Displaying items by tag: Paramount Theatre

Rogers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific has long been one of my favorite musicals, not just for its sweeping romance and unforgettable score, but for the way it tackles big ideas with such touching honesty. Set on a remote island during World War II, the show blends sunlit escapism with the very real tensions shaping its characters’ lives, creating a story that’s as heartfelt as it is enduring.

South Pacific follows two intertwined love stories set against the backdrop of World War II, each colored and strained by the racial prejudices of the era. The musical centers on Nellie Forbush, an American nurse from Arkansas, who falls for Emile de Becque, a French plantation owner living on a South Pacific island. Their romance is warm, hopeful, and immediate, but Nellie falters when she learns that Emile has mixed-race children, forcing her to confront the biases she didn’t realize she carried. Meanwhile, a young Marine lieutenant, Joseph Cable, falls in love with Liat, a Tonkinese woman, only to recoil from the social consequences of marrying her. These parallel stories expose the poignant cost of prejudice, a theme the musical tackles directly and candidly.

The show’s creators - Richard Rodgers (music), Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics and co-book), and Joshua Logan (co-book) - adapted the musical from James A. Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Tales of the South Pacific. Their adaptation blends romance, wartime tension, and social critique, using songs like “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Younger Than Springtime,” and the pointed “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” to deepen the narrative’s resonant and political stakes. The hit 1958 film version, starring Mitzi Gaynor and Rossano Brazzi, helped cement South Pacific as a cultural landmark and carried its most iconic songs to an even wider audience. South Pacific debuted on Broadway in 1949, where it became an immediate hit and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and now the beloved musical has found a temporary home at Paramount Theatre’s massive stage in Aurora's thriving downtown theater district.

Paramount’s production is anchored by a cast that brings both freshness and passionate sharpness to this classic musical.

Strong pecs are de rigueur for a troop of World War II U.S. Navy seabees stationed on a tropical island in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, playing now through June 14 at downtown Aurora’s Paramount Theatre. For tickets, visit ParamountAurora.com or call (630) 896-6666.

Allsun O’Malley brings a bright, grounded sincerity to Nellie Forbush, making her Paramount debut with a turn that feels fully lived-in rather than broadly sketched. Her Nellie is warm, funny, and emotionally accessible, and she brings each of her songs to life with bright, expressive vocals - especially “A Wonderful Guy,” which she delivers with pure joy, and a buoyant optimism that never obscures the character’s underlying complexity. O’Malley also reveals Nellie’s internal contradictions with clear, intentional choices, letting the audience see the exact moments when her optimism collides with what she calls an inherited prejudice. Playing opposite, Devin Archer delivers a commanding and deeply felt Emile de Becque. Archer’s rich velvety voice has the kind of effortless power that makes “Some Enchanted Evening” land with full romantic weight. Also, the quiet, wounded dignity he brings to Emile’s past gives the role its human spine. The chemistry of the two is undeniable. Archer and O’Malley form a partnership that feels real, tender, and the kind of connection every couple hopes for.

Cindy Chang’s Bloody Mary is a standout from her first entrance, played with sharp wit and a knowing edge that never slips into stereotype. Chang gives the character agency and intelligence, making her both a shrewd survivor and a mother navigating impossible circumstances. Anthony Maggio, as Lt. Joseph Cable, delivers a performance that balances youthful idealism with the crushing weight of societal expectation. His later scenes - especially his deeply felt rendition of “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught,” the song that argues hate is learned, not innate - give Maggio’s work real force and heartfelt depth.

Matthew Michael Janisse is absolutely wonderful as Luther Billis, perfectly cast and firing off some of the evening’s sharpest comedic timing. He brings a mischievous ease to every entrance, shaping the humor with character-driven precision rather than broad antics, and his presence reliably lifts the energy of each scene he touches. Louisa Darr’s Liat offers a gentle, luminous counterbalance, shaping the role with quiet grace. Esteban Ortiz‑Villacorta (Professor) and Chris Khoshaba (Stewpot) add texture and humor to the ensemble, while Joshua L. Green’s Captain George Brackett and David Rossetti’s Commander William Harbison provide crisp, authoritative counterpoints. Young performers Evelyn Dorough and Elle Laroco (Ngana) and Bennet Angsurat and Vin Laroco (Jerome) bring charm and authenticity to their scenes, rounding out a talented cast that feels cohesive, committed, and fully engaged in the world of the production.

The ensemble is exceptional across the board, moving with a unified energy that enriches every scene. Their vocal blend, character detail, and fantastic dancing give this interpretation its heartbeat, making the world of the island feel alive with youthful energy.

Nellie Forbush (Allsun O'Malley) admits to her fellow nurses she’s in love with a wonderful guy in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, the 2025-26 Broadway Series finale at downtown Aurora’s Paramount Theatre. 

One of my favorite South Pacific moments comes when Cindy Chang steps into “Bali Ha’i,” singing with a hypnotic calm and quiet urgency that makes the number seem both inviting and faintly mysterious, as if she’s revealing a world only she can fully see. That spell is followed by the sailors’ showstopping “There Is Nothin’ Like a Dame,” a riot of comic bravado and tight choreography that electrifies the stage. And just when the energy peaks, the nurses answer with a gleeful, splashy rendition of “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” led by Allsun O’Malley and complete with real water cascading from onstage showers - a burst of theatrical fun the audience clearly loved.

Co-directors Devon Hayakawa and Trent Stork guide this Rodgers and Hammerstein masterpiece with a confident, contemporary touch, shaping a presentation that honors the show’s sweeping romance while sharpening its sincere and thematic edges. Their staging is purposeful and fluid, allowing humor, heart, and tension to coexist without competing. Choreographer Morgan DiFonzo adds another vital layer, crafting movement that feels organically rooted in character while giving the staging its rhythmic pulse. Together, the trio delivers a revival that respects the classic while infusing it with fresh perspective and simplicity.

