Paramount Theatre will pull the curtain on another live theater venue – the remodeled Copley Theatre – where it will launch its new Bold Series, a four-show subscription ready to bring a new type of theater to downtown Aurora.
Paramount’s new Bold Series will offer intimate, professional live theater experiences that are fearless, unexpected and thought provoking. In a word, BOLD.
Copley Theatre, a 165-seat theater located right across the street from Paramount in the North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd, was best known as home to The Second City’s annual holiday revue. But the Copley has been an underutilized, hidden gem in downtown Aurora.
“Until now,” said Tim Rater, President and CEO, Paramount Theatre. “The Copley is in the middle of a $2 million, top-to-bottom renovation to transform it into a beautiful, state-of-the-art theater. For everyone who loves live theater, there’s going to be lots more of it in downtown Aurora.”
By September, the Copley will be fully reactivated and ready to host Paramount’s inaugural, four-show Bold Series: A Streetcar Named Desire (October 7-November 22, 2020), Rabbit Hole (January 13-February 28, 2021), Hand to God (March 24-May 9, 2021) and Fun Home (June 9-July 25, 2021).
"The world of theater is vast,” said Corti. “Writers and directors raise our humanity like prisms to light reflecting a spectrum of comedies, dramas and music in ways you never knew existed. Paramount’s Bold Series offers adventures to edify, entertain and gather us together in this latest addition to the artistic hub burgeoning in downtown Aurora. Come discover what we've found for you!"
Bold Series subscriptions go on exclusive pre-sale to Paramount’s renewing 2020-21 Broadway Series subscribers on April 1, 2020. New Broadway subscribers who have pre-ordered the 2020-21 season can also reserve spots during the Bold Series subscriber pre-sale. For Bold early access, subscribe to Paramount’s 2020-21 Broadway season. Bold Series packages go on sale to the general public on May 4. Single tickets go on sale August 7.
All Bold Series performances will be staged in the Copley Theatre, located in the North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd., in downtown Aurora. For more information, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Behind-the-scenes of Paramount’s new Bold Series
Paramount’s President and CEO Tim Rater and Artistic Director Jim Corti have been planning how to activate the Copley since they launched Paramount’s Broadway Series in 2011. Their goal was to create a modern new “date night” destination in downtown Aurora where theater going adventurers can enjoy a night on the town, a new opportunity to experience courageous storytelling and lively conversation after.
In September, the Copley will be re-lit as a new destination for intimate productions of brave new fare, presented virtually year round with four exciting productions running seven to 13 weeks each, eight shows a week.
“As with any new undertaking, it takes a team to realize your goals,” added Rater. “In this case, it’s been the City of Aurora and the Aurora Civic Center Authority Board of Directors who have been undoubtedly supportive and instrumental in achieving the dream of opening.”
Paramount’s Inaugural Bold Series: More about the shows
A Streetcar Named Desire
By Tennessee Williams
Directed by April Cleveland
October 7–November 22, 2020
Press opening: Wednesday, October 14, 7 p.m.
New Orleans. The heat is sweltering; the liquor flows, and the secrets are as thick as the humidity. Pull up a chair and join the high-stakes game of cards. To your left is Stella Kowalski, married, loves her husband and will do anything for him. On your right is Stanley Kowalski, hard drinking, hard playing and hard fists that get used a lot. Across from you is Blanche DuBois, vulnerable, alone and ready to break. Streetcar confronts us with the tenuous relationship between reality and illusion, hope and despair and the brutal battle for beauty and tenderness when the world feels like it’s conspiring against you. The players are in place. The cards are dealt. Hold on for your life.
Rabbit Hole
By David Lindsay-Abaire
January 13–February 28, 2021
Press opening: Wednesday, January 20, 7 p.m.
Hope. Family. Love. They are the requisite elements that fuel us every day of our lives - for good or bad. Rabbit Hole plumbs the depths of human nature, the dizzying highs of devotion and the mysteries of grief in a way that will catch you off guard and leave you changed. Open your heart to discover the power of forgiveness, the complexities of love and finding the strength to move on when your world is crumbling. Poignant, beautiful and genuine, Rabbit Hole, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, will stay with you long after the show is over.
Hand to God
By Robert Askins
Directed by Trent Stork
March 24–May 9, 2021
Press opening: Wednesday, March 31, 7 p.m.
Everybody loves puppets! Even puppets that may or may not be possessed by Satan, right? A small church ministry therapy group in Texas is the unlikely setting for this darkly humorous horror shocker that perfectly blends Avenue Q and Little Shop of Horrors. Hand to God creates a hilarious but insightful, thrilling yet striking, poignant exploration of the deeply human journey of loss and the demons (both mythical and subliminal) that accompany the voyage. Guaranteed to leave your sides sore from laughter and your face soaked in tears, Hand to God is a perfect night out for anyone up for the ride. If God works in mysterious ways, wait until you see what Satan has up his, or at the end of your, sleeve.
Fun Home
Based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Book and lyrics by Lisa Kron
Directed by Marti Lyons
June 9–July 25, 2021
Press opening: Wednesday, June 16, 7 p.m.
Welcome to a funeral home unlike any other you’ve seen. Memories linger in the air like snowflakes and the truth is always opaque. Where finding yourself means looking to the past and seeing yourself reflected in your father, who is exactly the same and still so different than you. It’s a place filled with humor, secrets, anger, unexpected joy, self-revelation and the most confounding thing of all: family. Welcome to Fun Home - a five-time Tony Award-winning musical like no other.
About Paramount Theatre
Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora, is the center for performing arts, entertainment and arts education in the second largest city in Illinois.
Since launching its Broadway Series in 2011, Paramount has leapt to the top of Chicago’s musical theater scene, and grown to be the nation’s second largest subscription house. More than 41,000 loyal subscribers from throughout Chicagoland now enjoy Paramount’s Broadway-quality productions at highly affordable prices.Over the course of nine blockbuster seasons, Paramount has won unanimous audience and critical acclaim, and an unprecedented number of Joseph Jefferson nominations and awards, including Best Musical-Large three years in a row.
Paramount Theatre is one of three live performance venues programmed and managed by the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA), which also oversees the Copley Theatre along with RiverEdge Park, downtown Aurora’s summer outdoor concert venue. ACCA also programs and manages the new Paramount School of the Arts, located directly adjacent to the theater.
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.