Downtown Aurora’s intimate Copley Theatre, home to Paramount Theatre’s BOLD Series, has become a hot destination for playgoers who enjoy honest, fervent and emotionally intoxicating live theater.
Season three of Paramount’s BOLD Series launches this summer with an exciting new production of Peter and the Starcatcher. Climb aboard this wildly fun, all-ages prequel to J.M. Barrie's classic “Peter Pan,” packed with clever wordplay, magical stagecraft and swashbuckling escapades, infused with Paramount’s dramatic flair. See why Peter and the Starcatcher was nominated for nine Tony Awards, and won five, performed in a space so intimate you’re practically part of the action.
Previews start July 24. Press openings are Wednesday, July 31 and Thursday, August 1 at 7 p.m. Peter and the Starcatcher runs through September 1. Single tickets are $40-$55, and are on sale now.
Or consider Paramount’s BOLD Series package, starting at just $75. Subscribers save on tickets and get the best seats to three amazing shows: Peter and the Starcatcher, An Act of God (October 2-November 4) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (March 12-April 27, 2025).
Adulting is hard! Behind-the-scenes of Peter and the Starcatcher
Set sail for exotic lands, unbuckle your adult notions, and embrace the youthful bonds of camaraderie, love and duty in Peter and the Starcatcher. Learn the back stories of Peter Pan, and other iconic characters, including the notorious Captain Hook, on Peter’s quest to protect something important — starstuff — and the cheerful spirit of youth itself. Experience Peter and the Starcatcher in Paramount’s intimate Copley Theatre, as it morphs into a magical world made of faith, trust and pixie dust.
This whimsical prequel begins when, as a young orphan, Peter Pan is sold into servitude aboard the Wasp, a ship bound for Neverland. But bleak realities of the Victorian age and the British Empire’s industrial complex can’t force Peter to grow up. Instead, his enthusiasm is infectious, compelling every young person he meets, including the precocious Starcatcher apprentice, Molly Aster, and the audience too, to join this ageless adventure.
In the production’s Playbill, director Nate Cohen and choreographer Binal Lital Schatsky, both making their Paramount debut, write, “Imagine, for a moment, that anything is possible. Imagine humans speaking to birds, pirates making a comeback and real, live mermaids. Now imagine that each and every one of us is born knowing how to fly. While most of us grew up, moved on, and forgot, this play returns us to the lost art of childhood and reminds us of what we’ve forgotten: that anyone, with the right dose of conviction, can remember how to fly.”
Paramount’s Peter and the Starcatcher cast features Nick Sandys (Black Stache), Shelbi Voss (Molly Aster), Terry Bell (Boy/Peter), Josh Bernaski (Grempkin/Fighting Prawn/Mack/Sánchez), Gabriel Fries (Mrs. Bumbrake/Teacher), Matt Miles (Bill Slank/Hawking Clam), Mark David Kaplan (Smee), Michaela Shapiro (Prentiss), Tamsen Glaser (Alf), Kevin Kantor (Lord Leonard Aster), Matt Bowdren (Captain Robert Falcon Scott), Brandon Acosta (Ted), and ensemble members Beck Damron, Matt Johnson, Nathan Karnik and Dana Pepowski.
Paramount’s Peter and the Starcatcher cast features (top, from left) Nick Sandys (Black Stache), Shelbi Voss (Molly Aster), Terry Bell (Boy/Peter), Josh Bernaski (Grempkin/Fighting Prawn/Mack/Sánchez), Gabriel Fries (Mrs. Bumbrake/Teacher), Matt Miles (Bill Slank/Hawking Clam), Mark David Kaplan (Smee), Michaela Shapiro (Prentiss), (bottom) Tamsen Glaser (Alf), Kevin Kantor (Lord Aster), Matt Bowdren (Captain Robert Falcon Scott), Brandon Acosta (Ted), and ensemble members Beck Damron, Matt Johnson, Nathan Karnik and Dana Pepowski.
The full production team is Nate Cohen, director; Binal Lital Schatsky, choreographer and assistant director; Kory Danielson, music supervisor; Kevin Reeks, music director and conductor; Myra G. Reavis, scenic designer; Kotryna Hilko, costume designer; Jackie Fox, lighting designer; Eric Backus, sound designer; Ivy Treccani, properties designer; Kathy Logelin, dialect coach; Ethan Deppe, electronic music designer; Kira Nutter, fight and intimacy director; Isabella Isherwood, associate music director and associate conductor; Amber R. Dettmers, stage manager; and Christopher Lindquist, assistant stage manager.
Nate Cohen (director) holds an MFA from Northwestern University, where he now teaches. Chicago directing credits include The Minutes (Ghostlight), Heisenberg (Griffin), I Am a Camera (Porchlight), Winnie the Pooh, Angry Brigade, Midsummer: A Play with Songs (Wirtz Center), and Manspread Madness (Collaboraction). Other Chicago credits are dramaturg, Cabaret (Porchlight) and assisting at Northlight and Steppenwolf. Various regional credits include Artists Repertory Theatre, Third Rail, Theatre Vertigo, Action/Adventure, CoHo and the international tour of The Gun Show.
Peter and the Starcatcher is written by Rick Elice, based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, with music by Wayne Barker. It premiered at La Jolla Playhouse in California in 2009, transferred to Off Broadway in 2011, opened on Broadway on April 15, 2012, and went on to be nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning five, including Best Original Score.
Performance schedule
Peter and the Starcatcher starts previews on Wednesday, July 24. Opening Nights are Wednesday and Thursday, July 31 and August 1 at 7 p.m. Performances run through September 1: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Thursdays at 7 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. There are two Pay-What-You-Can Previews, Thursday, July 25 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, July 26 at 2 p.m. Content warning: adult language, fighting and discrimination toward women.
Paramount’s BOLD Series productions are presented at the Copley Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd., in downtown Aurora. Go to ParamountAurora.com or call (630) 896-6666 to purchase tickets or subscriptions, or visit the Paramount box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days.
For the latest updates, follow @ParamountAurora on Facebook and Instagram, and Paramount Theatre on LinkedIn.
Access Services
Paramount will offer an American Sign Language interpreted performance on Friday, August 30 at 8 p.m.
Paramount offers assistive listening devices free of charge at all performances. Check in at the box office before the show to borrow a listening 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.
Sponsor
Paramount’s 2024-25 BOLD Series is sponsored by Old National Bank.
This production of Peter and the Starcatcher is licensed by Music Theatre International.
Also coming soon to Paramount Theatre
Paramount has a blockbuster, four-show line-up for its 13th Broadway Series, launching in August 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.
In addition, Stolp Island Theatre, Paramount’s third live theater venue, will open in July with Million Dollar Quartet, one of the all-time best rock and roll musicals. This new staging is custom produced for Paramount’s new, 98-seat experiential theater space, 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. All tickets are $65. Stolp Island Theatre is located at 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G, in downtown Aurora.
For tickets, subscriptions 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.