The set and costumes are nothing short of breathtaking, with projections that expand the already majestic environment into a fully realized island in the South Pacific. Jeffrey D. Kmiec’s scenic design features towering, densely layered trees that rise beyond the height of the stage, using every inch of space with intention and beauty. Izumi Inaba’s costumes enrich the world with texture and authenticity, while Greg Hofmann’s magical lighting bathes the stage in shifting moods that deepen the sense of place. Adam Rosenthal’s sound design adds precision and atmosphere, and Mike Tutaj’s projections provide some of the production’s most magical touches - most memorably a stunning firefly-filled night scene that seems to shimmer in the air. As a unit, the design team created a world that feels immersive, transportive, and alive with the beauty of island nature. 

Under the baton of Music Director and Conductor Kory Danielson, the orchestra sounds vibrant, balanced, and enthusiastically attuned to the storytelling. Danielson shapes the score with clarity and warmth, giving the big ensemble numbers buoyant lift while letting the more intimate moments breathe. His leadership keeps the musical pulse steady and expressive, ensuring the show’s soulful arcs land with full impact.

This South Pacific is a richly imagined, beautifully performed revival that captures the sweep, humor, and emotional punch of the Rodgers and Hammerstein defining musical while giving it a revitalized, contemporary pulse. From the stunning design work to the standout performances and thoughtfully shaped direction, every element comes together with definition and heart. It’s a staging that invites you in, holds you close, and stays with you long after the final notes fade. Rogers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific runs through June 14th, and it’s absolutely worth catching before it sails away.

I highly recommend this breathtaking and deeply romantic beloved musical. 

For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Some nights in the theatre create a hum with the kind of energy you can feel in your chest - nights when the performers aren’t merely revisiting history but reliving it, reigniting it, and passing that fire straight into the audience’s hands. That’s the voltage running through Stolp Island Theatre’s exhilarating production of Million Dollar Quartet, staged with remarkable precision, pulse, and musical instinct by director Jim Corti.

Set inside the intimate jewel‑box space perched along the Fox River, the production transforms Stolp Island Theatre into a full‑blown time machine - Sun Records beautifully simulated and reborn in the heart of Aurora. The moment you step inside, you’re whisked straight to 706 Union Avenue in Memphis. Even before the show begins, the lobby sets the tone: a 1950s soda‑fountain concession stand invites you to grab a drink, a gleaming vintage motorcycle begs for a photo op, and the walls are lined with memorabilia that feels lovingly plucked from rock ’n’ roll history. Wander a bit further and you’ll find yourself inside a beautifully crafted reproduction of Sam Phillips’ own small office - warm, worn‑in, and full of history you can actually touch and walk through. 

Then, with a sudden shift, the doors open and you find yourself standing inside a true-to-size replica of the original Sun recording studio, set up as a theater in the round. 

This small but elegant one‑of‑a‑kind environment where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis aren’t just characters on a stage, but living, breathing artists hanging out, cracking jokes, and making music mere feet away. I’ve seen many great productions of Million Dollar Quartet in beautifully designed houses, but this is the first time where I actually felt the breath of Elvis on my neck as he entered the stage or the sweaty frenetic energy of Jerry Lee Lewis brushing my hand with every single entrance to the stage which made the show very exciting as an audience member. 

Madison Palmer and Corey McKinney in Paramount's Million Dollar Quartet at Stolp Island Theatre.

Paramount’s restaging is as fun as it is brilliant. The audience isn’t simply watching a musical; they’re dropped directly into the legendary jam session of December 4, 1956, when Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins unexpectedly found themselves sharing the same room for one unforgettable night. What begins as a casual drop‑in quickly erupts into a spontaneous collision of talent, ego, and raw creative electricity - the kind of alchemy that could only ignite once, and only inside a cramped Memphis studio run by a visionary who believed in these young artists long before the rest of the world caught on.

Through a propulsive blend of music, sharp‑edged banter, and simmering backstage tensions, the show digs into the crossroads each man finds himself standing at - the tug‑of‑war between loyalty and ambition, the pressure of sudden fame, and the shifting identities of artists still discovering who they are and who they might become. What emerges is not just a snapshot of a legendary night, but a portrait of a pivotal cultural flashpoint, a moment when rock ’n’ roll was still being forged in real time and four rising stars found themselves sharing the same room, the same microphones, and the same uncertain horizon.

Sam Phillips may have discovered these artists and shaped them into the icons they’re becoming, but the question hanging in the air is whether loyalty to a small, scrappy label like Sun Records can still serve them - or whether they’ve simply outgrown it, destined for the bigger machines of Columbia and RCA. The show drops us right into that critical juncture, that uncomfortable, high‑stakes conversation where ambition, gratitude, and survival all collide. 

It’s a charged moment in the story, and the production meets it with a cast more than capable of carrying that weight.

And that weight is carried first by Garrett Forrestal who doesn’t just play Jerry Lee Lewis - he unleashes him. From the instant his fingers hit the keys, he’s a live wire: mischievous, magnetic, and gloriously unhinged in all the right ways. His piano work becomes its own spectacle, and his razor‑sharp comedic instincts make him the spark plug that keeps the entire night crackling.

Garrett Forrestal in MDQ at Stolp Island Theatre.

Corey McKinney follows with a beautifully layered Elvis - yes, the swagger is spot‑on and the voice is uncanny, but it’s the vulnerability beneath the rhinestone shine that makes his execution unforgettable. He captures a young King at a turning point: confident yet conflicted trying to make the best decision for his career while remaining loyal to the man who gave him his first break. 

Brian Grey, performing as Johnny Cash the evening I attended, offers a deep, velvety counterweight to the surrounding chaos - resonant, restrained, and quietly commanding. He nails Cash’s signature rolling, two‑step pulse. The emotional depth of Grey’s portrayal of Cash is really felt by the audience as his eyes blaze with the same fierce righteous honesty during his dialogue. Grey has a tremendous amount of gravitas and the miraculous, unbelievably low notes he hits while singing “Folsom Prison Blues” make the crowd go wild. Grey is hands down one of the best MDQ cast Johnny Cash’s I’ve ever seen. 

