Displaying items by tag: Aurora theatre

Break out your Burn Book and mark these dates: Aurora’s Paramount Theatre is launching its 15th Broadway Series with the Chicago-area premiere of Mean Girls, August 26-October 11, 2026. Opening Night is Friday, September 4 at 7 p.m.

Nominated for 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, Mean Girls is the Broadway sensation that’s so fetch, it rules the school. 

Based on Tina Fey’s iconic Paramount Pictures film, Mean Girls is the story of Cady Heron, a sweet and smart new girl who’s just moved from Africa to Chicago’s North Shore. When she enters the wild world of North Shore High, she quickly finds herself tangled up with The Plastics, the school’s most popular - and ruthless - clique led by queen bee Regina George. As Cady tries to fit in, she learns that popularity comes with a price. And revenge can get ugly fast.  

With a book by Tina Fey, music by Jeff Richmond, and lyrics by Neil Benjamin, Mean Girls gets an A+ for big laughs, bold, campy style, unforgettable pop-rock songs, and a message that is surprisingly honest. It’s a fresh, colorful must-see for anyone who’s ever tried to find their place in the crowd. So grab your friends, wear pink (on Wednesdays, of course), and experience the non-stop, fun-loving musical that proves even the fiercest frenemies can find redemption.

Devon Hayakawa, after serving on the directing teams of South Pacific, Come From Away, Cats, and Disney’s Frozen, makes their Paramount solo directing debut with Mean Girls. Their top-tier creative team includes choreographer Kasey Alfonso (Come From Away, Jeff Award-winner, Cats), veteran Paramount Broadway Series music director and conductor Kory Danielson, set designer Milo Bue (Come From Away) and costume designer Kotryna Hilko (Peter and the Starcatcher). 

On stage, Cady Heron will be played by Elizabeth Stenholt, familiar to Paramount audiences as Olive in The 25th Anniversary Putnam County Spelling Bee (Jeff-nominated, Performer in a Supporting Role), Medium Alison in Fun Home (winner, Jeff Award, Performer in a Supporting Role), and Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. 

Dariana Mullen, coming off The Great Gatsby at New York’s Broadway Theatre, makes her Chicago debut as Cady’s arch nemesis, Regina George. The cast also features Angel Alzeidan as Gretchen Wieners, Julia Hope Budd as Karen Smith, Diego Vazquez Gomez as Aaron Samuels, Lucy Godinez as Janis Sarkisian, Steven Klenk as Damian Hubbard, Ben Mathew as Kevin G, Veronica Garza as Mrs. Heron/Ms. Norbury/Mrs. George, and Austin Nelson Jr. as Principal Duvall. 

The ensemble includes Tola Abitogun, Jeremiah Alsop, Matty Bettencourt, Anna Louise Bramlett, Nicole DiSandro, Ben Dow, Tiyanna Gentry, Joshua Messmore, Hannah Remian, Nataki Rennie, Morgan Schoenecker, Jacob Simon, Abby C. Smith, Amanda Walker and Elaine Watson. 

Ticket information
 

Mean Girls begins previews Wednesday, August 26. Opening Night is Friday, September 4 at 7 p.m. Performances run through October 11: Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. (Exception: No matinee Wednesday, August 26.) Single tickets to Mean Girls are $34-$109 when purchased in-person. Additional fees apply for phone and online orders.

Any Mathlete knows it’s smarter to save money with a Paramount Theatre 2026-27 Broadway Series subscription. Four-show packages start at just $73, including Mean Girls, a world premiere adaptation of The Christmas Carol (November 11, 2026–January 3, 2027), Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Sunday in the Park with George (February 10–March 28, 2027) and an 80s-inspired Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat  (April 28-June 13, 2027).

That’s the same “Buy Two Shows, Get Two Shows Free” offer Paramount has offered since it launched its first Broadway Series in 2011, and has since grown to be the largest subscription theater in the U.S. Think of it as four Broadway-quality musicals for less than the price of one show downtown. Plus, Aurora boasts easy, affordable parking and a host of new restaurants all around. 

