second City, with credits including The Second City Does Dallas at Dallas Theater Center; Less Pride…More Pork at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Charmed and Dangerous at Centerstage; It Takes a ‘Ville at Actors Theatre of Louisville; The Second City Does Arizona, or Close but No Saguaro at Arizona Theatre Company (music direction, original music); Spoiler Alert: Everybody Dies at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Miracle at 1280 Peachtree Street at the Alliance Theatre (music direction). He music-directed two improvised musicals in New York City, The Nuclear Family and The Next Big Broadway Musical! and he has written two musicals, Jason & Ben and Broads on Boards.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, nationally recognized for developing innovative new works, reimagining classic productions and showcasing musical theatre’s rising stars and seasoned veterans, is in its 18th season as Chicago’s music theatre leader, providing an intimate, modern musical experience unlike anything else in the city. Under the leadership of Managing Artistic Director Michael Weber, the 2012-2013 season continues with the Chicago premiere of O. Henry’s The Gifts of the Magi, November 17 – December 23, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.; the musical biography of Billie Holiday, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, February 2 – March 10, 2013, at Stage 773 and the O’Hara, Rodgers and Hart classic Pal Joey, April 20 – May 26 at Stage 773. As Chicago’s only professional company solely dedicated to music theatre, Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 50 shows with five world premieres and 10 Chicago premieres. The company has received a total of 73 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 22 Jeff Awards.

Porchlight Music Theatre, announces BEST MUSICAL! – Holiday Edition!, November 28 – December 26, conceived by Matthew Loren Cohen, at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave.  Performances are Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., November 28 through December 26. Single tickets are $15, student discounts are $12 with group discounts available. All tickets are available at stage773.com, porchlightmusictheatre.org or by phone at 773.327.5252.

 Porchlight Music Theatre is partially supported by generous contributions from the A.R.T League, the Arts Work Fund at the Chicago Community Trust, a City Arts Grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, the Shen Family Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council (a state agency), the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture, The Fairmont Hotel.