Rounding out the rock ’n’ roll trailblazers is Matt McClure, who gives Carl Perkins the spotlight he’s long overdue. His crisp, fiery guitar work pairs with a performance full of grit and verve, playing Perkins with a chip on his shoulder and a fire in his gut. McClure’s guitar work is strikingly assured, each riff delivered with a clarity and confidence that elevates every moment he’s onstage.

Madison Palmer as Elvis’s girlfriend, Dyanne - a confident vocalist in her own right - brings it big time. Her sultry, simmering take on “Fever” tantalizes the audience and brings all the sexy female energy missing from this quartet of machismo! Palmer is a delight; she has a great vocal range and panache that this production’s lead female singing role requires. It is implied by Elvis that her character is talented enough to record with these icons and that she, too, might be a voice ready to burst into the spotlight. 

Jake Saleh adds humor, rhythm, and charm as Brother Jay, his tight, expressive bass lines and playful physicality keeping the momentum buoyant throughout. Robert Brandon matches that vitality as W. S. ‘Fluke’ Holland, his grounded, stylish percussion giving the music shape and elevating the ensemble’s chemistry.

The cast and band deliver musicianship of exceptional caliber, playing with such precision, passion, and force that the entire production feels supercharged. They really play their hearts out.

Connor Green isn’t part of the musical lineup, yet his portrayal of Sam Phillips binds the entire production together - warm, gritty, and quietly authoritative. We can’t help but appreciate the situation he’s in. Phillips is the man who believed in these boys before the world did, radiating both pride and heartbreak as he watches his protégés outgrow the nest he built for them.

Having experienced Million Dollar Quartet in a range of productions across the years, I can say this one stands out as the most fully realized and emotionally resonant. The intimacy of the staging, the sheer talent of the cast, the way the studio set becomes a living, breathing character in its own right, and the meticulous attention to period detail all combine to create something rare.

The Stolp Island Theatre’s intimate 98‑seat layout feels tailor‑made for this show - the band is practically within arm’s reach, the sound warm and immediate, and the closeness so sharp it’s as if the audience is eavesdropping on history in real time. The design team leans fully into the Sun Records aesthetic, all wood tones, warmth, and lived‑in detail, creating a space that looks and feels less like a set and more like a working Memphis studio caught in the middle of something extraordinary.

This Million Dollar Quartet shines even brighter thanks to a top‑tier creative team working in perfect sync. Directors Jim Corti and Creg Sclavi steer the production with a confident mix of musical precision and character‑forward storytelling, shaping an evening that feels both tightly crafted and effortlessly alive. Kory Danielson’s musical direction fuels the show with irresistible drive and authenticity, while Jeffrey D. Kmiec delivers a Sun Records set that’s so textured and atmospheric it practically hums with history. Matt Guthier’s era‑sharp costumes complete the world with style and specificity. And Garrett Forrestal, also working as Associate Music Director, adds a final layer of polish that keeps the ensemble sounding crisp, unified, and thrilling from start to finish.

Million Dollar Quartet at Stolp Island Theatre is a high‑octane celebration of rock ’n’ roll history, ignited by powerhouse performances and a setlist packed with classics like “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Hound Dog,” “Long Tall Sally,” and a haunting rendition of “Ring of Fire.”  The show captures the thrill, spontaneity, and sheer musical joy of that legendary night, and brings the energy of 1950s rock ’n’ roll roaring back to life.

Part concert, part play, and all adrenaline - Million Dollar Quartet turns into one heck of a ride. This production is highly recommended and runs through March 31st, offering a chance to experience this electrifying slice of American music history.

For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Paramount Theatre’s staging of Dear Evan Hansen brings fresh dimension to the Tony‑winning contemporary musical. Under Jessica Fisch’s direction, the story follows Evan, an anxious, isolated teenager whose therapist‑assigned letters to himself inadvertently spark a misunderstanding with the Murphy family - one that grows into a lie swelling far beyond them and eventually into a community‑wide phenomenon. What begins as a desperate attempt to feel seen evolves into a moral knot that forces Evan - and everyone around him - to confront grief, loneliness, and the universal hunger for connection.

The Murphys are drawn into Evan’s story with a fragile mix of hope and heartbreak, briefly finding in him an echo of the son they lost. His presence momentarily pulls their shattered family together, even as the truth threatens to reopen long‑buried wounds. The family’s grief feels immediate, Evan’s anxiety is rendered with nuance, and the show’s viral‑culture elements land with a more human, grounded weight.

While the video projections are deployed with striking precision that greatly assist in the storytelling, Fisch’s staging ultimately leans into the intimacy at the core of the piece. Rather than echoing the Broadway production’s digital spectacle, Paramount foregrounds character, relationships, and the rawness of teenage interior life.

The score - including “Waving Through a Window,” the very powerful and moving “You Will Be Found,” and “For Forever” - lands with the kind of vocal power and clarity that Paramount’s acoustics tend to amplify beautifully. The production highlights the contrast between the soaring, hopeful music and the messy, complicated truth underneath Evan’s choices.

Overall, Paramount’s Dear Evan Hansen becomes less a story about the internet and more a story about the quiet ache of wanting to matter. It’s intimate, empathetic, and emotionally direct - the kind of staging that makes the show feel newly personal.

“Dear Evan Hansen explores the boxes we put ourselves in: the emotional, the metaphorical, and the digital ones we post, like and share,” says Jessica Fisch, making her Paramount Theatre directorial debut with the Chicago Regional Premiere of the Tony Award-winning musical. It features (from left) Devin DeSantis as Larry Murphy, Elaine Watson as Alana, Bri Sudia as Cynthia Murphy, Pablo David Laucerica as Jared and Isabel Kaegi as Zoe.

The cast is exceptional - let’s take a moment to celebrate each of them.