Paramount Theatre is located at 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora. For tickets or subscriptions, visit ParamountAurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by the Paramount box office Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and until show time on show days. For group discounts, contact Melissa Striedl, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (630) 723-2461. 

Paramount: Making live theater accessible to all

Paramount will offer two Pay What You Can previews Thursday, August 27 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, August 29 at 2 p.m. See ParamountAurora.com/Pay-What-You-Can for details. 

Paramount will offer open captioning Wednesday, September 30 at 7 p.m. and American Sign Language interpretation Friday, October 9 at 7 p.m. 

Paramount offers free assistive listening devices  at all performances, including new Auracast technology that connects to blue tooth earphones. Check in at the coat room before the show to borrow a device. If you require wheelchair or special seating or other assistance, please contact the box office in advance at (630) 896-6666 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Rogers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific has long been one of my favorite musicals, not just for its sweeping romance and unforgettable score, but for the way it tackles big ideas with such touching honesty. Set on a remote island during World War II, the show blends sunlit escapism with the very real tensions shaping its characters’ lives, creating a story that’s as heartfelt as it is enduring.

South Pacific follows two intertwined love stories set against the backdrop of World War II, each colored and strained by the racial prejudices of the era. The musical centers on Nellie Forbush, an American nurse from Arkansas, who falls for Emile de Becque, a French plantation owner living on a South Pacific island. Their romance is warm, hopeful, and immediate, but Nellie falters when she learns that Emile has mixed-race children, forcing her to confront the biases she didn’t realize she carried. Meanwhile, a young Marine lieutenant, Joseph Cable, falls in love with Liat, a Tonkinese woman, only to recoil from the social consequences of marrying her. These parallel stories expose the poignant cost of prejudice, a theme the musical tackles directly and candidly.

The show’s creators - Richard Rodgers (music), Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics and co-book), and Joshua Logan (co-book) - adapted the musical from James A. Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Tales of the South Pacific. Their adaptation blends romance, wartime tension, and social critique, using songs like “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Younger Than Springtime,” and the pointed “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” to deepen the narrative’s resonant and political stakes. The hit 1958 film version, starring Mitzi Gaynor and Rossano Brazzi, helped cement South Pacific as a cultural landmark and carried its most iconic songs to an even wider audience. South Pacific debuted on Broadway in 1949, where it became an immediate hit and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and now the beloved musical has found a temporary home at Paramount Theatre’s massive stage in Aurora's thriving downtown theater district.

Paramount’s production is anchored by a cast that brings both freshness and passionate sharpness to this classic musical.

Strong pecs are de rigueur for a troop of World War II U.S. Navy seabees stationed on a tropical island in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, playing now through June 14 at downtown Aurora’s Paramount Theatre. For tickets, visit ParamountAurora.com or call (630) 896-6666.

Allsun O’Malley brings a bright, grounded sincerity to Nellie Forbush, making her Paramount debut with a turn that feels fully lived-in rather than broadly sketched. Her Nellie is warm, funny, and emotionally accessible, and she brings each of her songs to life with bright, expressive vocals - especially “A Wonderful Guy,” which she delivers with pure joy, and a buoyant optimism that never obscures the character’s underlying complexity. O’Malley also reveals Nellie’s internal contradictions with clear, intentional choices, letting the audience see the exact moments when her optimism collides with what she calls an inherited prejudice. Playing opposite, Devin Archer delivers a commanding and deeply felt Emile de Becque. Archer’s rich velvety voice has the kind of effortless power that makes “Some Enchanted Evening” land with full romantic weight. Also, the quiet, wounded dignity he brings to Emile’s past gives the role its human spine. The chemistry of the two is undeniable. Archer and O’Malley form a partnership that feels real, tender, and the kind of connection every couple hopes for.

Cindy Chang’s Bloody Mary is a standout from her first entrance, played with sharp wit and a knowing edge that never slips into stereotype. Chang gives the character agency and intelligence, making her both a shrewd survivor and a mother navigating impossible circumstances. Anthony Maggio, as Lt. Joseph Cable, delivers a performance that balances youthful idealism with the crushing weight of societal expectation. His later scenes - especially his deeply felt rendition of “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught,” the song that argues hate is learned, not innate - give Maggio’s work real force and heartfelt depth.

