It’s the most depress…no...sorrow... no...wonderful-ish time of the year!
Don’t miss Paramount’s annual end-of-year tradition bringing The Second City’s renowned brand of holiday hilarity to downtown Aurora.
This year, The Second City’s Holiday Revue: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Sweater will give audiences the holly jollies in the intimate confines of the Copley Theatre in Aurora’s North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd., a stage so intimate you’re never more than 70 feet from all those seasonal songs and gut-busting holiday skits.
Performances are November 29-December 22: Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. Tickets are $37. Buy early, as these shows will sell out.
For tickets and information, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd., across the street from the Copley Theatre, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. This production is for audiences 18 years and older due to strong adult language and content.
So find out what happens when you take The Second City’s best and brightest comedians, roll ‘em around in some tinsel and eggnog, and throw in your ugliest holiday sweater. Before you can say “Aunt Shirley is drunk and trying to put antlers on the dog again,” you’ve got another holiday show ready to roast the chestnuts outta all the things we lovingly loathe about the holiday season.
The Second City National Touring Company members (top, from left) Maureen Boughey, Terrence Carey, Maya Haughton, (bottom) Ben Larrison, Olivia Nielsen and Griffin Wenzler will star in The Second City’s Holiday Revue: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Sweater, November 29-December 22 at the Copley Theatre in downtown Aurora.
The all-new The Second City’s Holiday Revue: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Sweater showcases The Second City’s next big names in comedy – Maureen Boughey, Terrence Carey, Maya Haughton, Ben Larrison, Olivia Nielsen, Griffin Wenzler, all National Touring Company members. Watch what happens as these comedic warriors from Chicago’s notorious improv troupe The Second City fight to win the war on seasonal satire. Director is Cat McDonnell, music director is Stuart Mott and stage manager is Stephanie Hawkins.
The Second City’s Holday Revue: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Sweater is presented at Aurora’s Copley Theatre by the Paramount Theatre.
More exciting shows already on sale at Paramount Theatre include:
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast 
November 13, 2019-January 19, 2020
Tickets: $36 to $74*
The family-friendly, enchanting Disney classic storybook musical fantasy that proves beauty isn’t always what it appears, is another holiday season spectacle staging by Paramount’s Amber Mak. Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, Dunham Fund, ComEd, City of Aurora, Jake’s Inc. and Hampton Inn Aurora.
Terry Fator
Saturday, January 25, 2020, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Tickets: $79-$99, VIP packages: $174-$249
Celebrity impressions, singing, comedy and ventriloquism, America’s Got Talent season two winner Terry Fator does it all with the help of his hilarious puppet pals Winston, the Impersonating Turtle, Maynard Thompkins, the Elvis Impersonator and many others.
Romeo & Juliet by National Ballet Theatre of Odessa, Ukraine
Sunday, January 26, 2020, 3 p.m.
Tickets: $35-$65
This full-scale production, set to the music of Sergey Prokofiev, is based on William Shakespeare’s timeless tale of tragic love. The National Ballet Theatre of Odessa, Ukraine brings 55 of Ukraine’s most talented and brightest Ballet stars to present the most passionate and romantic love story of our time.
The Secret of My Success – A New Musical
February 12-March 29, 2020
Tickets: $36 to $74*
A world premiere musical based on the hit Universal Pictures film starring Michael J. Fox, featuring a book by acclaimed writers Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen, score by Chicago’s own Jeff Award-winner Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler, directed by Gordon Greenberg. Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, Dunham Fund, ComEd, City of Aurora and Rush Copley Medical Center.
Killer Queen - SOLD OUT!
Friday, April 3, 2020, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $38-$48
If you want to go back in time to see what a Queen concert looked and sounded like, then you want to get tickets to Killer Queen, the premier Queen tribute featuring Patrick Myers as Freddie Mercury.
STOMP
April 10-12, 2020
Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, April 11 and 12 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Tickets: $40 and $50
Back by popular demand, STOMP, the international percussion sensation, will take over Paramount Theatre for a three-night, five-show smack down. Feel the power and energy as the ferociously talented artists from STOMP use matchboxes, brooms, garbage cans, lighters and more to create pulse-pounding beats, all while blending dance and performance to form one electrifying rhythm.
Frank Caliendo
Saturday, April 4, 2020, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $52-$62
Comedian and celebrity impressionist Frank Caliendo is a comedy genius, famous for his countless, hilarious appearances on Frank TV, Fox NFL Sunday, MADtv, The Late Show with David Letterman and more. He’s also a favorite at Paramount Theatre, where his high-energy blend of observations, impressions, characters and anecdotal stories always start at a frenetic pace and never let up.
