Overview

PARAMOUNT THEATRE HISTORY

The 85-year-old Paramount Theatre is a historic landmark in Downtown Aurora restored to sustain the Venetian, art deco style as when it was built in 1931. LEARN MORE

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BROADWAY SERIES HISTORY

The Paramount Theatre’s Broadway Series debuted in 2011 with My Fair Lady and grew to over 30,000 subscribers at the end of its fifth season. Under the guidance of President & CEO Tim Rater and Artistic Director Jim Corti, the Paramount Theatre self-produces each musical in the Broadway Series. Costumes are made and sets are built right here in Aurora, Illinois.

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BROADWAY SERIES B-ROLL

Check out b-roll footage of the Paramount Theatre Broadway Series.

RENT March/April 2014

CATS September/October 2014

MARY POPPINS November 2014/January 2015

THE WHO’S TOMMY January/February 2015

LES MISERABLES March/April 2015

OKLAHOMA! September/October 2015

A CHRISTMAS STORY November 2015/January 2016

HAIRSPRAY January/February 2016

WEST SIDE STORY March/April 2016

MAMMA MIA! September/October 2016

THE LITTLE MERMAID November/December 2016; January 2017

SWEENEY TODD February/March 2017

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR April/May 2017

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET September/October 2017

ELF THE MUSICAL November/December; January 2018

CABARET February/March 2018

ONCE April/May/June 2018

LEGALLY BLONDE September/October 2018

THE WIZARD OF OZ November/December 2018; January 2019

THE PRODUCERS February/March 2019

AUGUST RUSH: THE MUSICAL April/May/June 2019

 

BROADWAY SERIES CRITIC REVIEWS

Chicago Tribune Reviews:

2011/2012: My Fair Lady, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, A Chorus Line, Hair
2012/2013: Annie, The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof
2013/2014: In The Heights, Miss Saigon, 42nd Street, Rent
2014/2015: Cats, Mary Poppins, The Who’s Tommy, Les Misérables
2015/2016: Oklahoma!, A Christmas Story, Hairspray, West Side Story
2016/2017: The Little Mermaid, Sweeney Todd, Jesus Christ Superstar
2017/2018: Million Dollar Quartet, Cabaret, Once
2018/2019: Legally Blonde, The Producers

 

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2012-13 Season

Grease

It's the ultimate celebration of the teen years. Set in the hip 1950s, everyone has ...

Annie

“…one of the best night outs that your kids will enjoy this holiday season” – Dean Richards / WGN-TV Radio

The Music Man

One of the most iconic musicals in theatre history comes to life on the Paramount stage. The scenery is spectacular, the costumes are colorfully lavish and the music and choreography will make you want to stand up and march.

Fiddler on the Roof

Fiddler on the Roof is a celebration of life and all its challenges. From the rich orchestrations and lyrics to the powerful full-cast numbers, this is a show everyone should see.

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2013-14 Season

In The Heights

This Tony-Winning Best Musical is about home, family and finding where you belong.

Miss Saigon

An emotionally-charged production, Miss Saigon is an experience filled with brilliant imagery, rich unforgettable orchestrations and lyrics, and a story that will pierce your being.  Love, loss and the ultimate sacrifice…be a part of this remarkable production.    

42nd Street

This Tony Award Winner for Best Musical is the ultimate big Broadway production filled with lavish costumes and show-stopping dance numbers.

Rent

This Tony-Award-Winning rock opera turned Broadway on its ear as it follows the lives of struggling artists living in New York’s Alphabet City.

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2014-15 Season

Cats

Winner of 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score, CATS is one of the most popular and beloved theatrical productions on the planet.

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins is more than just a story about a family and a nanny.  It’s a story about love, spirit, believing the best in people, about celebrating, liberating, magic, about reconnecting and appreciating what is right in front of your nose.  Most importantly, it’s about fun.

Tommy

Celebrate The Who’s 50th Anniversary and experience the greatest rock opera ever written.

Les Miserables

Nominated for 12 Tony Awards, taking home 8 including Best Score and Best Musical, Les Miserables is a truly enthralling spectacle with brilliant imagery, magnificent orchestrations, stirring lyrics and a story of heroic human commitment that you will not soon forget.

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2015-16 Season

Oklahoma!

Come along for the wild ride through Oklahoma! Nominated for 7 Tonys and a Pulitzer Prize winner, this show is the original triple-threat of musical theatre, jam-packed with soaring music, heartfelt lyrics AND gorgeous dance numbers.

A Christmas Story The Musical

Bring the family together and celebrate the season with one of the most beloved Holiday traditions of all time. It’s A Christmas Story: The Musical.

Hairspray The Broadway Musical

"So much fun... pure energy... must-see... Dean's List 'A'" Dean Richards, WGN-TV & Radio "Infectious beat... Broadway-size spectacle... worth the trip? Absolutely" Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune "Larger-than-life... an engine of motion... highly recommended" Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times

West Side Story

“this is one terrific production that’ll definitely live in every audience member’s heart…quite definitely, this show is ‘the most beautiful sound I ever heard…’” Highly Recommended Colin Douglas, Chicago Theatre Review

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2016-17 Season

Mamma Mia!

We're kicking off the season with the show that turned musical theater on its ear. Over 60 million people in 40 different countries on 6 different continents have reveled in Mamma Mia! – and it’s still going strong.

The Little Mermaid

“CAN'T RECOMMEND THIS SHOW ENOUGH!” Dean Richards, WGN Radio & TV

Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

“If you’ve never met the Demon Barber, get to this Sweeney Todd” – Chicago Tribune

Jesus Christ Superstar

“Judas was terrified. Not only because he thought Christ was getting out of control… Judas thought it was affecting HIM.” – Tim Rice, Lyricist / Jesus Christ Superstar

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2017-18 Season

Million Dollar Quartet

There was no plan for Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins to record together on December 4, 1956, but as fate would have it, they did and left behind a historic and mind-blowing album.

Elf The Musical The Musical

A perfect holiday feel-good show, Elf will turn even the grumpiest of grinches into a happy-go-lucky bearer of Christmas cheer, singing loud for all to hear.

Cabaret

“Stunning Cabaret shocks its audience into silence. This is revival work of the highest level” 4 out of 4 stars –Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

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2018-19 Season

Legally Blonde The Musical

A story of rising to a challenge and defying expectations, all while looking fabulous, Legally Blonde is the perfect way to push our 8th season into high gear and never let up. This is one musical we guarantee you won’t object.

The Wizard of Oz

"Just right for kids and a nostalgic blast for the grown ups" Highly Recommended, Dean's List A -Dean Richards, WGN-TV & Radio

The Producers A Mel Brooks Musical Comedy

Under the right circumstances, a producer could make more money with a flop than he could with a hit. And so begins one of the most hilarious cons in musical theatre history.

August Rush The Musical

Be the first to see the world premiere of August Rush: The Musical, a never-before-seen musical based on the original Warner Bros. motion picture with story by Paul Castro and Nick Castle and screenplay by Nick Castle and James V. Hart

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