Paramount Theatre’s Dear Evan Hansen finds its emotional center in Cody Combs, whose Evan is tender, tightly wound, and achingly human. Combs, in his Paramount debut, captures Evan’s anxious spirals and fragile hopes with remarkable clarity, pairing superb acting with vocal work that feels both raw and crystalline, grounding the entire production in authenticity. His performance never slips into caricature; instead, he shapes a portrait of a young man straining to breathe in a world that feels unbearably loud.

Evan's mother Heide Hansen is played by Megan McGinnis who brings a beautifully layered warmth to the role. Her scenes with Combs pulse with a lived‑in tension  - the kind of love that’s fierce, imperfect, and stretched thin. McGinnis’s voice carries both exhaustion and devotion, making Heidi’s arc one of the production’s most affecting threads.

As Zoe Murphy, Isabel Kaegi delivers a performance full of quiet strength and emotional transparency. She sidesteps the trope of the unreachable girl, giving Zoe a grounded, searching presence. Her chemistry with Combs feels gentle and believable, especially in the moments when her grief and Evan’s longing quietly intersect.

Jake DiMaggio Lopez makes a striking impression as Connor Murphy, balancing volatility with a haunting vulnerability. We really feel for him. His presence lingers long after he leaves the stage, shaping the show’s emotional landscape in ways that feel honest rather than sensational. Taking on the role of gamer and Evan’s “family friend” Jared Kleinman, Pablo David Laucerica brings sharp comedic timing and unexpected warmth to. His dry wit consistently lands, yet he still reveals the softer insecurities beneath the sarcasm.

Bri Sudia and Devin DeSantis anchor the Murphy household with sharply etched, deeply felt performances. Sudia’s vocally impressive Cynthia Murphy is all open‑hearted ache - a mother clinging to hope with both hands - while DeSantis’s Larry carries a quieter, more guarded grief. Together, they create a portrait of a family fractured not by a single tragedy, but by years of unspoken pain.

Rounding out this wonderful cast, Elaine Watson brings crisp intelligence and real emotional nuance to Alana Beck, capturing her need to matter with disarming sincerity and seeming confidence. She becomes a quiet mirror to Evan - another teen outrunning her own loneliness in a very different way.

This cast moves with remarkable cohesion. Every scene feels interconnected, every emotional beat supported by the ensemble’s shared sense of truth. Combs’s Evan doesn’t exist in isolation; he’s shaped by McGinnis’s tenderness, Kaegi’s resilience, Lopez’s lingering shadow, and the layered grief Sudia and DeSantis bring to the Murphy household. In fact, every character is beautifully shaped. Their performances lock into one another like facets of the same story, creating a production that feels cohesive, intimate, and deeply human.

For a story centered on so‑called “losers,” this production proves itself a winner in every sense. And though the subject matter is heavy, there’s plenty of levity and genuine laugh‑out‑loud moments to keep the balance just right.

With a book by Steven Levenson and music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the musical premiered at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. in July 2015. Since then, it has traveled nationally and internationally - and now Chicago‑area audiences get to experience it in one of the region’s most beautiful venues, the Paramount Theatre.

Highly recommended.

Dear Evan Hansen is being performed at downtown Aurora’s Paramount Theatre through March 22^nd. For tickets and/or show information, visit https://paramountaurora.com/events/dear-evan-hansen/.

This review is proudly shared with our friends at www.TheatreInChicago.com. 

Paramount Theatre’s long-running smash hit musical Million Dollar Quartet has wrapped its winter break, and is rebooting to rock downtown Aurora’s Stolp Island Theatre for three more months, March 4-May 31, 2026.

Repeat audiences know, and newcomers really should experience, this new, limited engagement of Paramount’s critically acclaimed, immersive Million Dollar Quartet. Both the theater and the show were custom built to create an intimate, jukebox musical experience like none before, inventively staged inside a replica of the original Sun Records studio in Memphis.

It was there, on December 4, 1956, where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins famously came together to record one of the most historic jam sessions in rock ‘n’ roll history. In Paramount’s Sun Records, the musical delivers incredible, up-close live performances of some of the best songs in rock ‘n’ roll history, including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk the Line,” “Hound Dog” and “Great Balls of Fire.”

Paramount’s production returns with its original Jerry Lee Lewis, Garrett Forrestal, still leaping off his piano since MDQ inaugurated Stolp Island Theatre in June 2024. Veteran rockabilly player Matt McClure returns as Carl Perkins. Also back are Corey McKinney as Elvis Presley and Michael Potter as Johnny Cash, breaking hearts and walking the line respectively since last summer. Connor Green is new to the cast, stepping in as Sun Studios founder Sam Phillips. Paramount’s original Dyanne, show stopper Madison Palmer, and Maeghan Looney as Marion, are both returning for the extension, along with Brandon Pollard as Fluke, and Roy James Brown as Brother Jay, through Mar 22, when Jake Saleh returns as Brother Jay. 

Don’t miss Paramount’s radically unique restaging of one of the most popular jukebox musicals of all time. Dean Richards, WGN-TV/AM, said it was “like stepping into Sun Records where one special night took place." Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, called it “another example of how much the success of the nonprofit, audience-focused Paramount has transformed the center of Aurora into a live entertainment destination.”

Paramount’s Stolp Island Theatre is located at 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, in downtown Aurora, with several restaurants and easy, affordable parking just a short walk away.

Paramount’s new, limited engagement of Million Dollar Quartet reopens March 4 and runs through May 31. Performance times are Wednesday at
1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

All seats are $76 when purchased in person. Additional fees apply for phone and online orders. For tickets and information, visitParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount Theatre box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days. 

Million Dollar Quartet inaugurated Paramount’s new Stolp Island Theatre with much fanfare in July 2024. The production was extended three times due to popular demand, running for more than a year and a half prior to this spring 2026 extension.

