Chicago's Paramount Aurora Theatre Will Stage FROZEN & WAITRESS; Full 2024/25 Season Announced

Chicago's Paramount Aurora Theatre will stage the metropolis' premiere of Disney's Frozen the Musical as the 2024 holiday season show. The city, which has previously the touring production, will be one of the first to see a production staged by a local theatre company. 

The other licensed productions announced for 2024 for the title are Utah's Tuacahn Center for the Arts and MT Wichita. Other theaters are currently licensing the production for mid to late 2025.

The rest of the season features a blockbuster, four-show line-up for its 13th Broadway Series. The season features two Regional Premieres – Disney’s Frozen (October 30, 2024-January 19, 2025) and Waitress (February 12-March 30, 2025) – bookended by The Full Monty in the fall (August 21-October 6, 2024), and a revival of Cats next spring (April 30-June 15, 2025).

Paramount’s third BOLD Series will present three fresh, exciting works in 2024-25 – Peter and the Starcatcher (July 24-September 1, 2024), An Act of God (October 2-November 10, 2024) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (March 12-April 27, 2025) – right across the street in Paramount’s intimate Copley Theatre. 

Stolp Island Theatre, Paramount’s third live theater venue, will open this summer with a new production of Million Dollar Quartet. Stolp Island Theatre is a 9,000-square-foot development that includes an intimate 98-seat, 4,600-square-foot theater designed for immersive theater experiences, now under construction at 5 E. Downer Place on the Fox River in downtown Aurora.

“Along with the dazzling production values you’ve come to expect from every Paramount show, there’s again, something for everyone in our 13th season of our Broadway Series including the two Regional Premieres of Disney’s Frozen and Grammy Award-winner Sarah Bareilles’ Waitress,” said Paramount Theatre Artistic Director Jim Corti.

“As well, audiences’ raves for our BOLD Series launch us into its third season of smart, funny, musical, and ultimately intimate productions along with a new 98-seat venue planned to open this summer: the Stolp Island Theatre presenting an immersive Million Dollar Quartet experience on the banks of the Fox River! That’s eight shows playing on three different stages coming to you with all the heart and skill Paramount instills in every show!”

Tim Rater, President and CEO, Paramount Theatre, added “downtown Aurora is a national destination for Broadway-caliber musicals in our beautiful Paramount Theatre, thought-provoking productions in our intimate Copley Theatre, live music at our outdoor summer concert venue, RiverEdge Park, and now, an all-new immersive theater experience, right on the Fox River. With Paramount’s commitment to doing more and better, and the City of Aurora’s commitment to the arts and downtown, we are becoming the model that others can look to as to how the performing arts can revitalize a community.” 

Broadway Series renewals begin February 5. During the renewal period, new subscribers can pre-order subscriptions and queue up for the best seats, after renewing subscribers receive theirs.

Paramount Aurora Chicago 2024/2025 Season

The Full Monty

Directed by Jim Corti
Book by Terrence McNally
Music and lyrics by David Yazbek
Based on the motion picture released by Fox Searchlight Pictures, written by Simon Beaufoy, produced by Uberto Pasolini and directed by Peter Cattaneo
August 21-October 6, 2024 
Press Opening: Friday, August 30 at 8 p.m.

Disney’s Frozen

The Broadway Musical Regional Premiere
Directed by Trent Stork
Music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Book by Jennifer Lee
Originally directed on Broadway by Michael Grandage
Based on the Disney film written by Jennifer Lee and directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee
Originally produced on Broadway by Disney Theatrical Productions
October 30, 2024-January 19, 2025
Press opening: Friday, November 8 at 8 p.m.

Waitress

Regional Premiere
Directed by Katie Spelman
Book by Jessie Nelson
Music and Lyrics by Sara Bareilles
Based on the motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly
February 12-March 30, 2025
Press opening: Friday, February 21 at 8 p.m.

What is more American than Apple Pie? A small-town waitress with a dream and the recipe for success.

Sugar, butter and flour aren’t the only ingredients Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker, uses to make her famous pies. Stuck in a small town, a loveless marriage, and a surprise pregnancy, Jenna hopes to bake her way out of trouble. Jenna puts her heart and soul into her delicious pies, winning over anyone who tastes them. But battling expectations and low self-esteem, Jenna’s pies reflect her state of mind with names like "I Hate My Husband Pie" and "Pregnant, Miserable, Self-Pitying Loser Pie." 

Full of romance and the joy of an uninhibited fling, Waitress challenges the story of a pregnant woman trapped in a small town between the life she’s living and the life she wants. Her customers, co-workers, and the town’s handsome new doctor may all offer conflicting recipes for happiness, but only Jenna can do the soul-searching to decide what the right ingredients are for her own happiness. 

