Collaboraction’s BIPOC Youth Ensemble To Perform at Kidzapalooza and More

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Collaboraction’s The Light youth ensemble to bring  live summer performances with a side of social justice to Kidzapalooza, Austin, Rogers Park and Englewood

Collaboraction Theatre has long  Collaboraction Theatre’s new 2024 cohort for its youth ensemble The Light features 11 multi-talented, BIPOC young artists/activists from all over the city. They're ready to go on tour this summer performing original works of music, dance, comedy, poetry and spoken word. And each one of them has something important to say. Meet The Light 2024 cohort - Adalys, Ameeor, Aura, Carrington (aka Iced Strawberry Cream), GG, Marlen, Mercedes, Montiara, Samantha, Sathvik and Serenity. Watch and listen to their first public outing, live, in-studio on Collaboraction Radio on June 29. Currently, The Light is learning from Collaboraction company members, staff and teaching artists about the intersection of live performance and social change, while creating original, solo and ensemble works rooted in their own, personal social justice cause.  Ranging in age from 15 to 18, they’re doing it all under the guidance of legendary Chicago Hip Hop artist, Pinqy Ring, Collaboraction’s new Director of Youth Programming, and Teaching Artist Assistant Linda Sol.  Additionally, all of the youth are earning equitable pay while participating in Collaboraction’s youth program, including meetings, rehearsals and performance time.

"What an exciting time to be a musician and mentor in Chicago, with this incredible group of young people who get paid to create new art around social justice themes and tour it across the city!,” says Pinqy.  “As someone who didn't have access to music mentorship as a youth, I wonder how much further I could have gone if someone, anyone, had taken the time to guide and instruct me. The work we are doing with The Light is truly revolutionary, a reimagining of creative education and a way to teach and care and hold our youth in a way that they deserve. I am excited to witness the ways that they will shine, and to discover how this programming can illuminate what equitable youth programming should look like."

See The Light perform this summer at:  The Light 2023 Summer Parks Tour, July 25-27 The Light will share their message of positive social change citywide with performances at three of Chicago’s most beautiful parks, presented as part of the Chicago Park District’s 2024 Night Out in the Parks series: Thursday, July 25 at 5 p.m. Austin Town Hall, 5610 W. Lake St. in Austin Friday, July 26 at 5 p.m. Loyola Park, 1230 W. Greenleaf Ave. in Rogers Park Saturday, July 27 at 12:30 p.m. Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72nd St. in Englewood Kidzapalooza  Thursday through Sunday, August 1-4 at Lollapalooza in Grant Park, 331 E. Randolph St. Collaboraction returns to Kidzapalooza with the Peace, Love and Magic Tent with three interactive shows daily inside an air-conditioned tent. Kids and families can join immersive experiences for kids and families that emphasize respect, belonging and collaboration. Don't miss their roaming circus performers and bubble zone!  Sidebar: Collaboraction Artistic Director Anthony Moseley returns to emcee Kidzapalooza every day at Lollapalooza, Thursday through Sunday, August 1-4, 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. For more, visit lollapalooza.com/kidzapalooza. Stay tuned for news about The Luminaries, Collaboraction’s new youth artist-activist program focused on professional development for BIPOC Chicago artist-activists ages 18 - 25. Luminaries, including alums from The Light, will learn about leadership, civic engagement, creative entrepreneurship and social artistry while creating new works to tour across Chicago. The Light is supported by the 2024 Chicago Fund for Safe and Peaceful Communities, the Marc and Jeanne Malnati Family Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, O’Connor Casting Company, AV Chicago and the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks series.

Meet the 2024 cohort of Collaboraction's The Light:

Meet Adalys (16, any pronouns), a queer, curly headed performer from Little Village. Adi uses dance and poetry to share aspects of her identity and stories from her community. She was awarded Nexstars’ national trophy for her performance with 8Teenth Hip Hop crew, and you can find her writing in “ChiArts Writes” Volumes 7 and 8, as well in Depaul’s “Blue Book: Best American High School Writing for 2023.” As a member of The Light, Adi aims to perfect her writing skills and advocate for the inclusion of BIPOC people and the awareness of body liberation.  