Jay Leno
Friday, April 17, 2020, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $89-$109
For more than two decades, Jay Leno was America’s favorite late-night comedy host, dominating the airwaves, winning an Emmy and a slew of other awards, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Known as “the hardest working man in show business,” Leno is synonymous with quality entertainment. Sponsored by Schmitt McDonald’s.
Kinky Boots
April 29-June 14, 2020
Tickets: $36 to $74*
Paramount presents the regional premiere of the high kicking musical, book by Harvey Fierstein, lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, directed by Paramount Casting Director Trent Stork. Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, Dunham Fund, ComEd and City of Aurora.
Fox Valley Orchestra Summer Pops Series
- Rhapsody in Pops – Sunday, June 28, 2020, 3 p.m.
- Cool Trumpet HOT! – Sunday, July 12, 2020, 3 p.m.
- Broadway in Love – Sunday, July 26, 2020, 3 p.m.
- Calypso Summer – Sunday, August 9, 2020, 3 p.m.
Tickets: $25-$30; multi-show discounts available – 10% off 3 shows, 15% off 4 shows
Unplug and enjoy live, high quality orchestra performances by the Fox Valley Orchestra, hailed the best in Chicago’s western suburbs, for four summer Sunday afternoons in the beautiful Paramount Theatre.
*Three-play Broadway Series packages are still available including Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Secret of My Success and Kinky Boots. Broadway shows run Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursdays at 8 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
About Paramount Theatre
Paramount Theatre (ParamountAurora.com), 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora, is the center for performing arts, entertainment and arts education in the second largest city in Illinois. Paramount opened on September 3, 1931. It was designed by renowned theater architects C.W. and George L. Rapp and is graced with a beautiful Venetian decor with a strong 1930s Art Deco influence. It also was the first air-conditioned building outside of Chicago. From silent films to the first “Talkies,” from Vaudeville to Bobby Vinton, from Dionne to Donny and Marie, Paramount Theatre has provided Aurora and the Fox Valley the best of entertainment for generations.
In 1976, the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA) restored Paramount to its original grandeur. Paramount Arts Centre reopened in 1978, offering a variety of touring theatrical, musical, comedy, dance and family programming. In 2006, a 12,000-square-foot, two-story Grand Gallery lobby was added, including a grand staircase, new box office, café and art gallery.
In 2010, ACCA hired Tim Rater as President and CEO of Paramount Theatre. Rater’s mission was to boost the theater’s programming and audience base by transforming Paramount into one of Chicago’s top self-producing, professional Equity musical theaters. Rater hired award-winning Chicago director Jim Corti as Paramount’s first-ever artistic director. In 2011, Paramount introduced its inaugural four-play Broadway Series with Corti’s critically acclaimed production of My Fair Lady. In just eight blockbuster seasons since, Paramount has leapt to the top of Chicago’s musical theater scene, winning unanimous audience and critical acclaim, and an unprecedented number of Joseph Jefferson nominations and awards, including Best Musical-Large three years in a row.
Today, the 1,843-seat Paramount Theatre remains nationally renowned for the quality and caliber of its presentations, historic beauty and superb acoustics. More than 41,000 subscribers from throughout the city and suburbs enjoy Paramount’s Broadway-quality productions at highly affordable prices, making Paramount the second largest subscription house in the nation. In addition to its Broadway Series, Paramount continues to present an eclectic array of internationally known comedians, music stars, dance events and family shows, and on most Mondays, screens a classic movie for just $1.
Paramount is one of three live performance venues programmed and managed by the ACCA, which also oversees Paramount’s “sister” stage, the intimate 173-seat Copley Theatre located across the street from the Paramount at 8 E. Galena Blvd., as well as RiverEdge Park, downtown Aurora’s summer outdoor concert venue at 360 N. Broadway.
Rater and his team also celebrated the grand opening of the new Paramount School of the Arts on June 1, 2019. Paramount’s new school, which anchors the John C. Dunham Aurora Arts Center directly adjacent to the theater, is encouraging and training young actors, dancers and musicians for a culture-filled life, nurturing the arts in Chicago’s western suburbs and adding to the excitement, cultural and economic activity in downtown Aurora. Courses for children as young as six months are offered with opportunities for adults and seniors. Registration is now open for a full roster of classes, private lessons and camps in acting, music and dance. For more, visit ParamountSchool.com.
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 more, visit ParamountAurora.com or call (630) 896-6666.