Real Life Oswego Brothers Adrian and Alexander Aguilar Play Brothers in "Double Trouble"

CHICAGO – Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to present the Chicago premiere of Double Trouble, book, music and lyrics by brothers Bob Walton and Jim Walton, direction and choreography by Matthew Crowle, music direction by Linda Madonia and starring brothers Adrian Aguilar and Alexander Aguilar, August 31 – October

6, at Stage 773, 1225 West Belmont Ave.  Previews are Saturday, Aug. 31 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 1 at 2 and 6 p.m. and Monday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. Opening/Press Night is Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. The regular schedule is Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. There is a special weekday group matinee: Thursday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $30 for previews and $39 for all other performances. Subscriptions to the entire 19th Season are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by phone at 773-777-9884.  Groups of ten or more may receive discounts on tickets purchased via the Groups Sales office at 773.777.9884. Single tickets for Double Trouble go on sale July 1 at 10 a.m. and may be purchased at stage773.com or by phone at 773.327.5252.

 In 1940s Hollywood, two song-and-dance brothers get the career making opportunity to write a song for a major motion picture. The challenge is they only have a few hours to create it. Triple-threat, real-life brothers Adrian Aguilar and Alexander Aguilar play more than 10 characters (and musical instruments) in this hilarious, quick change, tap dancing musical comedy that celebrates the crazy days of making the movie musicals that featured the likes of Gene Kelly, Danny Kaye and Donald O’Connor.

Artistic Director Michael Weber says, “The launch of Porchlight’s 19th season, with the Chicago debut of the musical comedy Double Trouble, is a perfect example of how Porchlight is producing theatre that is unrivaled in Chicago. Starring the supremely talented Aguilar brothers in their first on-stage reunion since The Drowsy Chaperone at Marriott Theatre combined with the Porchlight debuts of Broadway’s Matthew Crowle, directing and choreographing, and long time Chicago theatre veteran Linda Madonia music directing a score that is reminiscent of the best, big Hollywood musicals of the 1940s, Double Trouble is certainly going to be “must see” theatre and a production that will have audiences’ appetites whet for our entire season and special events, especially the new Porchlight Revisits… series.” 

The production team for Double Trouble also includes Alexia Rutherford, costume design; Jeffery D. Kmiec, scenic design; William C. Kirkham, lighting design; Jack Hawkins, sound design; Angela Campos, properties design; Kevin Barthel, wig design; Aaron Shapiro, production manager and Thom Van Ermen, stage manager.

 ABOUT ADRIAN AGUILAR, actor

Adrian Aguilar last starred in Porchlight’s smash hit, Pal Joey. Also at Porchlight, he starred as "Jon" in the critically acclaimed tick, tick ... BOOM! for which he was nominated for the Jeff Award as best actor in a principal role. Aguilar was seen as “Artie” in Sunset Boulevard at Drury Lane Oakbrook, "Kenickie" in Grease and  “Berger” in Hair at The Paramount Theatre, “Young Ben” in Follies at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater and “Danny Zuko” in The Original Grease at American Theatre Company.

ABOUT ALEXANDER AGUILAR, actor

Alexander Aguilar makes his Porchlight debut with this production. He has been seen on Broadway as “’Uardo” in Lysistrata Jones and on national tour in the Tony Award-winning Broadway production, Memphis.  He has performed locally in A Chorus Line, The Drowsy Chaperone and The Light in the Piazza at Marriott Theatre; Annie Get Your Gun starring Patti LuPone and George Hearn at the Ravinia Festival; nationally in The Producers with North Carolina Theater and the role of “Taylor” in the film Were the World Mine.

ABOUT MATTHEW CROWLE, direction and choreography

Matthew Crowle makes his Porchlight debut with this production. His work as a choreographer was most recently seen in Singin’ in the Rain at Drury Lane Theatre in which he also played “Cosmo Brown.” On Broadway, he was seen as “Patsy” in Spamalot under the direction of Mike Nichols, a role he repeated here at Drury Lane and for which he was nominated for a Jeff Award as best supporting actor. Matthew appeared off-Broadway in Take Me Along, in the national tour of Doctor Doolittle under the direction of Tommy Tune and in Shrek at The Muny. Locally, Crowle has appeared in Oklahoma at Lyric Opera, Title of Show at Northlight and 42nd Street at Marriott.

ABOUT LINDA MADONIA, musical director

Linda Madonia has been musical directing in the Chicago area for the past 25 years. Recent credits include Cabaret and Man of LaMancha for Light Opera Works, and Forbidden Broadway: SVU at The Royal George Theater. Other credits include Grand Hotel and Nunsensations at Drury Lane Water Tower Place and A Chorus Line, She Loves Me and Me and My Girl at Theater at the Center. For the past six years, Linda has been the musical director for Chicago’s Equity and non-union Joseph Jefferson Awards. Madonia owns American Eagle Productions, a touring theater that, for twenty years, has presented 300 shows a year in Chicago area schools.

