HAIR Among Blockbuster Musicals to play at Paramount Theatre in 2011-12

Following weeks of anticipation, the Paramount Theatre in Aurora officially confirmed today the four blockbuster musicals that will make up the theater's first-ever Broadway Subscription Series.

Starting next fall, the Paramount will join the ranks of Chicago's top Equity houses by self-producing and presenting a spectacular, four-show Broadway series including My Fair Lady (September 14-October 2, 2011), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (November 2-November 20, 2011), A Chorus Line (January 18-February 5, 2012) and Hair (March 14-April 2, 2012).

With Broadway at the Paramount packages starting as low as $70, musical theater fans can enjoy four incredible musicals for the price of just one show downtown. Each will be steeped in sumptuous costuming, extravagant sets and elegant choreography, and feature the talents of top professional actors and designers from Chicago and around the U.S. But wait, that's not all! Broadway musicals at the Paramount will boast full orchestration with live musicians, with the debut of the new Paramount Theatre Orchestra. What's more, the Paramount's 2011-2012 Broadway series will be staged by a who's who of Chicago's leading musical theater visionaries, including new Paramount Artistic Director Jim Corti, Stacey Flaster, Mitzi Hamilton and Rachel Rockwell.

The Paramount's new Broadway series, which marks a radical shift in programming for the theater, will be overseen by Jim Corti, the celebrated Chicago director, choreographer and Broadway actor and the Paramount's first-ever Artistic Director in its 80-year history. "We invite you to become the first to experience the crown jewel of our 80th anniversary season, our new Broadway at the Paramount series," Corti said. "We are your new home for Broadway classics crafted by innovative design, inventive staging and fresh ideas. Don't miss the chance to be swept away in the lavish set of My Fair Lady, to be mesmerized by Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, to witness the intense drama of A Chorus Line or to rock out to Hair. Trust me, you will not be disappointed."

Corti, joined by Paramount Executive Director Tim Rater, celebrated the launch of the 2011-2012 Broadway line-up in front of a sold-out house of nearly 2,000 people last Friday night, all attracted to tonight's Big Reveal party just to hear the show titles and for the chance to be charter subscribers. Thanking the capacity crowd, Rater said, "Tonight's overwhelming response proves there's an enormous amount of interest in top-notch Broadway musicals throughout the Chicago area. I love that our Broadway series will be very affordable without compromising a single drop of quality."

Guests enjoyed appetizers, cocktails and entertainment including a surprise performance by Under the Streetlamp, featuring the leading cast members of the smash Tony Award-winning hit Jersey Boys - Michael Ingersoll, Shonn Wiley, Michael Cunio and Christopher Kale Jones. The former Jersey Boys poured their hearts, souls and amazing vocal talents into a medley of songs from the musicals.

Giant banners dramatically unfurled from above the stage to reveal each of the show names, and were greeted with waves of enthusiastic applause. Right after, audience members clamored back into the lobby for the opportunity to sign up as charter subscribers for the Broadway at the Paramount series.
For those who attempted to RSVP for Friday night's Big Reveal event after it sold out three weeks ago, the Paramount is emailing the same subscription offer today, Monday, March 21.

On Friday, April 1, starting at 10 a.m. the public can call 630.896.6666 or stop by the Paramount box office, 23 E. Galena Boulevard. in downtown Aurora, to subscribe to the Broadway at the Paramount series. Note: the Buy Two Shows, Get Two Shows Free offer will only be extended to the first 10,000 buyers.

More about the Paramount's Inaugural 2011-2012 Broadway Series

The launch of Broadway at the Paramount is ushering in a new era for the theater. Rater explained, "The previous model of importing touring productions wasn't working. By shifting to in-house productions, we are taking control. We can choose the shows our patrons want to see, and they can now choose when they want to see them. We will be presenting bigger and better productions than ever before, crafted precisely for the Paramount stage. And with Jim Corti at the artistic helm, our shows will be the best in Chicago at the most affordable prices. Count on it."

The 2011-2012 Broadway at the Paramount series includes:

My Fair Lady
Directed by Jim Corti
September 14- October 2, 2011
Press opening: Friday, September 16, 8 p.m.

Artistic Director Jim Corti will launch the inaugural Broadway at the Paramount series with My Fair Lady, one of the greatest American musicals ever written. This sweeping tale of a common flower girl and the distinguished professor who bets he can make her a refined lady is the glorious musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's 1912 classic masterpiece, Pygmalion. Featuring richly textured melodies, lavish sets and gorgeous period fashions, My Fair Lady brings you the songs you've long loved such as Wouldn't It Be Loverly?, The Rain in Spain, I Could Have Danced All Night and I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face. Funny, sweet and delightful in every way, find out why some say this musical is the standard by which all others are written.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Directed by Stacey Flaster
November 2 - November 20, 2011
Press opening: Friday, November 4, 8 p.m.

