Paramount’s Circus-Themed Revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats April 30-June 15, 2025

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List

Step right up! Paramount’s circus-themed revival of 

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats 

promises to be a Jellicle spectacle, April 30-June 15

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows we're so excited to see Paramount's circus filled rendition of CATS! My son and daughter both practiced circus arts from age 7 through their teen years, performing in numerous Actors Gymnasium youth shows, and with Circesteem's team. We've also covered local, national, and international circus shows of all sizes for decades. Needless to say, we're quite familiar with Chicago's circus scene. Some of my kids' former coaches and castmates are about to grace Paramount's stage with feline finesse, and we can't wait to see them. I've reviewed multiple iterations of Broadway touring productions of CATS, but I can honestly say I'm more jazzed for Paramount's production. Don't miss this! 

Step right up! The Jellicle Ball is about to begin under the big top when Paramount Theatre presents a stunning, circus-themed revival of Cats, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, directed by Trent Stork, April 30-June 15, 2025.

Just picture Grizabella and her feline friends flying through the air with the greatest of ease. You may know all of the words to Cats, but you’ve never seen this Cats before, a new production intent on showcasing the amazing acrobatics and athletic grace of true felines.

Paramount isn't kitten around, casting its new take on Cats with a contortionist, jugglers, aerialists, tumblers, acrobats and other talented circus performers guaranteed to bring all new layers and energy to Lloyd Webber’s fantastical journey into the clandestine world of cats.

With a tent full of acro-cats, audiences will get swept up in the circus theme while Mungojerrie, Bustopher Jones, Bombalurina and more explore timeless themes of identity and redemption through captivating dance, singsong poetry, and unforgettable songs like “Memory” and “The Rum Tum Tugger.”

Paramount Theatre's Jellicle Ball is about to begin under the big top, on a set designed by Jeffrey D. Kmiec, with its stunning, circus-themed revival of Cats, April 30-June 15. 

Set rendering courtesy Jeffry D. Kmiec

Inspired by T.S. Eliot’s collection of poems, “Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats,” Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical tells the familiar story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the sacred night they make the “Jellicle choice” - which cat is worthy enough to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to new life? Brimming with magic, dance, and feats of fancy, Cats won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, and ranks eleventh on the all-time best selling Broadway musical roster. 

Here in Chicago, Paramount Artistic Producer and Casting Director Trent Stork has been licking their paws for years in anticipation of directing Cats. Stork most recently helmed Paramount’s smash hit regional premiere of Disney’s Frozen the Broadway Musical, directed Paramount’s stagings of Billy Elliot, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, School of Rock and Kinky Boots (Jeff Award winner, Director-Musical- Large) and co-directed Into the Woods with Jim Corti.

Trent Stork

“I was the associate director when Paramount did Cats the first time and I remember thinking, ‘what if Victoria arrived to the Jellicle Ball on a Moon Beam of Silks…’ and from there, a completely realized circus Cats has been living in my head for 11 years,” said director Trent Stork. “I’m very excited and grateful to be able to bring that vision to life with so much talent in the cast and behind the scenes. It’s going to be unlike anything the world has ever seen and totally something new for our audiences at Paramount.”

Charged with training actors to dance, play and move like cats are choreographer Kasey Alfonso, whose Paramount credits include Into the Woods and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, circus choreographer and founder of Actors Gymnasium. In fact, Paramount’s cast will take part in additional circus arts training intensives at Actors Gymnasium, Chicago’s oldest circus school, throughout the rehearsal process to make this production of Cats truly fly.

Cats fans better pounce on these tickets, because they’re just $28-$85, a fraction of the cost to see live theater in downtown Chicago. Plus Aurora boasts easy, affordable parking and great new restaurants all around.

Previews begin April 30. Press opening is Friday, May 9 at 8 p.m. Regular performances run through June 15: 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. (Exception: No matinee Wednesday, April 30.)

For tickets, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days. For group discounts, contact Melissa Striedl, melissas@paramountarts.com or (630) 723-2461. 

Note: Paramount will also offer two Pay What You Can previews of Cats on Thursday, May 1 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 3 at 3 p.m. See ParamountAurora.com/Pay-What-You-Can for details. 

