Aurora's Paramount Theatre Now Eligible for Equity Jeff Awards/Large Tier

The Paramount Theatre has confirmed it has been informed by Chicago's Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee that its 2014-2015 Broadway Musical series productions will be eligible for consideration for Equity Jeff Awards/Large Tier theaters next season.

"Thank you Jeff Committee! As you can imagine I am overwhelmed, proud and grateful for the honor of Paramount Theatre now being recognized among Chicago's best. An honor earned by the dedication of our artists, technicians and staff and our ever growing audience," said Jim Corti, Artistic Director, Paramount Theatre. "I can't believe the stride we have hit so quickly in only our third season! Congratulations, thanks and love to President and CEO, Tim Rater, who knew from the start we could do this. Thanks again Jeff Committee! We will strive as ever to make you proud and be worthy of Chicago Theatre, the best there is in the country!"

The Jeff Committee, akin to New York's Tony Awards, is a volunteer organization that has been honoring outstanding Chicago theatre productions and artists annually since it was established in 1968. Previous rules mandated theaters eligible for Jeff Equity consideration had to be within 30 miles of downtown Chicago. Starting in 2014-2015, that radius will be extended to 45 miles, allowing the Paramount and other suburban Equity theaters to submit their productions for Jeff consideration.

The Paramount is only in its third season of self-producing its own four-play Broadway Musical subscription series. Under the guidance of Artistic Director Jim Corti and President and CEO Tim Rater, the Paramount has worked with Chicago's top theater professionals to turn out a consistent string of major hits including My Fair Lady, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, A Chorus Line, Hair, Grease, Annie, The Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof, In the Heights, Miss Saigon and 42nd Street. Still to come in Paramount's 2013-14 Broadway series is the season finale RENT, directed by Jim Corti, March 12-April 6. Interested in learning the four Paramount musicals that will be up for consideration for Equity Jeff Awards in 2014-2015? Stay tuned until Friday, February 28, 2014 at noon, when Paramount officials will hold a special event at the Copley Theatre in downtown Aurora to officially unveil the four productions that will make up its 2014-2015 Broadway Musical series. Four-play subscriptions to Paramount's Broadway series go on sale March 1 atparamountaurora.com or by calling 630.896.6666.

To learn more about the Joseph Jefferson Committee, visit jeffawards.org.

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