CHICAGO—Once upon a time in Chicago, summer used to be the off-season for theater. Not any longer. Summer has become a hot time for taking advantage of the city’s many leafy parks to showcase outdoor theater. While Shakespeare’s comedies have become especially popular, Porchlight Theatre is providing another theatrical venue with “Broadway in Your Backyard.”
This is the theater company’s fifth year mounting that musical series in Chicago, and it is getting better with every year. It’s not just that it’s enjoyable to spread out a blanket on a carpet of grass, or that sitting on a lawn chair is relaxing, or that looking up at the night stars is fantastic, or that chicken and wine tastes better outdoors. What makes the 60-minute “Broadway in Your Backyard” show so enchanting is listening to the best songs from some of the best musicals in Broadway history. It makes the outdoor summer experience a truly wonderful treat.