Accessible Performances

Paramount will offer open captioning Wednesday, June 11 at 7 p.m. and American Sign Language interpretation Friday, June 17 at 8 p.m.

Paramount offers free assistive listening devices at all performances. Check in at the coat room before the show to borrow a device. If you require wheelchair or special seating or other assistance, please contact the box office at (630) 896-6666 or boxoffice@paramountarts.com in advance.

Costume rendering for Electra (Hayley Larson) courtesy Izumi Inaba

 

Costume rendering for Coricopat (Ryan Huemmer) by Izumi Inaba 

Costume rendering for Munkustrap (Jake DiMaggio Lopez) by Izumi Inaba

Costume rendering for Grizabella (Emily Rohm) by Izumi Inaba

Paramount’s cast for Cats features Emily Rohm as Grizabella, Lorenzo Rush Jr. as Old Deuteronomy, Gene Weygandt as Asparagus/Bustopher Jones/ Peter, Jake DiMaggio Lopez as Munkustrap, Donovan Hoffer as Rum Tum Tugger, Tiffany Topol as Bombalurina, Alexandra Palkovic as Demeter, Allison Sill as Jellylorum, Christopher Kelley as Mistoffelees, Anakin Jace White as Skimbleshanks, Dani Goldberg as Mungojerrie, Ayana Strutz as Rumpleteazer, Kara Brody as Victoria, Kat Hoil as Jennyanydots, Emma Ogea as Sillabub, Brian Bandura as Carbuckety, Matty Bettencourt as Pouncival, Liam Bradley as Admetus, Sophie Liu David as Etcetera, Shaun Dennison White as George, Evan C. Dolan as Alonzo, Kat Harvey as Tantomile, Joe Giovannetti in The Cats Chorus, Ryan Huemmer as Coricopat, Brian Hupp in The Cats Chorus, Hayley Larson as Electra, Michael Lunder as Tumblebrutus, Emilie Lynn in The Cats Chorus, Selena Robinson as Cassandra, Emily Scinto as Exotica, Nellie Shuford in The Cats Chorus, and Matthew Weidenbener as Macavity/Plato.

Paramount Theatre’s Cats, directed by (row 1, from left) Trent Stork, features Emily Rohm as Grizabella, Lorenzo Rush Jr. as Old Deuteronomy, Gene Weygandt as Asparagus/Bustopher Jones/Peter, Jake DiMaggio Lopez as Munkustrap, Donovan Hoffer as Rum Tum Tugger, Tiffany Topol as Bombalurina, Alexandra Palkovic as Demeter, Allison Sill as Jellylorum, (row 2) Christopher Kelley as Mistoffelees, Anakin Jace White as Skimbleshanks, Dani Goldberg as Mungojerrie, Ayana Strutz as Rumpleteazer, Kara Brody as Victoria, Kat Hoil as Jennyanydots, Emma Ogea as Sillabub, Brian Bandura (row 3) as Carbuckety, Matty Bettencourt as Pouncival, Liam Bradley as Admetus, Sophie Liu David as Etcetera, Shaun Dennison White as George, Evan C. Dolan as Alonzo, Kat Harvey as Tantomile, Joe Giovannetti in The Cats Chorus, Ryan Huemmer as Coricopat, (row 4) Brian Hupp in The Cats Chorus, Hayley Larson as Electra, Michael Lunder as Tumblebrutus, Emilie Lynn in The Cats Chorus, Selena Robinson as Cassandra, Emily Scinto as Exotica, Nellie Shuford in The Cats Chorus, and Matthew Weidenbener as Macavity/Plato. 