Ameeor (16, she/her) is an African American singer, actor, songwriter and artivist encouraging social change through the arts. Raised on both the South and West sides of Chicago, Ameeor is passionate about uplifting others and advocating for the destruction of all forms of inequality, discrimination and injustice. Deeply rooted in the performing arts community in Chicago, Ameeor is a student at ChiArts, and a proud member of Uniting Voices Chicago (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir)'s highest ensemble “Voice of Chicago.”  

Aura (15, any pronouns) is an artivist that speaks love through their music. Being a genderfluid Latinx teen, they strive to be a beacon of light for the people who come after them. Aura has performed at Harris Theater and Jones College Prep. Aura wants to share their story as an Ecuadorian- American, showing just how inspiring they can be. On the big stage and in protest, Aura aims to protect the people who were once like them.

Carrington, aka Iced Strawberry Cream(15, any pronouns), is a multi-talented performer born and grown on the south side of Chicago. She has performed in many school performances, such as their yearly elementary school’s Kwanzaa performance, Chicago High School For The Arts’ curtain call and AAPI showcases, and also at ComplexCon as a part of an art exhibit. She hopes to do more performances centered around Black excellence and empowerment, which is what she has always fought for as a young African American. 

Meet GG (15, she/her), a multi-talented performing artist born in Ethiopia and raised in Chicago on a mission to spread love and body positivity through her artwork. From an early age, Girma was inspired by the visual arts pieces created by her parents, which led her to a love for violin, acting, singing and musical theater. As a member of “The Light,” GG is making new performance pieces about her social justice platforms such as racism, body positivity and feminism.  

Marlen (15, she/her) is a Latina artist from Chicago that utilizes her passion for musical theater to amplify the social justice platforms of feminism, climate change, racism and homophobia. She has performed in Alice in Wonderland (2023) and Dear Diary (2024) at ChiArts High School, where she is in the musical theater conservatory. She also is part of the Uniting Voices Choir. Marlen hopes to use her platform to advocate for better opportunities in her southwest side neighborhood, and all around Chicago. 

Mercedes (18, she/her) is a professionally trained dancer who graduated from The Chicago High School for the Arts. Mercedes has choreographed multiple pieces, including the dance section of the Latinx showcase at her school, and was the first-ever student choreographer for the schoolwide musical “Sister Act.” Challenging the stigma that art is not a viable career path, Mercedes creates work that inspires a community of creatives, emphasizing that despite one’s upbringing or obstacles in life anyone is capable of pursuing their passion.

Get to know Montiara (17, she/her), an African American singer and performing artist from the south side of Chicago. She strives to inspire and connect with others, as well as tell stories and create awareness around mental health, climate change and women’s empowerment. Montiara is a student of the vocal conservatory at The Chicago High School for the Arts, and is a part of The Example Setters’ youth poetry team.  

Samantha (15, she/her) is an actor from Hermosa who uses her passion for theater to advocate against gun violence. Samantha has collaborated with prestigious companies such as Goodman Theater and Lookingglass Theater Company. Since placing third in the 2024 August Wilson New Voices city finals, Samantha is focused on experimenting with new roles that are the epitome of her own story, lineage and experiences.  

Sathvik (17, he/him) is a nerd. He is an artist from Chicago who produces plays, boxes and wants to save the world. Sathvik recently stage managed a seven-act short-play festival, Cut To The Chase, at The Artistic Home. He is also credited as Executive Producer on The Shoemakers, Dracula, and Alice in Wonderland. He’ll start at Middlebury College in the fall majoring in International Politics and Economics. 

Serenity (16, she/her) is a 16-year-old African American performer who wants to spread awareness around mental health and racism through her art. She is a multi-faceted artist - dancing and acting - but her strongest suit is her singing. She has been a praise dancer at Christ Universal Temple, and she works at an organization called Angel’s Message that helps immigrants and the unhoused. She hopes to use her platform as an artist to promote change in the world, where people are more positive and open minded. 