Chalk this success up to being a production that delivers on all fronts. As soon as audiences step into the lobby, they find themselves outside the legendary Sun Records recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where they can step up to the Taylor’s Good Food concession stand for affordable snacks and beverages, view displays about the history of the play and take selfies astride a vintage-style motorcycle.

Paramount’s directors Jim Corti and Creg Sclavi worked with a “million dollar” production team to create a truly a one-of-a-kind live musical experience, stocked with amazing talent, an incredibly detailed, environmental set, and the amazing production values audiences expect from Paramount.

The production team includes Kory Danielson, music director; Jeffrey D. Kmiec, scenic designer; Matt Guthier, costume designer; Greg Hofmann, lighting designer; Adam Rosenthal, sound designer; Mike Tutaj, projections designer; Katie Cordts, wig, hair and makeup designer; and Jonathan Berg-Einhorn, properties designer. Rebecca J. Lister is stage manager and Emily Hanlon is assistant stage manager. Understudies are Roy James Brown (principal Brother Jay to start, understudy when Jake Saleh returns in late March), Brian Grey (Johnny Cash, Sam Phillips), Michael Kurowski (Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley), Drew Mitchell (Fluke), Ben Smallwood (Carl Perkins) and Kyle Wells (Brother Jay). The book is by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux. Original concept and direction by Floyd Mutrix.

Verano, a leading cannabis company that operates Zen Leaf dispensaries in Aurora and across Chicagoland, is Venue Sponsor for Stolp Island Theatre. Old National Bank is Marquee Sponsor for Million Dollar Quartet.

Paramount Theatre’s smash hit musical Million Dollar Quartet has been extended once more due to popular demand.

Previously set to run through January 4, 2026, Chicagoland audiences can look forward to Million Dollar Quartet rocking for three more months, March 4-May 31, 2026.

See Paramount’s wildly acclaimed, immersive staging of Million Dollar Quartet before it’s gone. All remaining performances in 2025 are sold out, but tickets for spring extension performances go on sale today, exclusively to Paramount’s 2025-26 season subscribers.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, December 22 at 10 a.m. All seats are $76. For tickets and information, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount Theatre box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days. Attention holiday shoppers: tickets to Million Dollar Quartet also make excellent gifts. Prices listed are for in-person purchases. Additional fees apply for phone and online orders. 

Performance days and times March 4-May 31, 2026 are Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Paramount’s Stolp Island Theatre, 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, in downtown Aurora, is surrounded by new restaurants and easy, affordable parking.

About Million Dollar Quartet

Paramount Theatre’s Million Dollar Quartet is like none before. Both the theater and the show were custom built as an immersive jukebox musical experience inside a replica of the original Sun Records studio in Memphis, Tennessee. There, on December 4, 1956, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins recorded one of the most historic jam sessions in rock ‘n’ roll history. 

As soon as audiences step into the lobby, they find themselves standing right outside the Sun Records recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where they can take selfies astride a vintage motorcycle, view displays about the history of the play, and step up to the Taylor’s Good Food concession counter for affordable snacks and beverages.

They then walk through a replica of Sun Studio owner Sam Phillips’ office to enter a theatrical recreation of the actual recording studio, where music legends Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins came together to record one of the most historic jam sessions in rock ‘n’ roll history. The recording studio is lined on two sides with just 98 seats, where audiences are treated to a personal, intimate, one-of-a-kind live musical theater experience, fully immersed by amazing talent and the dazzling production values audiences have come to expect from Paramount.

The production is anchored by incredible, up-close live performances of some of the best songs in rock ‘n’ roll history, including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk the Line,” “Hound Dog” and “Great Balls of Fire.”  As a result, audiences, including repeat ticket buyers, can’t get enough of this radically unique restaging of one of the most popular jukebox musicals of all time.

“This exuberant new take really is all about trying to include the audience in the jam session” wrote the Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones, calling out Million Dollar Quartet as “another example of how much the success of the nonprofit, audience-focused Paramount has transformed the center of Aurora into a live entertainment destination.” Dean Richards, WGN-TV/AM, said his experience was “like stepping into Sun Records where one special night took place." 

Casting for the return of Million Dollar Quartet in March is TBA.

The original production inaugurated Paramount’s new Stolp Island Theatre in July 2024, and has since been extended three times due to popular demand. Directors Jim Corti and Creg Sclavi worked with a “million dollar” production team including Kory Danielson, music director; Jeffrey D. Kmiec, scenic designer; Matt Guthier, costume designer; Greg Hofmann, lighting designer; Adam Rosenthal, sound designer; Mike Tutaj, projections designer; Katie Cordts, wig, hair and makeup designer; and Jonathan Berg-Einhorn, properties designer. The book for Million Dollar Quartet is by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux. Original concept and direction by Floyd Mutrix. 

Verano, a leading cannabis company that operates Zen Leaf dispensaries in Aurora and across Chicagoland, is Venue Sponsor for Stolp Island Theatre. Old National Bank is Marquee Sponsor for Million Dollar Quartet.

About Paramount Theatre

Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., is the center for performing arts in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. The beautiful, 1,843-seat theater, graced with a strong 1930s Art Deco influence and original Venetian décor, nationally known for its high-quality productions, superb acoustics and historic grandeur, has been downtown Aurora’s anchor attraction since 1931.

Since launching its own Broadway Series in 2011, Paramount has amassed more than 40,000 subscribers, making it the largest subscription house in the U.S.

Paramount Theatre is one of five live performance venues overseen by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA) in downtown Aurora. ACCA also programs and manages Stolp Island Theatre,
5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, where its wildly acclaimed immersive production of Million Dollar Quartet has been running for more than a year; the 165-seat Copley Theatre, at 8 E. Galena in the North Island Center; the Paramount School of the Arts; and RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway, downtown Aurora’s outdoor summer concert venue and home to Christkindlmarket Aurora. 

Paramount Theatre is overseen by Tim Rater, President and CEO, Aurora Civic Center Authority; Jim Corti, Artistic Director, Paramount Theatre; a dedicated Board of Trustees and a devoted staff of live theater and music professionals.

