Paramount Theatre In 2019-20 Season Announced

In addition to its popular Broadway Series, Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora, presents internationally known comedians, music stars, dance events and family shows, and on most Mondays, screens a classic movie for just $1.

Today, Paramount announced four exciting new shows as part of its 2019-20 season: Ruben Studdard sings Luther Vandross, Friday, October 25 at 8 p.m. ($39-$49); The Second City's Holiday Revue: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Sweater, Thursdays through Sundays, November 29-December 22 in the Copley Theatre in the North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd. ($37); comedian/impressionist Frank Caliendo, Saturday, April 4 at 8 p.m. ($52-$62); and a new Fox Valley Orchestra Summer Pops Series, Sunday, June 28, July 12, July 26 and August 9 at 3 p.m. ($25-$30, multiple show discounts available).

Tickets to all four go on special presale to 2019-20 Paramount Subscribers only Wednesday, July 10 at 10 a.m. Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, July 12 at 10 a.m.

For tickets and information, visit ParamountAurora.com, call
(630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount Theatre box office, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

More about the shows

Ruben Studdard sings Luther Vandross
Friday, October 25, 2019, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $39-$49

There will never be another Luther Vandross, and no other voice comes closer to him than Ruben Studdard - the remarkable singer who was hailed as "The Next Luther Vandross" during his historic winning run on American Idol. Imagine the vocals and music performed like Vandross performed them live in concert, including hits like "A House is Not a Home," "Never Too Much," "Superstar" and so many more. Ruben Studdard sings Luther Vandross is the closest you'll get to a live Luther show.

Studdard rose to fame as season two winner of American Idol in 2003, besting runner-up Clay Aiken, which was quickly followed by a 2003 Grammy Award® nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Superstar." In the years following, Studdard has released seven studio albums, including his platinum-selling debut, Soulful, and the top-selling gospel follow-up, I Need an Angel. His recording career has produced hits including "Flying Without Wings," "Sorry 2004" and "Change Me," but he has also segued into TV and stage work. He toured with Robin Givens in I Need a Hug and in 2008 starred as Fats Waller in a national tour of Ain't Misbehavin, which spawned a Grammy®-nominated soundtrack. He is signed to Verve Records, the label for his albums Unconditional Love and Ruben Sings Luther, released in 2018. For more, visit rubensingsluther.com.

Frank Caliendo
Saturday, April 4, 2020, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $52-$62

Comedian and celebrity impressionist Frank Caliendo is a comedy genius, famous for his countless, hilarious appearances on Frank TV, Fox NFL Sunday, MADtv, The Late Show with David Letterman and more. He's also a favorite at Aurora's Paramount Theatre, where his high-energy blend of observations, impressions, characters and anecdotal stories always start at a frenetic pace and never let up. Best of all, you can bring the kids because Caliendo's shows are clean and family-friendly.

Born in Chicago and raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin, Caliendo has been making people laugh his entire life, popular for his high-energy style that the Hollywood Reporter called "a combination of Robin Williams and Jim Carrey." He was an 11-year veteran of television sketch comedy as a cast member on MADtv and star of his own series Frank TV. He is a regular on such talk shows as The View, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Tonight Show and Late Show with David Letterman. After a 10-year run on the FOX NFL Sunday Pregame Show, Caliendo has a new home over at ESPN, where he joined Sunday NFL Countdown. With ESPN's plethora of strong personalities, Caliendo has added a new set of highly entertaining sports persona to his vast arsenal of impressions, including analysts like Jon Gruden, Mel Kiper, Jr., Ron "Jaws" Jaworski, Coach Mike Ditka, Adam Schefter and Chris "Boomer" Berman. Beyond ESPN's NFL show, his segments often appear on Sports Center and other prized ESPN shows. His "Gruden QB Camp" segments, Super Bowl "Richard Sherman 30 for 30" mocumentary and "#IfTrumpWere" parodies are among the plethora of his works that have gone viral across the web. frankcaliendo.com

The Second City's Holiday Revue: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Sweater

November 29-December 22, 2019: Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.
In the Copley Theatre in the North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora
Tickets: $37

?It's the most depress...no...sorrow...no...wonderful-ish time of the year! Take a handful of The Second City's best and brightest comedians, roll 'em around in some tinsel and eggnog, throw in your ugliest holiday sweater and before you can say "Aunt Shirley is drunk and trying to put antlers on the dog again," you've got another holiday show ready to roast the chestnuts outta all the things we lovingly loathe about the holiday season. Don't miss Paramount's annual end-of-year holiday tradition bringing The Second City's renowned brand of festive hilarity to downtown Aurora's 173-seat Copley Theatre, a stage so intimate you're never more than 70 feet from all those seasonal songs and hilarious skits. Note: this production is for audiences 18 years and older due to strong adult language and content.