Pinqy Ring (aka Marisol Vélez, Director of Youth Programming and Lead Teaching Artist, she/her/ella) is a radical and revolutionary Puerto Rican rapper, decolonizing minds one rhyme at a time and aligning her destiny through Hip Hop. Born and bred in Chicago, she manifests her vision for a more just world as multi-hyphenate MC, Hip Hop Educator, speaker and U.S. Hip Hop Cultural Ambassador - traveling overseas to manage and facilitate Hip Hop diplomacy programming. With philanthropy as part and parcel of her platform, Pinqy prides herself in mentoring the next generation of creative change agents and providing culturally competent consulting to organizations looking to engage youth and explore Hip Hop as a transformative tool. In 2023, Pinqy Ring became a TEDxChicago performer, was featured on NPR, and was named “Best Hip Hop Artist” by the Chicago Reader. Though she is proud of her awards and accolades, Pinqy's most prized possession is the platform she’s purposing for historically excluded communities of the world. Hip Hop has taken her from the 'hood to speaking at Harvard, and Pinqy Ring raps her legacy loudly into place while creating pathways for others to do the same. To learn more about Pinqy, check out her performance at Collaboraction’s recent House of Belonging at Experimental Station.  

Linda Sol (Teaching Artist Assistant, she/her) is a poet turned rapper hailing from the west side of Chicago making waves with her innovative style and captivating lyrics. Her genre-fluid production, intricate flows, and lyrical precision carry listeners through the evolutions of herself, emphasizing the duality of life we all experience. Still early in her career, Sol has had the honor to open for 2 Chains, Dreezy, Omar Apollo, Mereba, Dua Saleh, Phony Ppl, Jamila Woods, A. Chal, Shangela, Samaria, Queen Key, Glorilla, and Phoebe Bridgers. Since then, Sol has taken strides as her own creative director, producing unique and professional visuals to her music. Sol is currently working on her next single "Right Now", set to release later this summer. Until then, here is a video of her amazing spoken word poetry and most recent music video for her song, Woah.

Collaboraction: Changing the map and removing barriers in the theater industry

Collaboraction is a 27-year-old, ethno-diverse non-profit arts organization that builds knowledge, empathy, dialogue and action around oppression and inequity through live theater, film, radio and online interactive programs. Across all platforms, Collaboraction uses its KEDA methodology - Knowledge, Empathy, Dialogue and Action - to spark changes in attitudes and behavior that manifest social change.  In May 2024, Collaboraction announced it will build and open a new home this fall inside the Kimball Arts Center, 1757 N. Kimball Ave. in Chicago’s Humboldt Park community, right off the 606, where Chicagoans from across the city can come together to grow together. Collaboraction’s new “House of Belonging” will feature a 99-seat flexible studio theater and a 50-seat cabaret with a cafe/bar. The 4,000-square foot space will be acommunity hub presenting live theater, spoken word, music, dance, films, workshops and special events.  Collaboraction’s recent work includes the Emmy Award-winning Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till, Moonset Sunrise, Crime Scene, Forgotten Future, Gender Breakdown, PEACEBOOK and SKETCHBOOK. In addition to live performances, community building and video production, the company centers and presents its work in Chicago neighborhoods historically overlooked like Englewood, Austin and Lawndale.  Collaboraction has been honored for innovation and inclusivity with the Foster Innovation Award from Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Multi-Racial Unity Award from the First Unitarian Church-Chicago, a Stand For the Arts Award from Comcast and OvationTV, and an Otto Award from New York’s Castillo Theatre. In 2022, Collaboraction was one of the first theaters in the U.S. to be certified by On Our Team, a national trade organization advocating for pay equity and transparency in the live theater industry.  Collaboraction is lifted up by its growing ranks of Collaboractivists, individuals who support the company’s social change mission with a monthly contribution, starting at just $1. To join, visit collaboraction.org/memberships. Collaboraction is supported in part by AV Chicago, Marc and Jeanne Malnati Family Foundation, Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Foundation, Paul M. Angell Foundation, Naperville Rotary Club, Field Foundation, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.  To learn more, visit collaboraction.org, tune into Collaboraction Radio, live, every Saturday at 4 p.m. on WCPT AM 820, subscribe to the Collaboraction Radio podcast on