For the latest updates, visit ParamountAurora.com or follow @paramountaurora on Facebook and Instagram, and Paramount Theatre on LinkedIn.

I’ll just say it - Cats is going to blow your mind. Now running at the Paramount Theatre, this spectacular production elevates the famous musical to magnificent new heights—both figuratively and literally. While Cats has always been an extravagant, surreal whirlwind of theatrical magic, this version cranks up the spectacle with breathtaking Cirque-inspired gymnastics and aerial acrobatics. Part fever dream, part feline fantasy, and entirely unforgettable, this is Cats like you’ve never seen before.

Inspired by T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, the show transports audiences into the world of the Jellicle cats, a mysterious tribe that gathers once a year for their sacred Jellicle Ball. During this mystical night, their wise leader, Old Deuteronomy, perfectly played by Lorenzo Rush Jr., selects the worthiest feline to ascend to the Heaviside Layer—a realm of renewal and rebirth, where a cat is granted a magical, new life. It’s a premise unlike any other in musical theater.

Anakin Jace White plays Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat, riding astride his Railway Car in Paramount Theatre’s circus-inspired production of Cats.

Cats is an indulgence in music, movement, and character-driven storytelling. Rather than following a traditional narrative, the musical is more of a series of dazzling introductions featuring larger-than-life feline personas like the mischievous Rum Tum Tugger (Donovan Hoffer), the cunning Macavity (Matthew Weidenbener), and the forlorn Grizabella (Emily Rohm). Each cat has its moment in the spotlight, showcasing spectacular choreography and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s infectious melodies. The pinnacle of the show’s emotional depth, of course, is “Memory,” an achingly nostalgic ballad incredibly performed by Rohm as Grizabella, the once glamour cat now outcast, who longs for her lost youth, beauty and forever home. Sung with heart-wrenching intensity it’s no wonder that it has become one of musical theater’s most iconic songs—soaring with raw emotion. This hauntingly nostalgic ballad doesn’t just tug at heartstrings—it resonates far beyond the stage and has cemented itself as an anthem of longing and transformation.

But Cats isn’t just about one song—it’s an entire universe, brimming with movement, mystery, and spectacle. Traditionally, the stage morphs into a sprawling junkyard, but in this production, it transforms into an abandoned circus tent—a hauntingly whimsical playground where feline characters leap, twirl, prowl and perform aerial stunts through mesmerizing choreography. The environment is immersive and fantastic, pulling audiences into a world where the ordinary rules of storytelling dissolve, leaving only the magic of dance, music, and theatrical wonder. What sets Cats apart is its fearless originality—an entirely sung-through musical without a conventional storyline, instead relying on a kaleidoscope of feline personalities brought to life through magnetic direction and expressive movement. It’s a high-energy spectacle packed with soaring melodies, iconic characters, and a trancelike atmosphere that keeps audiences spellbound. Whether you find yourself hypnotized by the haunting strains of “Memory” or captivated by the playful antics of Rum Tum Tugger, one thing is certain: Cats isn’t just a musical, it’s an experience—one that has pounced its way into the hearts of millions for good reason.

Alexandra Palkovic plays Demeter in Paramount Theatre’s circus-inspired production of Cats.

Luminously directed by Trent Stork with wild imagination, Paramount’s hypnotic choreography, shimmering feline costumes, and a stunning atmosphere that teeters between enchanting and dreamlike, Cats is less of a conventional production and more of a theatrical experience that defies expectations. This show is sure to leave audiences awe-struck; it remains a singular, extraordinary phenomenon in the world of musical theater.

But this isn’t just Cats—it’s Cats 2.0, a turbo-charged, high-octane reinvention of the classic musical. Paramount Theatre goes all out, delivering a one-of-a-kind, show-stopping spectacle that takes the experience to exhilarating new heights. From the moment the curtain rises, Cats launches into a dazzling display of jaw-dropping acrobatics and gravity-defying stunts that never let up. Theatergoers are instantly swept into the whirlwind of movement, perching on the edge of their seats as the enchanting performance unfolds. But beyond the sheer athleticism, it’s the clever feline nuances—the subtle catisms—woven seamlessly into each performance that add an extra layer of charm, making this production both thrilling and delightfully amusing.

This production doesn’t just purr—it roars.

Guided by the expertise of Circus Captain Hayley Larson, Dance Captain Christopher Kelley, and Flight Captain Matthew Weidenbener, the performance unfolds as a mesmerizing visual masterpiece, leaving audiences breathless with wonder. Yet, it’s the extraordinary cast that truly ignites this enthralling production, seamlessly weaving every awe-inspiring moment into an unforgettable event. The breathtaking vocal performances perfectly complement the hypnotic dance sequences, high-flying maneuvers, and breathtaking aerial acrobatics, creating a spectacle that is as beautiful to hear as it is to watch.

In addition to the aforementioned ensemble actors, Chicago stage veterans like Gene Weygandt and Allison Sill add their brilliance to this exceptional, multi-talented cast. Alongside them, standout performers such as Tiffany Topol, Alexandra Palkovic, Jake DiMaggio Lopez, Selena Robinson, Christopher Kelley, Sophie Liu David and a host of other gifted artists help bring this production to life with energy, skill, and undeniable stage presence. Unforgettable musical moments like “Magical Mister Mistoffelees,” “Gus: The Theatre Cat,” and “Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats” are just a few of the amazing numbers that will stay with you long after the final bow. With their infectious melodies and gripping performances, these songs make Cats an experience that lingers far beyond the theater doors.

Circus artist Ryan Huemmer (Coricopat) flies through the air with the greatest of ease in Paramount Theatre’s circus-inspired production of Cats.

Long before Cats made its grand entrance onto the Paramount stage, this legendary musical had already clawed its way into theater history, leaving a trail of wide-eyed audiences and notable performances in its wake. Since its West End debut in 1981, Cats has dazzled, bewildered, and utterly enchanted theatergoers with its boundary-pushing theatrical appeal.

