Photo Flash: First Look at FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at Aurora's Paramount Theatre

The newest tradition in Aurora is enjoying critically acclaimed, smash hit, "Better than Broadway" musicals in the beautiful 1,888-seat Paramount Theatre in the heart of the city's growing downtown business district. Next, the Paramount wraps only the second season of itsself-produced Broadway musical series with the all-time family classic, Fiddler on the Roof. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production in the photos below!

Nominated for 10 Tony awards, and winner of nine, Fiddler on the Roof is a musical journey of love, loss, faith and family, and ultimately, a celebration of life and all its challenges. From the rich orchestrations andbeautiful score to the powerful production numbers and emotionally charged story, Fiddler is a show everyone should experience.

Think of the unmistakable image of a Fiddler on the Roof...a metaphor for balancing life, for survival and for tradition. Set in Tsarist Russia in 1905, this is the story of Tevye, a simple and loving milkman, who does everything he can to maintain his family and their religious traditions. With five strong-willed daughters, a loyal yet independent wife and an ever-changing society, the safety and stability of his old world is disappearing.

Based on the bookTevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem, Fiddler on the Roof - music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, book by Joseph Stein - boasts a song list with some of the most popular titles in musical theater including Tradition; If I Were a Rich Man; Far From the Home I Love; Matchmaker, Matchmaker; and Sunrise, Sunset.

At the directorial helm for Paramount's 2012-13 season finale is Artistic Director
Jim Corti, who launched and oversees the theater's Broadway Series.

Cast highlights include Chicago veterans Peter Kevoian (Teyve) , Iris Lieberman (Golde), Renee Matthews (Yente), David Girolmo (Lazar Wolf) and Fredric Stone (The Rabbi), alongside rising stars Kelley Abell (Tzeitel) , Skyler Adams (Motel), Ian Paul Custer (Nachum), Jim DeSelm (Perchik), Nicholas Foster (Avram), Jazmin Gorsline (Hodel, and most recently, performed Eliza in Cameron Mackintosh's national tour of My Fair Lady, making her Chicago debut at the Paramount), Jake Klinkhammer (Sasha), Benjamin Magnuson (Mordcha), Richard Marlatt (Constable), Christine Mild (Shaindel), Brandon Moorhead (Fyedka), David Sajewich (Mendel), Brooke Singer (Chava),and real-life sisters Jennifer Baker (15) and Julia Baker (9) as Shprintze and Bielke. Rounding out Paramount's full, 34-person cast are classical violinist Mark Agnor as The Fiddler, and ensemble members Britt Banaszynski, Sarah Bockel, Hannah Corneau, Jaclyn Dougherty, Jeremy Duvall, Harmony France, Alex Heika, Ethan Isaacson, Christopher Logan, Todd Rhoades, Glenn Snellgrose, Lauren Villegas and Jake Ziman.

Jim Corti (Director) was hired in 2011 to be the first-ever Artistic Director in the Paramount's 80+ year history. He was instrumental in launching Paramount's inaugural Broadway Series, and directed and choreographed Paramount's very first self-produced Broadway show, My Fair Lady, which played to rave reviews. He is a seasoned veteran to Broadway productions, appearing in the New York casts of Ragtime, A Chorus Line and Candide. He has also appeared in the national tours of Urinetown, Cabaret and Bob Fosse's Dancin'. Highlights from his body of work over three decades include: being the only director in Chicago to have two productions at the same time in the Chicago Tribune's list of 10 Best Shows in 2009 - Drury Lane's Cabaret and Writers' Theatre's Oh, Coward! He is the sole honoree to have garnered a Jeff Award as an actor (in Marriott'sGrand Hotel), a choreographer (Drury Lane's Singin' In The Rain) and director (Northlight's Blues In The Night and Drury Lane's Sweet Charity). Other Chicago credits include choreographing The Original Grease (American Theatre Company), directing The Lost Boys of Sudan and The Snow Queen (Victory Gardens Biograph Theatre), and Meet Me In St. Louis and The Full Monty (Drury Lane). Corti has served productions for Second City, Goodman and Steppenwolf theaters.

Michael Keefe (Music Director, Conductor) music directed the Paramount's second season opener Greaseandis Composer in Residence for First Folio Shakespeare Theatre creating new music for The Tempest, Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, Antigone, Twelfth Night, Comedy of Errors and Taming of the Shrew. He is Music Director for Broadway in Chicago's summer concert at Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. He has music directed and conducted many performances of Wicked and shows at Marriott Lincolnshire, Drury Lane South and Candlelight.