TRIUMPHANT. FAST-PACED. Musical theater on a magnanimous scale. Nominated for eight Tony Awards, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat paints a stirring portrait of Joseph, the favorite son. His brothers? Jealous to the core. The narrator guides the story and colorful cast through Andrew Lloyd Webber's family-friendly and eclectic score of pop music genres: from country western and disco to reggae and rock and roll. The artistic team's vision for staging is glorious - almost cinematic in quality. Joseph, the role made famous by Donny Osmond, along with a mesmerizing cast, transforms big numbers, light-hearted humor and dance into a memorable show sure to touch the hearts of the very young on up.

Stacey Flaster has directed and choreographed for Marriott Theatre, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Theatre at the Center, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Light Opera Works and Noble Fool Theatricals, among others. She has been nominated for two Jeff Awards for her choreography.

A Chorus Line
Directed by Mitzi Hamilton
January 18-February 5, 2012
Press opening: Friday, January 20, 8 p.m.

EXHILARATING! No other word aptly describes A Chorus Line, where 17 dancers yearn for a coveted spot on the line. Celebrate their individual stories of hope, sacrifice, soul-searching and dreams as their tales unfold on stage during a single New York audition. This smash hit features music
written by famed composer Marvin Hamlisch and offers up big dance numbers, emotionally-charged vocals, laughter and pathos. No wonder A Chorus Line is the longest running American musical ever produced, boasting nine Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. What I Did For Love and the blockbuster Broadway finale One are here! Never look at the stage the same way again. A Chorus Line promises to be one singular sensation, particularly with Broadway star Mitzi Hamilton directing. Hamilton provided the inspiration for the character of Val in the original Michael Bennett production of A Chorus Line, and later performed the role in the original London company and on Broadway.

Hair
Directed by Rachel Rockwell
March 14-April 1, 2012
Press opening: Friday, March 16, 8 p.m.

PEACE, NOW. FREEDOM, NOW. Yes, the dawning of Aquarius has arrived at the Paramount! Reunite with the ecstasy and radicalism of the sixties in this Tony Award winning, full-tilt production of Hair. A modern musical evangelist that clearly favors the anti-establishment, Hair highlights many of the same issues our youth wrestle with today. As its electrifying music collides with themes of love and war, drugs, environmentalism, racism and sex, Hair is the antithesis of almost all other Broadway musicals. Some of the most memorable songs ever written for stage are here, including Aquarius, Easy to be Hard, Good Morning Starshine and the unmistakable title song, Hair. Note: parental discretion is advised. There is a dimly lit 20-second scene with nudity that is non-sexual in nature.

Director Rachel Rockwell, named "Chicago's Best Director" of 2010 by Chicago Magazine, has staged award-winning plays and musicals for Drury Lane Oakbrook, Marriott Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Drury Lane Water Tower Place and Noble Fool.

Of course, in addition to producing three-week runs of each Broadway subscription show, the Paramount will continue filling its schedule with one of the widest arrays of short-run musical acts, comedy, dance, holiday shows, movies and family presentations in the Chicagoland area. Look for an announcement of the balance of the Paramount's 2011-2012 season in June.

About The Paramount Theatre

The Paramount Theatre has been a center for performing arts, entertainment, and arts education for more than 75 years in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. Named "One of Chicago's Top Ten Theatres" by the League of Chicago Theatres, the 1,888-seat Paramount Theatre attracts an annual audience of more than 150,000, and is nationally renowned for the quality and caliber of its presentations, superb acoustics and historic beauty.

Located in the heart of downtown Aurora at 23 E. Galena Boulevard, the Paramount Theatre opened on September 3, 1931. Designed by nationally renowned theater architects C.W. and George L. Rapp, the theater captures a unique Venetian setting portrayed in the art deco influence of the 1930s. The first air-conditioned building outside of Chicago, the Paramount offered the public a variety of entertainment, including "talking pictures", vaudeville, concerts and circus performances for more than 40 years.

In 1976, Aurora Civic Center Authority purchased the Paramount and closed the theater for restoration. The $1.5 million project restored the Paramount to its original grandeur. On April 29, 1978, the Paramount Arts Center opened, offering a variety of theatrical, musical, comedy, dance and family programming. In 2006, a 12,000 square foot lobby was added. The Grand Gallery houses a state-of-the-art box office, a cafe, a gift shop and an art gallery.

For more information, visit the Paramount Theatre online at www.paramountaurora.com.

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!