Despite early skepticism, Cats scratched its way to legendary status, running for 21 years in London and 18 years on Broadway, making it one of the longest-running musicals in history. It helped usher in the era of the "megamusical," paving the way for grand theatrical productions like The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables, which would go on to define modern musical theater.

Beyond its record-breaking success, Cats sprang onto pop culture, leaving an impressive legacy. Its intricate choreography inspired generations of performers, its distinctive aesthetic became the subject of countless parodies, and its impact spread into film, television, and even internet culture. Whether adored or furiously debated, Cats remains one of the most influential—and delightfully eccentric—productions in musical theater history.

That being said, it’s truly exhilarating to see Cats return to the Chicagoland area—especially in such a grand, spectacular fashion. This production doesn’t just bring the beloved musical back; it elevates it to dazzling new heights.

Paramount’s production of Cats is an excellent homage to the legendary stage musical, staying true to its spirit while adding its own unique flair. This rendition not only honors the show’s original magic but elevates it with fresh creative choices, making it an even more extraordinary experience.

Cats is being performed at Paramount Theatre in Aurora, IL through June 15th. For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

Highly recommended for audiences of all ages!

*This review is also featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/!

Sugar, butter, flour…beneath the flaky layers and buttery crusts of pies lay these three simple ingredients. They’re mixed and blended together to form the foundation of endless possibilities to what it could become, pecan, blueberry, or apple pies, cutie pies, sweetie pies, or humble pies. It’s nice to remember that it’s often the simplest things that can bring us so much joy. Like a simple story of a humble pie maker dreaming of a better life, like the story of Waitress, now playing at Paramount Theatre.

Sugar, butter, flour. These aren’t the only ingredients Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker, uses to make her famous pies. Stuck in a small town and a loveless marriage, Jenna unexpectedly becomes pregnant and then finds acceptance and love in the most unexpected place. Hoping to bake her way out of her troubles, she puts her heart and soul into her unique pies, winning over anyone who tastes them. But while battling expectations and self-esteem issues, Jenna’s delicious pies reflect her state of mind with names like I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie and Where There’s A Whisk There’s A Way Pie. Each of us will find something relatable in Jenna’s struggles and triumphs. Full of romance and the joy of an uninhibited fling, Waitress challenges the story of a pregnant woman trapped in a small town between the life she’s living and the life she wants. Her customers, co-workers, and the town’s handsome new doctor may all offer her conflicting recipes for happiness, but only Jenna can do the soul-searching to decide for herself what the right ingredients are for her own happiness.

Story, talent, heart…those are the three ingredients at the heart of Paramount’s production of Waitress. The musical is based on the 2007 film of the same name with lyrics and music by Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee (and millennial icon) Sara Bareilles. Waitress made its debut in 2016, garnering four Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score with a playlist that includes “Sugar, Butter, Flour,” “What Baking Can Do,” “Club Knocked Up” and romantic tunes such as “It Only Takes a Taste” and “When He Sees Me.”

Within moments of the musical’s Chicagoland debut, it was clear why Waitress is such a cult classic. Like a pie, the storyline has multiple sweet and wholesome layers, but also rocky layers that, for some, are difficult to digest. Like life, sometimes the messiest things are the sweetest at its core. Despite some of the more sensitive material of the play, the incredible talent of the Paramount cast members balanced the sweet and the messy through their portrayal of hard working, tired dreamers. Featuring Michelle Lauto as Jenna, Teressa LaGamba as Becky, and Kelly Felthous as Dawn, the three performers are the production’s sugar, butter, and flour, the heart and soul of the musical blending humor with heart and soul. Jackson Evans as Ogie Jonah D. Winston as Cal, and David Moreland as Dr. Pomatter add flavor and spice to the mix to make this a delectable musical. In an era of movie and film dominated by wealth and flash and big-action, it’s refreshing to know there are productions that still center on the simple things in life. At its core, Waitress is about heart. It kneads, and rolls, and blends the simplest ingredients into a story that is both relatable and sweet, however messy the appearance might be. It’s no surprise to this theatre lover why Paramount theatre was sold out on a Friday evening.

Waitress is now playing at Paramount Theatre in Aurora (23 East Galena Boulevard Aurora, IL) through March 30^th, 2025. So grab your tickets and be sure to snag a seat in Joe’s diner before all the good slices (seats) are gone!

*You can also find this review featured on https://www.theatreinchicago.com/.

Throughout our busy lives we often seek out the new. It is easy to see the allure. Beginnings offer a bit of magic, a clean slate, a chance to start anew. The opportunity brings with it a sense of hope and optimism that maybe this time we’ll be lucky, maybe this time things will change. But there is also just as much magic in endings as there are beginnings, sometimes moreso. The end of a bad relationship, the final day at a toxic job, the final chapter of a good book, the end of a chaotic and disappointing year, endings provide us a rare opportunity beginnings cannot, the opportunity to let it go. And what more fitting way to let it all go and end 2024 than with a bit of magic and a bit of nostalgia with Disney’s Frozen: The Broadway Musical, now playing at Paramount Theatre.

Nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical, this sparkling Disney fairytale has been reimagined for the stage. The theatrical production of Frozen brings Disney’s beloved animated film to life and fills the stage with winter magic. Set in the magical kingdom of Arendelle, the story follows two royal sisters, Elsa and Anna, as they navigate love, loyalty, and magic. In her struggle to understand her identity, Elsa questions her talents, confusing them for character flaws but ultimately finds strength in her identity and gifts, looking both inward and to those she loves to let it go and be who she was born to be.

Emily Kristen Morris plays Elsa in Paramount Theatre’s Midwest Regional Premiere of Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical.

