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Artistic Director

Jim Corti (Paramount Artistic Director) inaugurated Paramount’s Broadway Series in the fall of 2011 with the critically acclaimed My Fair Lady. In 2015, Paramount’s Broadway Series became Jeff Award eligible. In the time since, Paramount has garnered 45 nominations with 16 wins, including three consecutive Best Large Musical awards for Les Misérables, West Side Story and Sweeney Todd. Corti helmed all three, and won Best Director for two of them, Les Misérables and Sweeney Todd. Corti also directed Paramount’s Fiddler on the Roof, Miss Saigon, Rent, The Who’s Tommy, Oklahoma!, Mamma Mia! and Million Dollar Quartet. A Broadway veteran, he appeared in the original New York casts of Ragtime and Candide, joined the long running A Chorus Line and toured nationally in Urinetown, Cabaret and Bob Fosse’s Dancin’. Other career highlights include being the only director to have two productions in the same year in the Chicago Tribune’s list of 10 Best Shows for Drury Lane’s Cabaret and Writers Theatre’s Oh, Coward! in 2009. He remains the sole honoree to have won Jeff Awards as an actor (Marriott’s Grand Hotel), choreographer (Drury Lane’s Singin’ in the Rain) and director (Paramount’s The Producers, Sweeney Todd and Les Misérables, Drury Lane’s Sweet Charity and Northlight’s Blues in the Night).

Productions with Jim Corti

Articles by Jim Corti

Tuesdays with Corti: A Time for Change

Today has begun with conversations – listening, learning – from many voices as befit the purpose of social media’s Blackout Tuesday yesterday observed by silent reflection and person to person …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Giving Tuesday

Today is Giving Tuesday! Went to: now.givingtuesday.org and got the low-down – “#GivingTuesdayNow is a new global day of giving and unity that will take place on May 5, 2020 …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Making the Best of It

Making the best of these Quarantine Times! The weather’s been perfect the last few days and now today’s another beauty as geese honk and splash around the riverside drenched in …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Concert Series Debut

On Saturday night, “Connection: A Social Media Concert Series” released its premiere episode on Paramount Theatre’s Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter, too – what a great show! The theme that …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Stay Connected

Keep moving! You’re wearing sweats – so do some stretching, simple, careful – but move it or lose it! And while the dire situation we’re in implies all things coming …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Season 10!

Reactions to the big reveal yesterday of next season’s shows are flooding Paramount’s website, phone lines, email and social media with comments, messages and subscription purchases! It seems we’ve reached …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Giving Tuesday

I hope everyone had a beautiful Thanksgiving holiday weekend! It’s been a time for me to reflect on the goodness of the many individuals who love and work hard around …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Happy Thanksgiving

A deep breath, a sigh at the sight of Aurora’s sky predawn. Gathering thoughts, seeing bare branches of treetops and rooftops in silhouette on our town’s skyline. High above to …

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2019 Jeff Award Wins

“THE PRODUCERS” TAKES HOME 2 JEFF AWARDS Paramount Theatre’s production of The Producers earned two Jeff Awards at the 2019 award ceremony on October 21, 2019.   And the winners …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Preparing for Opening Night

Paramount’s Newsies Press Opening is Friday night! During 7 previews last week, day-long rehearsals continued and will pick up again this afternoon and tonight for two shows tomorrow. Rehearsals Thursday …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Bernadette Peters

A “sizzling and sweet” feast of songs and music were exquisitely served up by the incomparable Bernadette Peters (and orchestra!) to a capacity house at Paramount Saturday night! With her …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Seizing the Day

Good morning, Dear Reader! A few good words about the state of the art in Paramount’s Newsies rehearsals: astounding, astonishing, awe-inspiring! Away from the tough, troubling times we live in, …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Newsies First Rehearsal

Artistic Director and Director of Newsies Jim Corti welcomed the cast of Paramount’s Season 9 opener to their first rehearsal yesterday. The creative team showed off their designs; the administrative …

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Newsies Director’s Notes

Written by Paramount Artistic Director and Newsies Director Jim Corti Presenting the story of the newsboys strike of 1899 is quite the balancing act. The show’s unique expectations have a certain weight to bear. …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Newsies Rehearsals

Predawn’s crazy beauty fills the sky over Aurora with high hopes and anticipation. It lights the faces I see in my head of our multi-talented actors who will assemble on …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Newsies Cast

I’m so happy to announce the cast of Paramount’s Newsies beginning previews on September 4, press opening on September 13 and running through October 20. Here’s the scoop on the complete cast. Casting DIrector …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Going Into the Woods