PORCHLIGHT SPECIAL EVENTS

Scholar Series

Sunday, Sept 8 immediately following the 2 p.m. performance at Stage 773

Porchlight’s current production is discussed in a variety of contexts with local and national experts and special guests. Free and open to the public.

 Post Show Discussion

Sunday, Sept 15 immediately following the 2 p.m. performance at Stage 773

This candid discussion invites the audience to connect with the production’s actors, director, music director and other artists about the themes and artistic choices in the current production. Free and open to the public. 

Porchlight Revisits…

Continuing to forge its role as “Chicago’s Music Theatre,” Porchlight launches an exciting new series created for the die-hard music theatre aficionado: Porchlight Revisits…

Each season, Porchlight Music Theatre will select a single year in the life of America’s unique artistic creation, “The Broadway Musical,” and, on three different evenings, audiences get a rare opportunity to visit three musicals that opened that year on the Great White Way but have since gone “unsung.” The finest music theatre artists in Chicago will dust off these neglected treasures and, with script in hand and minimal staging, escort you to a world of Broadway long past. The inaugural Porchlight Revisits… year in focus is 1964 and the three productions are:

Anyone Can Whistle
Book by Arthur Laurents (Gypsy, West Side Story)
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (Follies, Sweeney Todd)


One night only, Wednesday, Sept. 25

Golden Boy
Book by Clifford Odets (Awake and Sing!) and William Gibson (The Miracle Worker)

Lyrics by Lee Adams (Bye Bye Birdie, Applause)

Music by Charles Strouse (Annie, Rags)

One night only, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 201

Fade Out – Fade In
Book & Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green (On the Town, Singin’ in the Rain)

Music by Jule Styne (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Funny Girl)
One night only, Wednesday, May 21, 2014.

Each performance begins at 8 p.m. Starting at 7:15 p.m., a “behind the scenes” multi-media presentation sets the stage on the creation of that evening’s production, revels in all the juicy backstage stories and reveals the state of the art on Broadway that season. The Porchlight Revisits... production paired with Double Trouble is: Anyone Can Whistle.

Anyone Can Whistle
Book by Arthur Laurents
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Direction by Christopher Pazdernik
Music Direction by Aaron Benham
Stage 773, 1225 West Belmont Ave.
One night only, Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m.,
Pre-performance presentation begins at 7:15 p.m.

A legendary cult show, this wacky, intelligent, highly unconventional musical satire tells the story of a corrupt mayoress who fakes a miracle to revitalize her bankrupt town (through the resulting pilgrim trade) and the ill-fated romance between the rational nurse out to expose the fraud and the easy-going doctor determined to enjoy the chaos it brings. In the end, the show delivers a poignant message about the importance of the individual in a conformist society but not before aiming its still relevant barbs at government, religion, science and anything else that stands in its way. Anyone Can Whistle originally opened at The Majestic Theatre, April 4, 1964 and played nine total performances.

ABOUT PORCHLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

Porchlight Music Theatre, currently celebrating its 19th season, is nationally recognized for developing innovative new works, reimagining classic productions and showcasing musical theatre’s rising stars. Porchlight elevates the genre in Chicago within an intimate, close-up environment and provides a thoroughly modern and passionate experience, serving both audiences and artists alike. With the vision of Managing Artistic Director Michael Weber, a 2013-2014 season that includes Ain’t Misbehavin’, February 1, 2014 – March 9, 2014, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, April 26, 2014 – June 1, 2014 and a new series Porchlight Revisits…1964; Porchlight builds on its role as Chicago’s leading music theatre producer. Porchlight’s rich history includes the staging of more than 50 productions with 12 Chicago premieres and five world premieres.  BEST MUSICAL! A Completely Improvised Musical Comedy! was developed through “Off the Porch,” Porchlight’s new works program. The company has received a total of 73 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 22 Jeff Awards.

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to present the Chicago premiere of Double Trouble, August 31 – October 6, at Stage 773, 1225 West Belmont Ave.  Previews are Saturday, Aug. 31 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 1 at 2 and 6 p.m. and Monday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. Opening/Press Night is Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 7:30 p.m. The regular schedule is Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. There is a special weekday group matinee; Thursday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $30 for previews and $39 for all other performances. Subscriptions to the entire 19th Season are available at porchlightmusictheatre.org or by phone at 773-777-9884.  Groups of ten or more may receive discounts on tickets purchased via the Groups Sales office at 773.777.9884. Single tickets for Double Trouble go on sale July 1 at 10 a.m. and may be purchased at stage773.com or by phone at 773.327.5252.

Porchlight Music Theatre is the proud recipient of the Hopie Award from the Lester and Hope Abelson Fund for the Performing Arts and is partially supported by generous support from Actors' Equity Foundation, A.R.T League, the Arts Work Fund at the Chicago Community Trust, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Chapman & Spingola LLP, CityArts Grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council (a state agency), the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the National Association of Realtors, Peoples Energy and The Saints.

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