Suburban theater in review: Stolp Island Theatre opens, BTE wins first Jeff Award, Northlight prepares for new home

While many theaters continue to rebound from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aurora’s Paramount Theatre and its concomitant venues, in cooperation with the Aurora Civic Center Authority, have not just recovered, they’ve thrived.

Now in its 13th season, the flagship 1,843-seat Paramount Theatre has emerged as the nation’s largest subscription theater with more than 37,000 subscribers. Its more intimate counterpart, the 165-seat Copley Theatre opened across the street in 2022. And last July, on the bank of the Fox River, Paramount inaugurated its 98-seat Stolp Island Theatre with a roof-rattlin’ revival of “Million Dollar Quartet,” that proved so popular it has been extended through June 2025.

And Paramount and the ACCA aren’t done yet.

In September, Paramount Theatre president and CEO Tim Rater announced an ACCA proposal to construct The City of Lights Center, a 4,000-seat venue unlike any other in the Western suburbs. Projected to cost $125 million, it would occupy city-owned property at New York and Lake streets.

If approved next year, the City of Lights Center — which Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin called “a game changer for our downtown, the city and the region” — could open in 2027.

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble earns first Jeff Award

Buffalo Theatre Ensemble earned its first Joseph Jefferson Award for costume design for the period dramedy “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley,” one of five nominations this year and the most in the Glen Ellyn theater’s history.

The recognition comes a decade after BTE prevailed in its fight for artistic survival thanks to fans who rallied around the theater after the College of DuPage pulled support for the company, a longtime resident of the McAninch Arts Center.

On a bittersweet note, longtime ensemble member Connie Canaday Howard retired in June after serving 24 years as BTE’s managing artistic director.

“I probably will slow down a bit, but I’m not retiring from theater,” said the 35-year BTE veteran who remains a member of the ensemble.

Northlight one step closer to home

Having reached its pre-construction fundraising goal of $26.2 million, Northlight Theatre — one of the area’s largest, with audiences totaling more than 40,000 a season — announced earlier this month that it will break ground on its new home at 1012 Church St., Evanston, in March.

A public campaign commences in January to complete the final phase of fundraising for the 285-seat theater, which is scheduled to open in late 2026.

The move from Skokie’s North Shore Center for the Performing Arts marks a homecoming for the 50-year-old theater that actor Mike Nussbaum, director Frank Galatie and then Northwestern University doctoral candidate Greg Kandel founded in Evanston in 1974 as the Evanston Theatre Company. A few years later, they changed the name to Northlight in reference to an artist’s ideal light as well as the North Shore location.

“To build our own theatrical home is a major achievement. It reflects the North Shore’s commitment to the arts and artists who call our community home. It invites world-class artists to contribute to our communities. And it provides our audiences a gathering place to share our ideas, our values and our vision for generations to come,” said artistic director BJ Jones in a prepared statement.

Lookingglass announces return

Eighteen months ago, in response to declining donations and shrinking audiences, the pioneering Lookingglass Theatre founded by Northwestern University graduates (including “Friends” alum David Schwimmer) announced a hiatus to reorganize.

Last month, the regional Tony Award-winner announced it will return next month with the premiere of “Circus Quixote,” a co-production with the Evanston-based Actors Gymnasium. Adapted and directed by Kerry and David Catlin from Miguel de Cervantes' “Don Quijote of La Mancha,” the production will include circus arts direction by Actors Gymnasium co-founder and artistic director Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi.

Metropolis bids another AD farewell

After about 13 months as the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre artistic director, Brendan Ragan resigned on May 31 about a month after the board of directors initiated an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior. Citing confidentiality regarding a personnel matter, MPAC board president Steve Daday declined to specify the allegations. Ragan resigned shortly after an outside human resources consultant submitted a report.

“It's important people feel respected, safe and secure,” said Daday following Ragan’s departure. “When these situations occur there’s a loss of trust. We were on a path to rebuilding that in the last couple of years, but we have to do better.”