I headed west from Aurora on Sunday, 100 miles to the northwest corner of Illinois, beautiful Mt. Carroll. The drive is a smooth couple of hours over magnificent countryside; our …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Casting the Kids

Here we are two weeks into midsummer, a summer that feels like it’s passing too quickly! Rehearsals for Newsies begin in three weeks! I’m not freaking out. I’m feeling ecstatic …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Happy Fourth of July

The Fourth of July is Thursday! Happy Independence Day! Your Paramount Family wishes you a fun and safe holiday of celebrating all the goodness in your life! With family and friends, we …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Child Actor Day

Happy Summer! Today promises to be finally, a real summer’s day! These cool morning temps will rise as the Fox River’s birds’ songs crescendo! Mother Nature is in concert with Paramount’s Season 9 …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Paramount Proud

It’s a beautiful sunny day on The Fox! Still stoked over Paramount Proud in Aurora’s Pride Parade on Sunday and the huge, enthusiastic crowds, like a week of full houses at our theater! …

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Newsies | Director Jim Corti

Director Jim Corti gives us an inside look at his production of Newsies, and how it will be different from what you’ve seen before! GET TICKETS SUBSCRIBE & SAVE 50%

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Tuesdays with Corti: Newsies Choreography

Paramount’s World Premiere of August Rush:The Musical drew an enthusiastic crowd Friday night, on their feet in a cheering ovation for the final chord of Mark Mancina’s symphonic pop score. This new music, …

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Tuesdays with Corti: August Rush Cast

As the riverbanks of The Fox thaw from Sunday’s snowstorm, (holy cow!) things sure are warming up at Paramount for the arrival of the cast of August Rush: The Musical, …

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Tuesdays with Corti: New Musicals

Forging ahead into this season’s Grand Finale, August Rush, all hands are on deck on Paramount’s stage installing the set of the 3x Tony-winning Broadway Scenic Designer, Scott Pask (The Pillowman, …

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Tuesdays with Corti: A Look at Season 9

With all the madness going on in the world, it’s enough to make your head spin incredulous with “breaking news” locally, nationally; sad, crazy-funny, infuriating. It’s not lost on me to have focus on …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Auditions!

What a morning! I’m sitting at the audition table for Beauty and the Beast watching the men’s dance call back. Familiar and new faces, all of them processing Choreographer Megan …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Aurora Strong

Dear friends, I’m at the Actors’ Equity Office in Chicago. Today we begin casting for next season’s Newsies, Paramount’s opening production for Season 9 of the Broadway Series. We’re on …

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Tuesdays With Corti: Escape With The Producers

Brrrrrrrrrr!!!! It’s 2 below in Aurora! Grateful for the sun shining this morning! We’ve got our Designer Run-thru this afternoon for The Producers and I’m so looking forward to our staff, …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Team Producers

Good morning, dear reader. This is going to have to be short and sweet! I’m running to rehearsal at the Copley to begin our final week of rehearsals for The Producers before we move our work onto the …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Saying Goodbye

Woke up this morning with a tune in my head. Not unusual for me. This time it was from yesterday’s opening performance at Mayor Tom Weisner’s Memorial Celebration at Paramount. I got up and …

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The Producers Director’s Notes

Written by Jim Corti, Artistic Director and Director of The Producers The Producers opened on Broadway in 2001 making box office history, and it holds the record for winning the …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Celebrating the Season

Next Tuesday is Christmas Day! Right now, the sun is peeking over the leafless tree tops silhouetted above the Fox; another spectacular dawn’s fiery glow streaks across the sky! Watching with Shorty by my side …

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Tuesdays with Corti: The Producers Cast

FOUR WEEKS FROM TODAY, PEOPLE! Rehearsals for The Producers begin! And here is your cast! Working with Choreographer Brenda Didier (winner of a dozen Jeff Awards making her Paramount debut), …

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Tuesdays with Corti: So Much Happening!

It’s December! And the joint is jumpin’ around here! Just returned from a week in NYC for meetings discussing plans for this spring’s August Rush world premiere with VP of Productions, Rose Quealy and …

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Tuesdays with Corti: John Doyle

Celebrate the Autumn Equinox, the time of the harvest! As our days and nights are equal lengths for a little while, therein lies a symbolic balance and tradition of gratitude this time of year. The dozen …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Broadway Intensives

Feeling the energy today, even through the rain clouds this morning! Give a like and follow to the Paramount School of the Arts Facebook page and check out the video for the Legally …

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Tuesdays with Corti: Clickables Day

There’s so much to cover today that I’m gonna proclaim it “Clickables Day!” Click on these links below, dear friends! Casting for Paramount’s upcoming Broadway Series, Season Eight, is in …

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Classes by Jim Corti