Million Dollar Quartet Inaugural Production at Aurora’s NEW Stolp Island Theatre

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Paramount reveals cast for  Million Dollar Quartet  inaugural production at Aurora’s new Stolp Island Theatre Garrett Forrestal cast as Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Scott Sheets is Johnny Cash, Alex Swindle plays Elvis Presley and Christopher Wren is Carl Perkins

(Top, from left): Garrett Forrestal is Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Scott Sheets plays Johnny Cash, (bottom) Alex Swindle is Elvis Presley and Christopher Wren plays Carl Perkins in Paramount’s new production ofMillion Dollar Quartet, opening in July, already extended through December 29, 2024. Advance photo credit: Amy Nelson There’s a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on in Aurora, Illinois, right now as the city’s top downtown cultural attraction, Paramount Theatre, prepares to inaugurate its third live theater space, Stolp Island Theatre at 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, with a rockin’ new staging of Million Dollar Quartet. Today, Paramount announced its cast and crew for one of the all-time best rock and roll musicals, custom produced for Paramount’s new Stolp Island Theatre, an experiential space with just 98 seats, where audiences will feel like they are part of the show. Performances start July 10. Due to popular demand, Million Dollar Quartet has already been extended through December 29, 2024.

(from left) Garrett Forrestal plays Jerry Lee Lewis, Christopher Wren is Carl Perkins, Bill Scott Sheets plays Johnny Cash and Alex Swindle is Elvis Presley in Million Dollar Quartet. Credit: Amy Nelson

(front to back) The cast of Million Dollar Quartet (front to back) - Bill Scott Sheets (Johnny Cash), Garrett Forrestal (Jerry Lee Lewis), Alex Swindle (Elvis Presley) and Christopher Wren (Carl Perkins) - outside Paramount Theatre’s new Stolp Island Theatre. Credit: Amy Nelson As soon as audiences step inside Stolp Island Theatre, they’ll feel like they’ve stepped back in time to December 5, 1956, inside the Sun Records recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where music legends Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins came together and recorded one of the most historic jam sessions in rock and roll history. Nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Million Dollar Quartet features some of the biggest and best songs of all time, including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk the Line,” “Hound Dog” and “Great Balls of Fire.”  Paramount’s Million Dollar Quartet will be led by Garrett Forrestal as Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Scott Sheets as Johnny Cash, Alex Swindle as Elvis Presley and Christopher Wren as Carl Perkins. Dan Leali plays Fluke, Madison Palmer is Dyanne, Sam Pearson plays Sam Phillips, Jake Saleh is Brother Jay and Haley Jane Schafer plays Marion. Understudies are Drew Mitchell, Billy Rude, Haley Jane Schafer, Zach Sorrow and Kyle Wells.

