Aurora’s Paramount Theatre Nabs 13 Equity Jeff Award Nominations

AURORA, IL — After enduring months of cancelled performances and empty seats, Paramount Theatre in Aurora got some very good news this week, landing 13 nominations for the 2020 Equity Jeff Awards.

Paramount Theatre earned nominations for each of the three productions it put on during the 2019-20 Chicago theater season before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Paramount earned the second most nominations of any theater, behind Drury Lane Productions' 22.

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The theater’s production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” earned six nominations from the committee for the Jeff Awards, which celebrate theaters in the Chicago region that employ Actor's Equity Association union performers.

Paramount’s world premiere of “The Secret of My Success” earned four nominations, and “Newsies” earned three.

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Jim Corti, Paramount’s artistic director, thanked the award committee for nominating the theater’s productions and said he will miss seeing his colleagues at the annual award show, which will be held online Nov. 9 due to the pandemic.

“This annual celebration brings us all together like one big family reunion and the hugs and hand shakes will be missed,” Corti said in a news release. “I'll also miss the live in-person roaring and cheering in recognition of all the deserving recipients."

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In the five years it has been eligible for Jeff Awards, Paramount Theatre has earned 71 nominations and won 20 awards.

Paramount Theatre is set to reopen in April 2021 after pushing back all of its scheduled performances for a full year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Paramount Theatre’s 2020 Equity Jeff Award nominations
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”
Production – Musical or Revue – Large
Performer in a Principal Role – Musical – Beth Stafford Laird (as Belle)
Performer in a Supporting Role – Musical – Jackson Evans (as Lumiere)
Scenic Design – Jeffrey D. Kmiec
Costume Design – Large – Theresa Ham
Lighting Design – Large – Jesse Klug

“The Secret of My Success”
New Work – Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen, Michael Mahler and Alan Schmuckler
Performer in a Principal Role – Billy Harrigan Tighe – Musical (as Brantley Foster)
Performer in a Supporting Role – Musical – Heidi Kettenring (as Vera Prescott)
Projection Design – Mike Tutaj

“Newsies”
Performer in a Principal Role – Musical – Alex Prakken (as Jack Kelly)
Scenic Design – Large – William Boles
Choreography – Joshua Blake Carter