Fox Valley Orchestra Summer Pops Series

Rhapsody in Pops - Sunday, June 28, 2020, 3 p.m.
Cool Trumpet HOT! - Sunday, July 12, 2020, 3 p.m.
Broadway in Love - Sunday, July 26, 2020, 3 p.m.
Calypso Summer - Sunday, August 9, 2020, 3 p.m.

Tickets: $25-$30; multi-show discounts available - 10% off 3 shows, 15% off 4 shows

Unplug and enjoy live, high quality orchestra performances by the Fox Valley Orchestra, hailed the best in Chicago's western suburbs, for four summer Sunday afternoons in the beautiful Paramount Theatre. The Fox Valley Orchestra is a nonprofit cultural organization whose purpose is to provide fine musical performances for people of all ages and educational opportunities for youth. Brian Groner is Music Director. For more, visit foxvalleyorchestra.org.

Other shows already on sale at Paramount include:

Happy Together Tour 2019
Friday, August 16, 2019, 8 p.m.

An annual end-of-summer tradition at Paramount, this year featuring six headline artists responsible for many of the biggest hits of the '60s and '70s: The Turtles, Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night), Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, The Buckinghams, The Classics IV and The Cowsills.

Bernadette Peters
Saturday, August 17, 2019, 8 p.m.

Throughout her illustrious career, Peters has dazzled audiences and critics on stage, film and television, in concert, and on recordings. Best known for her work on stage, Peters recently starred in the hit Broadway musical Hello, Dolly! Here's your chance to see this vivacious mega-star perform live on Paramount's stage.

Fastlove: A Tribute to George Michael
Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 8 p.m.

The U.K.'s finest George Michael tribute show is packed with crowd-pleasing anthems from Wham classics to the chart-topping success of the 80s album Faith, plus the awesome tunes of the 90s. Fastlove stars Andrew Browning, one of Europe's leading and most accurate sound and lookalike to George Michael.

Eddie B "I'm Already Professionally Developed"
Saturday, November 2, 2019, 8 p.m.

America's favorite teacher/stand-up comic is changing the comedy game, tapping into the minds of everyone who's ever stepped foot inside a school and selling out major arenas throughout the country.

Terry Fator
Saturday, January 25, 2020, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Celebrity impressions, singing, comedy and ventriloquism, America's Got Talent season two winner Terry Fator does it all with the help of his hilarious puppet pals Winston, the Impersonating Turtle, Maynard Thompkins, the Elvis Impersonator and many others.

Killer Queen
Friday, April 3, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $38-$48

If you want to go back in time to see what a Queen concert looked and sounded like, then you want to get tickets to Killer Queen, the premier Queen tribute featuring Patrick Myers as Freddie Mercury.
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Jay Leno
Friday, April 17, 2020, 8 p.m.

For more than two decades, Jay Leno was America's favorite late-night comedy host, dominating the airwaves, winning an Emmy and a slew of other awards, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Known as "the hardest working man in show business," Leno is synonymous with quality entertainment.

Paramount Theatre's 2019-20 Broadway Series

Paramount four-play Broadway Series subscription packages are on sale now starting as low as $72.

Newsies
September 4-October 20, 2019

?The rousing, David versus Goliath, Disney family musical about newsboys who take on a greedy news tycoon, directed by Paramount Artistic Director Jim Corti.

Beauty and the Beast
November 13, 2019-January 19, 2020

?The family-friendly, enchanting Disney classic storybook musical fantasy that proves beauty isn't always what it appears, in another holiday season spectacle staging by Paramount's Amber Mak.
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The Secret of My Success
February 12-March 29, 2020

A world premiere musical based on the hit Universal Pictures film starring Michael J. Fox, featuring a book by acclaimed writers Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen, score by Chicago's own Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler, directed by Gordon Greenberg.

Kinky Boots
April 29-June 14, 2020

Paramount presents the regional premiere of the high kicking musical, book by Harvey Fierstein, lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, directed by Paramount's Trent Stork.

?Paramount's Broadway Series is sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, Dunham Fund, Com Ed and City of Aurora.