Paramount’s Million Dollar Quartet features (top, from left) Garrett Forrestal (Jerry Lee Lewis), Bill Scott Sheets (Johnny Cash), Alex Swindle (Elvis Presley) and Christopher Wren (Carl Perkins) with (bottom) Dan Leali (Fluke), Madison Palmer (Dyanne), Sam Pearson (Sam Phillips), Jake Saleh (Brother Jay) and Haley Jane Schafer (Marion). Directors Jim Corti and Creg Sclavi are working 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; Jonathan Berg-Einhorn, properties designer; Ethan Deppe, electronic music designer; Susan Gosdick, dialect coach; Max Fabian, fight and intimacy director; Devon Hayakawa, dramaturg; Bill Scott Sheets, associate music director; Rebecca J. Lister, stage manager; and Emily Hanlon, assistant stage manager. Book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrex. Original concept and direction by Floyd Mutrix.  Previews of Million Dollar Quartet start July 10. Opening Weekend is July 19-21. Show times are Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. though December 29, 2024. Tickets to Million Dollar Quartet are $65. 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. For updates, follow @ParamountAurora on Facebook, Instagram and @paramountarts on LinkedIn.      Stolp Island Theatre is located at 5 E. Downer Place Suite G, facing the Fox River in downtown Aurora. It’s just a block and a half from Paramount Theatre, the 1,888-seat Art Deco palace, home to Paramount’s blockbuster Broadway Series and the largest subscription base in the nation, and the 165-seat Copley Theatre, where Paramount presents its BOLD Series of more intimate works. “Our 2017 Broadway staging of Million Dollar Quartet remains an audience favorite, and has always been one of our top requested shows to ‘bring back,’” said Jim Corti, Paramount Artistic Director and co-director of Million Dollar Quartet. “Not only are we bringing it back, but this new production will be staged in a whole new way, where audiences are going to feel surrounded by amazing musical talent and the dazzling production values they’ve come to expect from Paramount.”  Creg Sclavi, who is both project manager supervising construction of Stolp Island Theatre, and co-directing Million Dollar Quartet with Corti, added, “When audiences walk inside, they’ll encounter dramaturgical displays about the history behind one of the most seminal nights in music history. Making their way through a 1950s downtown Memphis streetscape, they’ll then step inside a theatrical recreation of Sun Studio, with seats all around. It will feel like Elvis, Jerry Lee, Johnny and Carl are treating them to a personal, intimate, one-of-a-kind live music experience.” Talk about popular demand: when tickets went on sale in May, the first four weeks of shows sold out in 30 minutes. The first eight weeks sold out in less than 48 hours. The day after tickets went on sale to the general public, due to box office demand, Paramount announced an extension through the end of the year, December 29, 2024.  “Aurora is already a destination for Broadway-caliber musicals at Paramount Theatre, our BOLD Series in our intimate Copley Theatre, and live outdoor concerts at RiverEdge Park,” said Tim Rater, President and CEO, Aurora Civic Center Authority. “Now, we’re adding an all-new theater experience, just a block away, right on the Fox River. With Paramount’s commitment to doing more and better, and the City of Aurora’s commitment to the arts and downtown, we are the model that others can look to as to how the performing arts can revitalize a community.”  Stolp Island Theatre received a multi-year funding commitment from Verano, a leading multi-state cannabis company that operates Zen Leaf Aurora, located at 740 Illinois Route 59, and nine additional Zen Leaf dispensaries across Chicagoland.  

(from left) Alex Swindle plays Elvis Presley, Bill Scott Sheets is Johnny Cash, Garrett Forrestal plays Jerry Lee Lewis and Christopher Wren is Carl Perkins in Million Dollar Quartet. Credit Amy Nelson 

Million Dollar Quartet is the opening production for Paramount’s new Stolp Island Theatre. Here are conceptual renderings (top, from left) of the theater’s floor plan, lobby streetscape welcoming audiences into the Sun Studio storefront, and (bottom) inside the Sun Studio performance space. Renderings by Jeffrey D. Kmiec.

