Theater

Theater year in review: Paramount experienced highs, lows while Goodman fetes 100 years

Posted December 23, 2025 9:04 am

Barbara Vitello

Paramount Theatre’s “Million Dollar Quartet” celebrated its one-year anniversary at Stolp Island Theatre in July. The oft-extended revival goes on a two-month hiatus Jan. 4 and returns March 4. The show opened in July 2024 with Bill Scott Sheets, left, as Johnny Cash, Christopher Wren as Carl Perkins and Alex Swindle as Elvis Presley. Garrett Forrestal, not seen, played Jerry Lee Lewis. Courtesy of Liz Lauren

Paramount Theatre was riding high in 2025.

The year began with the Aurora theater’s regional premiere of “Frozen” emerging as its bestselling and longest-running show at a record-setting 12 weeks. The theater, which boasts the country’s largest Broadway subscription base, also staged regional premieres of “Waitress” and “Come From Away” along with an inspired, circus-centric revival of “Cats.” The year concluded with the glitzy holiday tuner “White Christmas.”

Stolp Island Theatre's rollicking “Million Dollar Quartet,” featuring Garrett Forrestal, center as Jerry Lee Lewis, celebrated its first anniversary in July 2025. Courtesy of Liz Lauren

Meanwhile, Paramount’s Stolp Island Theatre celebrated the first anniversary of its powerhouse revival of “Million Dollar Quartet.” Extended multiple times since its 2024 opening, “MDQ” takes a two-month hiatus after Jan. 4. Performances will resume March 4.

Two weeks after its stellar revival of Sam Shepard's “True West” (starring Ben Page, right, and Jack Ball) opened last summer at the Copley Theatre, Aurora’s Paramount Theatre announced the suspension of Copley’s Bold Series in response to the announcement that the city might substantially reduce its financial support. Courtesy of Brett Beiner Photography

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. In August, two weeks after the superb revival of “True West” — starring Ben Page and Jack Ball — inaugurated the Copley Theatre’s fourth Bold Series, Paramount announced it was suspending the series following the final “True West” performance Aug. 31.

Administrators attributed the suspension to Aurora officials informing them that financial support from the city to the Aurora Civic Center Authority could be reduced by up to 65% for the coming year.

In response, Paramount canceled the series and laid-off 17 full-time employees.

Established by the general assembly in 1974, the ACCA operates the Paramount and Stolp Island theaters, RiverEdge Park, North Island Center and the Copley, which continues to host one-off performances and short runs by The Second City and other companies.

Some relief came last month when officials announced Aurora’s 2026 budget will include $2 million for the ACCA to help fund Paramount operations. They described the payment as a “one-time ‘off-ramp’” while ACCA seeks additional funding to help make it financially stable.

Paramount wasn’t the only theater marked by changes in 2025. Here’s a look back on what else happened in suburban and Chicago theater this year.

Changing of the guard

Veteran actor/director Johanna McKenzie Miller took over as Metropolis Performing Arts Centre's new artistic director in 2025.

• Ten months after dismissing its artistic director following allegations of inappropriate behavior, the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre announced its new AD, veteran actor/director Johanna McKenzie Miller. Metropolis’ fourth AD in as many years, Miller brings to the Arlington Heights venue much-needed stability as well as a keen awareness of the Chicago-area theater scene.

• Buffalo Theatre Ensemble announced a change in leadership in June with the appointment of new managing artistic director Gus Menary, co-founder and former artistic director of Chicago’s Jackalope Theatre Company. Menary took the reins from ensemble member Amelia Barrett, who served as interim artistic director following the 2024 retirement of longtime AD Connie Canaday Howard. The Glen Ellyn theater named actor and stage manager Daniel Millhouse associate artistic director.

Milestones

Goodman Theatre kicked off its centennial season in September with two of 11 scheduled premieres, including the provocative funk-metal, hip-hop tuner “revolution(s)” by Libertyville’s Tom Morello.

Marriott, Northlight, Oak Park Festival and Steppenwolf theaters celebrated golden anniversaries in 2025. American Blues Theater marked its 40th anniversary, Remy Bumppo and Rivendell theaters celebrated 30 years, and the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre and the Improv Playhouse celebrated silver anniversaries.

Improv Playhouse founder and executive director David Brian Stuart presided over the Libertyville theater's move into a larger space last summer. Courtesy of Improv Playhouse

A new home

The distance between Improv Playhouse’s former venue and its new home at 130 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, is about a half mile. But the impact has been significant according to founder/executive director David Brian Stuart, who says the new space, which opened last summer and surpasses 5,000 square feet, will allow the theater to expand improv and theater productions, classes and training and special events.

Hail and farewell

• The Blue Man Group bid Chicago farewell in January after 27 years at the Briar Street Theatre, where ensemble members performed a combination of physical theater, music, comedy and performance art. The venue could be transformed into a combination residential/retail center, according to published reports.

• Speaking of conversions, Chicago’s City Council approved plans to transform Chicago’s Stage 773, the longtime, off-loop mainstay formerly known as The Theatre Building, into residential/retail space, according to published reports.

• Lastly, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, which relocated from Chicago to Evanston in 2018, paid tribute to its late founder and artistic director Fred Anzevino by renaming its Howard Street space The Fred Anzevino Theatre in honor of the Joseph Jefferson Award-winner who died in April after a brief illness.