The stage adaptation of the beloved movie brings Disney magic to the stage. The musical has breathtaking scenic designs that transport us to the kingdom of Arendelle, lighting and sound and stage designs that bring magic to life, and an incredible cast of performers to include, but not limited to, Young Anna played by Avelyn Choi, Hans played by Jake DiMaggio Lopez, and Anna played by Beth Stafford Laird. Audiences young and old will feel a sense of nostalgia as the musical is filled with popular songs like “Love Is an Open Door” and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” and older audiences will appreciate songs that showcase internal monologues to move the musical forward like “Hans of the Southern Isles” and “I Can’t Lose You,” and all audiences will love the fun musical numbers like “Hygge” and revel at the iconic earworms like “Let It Go.”

It was fitting that the first act of the 2 hour musical ends with “Let It Go.” The audience needed the breather to the climactic beauty of the number helmed by the breathtaking Elsa played by Emily Kristen Morris. The staying power of “Let It Go” lasted long after the curtain calls and final bows. The magic lingered, the message more profound, communicating wordlessly what Director Trent Stork wanted the audience to take away from the performance. “I hope our show gives you the courage to be as bold as Elsa,” says Stork. “I hope you find a renewed sense of bravery from Anna…I hope you remember that love means putting others above yourself.”

Beth Stafford Laird (left) plays Anna and Emily Kristen Morris is Elsa in Paramount Theatre’s Midwest Regional Premiere of Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical.

As the year comes to an end, be bold, be courageous, and above all be kind to others and to yourself and let it all go. Good or bad, things inevitably come to an end, a close, a final curtain close. It is not weakness to let something go that no longer serves us or things that are beyond our power to control, it is kindness, and at the heart of it is love. Love yourself and love your neighbors to simply let it go. And if you need a little help to let it go, let Elsa and some incredible theatre magic help you do just that. Frozen: The Broadway Musical is now playing at Paramount Theatre (23 E. Galena Blvd. Aurora, IL) and runs through Jan 19, 2025, tickets are available at https://paramountaurora.com/.

It’s dark on the Neverland ship, and Molly, Prentis, Ted, and Boy are hiding in a corner – waiting for the coast to clear. As they huddle and watch, the four begin talking about dreams. All have experienced their fair share of hardships, but for the briefest moment, they look to a world of what could be.

Boy has been fairly quiet to this point – only following Molly with the promise of better food. However, at this discussion, he perks up, and whispers his dream aloud:

“The world will be so beautiful that no one will ever have to say sorry again.”

Many of us know the story of Peter Pan. The story of a boy who never wanted to grow up. All he wants is to fly around Neverland with the Lost Boys – fighting Pirates and finding adventure after adventure. The heart of the story is full of magic, and all the wonderful possibilities that come with a youthful energy and imagination.

Being a prequel to the famous tale (and based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson), Peter and the Starcatcher carries much of the same wonder. As Boy whispers his dream to the audience, you might find yourself reminded of that original story. Perhaps if you, like myself, grew up a fan of Peter Pan, you will even find yourself smiling and leaning in upon hearing the sweet innocence of the fantasy. Even in a moment where everything feels dark and uncertain, Boy, dares to dream – exploring a childlike wonder that so many eventually lose, but to which can be so fun to return.

Peter and the Starcatcher follows Boy (or later named Peter – played by Terry Bell), who is held captive on the Neverland ship with two fellow orphans - Prentis (Michaela Shaprio) and Ted (Brandon Acosta). When they meet Stardust Apprentice Molly (Shelbi Voss), their whole world is turned upside down. A quest for better food turns into an unexpected adventure when Pirates come on board – attempting to steal back a trunk full of precious stardust, which Molly and her father are sworn to protect. Drawn to Molly’s heroism, Boy takes it upon himself to protect this stardust at all costs – even if it means going toe to toe with Pirates and a terrifying ocean.

Directed by Nate Cohen, Paramount Theatre’s intimate production is intensely theatrical. Rick Elice’s play carries a storybook charm, with various forms of narration throughout and actors playing multiple roles depending on the needs of the moment. Sometimes actors step out of the action to narrate the next event, while other characters have moments of speaking in third person. Cohen and his team lean into the storybook feel – particularly in the collaboration between Scenic Designer Myra G Reavis and Props Designer Ivy Treccani.  The set is minimalistic, and primarily comprised of various objects one might find in a theater. Ladders, stools, sheets, and chairs are utilized in multiple ways to represent various locations – all moved by the actors themselves. The effect? The audience is witnessing the story unfold and reconfigure in front of them with each scene, creating the feel of being inside the storybook alongside the characters. We are invited to use our imagination alongside the performers to fill in the dots, and with the intimate feel of Paramount’s Copley Theatre space, you might find that this adds to the experience.

As many of us know, Peter Pan is full of magic, and Peter and the Starcatcher is much the same. Lighting Designer Jackie Fox utilizes gold fairy lights to create the illusion of stardust – creating stunning stage pictures throughout the production.

One such moment occurs towards the end of the first act. Boy asks Molly for proof of what stardust can do. If he is going to risk his life to save it, then he may as well know why. Begrudgingly, Molly takes out her stardust, and whispers the following:

“To have faith is to have wings.”

From there, the surrounding lights dim and the specks of gold brighten. Molly is lifted above by actors, and as we see her spread her arms, Boy looks up in pure awe. Voss and Bell play the moment wonderfully – particularly as Voss’ Molly enjoys the feel of proving Bell wrong when he doubts her abilities. Most impressive though, at least personally, is the way in which Cohen stages the magic. As we see Molly lifted above by her ensemble, we too are invited to use our imagination - to have faith.  From there, Cohen once again invites the audience to return to their own childhoods and enjoy the magic of storytelling and believing in the impossible.

Full of stunning performances and remarkable stage magic, Peter and the Starcatcher will leave you on the edge of your seat – eager for what’s next and wishing there was more beyond the final lights down.

Peter and the Starcatcher runs at Paramount Theatre’s Copley Theatre – 8 E Galena Blvd in Aurora  through September 1, 2024. See the Paramount Theatre Website for tickets and information.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED