Welcome to August!
It’s a big month for Paramount’s Broadway Series and the soon-to-open regional premiere of our home grown Kinky Boots directed by Trent Stork. Yes, it needs to be made clear every now and then that our Broadway Series productions are not tours! When you attend our Broadway subscription series shows, you are seeing it where you will see it nowhere else – chiefly built by our own scenic, costume, props, and wig crews with fresh, new takes designed for right here in Aurora. Creatives are largely from Chicago’s musical theatre talent pool which features the return of favorite artists as well as many new faces making their Paramount debuts.
I sat down to the keyboard just now after seeing a bit of Kinky Boots rehearsal this morning! What a thrill! Stirring emotions, already clear and potent, got me teary eyed. Michael Wordly, in a breathtaking debut here as Lola, dazzles with the Angels’ longest legs and highest heels performing their own Olympic feats of precision and power-charged dances by Co-Choreographers Isaiah Silvia-Chandley and Michael George, assisted by TJ Tapp. The ensemble casts’ choice to wear masks in rehearsal in no way hindered the chills induced by their voices raised to the roof of their shoe factory singing “The Most Beautiful Thing.” Devin DeSantis returns leading this time as Charlie Price and simply knocked me out to hear him sing again! (I directed him in the title role in The Who’s Tommy and Marius in Les Miserables) and he, and Barry Debois as Harry, (who starred as Guy in our Once) will leave their fans wanting more after their terrific vocals on “Take What You Got.” Watching this morning without sets, costumes, lights, etc., it’s impressive how Trent has already garnered a skillful story-telling force with this company of world class artists and wow, just a week from tomorrow they hit the Paramount stage to begin Tech Rehearsal!
Everyone at Paramount is grateful for the overwhelming support the last couple of weeks for our commitment to safety and protocol in our community service to keep our doors open and everyone protected as possible. Change is inevitable – let’s navigate it together!
Love & thanks,
Jim
he/him