Paramount’s production team is led by director Trent Stork along with Kasey Alfonso, choreographer; Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, circus choreographer; Amanda Crockett, clown consultant and associate circus choreographer; Kory Danielson, music director, conductor; Jeffrey D. Kmiec, scenic designer; Izumi Inaba, costume designer; Greg Hofmann, lighting designer; Adam Rosenthal, sound designer; Paul Deziel, projection designer; Katie Cordts, wig, hair and makeup designer; Ivy Thomas, properties designer; Benjamin Barnes, illusion consultant; Max Fabian, fight, stunt & intimacy director; Ethan Deppe, electronic music designer; Susan Gosdick, dialect coach; Tracy Nunnally, flight director; Devon Hayakawa, associate director; Kara Brody, associate choreographer; Kevin Reeks, associate music director; Cameron Tragesser, associate conductor; Amber R. Dettmers, stage manager; and Natalie Cohen and Lanita VanderSchaaf, assistant stage managers.

Cats is a sung-through musical with music by the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the 1939 poetry collection “Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats” by T. S. Eliot. Lloyd Webber began setting Eliot's poems to music in 1977, and the compositions were first presented as a song cycle in 1980. Producer Cameron Mackintosh then recruited director Trevor Nunn and choreographer Gillian Lynne to turn the songs into a complete musical. Cats opened in 1981 to positive reviews at the New London Theatre in the West End and then to mixed reviews in 1982 at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway. Regardless, it launched the era of the megamusical juggernaut, won countless awards including seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score, garnered millions of loyal fans, and remains an international sensation.

In 2014, the Chicago Tribune’s Chris Jones called Paramount’s first staging of Cats “a genuinely spectacular show.” More than a decade later, just wait when Paramount unleashes its new circus-inspired version of Cats, the first Broadway title Paramount has brought back to its stage since launching its own Broadway series 13 seasons ago.

Cats is sponsored by Old Second National Bank. Paramount Theatre Broadway Season sponsors are the Dunham Foundation, BMO, ComEd, Illinois Arts Council and the City of Aurora.

 Costume rendering for Tantomile (Kat Harvey) by Izumi Inaba

Costume rendering for Old Deuteronomy (Lorenzo Rush Jr.) by Izumi Inaba

Costume rendering for Rum Tum Tugger (Donovan Hoffer) by Izumi Inaba

Costume rendering for Mistoffelees (Christopher Kelley) by Izumi Inaba

  

Coming soon: Paramount’s announces 2025-26 Broadway and BOLD Series line-ups

Looking to 2025-26, Paramount has revealed a four-show line-up for its 14th Broadway Series, and just as it has since it launched its first Broadway Series in 2011, Paramount still offers the same “Buy Two Shows, Get Two Shows Free” offer, with packages starting as low as $60. Next season boasts two Chicago-area premieres - Come from Away, directed by Trent Stork, (August 20–October 12, 2025) and Dear Evan Hansen, directed by Jessica Fisch (February 4–March 22, 2026).

Add the most iconic holiday musical of all time, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, directed by Stephen Schellhardt (November 12, 2025–January 11, 2026), and the beloved 1940s World War II era musical, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, directed by Devon Hayakawa and Trent Stork (April 29-June 14, 2026), now that’s one enchanted season.

Just as it has since it launched its first Broadway Series in 2011, Paramount still offers the same “Buy Two Shows, Get Two Shows Free” offer. Broadway packages start as low as $60. Actually, subscribers pay no more than $43.50 per show, and that’s the most expensive ticket. Fees not included. 

Paramount will also present three more exciting works in the Copley Theatre in 2025-26 as part of its fourth BOLD Series: Sam Shepard’s American classic True West, directed by Paramount Artistic Director Jim Corti (July 16–August 31, 2025), the Chicago premiere of the buzzy new play Covenant by York Walker, directed by Goodman Theatre’s Malkia Stampley (October 1–November 9, 2025), and the first area Equity staging of Ride the Cyclone since its debut in 2015, directed by Lauren Berman (March 18–May 31, 2026). Sign-up for Paramount’s 2025-26 BOLD Series for as little as $78.

For subscriptions, 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.

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 124 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 five live performance venues overseen by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA) in downtown Aurora. ACCA also programs and manages the 165-seat Copley Theatre, home to Paramount’s BOLD Series, at 8 E. Galena in the North Island Center; Stolp Island Theatre, now open at 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, with a critically acclaimed immersive production of Million Dollar Quartet, extended through June 2025; RiverEdge Park, downtown Aurora’s outdoor summer concert venue at 360 N. Broadway; and the Paramount School of the Arts.