Kevin Depinet (Scenic Designer) last designed The Music Man, Hair and Joseph for Paramount. His designs have been seen at Steppenwolf, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare, Royal George Theatre, Royal National Theatre of Great Britain, Court Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory, Writers Theatre, Drury Lane, Glimmerglass Opera, Yale Repertory, Chicago Children's Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Marriott Theatre and Illinois Shakespeare. He designed scenery for Michael Mann's film Public Enemies. He was the associate designer for the original Tony Award-winning August Osage County.

Jesse Klug (Lighting Designer) also designed lights for Paramount's The Music Man, Hair and Joseph. Off- Broadway credits include The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (Lortel Hewes nomination), The Screwtape Letters (Off-Broadway and national tour), Romulus and The Hourglass. Regionally, Jesse has worked with Goodman, Drury Lane, Broadway in Chicago, Chicago Shakespeare, Marriott, Victory Gardens, Lookingglass, Steppenwolf, Court, Writers Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory, Geffen Playhouse, Fulton Theatre, Asolo Repertory, Portland Center Stage, Indiana Repertory, American Theatre Company, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Northlight, First Stage Milwaukee, and Timeline Theatre. He is also a Jeff and After Dark Award recipient.

Melissa Torchia (Costume Designer) designed costumes for The Music Man, Hair, Josephand My Fair Lady at the Paramount. Other credits include Iron Stag King and The Magnificents (The House Theatre); The Verona Project (California Shakespeare Theatre); Grease (American Theatre Project); Aida (Drury Lane Oakbrook); Peter Pan (Lookingglass); Samuel J and K (Steppenwolf); Not Wanted On The Voyage (American Musical Theatre Project); The Importance of Being Earnest (Remy Bumppo); Abigail's Party (Red Orchid); and Bye, Bye, Birdie! (Northwestern University).

The Paramount Theatre is the center for performing arts, entertainment and arts education in Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois. Named "One of Chicago's Top 10 Attended Theatres" by the League of Chicago Theatres, the 1,888-seat Paramount Theatre, located in the heart of downtown Aurora at 23 E. Galena Blvd., is nationally renowned for the quality and caliber of its presentations, superb acoustics and historic beauty.

In Spring 2011, Paramount turned heads by appointing Chicago stage veteran Jim Corti as the company's first artistic director in 80 years, then self-producing its first-ever Broadway Series, presenting three-week runs of the popular musicals My Fair Lady, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, A Chorus Line and Hair, each featuring Chicago's top professional directors, actors and designers. In less than a year, this new series attracted nearly 13,000 subscribers, with each production playing to rave reviews and wildly enthusiastic audiences.

Nobody needs to be a rich man to see Fiddler on the Roof at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Boulevard in Aurora, Illinois. Single tickets are only $34.90 to $46.90. Performance times, March 6-24, 2013, are Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Press opening is Friday, March 8 at 8 p.m. Go to ParamountAurora.com for tickets and information, call (630) 896-6666, or visit the Paramount box office Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and 2 hours prior to evening performances. Fiddler on the Roof is rated G.

Photo Credit: Liz Lauren

Cast of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

Cast of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, featuring David Girolmo in the central role of Tevye

Cast of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, featuring David Girolmo in the central role of Tevye

Cast of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, featuring David Girolmo (center) as Tevye

Cast of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

Cast of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, featuring David Girolmo (center) as Tevye

(front, from left) David Girolmo as Tevye, Iris Lieberman as Golde, Kelley Abell as Tzeitel, Jazmin Gorsline as Hodel, Brooke Singer as Chava, real-life sisters Jennifer Baker (15) and Julia Baker (9) as Shprintze and Bielke, and (in back) Jim DeSelm as Perchik and Skyler Adams as Motel

Christopher Logan, Alex Heika, David Sajewich and Glenn Snellgrose

Cast of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

Jazmin Gorsline as Hodel and David Girolmo (back) as Tevye

Brandon Moorhead is Fyedka, Brooke Singer plays Chava, and Kelley Abell is Tzeitel

Skyler Adams is Motel and Kelley Abell is Tzeitel

Jim DeSelm as Perchik and Jazmin Gorsline as Hodel

Iris Lieberman as Golde, and Renee Matthews as Yente

David Girolmo in the central role of Tevye

Classical violinist Mark Agnor in the titular role