Paramount's gamble pays off
Several years ago, the Paramount Theatre in downtown Aurora announced it was going to try something audacious: putting on its own Broadway-style shows.
Many people shook their heads. Still, Paramount officials were confident they could tap the area's professional theater talent and create musical productions suited for their historic, 1,888-seat theater.
With Paramount in the fifth season of its Broadway Series, it's clear the Aurora Civic Center Authority Board made the right decision in 2010 when it brought in arts executive Tim Rater to run the theater and then backed his plan for a four-show subscription series.
The Paramount's shows regularly get rave reviews from critics. Last month, it received 16 equity Joseph Jefferson Award nominations during its first year of eligibility. The Jeff Award is Chicago's version of the Tony Award.
"We always feel like we're doing great work," said Rater, Paramount's CEO and president. "Sometimes we like to think we're doing the best work. To have it kind of acknowledged in this way, we're pretty excited."
Rater said part of Paramount's success is because it's a suburban theater. "This particular community has been tremendously supportive of the Paramount Theatre and pretty much everything we've tried to do," he said.
When Paramount started presenting its own Broadway-style shows, the theater had 12,500 subscribers. It now has about 28,000 subscribers.
"The annual attendance went from 54,000 in 2010-2011 to almost 300,000 this last year," Rater said. "So the organization is thriving, and it's because of the support of Aurora and the suburbs."
The change for the Paramount began in 2010 when the newly hired Rater proposed a plan to increase activity at the theater.
The theater used to bring in touring musicals to do one to three performances. But Rater learned that most of those shows were only modestly attended. He said those shows weren't financially successful because they were too expensive to present and the ticket prices would be $60 or $70.
Rater believed that if the Paramount could have a great show for a good value, people would come. So he proposed the theater offer a "buy two, get two shows free" subscription. The theater also needed to have access to better shows and run them longer.
"We believe in volume," Rater said. "We believe in bringing people here to the theater. Why do one show and try to make money on that one show when you can bring in 10 times as many people over 10 shows? All you have to do is make it more accessible, more affordable."
The only way to achieve that goal was for the Paramount to produce its own shows. But that meant finding someone who could produce a show that has the sound, emotion, heart and story needed to ensure everyone enjoys it.
Rater said that person was Jim Corti, the first artistic director in the 84-year history of Paramount.
"He's really the success story here," Rater said. "He hired the designers and the directors and the actors, and we've worked as a team to make sure they're supported."
In fall 2011, the theater kicked off its inaugural series with "My Fair Lady," followed by "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," "A Chorus Line" and "Hair."
Rater and Corti knew they had something special when applause erupted at the intermission of the very first performance of the first show.
"We just stood at the back of the house and looked at each other," Rater said. "We didn't even say a word because we were too afraid that we would jinx it."
The Paramount has since built on the success of each production.
"It's very much driven by the entire organization - the board, the staff - wanting to continue to invest into our productions to make them the best that they could possibly be," Rater said.
Corti says it's fitting that a landmark like the Paramount is part of that success.
"She deserves to have shows specially designed for her," said Corti, referring to the Art Deco theater building. "She stands tall and gorgeous. It's only right that she's experiencing this new life now."