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

OPENING: Into the Woods Via Paramount Theatre’s Broadway Series February 1-March 19, 2023

 

ChiIL Mama’s ChiIL Picks List PARAMOUNT’S INTO THE WOODS STAGED BY PARAMOUNT’S DUO OF JEFF AWARD-WINNING DIRECTORS JIM CORTI AND TRENT STORK  RUNS FEBRUARY 1-MARCH 19, 2023  (from left) Paramount’s Into the Woods is co-directed by multi-Jeff Award-winner and Paramount Artistic Director Jim Corti, and Trent Stork, Paramount’s Associate Artistic Producer, Casting Director, and 2021-22 winner of the Jeff Award for Director-Musical-Large for Paramount’s Kinky Boots.  Note: Into the Woods is suggested for ages 12 and up for violence and loud noises.  Once upon a time…it all started with a wish.  And sometimes, wishes do come true, because up next in Paramount Theatre’s 2022-23 Broadway Series is Into the Woods, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s brilliant reimagining of the Grimm Brothers fairy tales, February 1-March 19, 2023. I'll be out for opening night February 10th, so check back shortly after for my full review. Venture into the woods with the Baker and his wife on a mystical journey to collect a red cape, a strand of yellow hair, a golden shoe and a white cow to break the spell cast by the Witch. Encounter Little Red Ridinghood searching for bread to feed her grandmother. Join Jack on his adventure up the beanstalk to save his cow Milky White. Attend the King’s festival with Cinderella and her stepsisters. Discover Rapunzel locked away in a high tower. Come experience Into the Woods, but be aware, ever after isn’t always happy.    Paramount’s staging of one of the most astounding and original fairytale retellings theatre has ever seen will be co-directed by Artistic Director, Jim Corti, and Associate Artistic Producer and Casting Director, Trent Stork. Corti, responsible for Paramount hits like Newsies, The Producers, Sweeney Todd and Les Misérables, remains Chicago’s only theater artist to have won Jeff Awards as an actor, choreographer and director. Stork is still riding high after earning their first Jeff Award for Director-Musical-Large for mega-staging last season of Paramount’s Kinky Boots.  It was my great pleasure to sit next to Trent Stork by chance, at the Equity Jeff Awards (AKA: Theatre Prom) in October. It was a highlight of the evening to watch Stork balance on his own pair of Kinky Boots without a stumble, on repeat trips to the stage to accept their accolades. Storks may be traditionally associated with dropping bundles of babies down the chimneys of expectant parents, but this Stork is dropping some seriously stellar talent for Paramount Theatre's Broadway Series and BOLD series.  If you’ve seen The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella on Paramount’s stage, then you know the spectacle and extravagance that awaits audiences who come to downtown Aurora for an unforgettable adventure Into the Woods. Paramount Aurora is now the largest subscription based theatre in the nation!  Previews start February 1, 2023. Opening Night is Friday, February 10, at  8 p.m. Performances run through March 19: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. and  7 p.m.; Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. (exception: No 1:30 p.m. matinee on Wednesday, February 1).  Single tickets are $28 to $79. Three-show 2022-23 subscriptions including Paramount’s current production, The Sound of Music, Into the Woods and School of Rock are still on sale, starting at just $51. For group discounts, contact Melissa Striedl, melissas@paramountarts.com or  (630) 723-2461. Paramount Theatre is located at 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora. For tickets and information, visit paramountaurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Lucy Panush plays Little Red Ridinghood in Into the Woods,  February 1-March 19 at Paramount Theatre in downtown Aurora.  