Director and lead cast bios Jim Corti (Paramount Artistic Director, co-director, Million Dollar Quartet) is fresh from co-directing Paramount’s 12th Broadway Series finale, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, with Johanna McKenzie Miller. Corti inaugurated Paramount’s Broadway Series with President and CEO Tim Rater in fall 2011 with the critically acclaimed My Fair Lady and a subscriber base of 12,500 patrons. In 2015, Paramount’s Broadway Series became Jeff Award eligible. Since then, Paramount has garnered 115 nominations with 29 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!, Million Dollar Quartet, Once, The Producers, Newsies, Groundhog Day: The Musical, Next to Normal, and co-directed Into the Woods, A Streetcar Named Desire and Fun Home. A Broadwayveteran, 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 highlights include being the only director to have two productions in the same year in the Chicago Tribune’s2009 list of 10 Best Shows for Drury Lane’s Cabaret and Writers Theatre’s Oh, Coward! 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 Sweeney Todd and Les Misérables, Drury Lane’s Sweet Charity and Northlight’s Blues in the Night).  Creg Sclavi (Stolp Island Theatre Project Manager, co-director, Million Dollar Quartet) has spent the past year project-managing the construction of the new Stolp Island Theatre. His credits include associate director, Next to Normal (Paramount’s BOLD Series) and assistant director, Murder on the Orient Express (Maltz Jupiter) and Dead Man’s Cell Phone (FSU/Asolo). Sclavi earned a BFA in Musical Theatre at UW-Stevens Point, and a MFA in Acting at FSU/Asolo Conservatory). cregsclavi.com  Garrett Forrestal (Jerry Lee Lewis) is making his Paramount debut. Since his first production of Million Dollar Quartet in 2022, Forrestal has dreamt of doing the show in an intimate space. He has performed all over the country and is especially excited to call Chicago home for the next bit of time.   Bill Scott Sheets (Johnny Cash) returns to Paramount after playing Johnny Cash in its acclaimed 2017 Broadway Series production of Million Dollar Quartet. His credits include Million Dollar Quartet Christmas (2021, 2022, 2023 national tour and original cast album), Million Dollar Quartet (Norwegian Cruise Line and more) and Ring of Fire (Drury Lane, Palace Theater). Concert performances include Cash vs. The King, Million Dollar Reunion andDecember of ‘63.  billscottsheets.com  Alex Swindle (Elvis Presley) is a singer, musician, National Grand Champion and 2015 Ultimate Elvis Top Ten World Finalist from Birmingham, Alabama. Growing up in a household of musicians, Swindle discovered his passion for performing at a very young age. After twelve years of performing as an Elvis tribute artist, he brings to the stage the thrill and charged atmosphere that’s reminiscent of young Elvis in his Sun record days of 1956. A genuine southern gentleman, Swindle presents to his audience a raw talent and compelling charm much like Elvis at the beginning of his career. Christopher Wren (Carl Perkins) is making his Paramount debut and entering Sun Studios for the 16th time since starting with the 2015-2016 national tour of Million Dollar Quartet. Off-Broadway credits include God Loves My People Best and Iva: The Myth of Tokyo Rose. Other credits include The Buddy Holly Story, Hank Williams: Lost Highway, The Civil War and Big River. TV credits include Billy on the Street (truTV) and Dates from Hell (ID.) The cast of Million Dollar Quartet (from left) - Bill Scott Sheets (Johnny Cash), Christopher Wren (Carl Perkins), Garrett Forrestal (Jerry Lee Lewis) and Alex Swindle (Elvis Presley) take a stroll along the Fox River, right in front of Paramount Theatre’s new Stolp Island Theatre, 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, in downtown Aurora. Credit: Amy Nelson 

Also coming soon to Paramount Theatre

Paramount has a blockbuster, four-show line-up for its 13th Broadway Series, launching this fall with The Full Monty (August 21-October 6, 2024), followed by two highly anticipated Regional Premieres – Disney’s Frozen (October 30, 2024-January 19, 2025) and Waitress (February 12-March 30, 2025) – climaxing with a revival of Cats (April 30-June 15, 2025). Broadway packages start as low as $56.

Paramount’s third BOLD Series – right across the street in Paramount’s intimate Copley Theatre – will present three fresh, exciting works in 2024-25: Peter and the Starcatcher (July 24-September 1, 2024), An Act of God(October 2-November 10, 2024) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (March 12-April 27, 2025). BOLD packages start at just $75. For subscriptions, tickets and information, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or visit the Paramount box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in Aurora, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days.

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 37,000 subscribers, making it the largest subscription house in the U.S.  For over 50 years, the Joseph Jefferson Awards has recognized excellence in Chicago area theater. Paramount has been honored to earn 115 Jeff nominations and 29 wins over the last eight years of eligibility, including six Jeff Awards in 2022 for Kinky Boots, including Best Musical-Large, Paramount’s fourth win in that category following Sweeney Todd (2017), West Side Story(2016) and Les Misérables (2015).  Paramount Theatre is one of four live performance venues programmed and managed by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA). Paramount’s newly-renovated “sister stage” is the 165-seat Copley Theatre, home to Paramount’s BOLD Series, across the street in North Island Center. ACCA also programs and manages Stolp Island Theatre, an immersive theater experience opening on the Fox River in July 2024, the Paramount School of the Arts, and RiverEdge Park, downtown Aurora’s 6,000-seat outdoor summer concert venue. Paramount Theatre continues to expand its artistic and institutional boundaries under the guidance of 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 updates, follow @ParamountAurora on Facebook, Instagram and @paramountarts on LinkedIn.