Matthew Michael Janisse is absolutely wonderful as Luther Billis, perfectly cast and firing off some of the evening’s sharpest comedic timing. He brings a mischievous ease to every entrance, shaping the humor with character-driven precision rather than broad antics, and his presence reliably lifts the energy of each scene he touches. Louisa Darr’s Liat offers a gentle, luminous counterbalance, shaping the role with quiet grace. Esteban Ortiz‑Villacorta (Professor) and Chris Khoshaba (Stewpot) add texture and humor to the ensemble, while Joshua L. Green’s Captain George Brackett and David Rossetti’s Commander William Harbison provide crisp, authoritative counterpoints. Young performers Evelyn Dorough and Elle Laroco (Ngana) and Bennet Angsurat and Vin Laroco (Jerome) bring charm and authenticity to their scenes, rounding out a talented cast that feels cohesive, committed, and fully engaged in the world of the production.

The ensemble is exceptional across the board, moving with a unified energy that enriches every scene. Their vocal blend, character detail, and fantastic dancing give this interpretation its heartbeat, making the world of the island feel alive with youthful energy.

Nellie Forbush (Allsun O'Malley) admits to her fellow nurses she’s in love with a wonderful guy in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, the 2025-26 Broadway Series finale at downtown Aurora’s Paramount Theatre. 

One of my favorite South Pacific moments comes when Cindy Chang steps into “Bali Ha’i,” singing with a hypnotic calm and quiet urgency that makes the number seem both inviting and faintly mysterious, as if she’s revealing a world only she can fully see. That spell is followed by the sailors’ showstopping “There Is Nothin’ Like a Dame,” a riot of comic bravado and tight choreography that electrifies the stage. And just when the energy peaks, the nurses answer with a gleeful, splashy rendition of “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” led by Allsun O’Malley and complete with real water cascading from onstage showers - a burst of theatrical fun the audience clearly loved.

Co-directors Devon Hayakawa and Trent Stork guide this Rodgers and Hammerstein masterpiece with a confident, contemporary touch, shaping a presentation that honors the show’s sweeping romance while sharpening its sincere and thematic edges. Their staging is purposeful and fluid, allowing humor, heart, and tension to coexist without competing. Choreographer Morgan DiFonzo adds another vital layer, crafting movement that feels organically rooted in character while giving the staging its rhythmic pulse. Together, the trio delivers a revival that respects the classic while infusing it with fresh perspective and simplicity.

The set and costumes are nothing short of breathtaking, with projections that expand the already majestic environment into a fully realized island in the South Pacific. Jeffrey D. Kmiec’s scenic design features towering, densely layered trees that rise beyond the height of the stage, using every inch of space with intention and beauty. Izumi Inaba’s costumes enrich the world with texture and authenticity, while Greg Hofmann’s magical lighting bathes the stage in shifting moods that deepen the sense of place. Adam Rosenthal’s sound design adds precision and atmosphere, and Mike Tutaj’s projections provide some of the production’s most magical touches - most memorably a stunning firefly-filled night scene that seems to shimmer in the air. As a unit, the design team created a world that feels immersive, transportive, and alive with the beauty of island nature. 

Under the baton of Music Director and Conductor Kory Danielson, the orchestra sounds vibrant, balanced, and enthusiastically attuned to the storytelling. Danielson shapes the score with clarity and warmth, giving the big ensemble numbers buoyant lift while letting the more intimate moments breathe. His leadership keeps the musical pulse steady and expressive, ensuring the show’s soulful arcs land with full impact.

This South Pacific is a richly imagined, beautifully performed revival that captures the sweep, humor, and emotional punch of the Rodgers and Hammerstein defining musical while giving it a revitalized, contemporary pulse. From the stunning design work to the standout performances and thoughtfully shaped direction, every element comes together with definition and heart. It’s a staging that invites you in, holds you close, and stays with you long after the final notes fade. Rogers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific runs through June 14th, and it’s absolutely worth catching before it sails away.

I highly recommend this breathtaking and deeply romantic beloved musical. 

For tickets and/or more show information, click here.

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