Photo credit for all advance character portraits: Amy Nelson Paramount’s Into the Woods: Behind the scenes “Paramount consistently delivers on what is loved about the great shows we select each season and Into the Woods will be no different. We also seem to have a knack for the unexpected – rediscovering what has always been there with a new relevance and emotional impact,” said Jim Corti, co-director, Into the Woods. “For as fantastical as this storytelling is, and however stunning its aesthetic, it’s the humanity of this piece that will linger with you as you travel home. That’s the thing about Sondheim. He’s telling the story of our lives and always beautifully. “ Stephen Schellhardt plays the Baker in Into the Woods Hannah Fernandes plays Cinderella Will Koski plays Jack “This production is packed cover to cover with world class talent. These actors are simply the perfect cast to bring Sondheim’s profound words to life on our stage for our audience,” added Trent Stork, who is co-directing Into the Woods with Corti. “Like our story, however, the opportunity to see them ‘is not a lengthy visitor.’”  Paramount's cast for Into the Woods includes (top, from left) Natalie Weiss (Witch), Larry Yando (Narrator/Mysterious Man), Sarah Bockel (Baker’s Wife), Stephen Schellhardt (Baker), Hannah Fernandes (Cinderella), Will Koski (Jack), (middle) Alex Syiek (Cinderella's Prince/Wolf), Devin DeSantis (Rapunzel's Prince), Lucy Panush (Little Red Ridinghood), Molly Hernández (Rapunzel), Christine Bunuan (Jack's Mother), Stephanie Diaz (Milky White), (bottom) Kelli Harrington (Cinderella’s Stepmother), Landree Fleming (Lucinda), Ann Delaney (Florinda), Dana Tretta (Granny/Cinderella’s Mother/Giant), Dakota Hughes (Steward) and Nnamdi K. Nwankwo (Cinderella’s Father).   The cast features Natalie Weiss as the Witch. Weiss made her Broadway debut understudying the Menonettes in Everyday Rapture. Other career highlights include swinging the National Tour of Les Misérables and performing in the second National Tour of Wicked (Ensemble, Elphaba u/s). She is featured on the soundtrack for The Greatest Showman and can be heard on the original Broadway cast recording of Dear Evan Hansen. Weiss was also an American Idol Season 4 Semi-Finalist.  Stephen Schellhardt plays the Baker Lucy Panush plays Little Red Ridinghood  Will Koski (left) plays Jack and Lucy Panush is  Little Red Ridinghood  The cast also features Larry Yando (Narrator/Mysterious Man), Sarah Bockel(Baker’s Wife), Stephen Schellhardt (Baker), Hannah Fernandes (Cinderella), Will Koski (Jack), Alex Syiek (Cinderella's Prince/Wolf), Devin DeSantis(Rapunzel's Prince), Lucy Panush (Little Red Ridinghood), Molly Hernández(Rapunzel), Christine Bunuan (Jack's Mother), Stephanie Diaz (Milky White), Kelli Harrington (Cinderella’s Stepmother), Landree Fleming (Lucinda), Ann Delaney (Florinda), Dana Tretta (Granny/Cinderella’s Mother/Giant), Dakota Hughes (Steward) and Nnamdi K. Nwankwo (Cinderella’s Father). Ensemble members are Grace Bobber, Marta Bady, Alanna Chavez, Adam Fane, Darian Goulding, Sophie Grimm and Ryan Stajmiger. Hannah Fernandes plays Cinderella  Hannah Fernandes (left) plays Cinderella and Stephen Schellhardt  is the Baker  Will Koski (left) plays Jack and Stephen Schellhardt is the Baker    The full production team is Jim Corti and Trent Stork, co-directors; Kasey Alfonso, choreographer; Kory Danielson, music director, supervisor and conductor; Jeffrey D. Kmiec, scenic designer; Jordan Ross, costume designer; José Santiago, lighting designer; Adam Rosenthal, sound designer; Paul Deziel, projection designer; Jesse Mooney-Bullock, Puppet Designer; Katie Cordts, wig, hair and makeup designer; Jesse Gaffney, properties designer; Ethan Deppe, electronic music designer; Cameron Tragesser, associate music director and associate conductor; Jinni Pike, stage manager; Maegan Burnell, assistant stage manager; and Lanita VanderSchaaf, assistant stage manager.   Rendering of Paramount’s Into the Woods set courtesy set designer Jeffrey D. Kmiec.  Costume renderings for (top, from left) The Baker, Little Red Ridinghood, The Wolf, Jack, (bottom), Rapunzel, Cinderella and the two Princes by costume designer Jordan Ross.