Want to know her secret recipe? Don’t miss Waitress, based on the 2007 film by the same name, with lyrics and music by Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee, Sara Bareilles. Nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score, Waitress serves up songs like “What’s Inside” “What Baking Can Do,” “Club Knocked Up” with a side of romantic tunes including “It Only Takes a Taste” and “When He Sees Me.”

Cats

Directed by Trent Stork
Music by Andrew Lloyd Weber
Based on “Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot
April 30-June 15, 2025
Press opening: Friday, May 9 at 8 p.m.

See for yourself how Paramount Theatre gives Cats another life for a new generation of feline fans, totally reinvented with imaginative storytelling and groundbreaking theatrical flair.

Inspired by a collection of poems by T.S. Eliot, this iconic musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber is a beloved fantastical journey into the clandestine world of Jellicle Cats. Light on dialog, but full of captivating dance, rousing music and singsong poetry, Cats won the Tony for Best Musical, Best Original Score and ranks number 11 on the all-time Best Selling Broadway Musical roster.

Long-time subscribers recall Paramount’s acclaimed 2014 staging. But you’ve never seen this Cats before! Paramount’s creative team is bringing a new layer and energy to this Broadway classic exploring timeless themes of identity and redemption while honoring unforgettable, stirring songs like “Memory” and “The Rum Tum Tugger.”

Peter and the Starcatcher

Directed by Nate Cohen
A play by Rick Elice
Based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Music by Wayne Barker
July 24-September 1, 2024
Press openings: Wednesday, July 31 and Thursday, August 1 at 7 p.m.

Adulting is hard! Set your dials for adventure, unbuckle unfortunate adult notions, and embrace the youthful bonds of camaraderie, love and duty in Peter and the Starcatcher. In this whimsical prequel to the story of Peter Pan, a young orphan is sold into servitude aboard the Neverland-bound ship, the Wasp. But bleak realities of the Victorian age and industrial practices cannot force Peter to grow up. Instead, his enthusiasm is infectious, compelling every young person he meets (and the audience too) to join this ageless adventure.
 
Boldly staged in Paramount’s intimate Copley Theatre, a magical place “made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust,” audiences will leave the empire to set sail for exotic lands with Peter and the precocious Molly Aster, a Starcatcher apprentice. The stage adaptation captures the spirit of J.M. Barrie's classic “Peter Pan” with wordplay, swashbuckling escapades and Paramount’s flair for the dramatic.

Trace the genesis of Peter Pan, Wendy and other iconic characters, including the notorious Captain Hook. Join Peter’s quest to protect something important — starstuff, and the cheerful spirit of youth itself. See why Peter and the Starcatcher was the buzz of New York, nominated for nine Tony Awards, and winner of three. 

An Act of God

By David Javerbaum
October 2-November 10, 2024
Press openings: Wednesday or Thursday, October 9 or 10 at 7 p.m.

In An Act of God, the Almighty himself takes a crack at rewriting the Ten Commandments and He gives it to us straight. Inhabiting a mortal vessel, this world-weary God invokes many classic straight shooters from the past. But even Howard Stern and Johnny Carson would blush at God’s audacity as He takes the stage to address the misconceptions mankind has amassed over the eons.

As a talk show guest, plan to have your assumptions challenged while God navigates you through religious doctrine, moral dilemmas, and your own human foibles with a blend of satire and irreverent humor. With worthy sidekicks like archangels Michael and Gabriel, God’s reflections on creation, faith, and the nature of good and evil just might open some pearly gates for you in the future.
 
God gets a second chance to dish it all out for us, delivering the rewrite of the ages in this hilarious divine comedy — not for the faint of heart.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Directed by Stephen Schellhardt
Music and lyrics by William Finn
Book by Rachel Sheinkin
Conceived by Rebecca Feldman
Additional material by Jay Reiss
Originally directed on Broadway by James Lapine
March 12-April 27, 2025
Press openings: Wednesday or Thursday, March 19 or 20 at 7 p.m.

Everyone loves a coming-of-age tale. Combine that with the epic struggles of six underdogs competing to shine in their own sport, and you have The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee — a relatable musical that sheds a humorous light on adolescents growing up under the pressure to excel.

Whether you were a band kid or a cheerleader, middle school angst is a memory everyone can relate to. Chances are you will recognize one of the six types in yourself: the perfectionist, the loner, the kid whose parents are unavailable, the imposter, the sensitive one, and the overachiever. There might only be one champion, but at what cost to all of the rest who aim to conquer? As the contestants vie for the spelling bee championship of a lifetime, themes of competition, identity, and alienation portray the universal awkwardness of growing up — making it the perfect nostalgic musical comedy.

Entertaining tunes include “I’m Not That Smart,” “Pandemonium,” “Woe Is Me” and of course, “The I Love You Song.” A two-time Tony Award winner, including Best Book, the catchy tunes, witty lyrics, and endearing characters create an entertaining and heartwarming theatrical experience for all, even the overachievers and spelling-challenged among us.

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